New funding announced for diabetes research

New government funding of GBP800 million into diseases including diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s has been announced. The funding, which will be offered over a five-year period, will go to research at major hospitals and universities to develop innovative new treatments.
The funding into early stage research on chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease will go to NHS and university partnerships run by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), including Imperial College and Imperial NHS Trust, which will received GBP112 million for studies into genetics, bioengineering and cancer.
The prime minister, David Camero, commented “A strong competitive science and research base is a crucial part of securing sustainable economic growth and creating jobs of the future, and we have some of the best scientists and facilities in the world.”
Colin Blakemore, who is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Oxford, stated that he was satisfied “the research budget of the NHS has been protected during the current period of upheaval and financial constraint.” The University of Oxford will share GBP95 million with the local Radcliffe NHS trust.
The announcement follows a recent move by senior international chemists that warned of the dangers of intended cuts to the funding of scientific research to industry, where budget cuts are expected to rise to 15 per cent in real terms in the near future.