UCL excels at Medical Research Council applications and awards

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced that UCL received the largest amount of funding and highest number of awards through its grants and fellowships programme in 2008/2009. UCL also made the highest number of grant applications deemed "internationally competitive".

The university received 70 grants and fellowships (up from 43 the previous year), almost 14% (up from 10%) of the total number awarded by the MRC. The £44 million awarded to UCL was 16% of the total funding (up from 10%).

Fifty-eight grant applications made by UCL to the MRC were judged of "internationally competitive" quality in 2008/2009. This was the most applications of that quality made by any institution and constituted 13% of all such MRC applications (up from 10%). It was also more than twice the number of UCL applications of that calibre made in the previous year.

Funding excellent research is at the heart of the MRC's stated mission to improve human health: "To achieve this, we support research across the biomedical spectrum, from fundamental lab-based science to clinical trials, and in all major disease areas. We … give a high priority to research that is likely to make a real difference to clinical practice and the health of the population."

Professor David Price, UCL Vice-Provost (Research), said: "The quality and success of UCL's applications for MRC grants and fellowships reflects our strengths in - and beyond - biomedicine. We share the MRC's commitment to fostering world-leading research and to ensuring that we maximise its impact."

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