HRB Grant Holders Conference

Graham LoveChief ExecutiveHealth Research Board

Strand Hotel, Limerick, Feb 26/27, 2015

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Housekeeping

• Emergency Exits• Toilets• Phones on silent• #hrbghconf15 (MacBook prize!)• Ideas Tree• Where to get help – HRB staff• Photographer – HRB PI Library

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Conference Purpose

• To build a sense of Community• Not just a collection of individual PIs• Cohesive• Influential• Working to a plan

• A success if:– initiates a sense of community among HRB grant holders, identifying

themselves as part of a broader HRB/health research mission rather than individual holders of research grants, ultimately enabling implementation of HRB strategy

– drives increased understanding of (and respect for) different disciplines within the health research area, ultimately driving interdisciplinary behaviour

– draws HRB grant holders into a constructive consultation process for development of the HRB strategy

– exposes HRB grant holders to the Dept of Health perspective and the perspective of a high benchmark international health research system (Canada)

Thursday 1.30 – 2.15 Graham Love Welcome

2.15 – 3.15 Fionnuala McAuliffe

Antenatal interventions to improve maternal and fetal health – what are the benefits?

Martin O’Donnell Informing strategies for stroke prevention

3.15 – 4.00 Jim Breslin Keynote address

4.00 – 4.30 Tea / coffee

4.30 – 5.00 Rose Anne Kenny TILDA and the HRB

5.00 – 6.30 The Solutions Clinic Part 1

Round table discussions

7.30 Reception

8.00 Mark Pollack Dinner and keynote

Friday8.30 – 9.30 Alain Beaudet Keynote address

9.30 – 11.00 Helen Whelton Research for oral health in Ireland, the added value

Steve Thomas The Resilience study

Fergal Malone Perinatal Ireland – Improving healthcare of mothers and babies

11.00 – 11.30 Tea / coffee

11.30 – 1.00 The Solutions Clinic Part 2

Panel discussion

1.00 Close / Light lunch

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Health Research Board

• State agency under Department of Health.– Budget €43m, funding portfolio €150m+, staff of 60

• Providing evidence for policy– Public Health Alcohol Bill, Food Pyramid, Fluoridation

• Information for service planning– Drug use, disability, mental health

• Funding health research– Clinical, Population Health, Health Services Research– Infrastructure, capacity building, specific projects. external

internal

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The Landscape

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Projects & Programmes

US-Ireland R&D

Partnership Health Research

Awards (PoR, HSR and PH)

Applied Research

Projects in Dementia

Medical Education Research

Grants

Collaborative Applied

Project Grants in PH/HSR

Definitive Interventions

(including pilot &

feasibility)

Wellcome Trust Strategic

Awards

EU Joint Programmes

Research Collaboration in

Quality & Patient Safety

Health research Centres

Diet & HealthPrimary Care

All Ireland Hospice and

Palliative Care Network

Our instruments (1)

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Our instruments (2)

Career development

SummerScholarships

CochraneFellowships

CancerPreventionFellowships

HealthCareProfessionalFellowships

Inter-disciplinary (ICE)

awards

Structured PhD in PH/HSR (SPHeRE)

Wellcome Trust fellowships

Clinician ScientistAwards

Research Leaders in

PH/HSR

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Enabling Support

Clinical Research Facilities

Clinical Research Coordination

Clinical Research NetworksICORG

Trials Methodology research Network

Biobanking

Our instruments (3)

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1 U

nder

pinn

ing

2 A

etiol

ogy

3 Pr

even

tion

4 D

etec

tion

and

Dia

gnos

is

5 Tr

eatm

ent D

evel

opm

ent

6 Tr

eatm

ent E

valu

ation

7 D

isea

se M

anag

emen

t

8 H

ealth

Ser

vice

s

-15%

-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

Percent total spend by research activity: 2010-2014

Research activity

Perc

enta

ge

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0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

