MRC May 2014

News from the MRC community

The Chancellor visits the LMB to announce future support for science

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne, visited the MRC Laboratory of (LMB) in Cambridge on Friday 25 April to announce details of the long-term plan for science capital investment. Mr Osborne was welcomed by MRC LMB Director Sir Hugh Pelham and shown some of the world-class facilities in the new laboratory, which was opened by Her Majesty The Queen last May. In his speech, the Chancellor announced the launch of a consultation on allocating the Government’s £7 billion science capital budget. Mr Osborne lauded the LMB’s achievements and “fantastic pedigree” including the discovery of the structure of DNA, nine Nobel prizes and various spin-out companies. In response, Declan Mulkeen, MRC Chief Science Officer, said: “Government’s commitment to long-term, stable funding for research capital developments is very good news for medical research, and UK science overall.” The Chancellor and Dr Melina Schuh On his visit, the Chancellor was introduced to the work of Dr Melina Schuh, a Group Leader in the MRC LMB Division. Dr Schuh’s laboratory studies show how fertilisable eggs (oocytes) develop in mammals, with the long-term goal of identifying and analysing mechanisms that lead to abnormal eggs, which are the leading genetic cause of miscarriage and congenital birth defects. For further information please visit: www.mrc.ac.uk/Newspublications/News/MRC009816

Professor Tumani Corrah honoured

On 10 April 2014 Tumani Corrah, MRC Director, Africa Research Development, was invested with the title ‘Emeritus Director’ by Sir John Savill, MRC Chief Executive, at a ceremony attended by members of the MRC’s Management Board. He was given a special certificate engraved on hardwood, designed by MRC Design Manager, Vin Kumar. The award, approved by the MRC’s Council, was made to recognise Professor Corrah’s outstanding achievements in his former role as Director of MRC The Gambia and in support of his ongoing work in Africa.

Sir John Savill presenting Professor Tumani Corrah with the hardwood certificate

MRC Life is an internal newsletter for the MRC community and is not intended for wider distribution

MRCLife | 1 Executive Corner

I was very pleased that the Chancellor, George Osborne, chose an MRC institute, the LMB in Cambridge, to launch the Government’s consultation on science capital spending on 25 April. In part, it reflects the fact that the relatively new LMB building, which opened in spring 2013, is an excellent example of a major capital project, delivered successfully by the MRC and meeting all expectations.

It was encouraging to hear the Chancellor speak of a personal passion for science and the key role that science has to play in the Government’s overall economic strategy. The detail of the speech contained many positives, in particular his recognition of the need for sustained science funding over a number of years; a far-sighted view from government is vital for the type of long-term, fundamental science that the MRC excels at.

The MRC will consult with the other six research councils and provide a response to the consultation by July, providing our view on the priorities for capital spending in order to secure a strong future for medical research with all the associated economic benefits.

During April BIS published the findings of its Triennial Review of the Research Councils, a review which examined whether the current structure of the research councils was fit for purpose. As anticipated, the review concluded that the seven councils were working well in their existing form. There are recommendations for achieving even greater synergy and these will now be reviewed by the councils. The full report is available via http://mrc.io/triennial2014.

Bruce Minty Chief Operating Officer

MRC scientist wins Rising Star Award

The Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) Rising Star Award is a distinguished prize for early career researchers in schizophrenia and other related disorders; this year it has been awarded to Dr Oliver Howes, Group Leader, Psychiatric Imaging Group at the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre.

SIRS is the largest schizophrenia research society in the world and its board comprises many of the leading researchers in the field. This year’s award was announced on 7 April at the 4th Biennial SIRS conference, Florence, Italy. “It’s an honour to receive this accolade. The award is fantastic recognition for the hard work of all the group members,” said Dr Howes.

Dr Howes’ research focuses on the causes of mental illnesses in order to improve treatment. His group, which primarily uses functional imaging and experimental models in patients, has made a series of important discoveries that are of vast significance toward understanding the role of dopamine in schizophrenia.

Professor Amanda Fisher, Director of the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, said: “It is fantastic that Rising star, Dr Oliver Howes Oliver Howes has won this award – he is certainly a rising star and this recognition by SIRS is richly deserved.”

