Mission The United Kingdom National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) was established in July 2006 as an independent national body for the promotion of research across the sub-disciplines of stem cell science and to act as the national focal point for disseminating information about UK stem cell research to overseas researchers, the general public and the media.
Its central mission is the promotion of research activities and events at the national level which help to speed the translation of basic stem cell research into therapeutic applications in the control of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes.
BackgroundIn March 2005, the UK Government’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown announced the launch of the UK Stem Cell Initiative (UKSCI) during his pre-budget statement, commissioning Sir John Pattison to prepare a ten-year vision for UK stem cell research by the end of 2005. The UKSCI report (Pattison Report) was published in December 2005 and contained 11 recommendations. The UKNSCN has been established in direct response to Recommendation 10, which stated that “the Government should allocate additional funding to establish the UK Stem Cell Cooperative, to maximise the cross-fertilisation between those involved in the sub-disciplines of UK stem cell research.
”The UK Government accepted all 11 recommendations and presented the UK Research Councils and the Department of Health with the task of delivering them through the Cross-Council Stem Cells Coordination Committee. In response to Recommendation 10, the Research Councils conducted an on-line consultation during April and May 2006 in which they sought the stem cell community’s views on precisely what activities the “Cooperative” should undertake, how it should be operated and by whom. An Open Meeting was held in London on 5 July 2006, chaired by Lord Naren Patel of Dunkeld, at which the Research Councils presented the results of the consultation to delegates from the stem cell community and sought a consensus on the way forward. Delegates agreed upon an interim mode of operation proposed by the Chairman in which the “UK National Stem Cell Network” would be based within the Research Councils for the first two years of its existence and operate under the direction of an expert Steering Committee with an independent Chair. A summary of the outcome of the 5 July Open Meeting is available here.
Members of the stem cell community were given the opportunity to nominate individuals for the role of Chair and/or membership of the Steering Committee and the first Steering Committee was appointed by the Cross-Council Stem Cells Coordination Committee in November 2006. A full-time Senior Programme Manager was appointed to the secretariat in October 2006 and the Network’s activities officially commenced on 1 December 2006.
FundingFor the first three years of its existence, the UKNSCN is funded through contributions from four UK Research Councils totalling £150k per annum. The four contributing Research Councils are:
As the National Network’s role evolves, it is expected to acquire additional activities with additional associated costs. The Network is well-positioned to bid for further funds from its supporting Research Councils should that need arise.
ObjectivesThe high-level objectives of the UKNSCN are as follows:
The coordination of existing activities through sharing of expertise and technology
The establishment of the Network as the national focal point for communication with the media and the public
The establishment of the Network as the national focal point for interaction with overseas researchers seeking collaboration
The establishment of the Network as the “national voice” to policymakers and regulators
The facilitation of interactions to promote uptake and use of stem cells by the scientific, business and medical communities, particularly in the areas of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
To be financially accountable to the UK Stem Cell Funders’ Forum and Cross-Council Stem Cells Coordination Committee
Initially, the UKNSCN will not fund research nor broker specific exploitation activities. It will also not replace nor replicate the activities of the existing regional stem cell networks in the UK.
Secretariat and Governance For the first two years of its operations, the UKNSCN is based within the Research Councils at Polaris House in Swindon and employs a full-time Senior Programme Manager to coordinate its activities, together with a press officer. The secretariat's work is directed by a Steering Committee of nine members, chaired by Lord Naren Patel of Dunkeld. The UKNSCN is financially accountable to the UK Stem Cell Funders' Forum and the Cross-Council Stem Cells Coordination Committee.
Evaluation and Future Management The current mode of operation of the UKNSCN will be formally reviewed after two years through independent consultants, with a view to assessing its achievements and establishing the strengths and weaknesses of the operational model. This will culminate in an Open Meeting in December 2008 at which the research community will be presented with the consultant's findings in order that it may decide collectively how the UKNSCN should be operated and funded in 2009 and beyond.