0.04%

0.14%

0.90%

0.93%

1.21%

1.68%

1.96%

2.21%

2.32%

2.48%

3.28%

3.83%

4.28%

4.45%

5.11%

5.77%

7.41%

9.72%

19.41%

22.86%

Percentage of spending attributed to all health categories: 2010-2014

Percentage

Hea

lth C

ateg

ory

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Sample R&D Intensities• Healthcare is a KNOWLEDGE industry!• Expectations & costs are rising out of sync with resources. This is not

sustainable.• We need a much smarter use of our resources, people, processes & technology

to meet healthcare needs/expectations.• Our healthcare system needs a much greater self-learning capacity: an ability to

research & develop people/processes/technology both in Ireland and to absorb them from abroad.

• That capacity is not strong in our healthcare system at present.• And should we be surprised? €14,000,000,000

€43,000,0000.31%

£109,000,000,000£2,400,000,0002.20%

$53,000,000,000$2,800,000,0005.28%

Total spendR&D spendR&D as % of total

HSE (HRB)

NHS (NIHR/MRC/WT)

Intel

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Typical HRB Financials

• < 20% of annual budget is available for ‘new’ things each year

• ‘New’ includes both brand new and new iterations of existing calls e.g. HRA call

Committed Award Expenditure €32.3m (87%)

Available for New Awards €4.7m (13%)

2015 budget in Q3, 2014 (prepared for Review Panel)

Good news: 2015 is first year since 2008 that HRB budget has NOT been cut.First stabilise.Then grow.

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The Solutions Clinic!(Strategy)

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Q3/Q4 2014 Q1/Q2 2015 Late 2015 -------------------------------> 2020

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Analysis Strategic Choices

Implementation

Self-assessment ExerciseInternational Panel Review

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International PanelName Institution/LocationProfessor Nicholas Canny CHAIR

Member of the Scientific Council of the European Research CouncilProfessor Emeritus of History at NUI, Galway and past President of the Royal Irish Academy.

Professor Sally Redman CEO, Sax Institute, Australia.Professor Jane Grimson Former CEO, Health Information and Quality Authority.

Fellow Emerita and Professor of Health Informatics, Trinity College Dublin.Professor Michael Rigby Emeritus Professor of Health Information Strategy, University of Keele, UK.Professor David Gough Director of the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating

Centre (EPPI-Centre), University College London.Dr Jane Aubin Executive Vice-President, Chief Scientific Officer, Vice-President, Research and

Knowledge Translation Portfolio, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Dr Clive Morris Head of the Research Group at the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australia.

Professor Tom Walley Director NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies. (Director of the NIHR HTA).

Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Liverpool University. Dr Wendy Ewart Former Deputy CEO Medical Research Council, UK.

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The remit of the Panel was• To meet with staff representatives and to review the assessments

they had made of their performance • To conduct detailed meetings with key HRB stakeholders• To consider the extent to which the HRB is achieving its strategic

objectives• To advise the HRB and its Board on how to devise a strategy for

the future

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Core message:

The Panel remained convinced that the primary business of the HRB is to fund and support health research, which it does very well, and the thrust of this report has been to make recommendations concerning those areas of activity which are relatively new to the HRB or where the Panel detected some stasis.

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The Panel remained convinced that the primary business of the HRB is to fund and support health research, which it does very well, and the thrust of this report has been to make recommendations concerning those areas of activity which are relatively new to the HRB or where the Panel detected some stasis. Therefore, with a view to positioning and promoting the HRB as a leader within the national research and information framework concerning Health the International Review Panel recommends as follows:

1. Develop One HRB2. Develop a performance management framework3. Target the research capacity of the HRB4. Promote national discussion on the funding of basic biomedical

research5. Develop strategic research partnerships6. Develop a more flexible financial strategy7. Ensure the appropriate skills & demographic balance of the

Board8. Establish a scientific advisory group to the CEO9. Develop & enhance the existing research databases

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8. Establish a Scientific Advisory Group to the CEOIt was the view of the Panel that the HRB executive team would benefit from a Scientific Advisory Group which would be able to inform and identify areas of research which the HRB could pursue, from time to time. The Panel suggests that the Scientific Advisory Group should be endorsed by the Board of the HRB, but would be appointed by and report to the CEO and the executive team.