For further information on SIRS please visit: www.schizophreniaresearchsociety.org

2 | MRCLife Imanova welcomes the Mayor of London

On 8 April 2014 Imanova Ltd, the London-based centre for imaging sciences, hosted a visit from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to mark the launch of the major new MedCity initiative.

The MedCity initiative aims to boost collaboration and drive economic growth by bringing together the life sciences sector across London, Cambridge and Oxford. Imanova announced that it was pleased to have the support of the Mayor and to join the wider MedCity initiative.

Commenting on his visit to Imanova, the Mayor of London said: “I have just had the privilege of having my brain scanned at a brilliant company called Imanova which is the product of a union The Mayor of London experiences 3D scanning technology between Imperial, UCL, King’s and the MRC.

“Together with Oxford and Cambridge we form a ‘golden triangle’ of scientific innovation and we need to channel that intellectual pre-eminence into a positive impact on our economy. MedCity will span everything from research to clinical trials to manufacturing, across biotech, med tech and health tech.”

For further information please visit: www.imanova.co.uk/news/2014/04/mayor-of-london-experiences-for- himself-latest-3d-brain-scanning-techniques-from-imanova-during-medcity-launch/

WIMM launches Public Engagement Award

Postdoctoral research scientist Bryony Graham has won first prize in the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM) Public Engagement Award. The new annual award is open to early career WIMM members and is supported by the MRC.

Chair of the judges, Dr Hal Drakesmith, said: “The WIMM understands the importance of facilitating public understanding of biomedical research. The award was set up to motivate and reward younger researchers in the WIMM to get involved in engagement activities and help promote the work of the WIMM in understanding and treating human diseases.

Public Engagement Award winner Bryony Graham (centre) with “The winning entry by Bryony Graham, developing the WIMM Blog, was WIMM Director, Professor Doug Higgs, and Scientific Advisory chosen because it creates a portal for many WIMM members to highlight Board Chair, Professor Wendy Bickmore and explain their work to the interested public.”

Bryony said: “I’m hugely grateful to the MRC for this award and for supporting this project. I think that blogging is a fantastic way of making complex scientific concepts accessible – something which is particularly important at institutes like the WIMM which focus on research that is directly relevant to the clinic, and therefore patients.”

The winners were announced at the WIMM annual science day on 28 March. Bryony received the first prize of £500 and runners up Madeleine Hipp and Caroline Scott each received £250.

MRC Life is an internal newsletter for the MRC community and is not intended for wider distribution

MRCLife | 3 Understanding animal research

What do you do when people say that the world of animal research is too secretive, too closed? It is a constant criticism made by members of the public and abolitionist organisations and it is not always easy to answer convincingly. But this year, for Science Week 2014, three MRC units decided to do something about it by taking up the challenge and opening their animal units for visits by local schoolchildren.

The MRC National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), MRC Centre for Macaques and MRC Harwell joined with five other organisations across the UK in the Open Labs project co-ordinated by Understanding Animal Research. School children had the chance to hear about the work that went on and to see the animals that made it possible for themselves.

NIMR took 65 children from two London schools in a programme of fun hands-on activities that, combined with the animals, left a deep impression on their visitors. Kathleen Mathers, Director of Biological & Procedural Services, said: “The open labs visit to MRC NIMR was fab! It was immensely enjoyable for all participants; the staff and students alike. The staff had a real opportunity to showcase their work and demonstrate their pride and the contribution they and the animals make to medical research. A great experience and one we look forward to repeating.”

Alan Palmer, Technical and Training Manger, added: “There were some great comments when I was showing them the experimental mouse unit where I got to show them some of the work in progress. We also had a play with some stock mice that they handled. They were enthralled with this. They loved the animals and couldn’t believe how normal looking and docile they were.”

At the MRC Centre for Macaques, sixth formers from three Salisbury schools had the excitement of seeing macaque monkeys which so impressed them that one has asked to come back for work experience.

Dr Emma Baker, Director of Science and Head of Chemistry at Bishop Wordsworth’s School, said: “The boys had a fabulous time and it is just this sort of opportunity that really inspires our future scientists.”

There was some disappointment when the school scheduled for a couple of fantastic days at MRC Harwell pulled out at the last moment, but it is hoped that Open Labs will be repeated in 2015 so the planning and preparation by the Harwell team will not go entirely to waste.

