Joint response submitted by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Institute of Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK, the Royal Society, the Sainsbury Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
PURPOSE
On 19 November 2012, representatives from the Medical Research Council and partner organisations listed above met to discuss the current Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) call for evidence. At this meeting, it was agreed that the current Shortage Occupation Lists needed to reflect emerging areas of science where it has been identified that there is a specific worldwide skill shortage impacting on UK scientific research.
The intention of this joint response to the call for evidence is to put forward a justification for including bio-informaticians/computational biologists on the shortage occupation lists, under code of practice 2119 of the Office for National Statistics SOC 2010. We all share a belief about the critical importance of this discipline to UK science and our own organisations; with the worldwide shortage of top quality researchers in this area it is critical to ask the UK Government to support us and the scientific community in recognising these shortages and to provide the appropriate tools in order to further promote the high impact research we all engage in.
Additionally, we present an argument as to why the Sunset Clause should not be implemented in respect of the research and scientific based occupations incorporated onto the shortage occupation lists.
Background In a wide ranging speech1 on science, technology and growth, the Chancellor recently set out the major challenges facing the UK’s (life) science as a result of the upsurge in the availability of data. He said:
The next generation of scientific discovery will be data-driven discovery, as previously unrecognised patterns are discovered by analysing massive data sets. The world already creates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data – equivalent to 150,000 full iPads – every single day.
We need to make sure we capture value from this mass of data – both for economic growth and for social advances, such as better health.
This requires a transformation in data management. The UK is well placed for the big data revolution. We have 25 of the world’s 500 most powerful computers.
But crude computing power is not the be all and end all. We have a comparative advantage in IT because of three distinctive strengths.
1 Rt Hon George Osborne MP address to Royal Society, 9 November 2012, http://www.hm- treasury.gov.uk/speech_chx_091112.htm
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First, we are good at the algorithms needed to handle these large data sets. The key role of British scientists in research projects which generate very large data- sets, such as the search for the Higgs boson at CERN, has led to the UK sustaining our world-leading strengths in the software development and algorithms needed to make sense of these massive data-sets.
Secondly, we have some of the world’s best and most complete data-sets in healthcare, demographics, environmental change and food.
Thirdly, these strengths are complemented by our strong life sciences sector. The future is linking “dry” computer sciences and “wet” biological sciences. The world’s key DNA sequencing technologies all come from British research labs. We can be a world leader in harnessing genetic data.
At the same time, and referenced in his speech, the Research Councils UK launched their Strategic Framework for Capital Investment2 which highlights the capital infrastructure needs to deliver these big challenges. The proposals urge for a strong investment in so- called e-infrastructure.
However, in his foreword the Chair of the Research Councils UK, Professor Rick Rylance, draws attention to the fact that infrastructure alone can not address the enormity of the challenge:
“a flexible highly-skilled workforce with state of the art technical skills and research leadership is required across all career stages to enhance the excellence of the research base and deliver benefit for the UK economy. Investment in skills, capacity and capability are all crucial to the sustainability of research excellence and contribute to making the UK an attractive place to invest and grow business.”
A recent report for the UK e-Infrastructure Leadership Council3 identified a common theme amongst their contributors and responders. It is clear that there is not an adequate ‘pipeline’ of talented individuals to work in research that deals with this ‘data deluge’. The report highlights the problems in the current educational system and calls for concerted effort to train these relatively new specialists.
What is bio-informatics? Informatics is the discipline which combines scientific, computer science and statistical knowledge. It manages, integrates, manipulates and analyses large data sets which result for instance from sequencing large volumes of genomes or data that results from advancements in imaging techniques.
Informatics is used throughout all scientific disciplines, not just the life sciences. However, on this occasion, we are particularly interested in making the case for life and medical sciences and our current and future workforce.
Bio-informatics is of particular importance to research activities in the areas of Translational Medicine and e-Health. Both areas are described in detail in the aforementioned e-Infrastructure Leadership Council report. Furthermore it is also an important and growing area within pharmaceutical companies and contract research
2 http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/Publications/policy/Pages/CapitalInvestment.aspx 3 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/science/docs/e/12-1245-e-science-and-e-infrastructure- needs-uk-life-sciences-industries.pdf Page 3 of 9 organisations and hence there is also a high demand for people with these skills for the life science industry4.
Bio-informaticians use algorithms (software), statistics and high performance computing (hardware) to do their roles. They require very specific software environments and may be involved in writing these.
Some bio-informaticians perform a service to research groups, storing, analysing and interpreting the data. Others, typically called ‘computational biologists’, lead their own research and focus on applying the computational approaches to address the most important questions of the day.
This is a developing field and various other job titles are used, which all relate to the similar, yet often quite varied, disciplines. Often used job titles are bio-informatician, statistical geneticist, neuroinformatician, health informatician, genome and next- generation sequencing data analyst, computer biologist, bio-statistician, scientific database curator, bio-informatics engineer, biosoftware support engineer, genome analyst and lab information management system programmer.
Skills base The MRC and signatories to this consultation response find that when trying to employ or support these highly skilled individuals there is a worldwide critical shortage in capacity and skills.
Bioinformatics is a relatively new field but has driven some of the most important recent advances in genomics and more generally biology. Although there is some training offered at the undergraduate and postdoctoral level there is an increasing demand for proficiency in bioinformatics that is not met by the current professional base in the UK. It is important to remark here that the UK has been leading the development of novel and innovative approaches in bioinformatics.