3. Target the research capacity of the HRBThe Panel agreed that the HRB should channel its limited resources in targeted areas. The Panel sees the development of a central role for the HRB in providing the funding and associated support mechanisms for clinical research, health services research and population health research in Ireland. The Panel would advise the HRB to develop its capability in implementation research, an area, which, in the future, could foster and strengthen a strategic partnership with the HSE.

4. Promote national discussion on the funding of basic biomedical researchThe Panel recognise that the HRB, as a leader and influencer in health research, had an obligation to advocate on behalf of the research community for the Irish government, industry, and other funding bodies to continue supporting basic biomedical research with appropriate levels of funding. The Panel endorses the view that basic biomedical research should not be funded from the HRB’s current resources which are already challenged.

5. Develop strategic research partnershipsThe Panel sees strong potential for the HRB to develop strategic research partnerships with its existing stakeholders in the Irish health system to establish mechanisms to further encourage cooperation and support for health research projects. It was noted that the HRB should establish formal high level mechanisms for communication and cooperation on funding with other stakeholders, notably, the Department of Health (Department of Health), the Health Services Executive (HSE) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) to ensure a cohesive approach to supporting and delivering research throughout the Irish health system.

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So

• The bulk of the review recommendations focused on the non funding agency part of HRB’s business

• …because the funding agency piece found to be working well

• Notwithstanding that….– Keep focus to clinical, pop and health services research

(develop implementation science), basic research dialogue, strategic partnerships

• Beyond that the Panel has effectively handed it back to us to chart the course…..

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Q3/Q4 2014 Q1/Q2 2015 Late 2015 -------------------------------> 2020

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Analysis Strategic Choices

Implementation

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Step 1High level priorities

Step 2aStr. Objs/Plan

Step 2bRefine Str Objs/Plan

Step 4Impl. Plan

Feb 13Board

Mar 27Board

May 15Board

Jun 30Board

2015

we are here today!

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The 5 Priority Areas

1. Create new knowledge by funding innovative, internationally competitive health research, interventions and trials

2. Support research, information and evidence that is responsive to the needs and challenges of the Irish health and social care system

3. Support exceptional researchers, talent and leadership4. Build a strong enabling environment for health research in Ireland5. Ensure that Ireland plays its part in, and benefits from, European

and international initiatives

• 2016-2020: ~€200 million over 5 years• ~50% already committed• So we’re working on the ~€100m balance here

• Solutions Clinic!

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At a national level…Things that worry me• Enterprise emphasis

of national R&D system

• Health research ‘submissiveness’

• Research in-squabbling

• Stubborn gap between health research and health practice (real & perceived)

What to do?• Stop the squabbling• Health research

community must unite• Coherent, constructive• Reposition our

community within national system

• Articulate our value• Bridge research to

practice gap• Shift perception from

‘cost centre’ to ‘profit centre’

Thursday 1.30 – 2.15 Graham Love Welcome

2.15 – 3.15 Fionnuala McAuliffe

Antenatal interventions to improve maternal and fetal health – what are the benefits?

Martin O’Donnell Informing strategies for stroke prevention

3.15 – 4.00 Jim Breslin Keynote address

4.00 – 4.30 Tea / coffee

4.30 – 5.00 Rose Anne Kenny TILDA and the HRB

5.00 – 6.30 The Solutions Clinic Part 1

Round table discussions

7.30 Reception

8.00 Mark Pollack Dinner and keynote

Friday8.30 – 9.30 Alain Beaudet Keynote address

9.30 – 11.00 Helen Whelton Research for oral health in Ireland, the added value

Steve Thomas The Resilience study

Fergal Malone Perinatal Ireland – Improving healthcare of mothers and babies

11.00 – 11.30 Tea / coffee

11.30 – 1.00 The Solutions Clinic Part 2

Panel discussion

1.00 Close / Light lunch