If we want the public to understand what science means and how it is done, especially controversial science, there is no substitute for letting them see for themselves, although it is not always easy. This sort of openness can make a profound impression, as Alan Palmer, NIMR, noticed: “While showing them the mouse unit I was asked if the people who did the talks were real, proper scientists. When I said ‘yes’ they replied: ‘Wow! They look just like normal people!’”

Pupils learning about MRC animal research at NIMR

Article by John Meredith, Education and Outreach Manager, Understanding Animal Research

4 | MRCLife ESCEO-IOF Pierre Delmas Award for Professor Cyrus Cooper

At the World Congress on Osteoporosis in Seville, Spain, Professor Cyrus Cooper was selected as the winner of the Pierre Delmas Award for research into osteoporosis. This is the premier research award presented by the Internal Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) to honour an individual academic who has contributed significantly to the field of osteoporosis and musculoskeletal science, through original and outstanding scientific contributions.

IOF President John A Kanis, Co-Chair of the World Congress, said: “I have had the privilege of collaborating with Cyrus Cooper for nearly two decades. Over this period, he has contributed significantly to the epidemiology of osteoporosis, in the broadest sense of the word, and continues to do so.”

Cyrus Cooper MA, DM, FRCP, FFPH, FMedSci, is Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton, and Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the University Professor Cyrus Cooper receiving the Pierre of Oxford. Delmas Award

Professor Cooper stated: “It is an honour and privilege to receive this award. It is also testimony to the hard work of so many excellent team members and collaborators who have contributed to our research programme, as well as the institutions that have provided such welcome support, most notably the Medical Research Council, and the Universities of Southampton and Oxford. We shall continue our efforts to understand the causes and develop preventive strategies against the consequences of osteoporosis and other disabling musculoskeletal conditions.”

For further information please visit: www.mrc.soton.ac.uk/blog/2014/04/08/esceo-iof-pierre-delmas-award-to-professor-cyrus-cooper

New call for British Council workshop grants

The British Council has launched a call for workshop grant proposals as part of the five-year Researcher Links initiative to encourage international research collaboration between ambitious early career researchers from the UK and 18 countries around the world. A ‘call to action’ has been issued for leading researchers to propose themes for bilateral workshops to be held in one of the 18 partner countries, which will bring together early career researchers to discuss their research and start to build international relationships.

Unless specified otherwise in the guidelines, all research areas are covered. The call is open until 9 June. To access the guidelines and application form please visit: www.britishcouncil.org/society/science/funding-opportunities/researcher-links-workshops-call

MRC Life is an internal newsletter for the MRC community and is not intended for wider distribution

MRCLife | 5 Athena SWAN update

As of 1 April, MRC units and institutes, together with other research institutes in the UK are eligible to join the Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter, a scheme that recognises excellence in women’s employment in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in UK higher education. This is the first time that research institutes that are not part of a higher education institution (HEI), or do not have HEI status, are eligible to apply; 65 additional research institutes can now become members of the Athena SWAN Charter. For further information about the Athena SWAN Charter please visit www.athenaswan.org.uk or email Mel Nunn, MRC Head of Equalities, on [email protected].

The MRC National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) has become one of the first research institutes to win an Athena SWAN Award. This award recognises NIMR’s commitment to supporting women’s careers in science and the efforts made to create a supportive environment that ultimately benefits everyone. The application was overseen by a Self-Assessment Team (SAT) across a spectrum of roles, led by Dr Anne O’Garra. An awards event was held at the Royal Society on 1 May.

Dr Jim Smith, Director of NIMR said: “We are delighted to receive this Athena SWAN Bronze Award in recognition of the steps being taken across the institute to understand and tackle the issues that affect the recruitment and retention of female scientists and support staff. We hope this means that everyone has the opportunity to succeed regardless of gender.

“I am grateful for the efforts of all those who helped us to achieve this award, but this is just the first step. NIMR is committed to scientific excellence and to achieve this it must provide an environment that supports and encourages all members of staff to reach their full potential, harnessing the skills of everyone in the institute.”

