Review highlights flaws in conduct of medical research

Less a problem of funding than networking, says academic reviewer

HSE: provided useful funding. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
HSE: provided useful funding. Photograph: Cyril Byrne


Irish medical research occurs on an ad hoc basis without proper co-ordination, a review has found. And too many young researchers attempting to build a career here are forced to leave due to a lack of opportunities.

The review by Prof Bernie Hannigan of the University of Ulster will be presented this morning to delegates attending a conference organised by the Medical Research Charities Group, which represents Ireland's main research charities.


Charities
Prof Hannigan, who is also a joint chief scientific adviser to the Northern Ireland Assembly, recognised the important work done by the charities.

She was critical of a general lack of co-ordination in the work overall and a lack of collaboration and networking. “That I think is a particular issue. It is not necessarily a need for more money, it is organisations working on a common problem,” Prof Hannigan said in advance of this morning’s conference in Dublin.

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Oversight
There were also oversight issues. The HSE provided useful funding in support of clinical trials, but it was ad hoc and lacked co-ordination, she said.

Prof Hannigan said the EU fixed-term working directive had made university employers “risk-averse” and less willing to hire highly qualified postdoctoral researchers seeking to build careers here.

Dick Ahlstrom

Dick Ahlstrom

Dick Ahlstrom, a contributor to The Irish Times, is the newspaper's former Science Editor.