SCMH and III were delighted to host the Minister for Higher/Further Education
Published: 28 October 2021
SCMH and III were delighted to host the Minister for Higher/Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, Jamie Hepburn MSP, for a visit on 21st October.
SCMH and III were delighted to host the Minister for Higher/Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, Jamie Hepburn MSP, for a visit on 21st October. The Minister was particularly interested in the role of charities in research funding. Colleagues from the two Schools gave brief presentations and took the Minister through their research centres of excellence where he met early career researchers and representatives of the British Heart Foundation and Versus Arthritis.
The Minister learned that more than a third of the research awards in SCMH come from the British Heart Foundation, while Versus Arthritis fund a wide range of research in III ranging from the RACE centre of excellence to individual project grants and fellowships. Charities played an important role in supporting research during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only because of their support of novel research projects into pathogenesis and health impact of the disease but also because of their support of researchers by granting generous extensions to research awards.
The Minister was particularly interested in career paths of early career researchers and congratulated colleagues on their initiatives to support career progression and appreciated the challenges. The Minister also heard about how active patient involvement helps inform research at all levels to ensure this is relevant to people with these conditions and wider society.
First published: 28 October 2021