NIMR Self-Assessment Team members, left to right: Rose Mary Murphy, Christine Graham, Anne O’Garra, Amy McGregor, Mel Nunn, Iris Salecker, Eva Frickel, Louise Gillic, Alan Palmer, Robert Moon, Donna Brown, Abdul Sesay, Tom Flower. Not pictured: Katalin Wilkinson, Kate Bishop.

6 | MRCLife New centre for early drug discovery

On 31 March the MRC and AstraZeneca announced a ground-breaking collaboration aimed at better understanding the mechanisms of human disease. The collaboration will see the creation of a joint research facility at AstraZeneca’s new R&D centre in Cambridge in the UK.

The AstraZeneca MRC UK Centre for Lead Discovery will sit within the new AstraZeneca site at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, due to be completed in 2016. It will see world class MRC-supported researchers working side-by-side with scientists in AstraZeneca’s high throughput screening group, identifying new methods to better understand a range of diseases and potential treatment options.

As part of the collaboration, which will run for an initial period of five years, academic researchers will benefit from unprecedented access to over two million molecules in AstraZeneca’s compound library, as well as its state-of-the-art high throughput screening facilities at the new site. Research proposals will be submitted to the MRC that will independently assess and select the best scientific proposals from a broad range of therapy areas and diseases. The MRC will fund up to 15 screening projects per year to be carried out at the Centre for Lead Discovery. AstraZeneca will have the first option to enter a negotiation to license any resulting drug discovery programmes of relevance to the company’s therapeutic areas of interest. If this option is not used, the academics can negotiate with other parties.

Professor Sir John Savill, MRC Chief Executive, said: “This is a unique collaboration that will give MRC researchers unparalleled access to AstraZeneca’s state-of- the-art screening capabilities, world-leading infrastructure and an extensive, high quality compound library. The agreement demonstrates the MRC and AstraZeneca’s commitment to long-term investment in UK infrastructure. It is an exciting move that will fast-track research that might not otherwise have been carried out, and will ultimately mean better treatments for patients.”

Science Minister, the Rt Hon David Willetts, said: “AstraZeneca, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has signalled a huge vote of confidence in our UK science base by selecting the MRC as their partner of choice for this exciting new collaboration. Forging these strong business and academic partnerships supports our Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and is vital in reinforcing the UK’s reputation as a global leader in medical research.”

Some initial projects may commence as early as 2015, based at AstraZeneca’s existing research facilities.

For more information about why the MRC works closely with industry please see Chris Watkins’ blog entry at: www.insight.mrc.ac.uk/2014/03/28/why-we-work-with-industry

Chris Watkins, the MRC’s Director of Translational Research and Industry

MRC Life is an internal newsletter for the MRC community and is not intended for wider distribution

MRCLife | 7 Gray Institute re-brand

On 2 April, the CRUK/MRC Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology was re-branded to become the Cancer Research UK & Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology. This follows the naming convention for all Cancer Research UK institutes, whilst still recognising the joint funding from the MRC. Institute Director Professor Gillies McKenna said: “The CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology will remain at the forefront of multidisciplinary research in radiobiology, biophysics and medical imaging. It will maintain its fundamental research focus in DNA repair, the tumour microenvironment and predictive modelling, as well as training future researchers. In the clinic, it will continue advanced research applications in pancreatic, colorectal, bladder, oesophageal, lung and brain cancers, and influencing national research protocols and guidelines.”

For more information please visit www.rob.ox.ac.uk

support for MRC employees

Cycle to work scheme for MRC employees

With spring on its way have you thought about cycling to work and taking advantage of some great tax and National Insurance savings at the same time through one of the MRC’s Cycle to Work schemes? The Cycle to Work schemes are government-approved schemes that allow you to hire a bike and safety equipment from the MRC for the purpose of commuting to and from work and for use at weekends and evenings. You can choose a bike and safety equipment up to the value of £1000. You agree that the full cost will be debited from your gross salary in equal installments over 12 months. This element of salary will not have tax or National Insurance applied to it, making this a tax- free benefit. This is commonly known as a salary sacrifice scheme and, for a lower rate tax payer, would be equivalent to a total repayment of £680. At the end of the period, you may then either buy the bike/equipment at fair market value, or pay a one-off disposal fee. The MRC has access to two different providers for Cycle to Work schemes – CyclePlus (independent retailers) and Cycle2Work (Halfords). To find out more information you can go directly to the website: www.salaryplus.co.uk/rcukemployeebenefits

MRC research and cycling MRC funded research (in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and UCL) has found that the London cycle hire scheme has had a positive overall effect on the health of its users. These benefits outweigh the potential negative impacts from injuries and exposure to air pollution: www.mrc.ac.uk/Newspublications/News/MRC009737 Physical inactivity has been linked previously with a wide range of health problems including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression and many forms of cancer.

