Published: 9 January 2025

By Louise Wren (Director of External Affairs), Catriona Manville (Director of Research Policy) and Karen Hobbs (Director of Membership and Operations) 

The new year has begun and it’s already looking like a busy one for AMRC. There’s far more coming up than we can fit into a blog, but we thought we’d give you a sneak peek at some of the key things to look out for in the next few months.

The start of a new year can mean only one thing – it’s time for AMRC’s annual data collection! This is where we ask our member charities for some key information on the research you fund. It is also an opportunity for you to tell us about your views on the sector and how you want AMRC to support you in the coming year. The data you provide helps us to create a strong, collective, evidence-based voice for the sector that is central to our policy work. It also forms the basis of the reports we publish throughout the year, showcasing your contribution to UK medical research, such as our annual infographic and spotlight reports. We’ll be in touch about this on the 15th January, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please do reach out via [email protected].

This spring will also mark the start of our next AMRC Expert Review Audit, which takes place every five years. This is an opportunity for our members to take stock of processes, get guidance on how these reflect current best practice, and receive recognition for excellence in expert review. We are simplifying the process, enabling you to more easily explain your approach to implementing the AMRC’s revised principles of expert review. Please keep an eye on your emails and AMRC’s digital channels over the next few months for a detailed timeline of the audit, including when you will be asked to submit your response, and opportunities to engage more widely.

We’re also kicking off a project to better understand what you do and what you need when it comes to the promotion of diversity in recruitment to research. This topic consistently comes up as a top priority in member feedback. There’s still time to take our survey on this topic (deadline Friday 10 January). The results will also help us curate content for an in-person event in March, hosted by AMRC and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), which will showcase and explore best practices and insight around diversity and inclusion in clinical trials.

Another exciting in-person event is taking place later this month – we’re holding our first ever Medical Research Charity Showcase in the House of Commons. Over 75 AMRC members will gather on 21st January to speak to MPs and Peers about the impact of the UK’s medical research charity sector. It’ll be a great chance for members to interact with parliamentarians, through interactive, hands-on examples of charity-funded research that bring to life the impact on patients’ lives. While this event is now fully booked, you can make sure you’re the first to know about similar events by signing up to our PAWG newsletter (by emailing [email protected]) or keeping an eye on the AMRC Events page.

A big focus for us this year is the development of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan. Our CEO Nicola Perrin is part of the research, life sciences and innovation enabler group which will support the plan’s development. And we’ll be sharing updates and asking for your input to the group via our Microsoft Teams Channel. Let us know if you’d like to join by emailing [email protected].

Elsewhere in Westminster, plans for the Government’s upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review are taking shape. The AMRC will be making a submission to HM Treasury’s representations portal before the deadline on 9 February, detailing our views on Government spending priorities. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss this (by emailing [email protected]).

Last, but most definitely not least, the AMRC’s new Strategic Plan will be published in the coming months, setting our goals for the next five years to ensure that we champion, support and connect our members as effectively as possible. Our new strategy will be published on our website, which is also having a refresh in 2025. We hope this will make it easier for you to find all our resources, make the most of your member benefits, and find out about all that we’re doing to champion the sector and more.