8 | MRCLife Walk to Work Week – my wellbeing

Walk to Work Week takes place as part of Living Streets’ National Walking Month. MRC staff are encouraged to take to their feet and discover the benefits of walking! In May 2013 workplaces around the UK logged over 80,000 person-miles for Walk to Work and this year we want MRC employees to get involved.

You don’t have to walk to and from work; you can go for walks at lunch time or just go for a walk for no reason at all. To find out if your establishment is getting involved just contact your local Wellbeing Champion (to find out who that is, speak to your local HR team or contact [email protected]).

You can find out more about Walk to Work Week and register online please visit: www.walktoworkweek.org.uk

MRC research and the benefits of walking In 2013 the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) published an evidence brief promoting how active travel can help meet the physical activity challenge. Some of the key points from the brief were:

• Physical inactivity causes an estimated 9% of premature mortality, or more than 5.3 million of the 57 million deaths that occurred worldwide in 2008.

• Most adults do not meet the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity each week and people tend to overestimate how much activity they undertake.

• The average journey to work is 28 minutes each way and spending more of this time in active travel is likely to increase overall physical activity levels.

• Active travel can reduce the risk of chronic disease, as well as having a positive environmental and economic impact.

The CEDAR is a partnership between MRC units in Cambridge, the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia. The centre is led by Professor Nick Wareham, Director of the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.

To read the brief in full please visit: www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Evidence-Brief-why-walk-and-cycle-v1.0.pdf

MRC Life is an internal newsletter for the MRC community and is not intended for wider distribution

MRCLife | 9 Learning and development for MRC employees

The MRC and RCUK training programmes contain a selection of confirmed courses with dates, in addition to unconfirmed courses which will be run subject to the level of interest. If you have a training need you would like to discuss or if you would like to look into arranging a training course at your site, please raise a service request in Oracle iSupport and the Learning and Development team will be happy to assist.

To access Oracle iSupport and the training catalogues on Oracle, please visit: https://portal.ssc.rcuk.ac.uk and select Oracle E-Business Suite:

• Click on RCUK LEARNING SELF-SERVICE • Click on LEARNER HOME • See BROWSE CATALOG (right hand side of the screen listing all Research Council Catalogues and RCUK Core Programme) • Click on MRC or RCUK CORE PROGRAMME • Click on a selection of offerings within SUBCATEGORIES • Within each sub-category you will have a list of COURSE NAMES (please note that there may be multiple pages depending on the number of courses on offer) • Click on the COURSE NAME • Click on the relevant OFFERING NAME which will take you to the CLASS NAME section • On the right hand side of the CLASS NAME, click on the yellow envelope icon listed under the ENROL column

Training courses with places still available

Date Course Title Location 06 May-14 Presentation Skills Cambridge - Clinical School 06 May-14 Word Advanced 2010 Swindon - Polaris House 07 May-14 Excel Advanced 2010 Swindon - Polaris House 07 May-14 Excel Intermediate 2003 & 2010 Cambridge - LMB 07 May-14 Stress Awareness Swindon - Polaris House 08/09 May-14 Introduction to Management Cambridge - Clinical School 09 May-14 Excel Intermediate 2010 Swindon - Polaris House 12 May-14 Minute Writing Swindon - Polaris House 12/13 May-14 Managing Disciplinary & Handling Swindon - Polaris House Grievances 12/13 May-14 Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) London - CSC

10 | MRCLife Date Course Title Location 13 May-14 Coping with Stress Harwell - MRC 13 May-14 Effective Writing Skills Cambridge - Clinical School 14 May-14 Presentation Skills London - Kemble Street 14 May-14 Word Intermediate 2003 & 2010 Cambridge - LMB 14 May-14 Word Intermediate 2010 Swindon - Polaris House 15 May-14 Excel Intermediate 2003 & 2010 London - Kemble Street 19 May-14 Presentation Skills Swindon - Polaris House 21 May-14 Adobe Illustrator Cambridge - LMB 22/23 May-14 PRINCE2 Practitioner Bristol - external 27 May-14 Stress Awareness for Managers Harwell - MRC 27/28 May-14 Security in Recruitment Cambridge - Clinical School 28 May-14 Finance for Non-Finance Staff Swindon - Polaris House 29 May-14 Excel Intermediate 2010 Swindon - Polaris House 29/30 May-14 Facilitation Skills Swindon - Polaris House 02 Jun-14 Time Management Harwell - MRC 02/03 Jun-14 Developing Your Presentation Skills Cambridge - Clinical School 03 Jun-14 Communication Skills Swindon - Polaris House 04 Jun-14 Influencing Skills Swindon - Polaris House 04 Jun-14 Managing your Research Cambridge - Clinical School 04 Jun-14 Shaping your Impact Swindon - Polaris House 04 Jun-14 Speaking Effectively Swindon - Polaris House 04 Jun-14 Where Did the Time Go? Swindon - Polaris House 06 Jun-14 Making Meetings Work Cambridge - Clinical School 09 Jun-14 Panel Interviewing Cambridge - LMB 11 Jun-14 Access Intermediate 2003 & 2010 Cambridge - LMB 11 Jun-14 Dealing with Difficult Situations London - Kemble Street 12 Jun-14 Communication Skills Cambridge - Clinical School 18 Jun-14 Speed Reading Cambridge - Clinical School 19 Jun-14 Change Management Swindon - Polaris House 23 Jun-14 Equality and Diversity Awareness London - Wellcome Trust 25 Jun-14 PowerPoint Introduction 2003 & 2010 Cambridge - LMB 30 Jun/04 Jul-14 PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner Swindon - Polaris House

MRC Life is an internal newsletter for the MRC community and is not intended for wider distribution

MRCLife | 11 MRC information resources

Blog Policy Watch www.insight.mrc.ac.uk A weekly bulletin of MRC-related policy news, The blog aims to tell stories about science and medical announcements and events taken from sources including research relevant to the work of the MRC. scientific journals, parliamentary and research policy websites and other publications; to subscribe, email: Corporate branding micro-site [email protected] www.mrc.ac.uk/branding For corporate graphics and style guides. Replacing, reducing and refining animal use in science The NC3Rs website provides guidance, tools and techniques Corporate website to minimise animal use and ensure the best possible standards www.mrc.ac.uk of animal welfare, in line with MRC policy. The MRC corporate website, including the latest publications. www.nc3rs.org.uk Daily News Brief (for MRC employees) RCUK SBS Oracle Portal A summary of medical science stories that have been https://portal.ssc.rcuk.ac.uk reported in the media each day; to subscribe, email: The SBS portal provides access to: Oracle E-Business Suite, [email protected]. MRC media Siebel Grants System, KnowledgeBase coverage is also available on Scoop.it: (for policies, processes and e-learning guides). www.scoop.it/t/mrc-news (available to all). Staff bulletins (for MRC employees) LinkedIn http://portal.mrc.ac.uk/ShortLinks/link.aspx?id=613 For job opportunities, follow the MRC on LinkedIn: Updates from HR. https://uk.linkedin.com. You will be alerted to external vacancies the moment they go live. MRC vacancies are on Twitter Twitter too: https://twitter.com/TopCareer_Jobs http://twitter.com/MRCcomms The MRC’s twitter account is where you can share MRC Portal (for MRC employees) information and interact with MRC stakeholders and the http://portal.mrc.ac.uk public about the work and activities of the MRC. The MRC’s corporate intranet. Welsh Language Scheme National Trade Union Side www.mrc.ac.uk/WelshLanguageAct http://mrc-tus.org.uk Research Councils UK (RCUK) has prepared a Welsh Language The National Trade Union Side (NTUS) is a democratically Scheme. The Scheme sets out the MRC’s commitments with elected body composed of representatives and officials regard to conducting business in Welsh. of the MRC trade unions. i

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