There are few conventional university programmes that teach bio-informatics, although a number of master courses are appearing. Recruits tend to come from a biology background with a strong interest in computer programming and mathematics; others come from a more computational background with a strong interest in biology. They are typically educated to PhD level, although those performing ‘service functions’ can be of degree or post-grad calibre.
The MRC receives over 70 applications for posts in this area which are described as ‘early career stage’ or training posts (broadly speaking no more than 3 years post PhD completion). The composition of this group is diverse, from all areas of the world. These candidates are not yet proficient in bio-informatics but demonstrate a desire and an ability to be ‘trained up’.
At the later career stages (3 years plus post PhD completion) it becomes evident that there are not sufficient ‘early stage’ bio-informaticians being trained up. Applications drop to approximately 15 per advert with the majority of candidates being non-EU nationals.
4 http://www.abpi.org.uk/our‐work/library/industry/Pages/skills‐biomedical‐research.aspx.
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The signatories who employ bio-informaticians are currently experiencing severe problems in appointing to leadership positions in this area. At this point in their career, we expect scientists to lead their own research group and have an independent research programme, funded through the usual peer review processes. These leaders tend to have at least 7 years experience since completion of their PhD.
MRC are currently unable to fill at least 3 of these leadership positions at prestigious research institutes such as the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre in London and the MRC Functional Genomics Unit in Oxford. The competition for rare talent is intense. Our units and institutes do their utmost to create the ultimate environment in which scientists can flourish. This includes tangible benefits such as high tech infrastructure and less tangible features such as the research environment (e.g. working with like-minded people, offering the highest possible standing in research). Despite positioning the employment offer in a competitive way (insofar our pay structures and policies will allow) it does not result in the successful filling of these posts.
Problems in recruitment at the more senior end of the career path result in fewer ‘trainers’ to educate and mentor the new intake of bio-informaticians, leading to a vicious circle of talent shortage.
Taking sample data from two MRC units, since 2011 there have been 24 recruitment campaigns for bio-informatician based roles, 10 of which were unsuccessful and 2 migrant workers were recruited.
Sample data from signatories to this consultation who employ bio-informaticians also show a similar situation to that faced by the MRC; in the last two years The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) has recruited 25 bio-informaticians of which 10 are from outside the EU (ie ~40%), and in particular they stress that in some cases they have only had applications from outside of the EU5.
Global picture The UK is not the only country in the world looking to recruit bio-informaticians.
A quick glance at the leading job boards shows:
55 open vacancies on jobs.ac.uk as at 8 November 2012 (predominantly UK based) 436 open vacancies on naturejobs, as at 8 November 2012 (global reach)
Huge investments are being made in the European context6 and elsewhere. Examples include:
EU ELIXIR: http://www.elixir-europe.org/about A joint National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health investment of $200m for funding a ‘Big Data’ research and development initiative in the USA: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/03/29/big-data-big-deal Beijing Bioinformatics institute: http://www.genomics.cn/en/index The German Government review of bio-informatics: http://www.biooekonomierat.acatech.de/files/downloads/boer_broschueren_eng/ boer_broschuere_bioinformatik_eng.pdf
5 Dr Mario Caccamo, Head of Bioinformatics, The Sainsbury Laboratory 6 http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/e-infrastructure/docs/report_human_skills.pdf Page 5 of 9
All identify skills shortage and all are committed to training the next generation of talent.
What are the contributors to this response doing to create a UK pipeline of talent? Below is an overview of some of the national and local initiatives that help to create that ‘pipeline’ of talent:
MRC Fellowships in Biomedical Informatics: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Fellowships/Specialtraining/MRC001828
MRC Career Development Award in Biostatistics: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Fellowships/Careerdevelopmentawardbiosta tistics/index.htm
MRC Computational Genomics, Analysis and Training programme, 5 year investment by MRC’s Strategy Board: http://www.cgat.org/
The MRC Clinical Sciences Centre is training up to 13 PhD students at any time, who receive intense training in bio-informatics over a dedicated number of weeks.
The Wellcome Trust undertakes a range of initiatives, programmes and advanced training courses that help to develop and improve the relevant skills of scientific researchers.
This includes funding for a PhD programme in Mathematical Genomics and Medicine which is delivered through collaboration between Cambridge University and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. The programme provides the opportunity to work at the interface between the mathematical and computational sciences, and genome-scale and translational medical research: http://www.ccbi.cam.ac.uk/Education/WT-PhD/
Case for inclusion on the shortage occupation list All relevant posts are advertised in line with the Resident Labour Market Test and we have to date not experienced any problems in securing work permits where required. However, inclusion on the shortage occupation lists would enable a more effective recruitment strategy, as well as highlight the importance the UK places on the bio- informatician role, both of which should help with addressing the shortages experienced within the research sector.
Due to the strategic need for bio-informaticians throughout the life and medical sciences the MRC and signatories to this consultation response are all impacted by the shortage of bio-informaticians within their areas of operation. Tim Hubbard, Head of Genome Informatics at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute highlights the impact bio-informatics has on the Institute:
“The Sanger Institute's activities are based around the collection and analysis of data on an extremely large scale. This relies on large scale IT facilities and large numbers of highly skilled informatics individuals with expertise in software, algorithm and database development and data analysis. The Sanger Institute has one of the largest academic data centres and largest concentration of informatics staff in the world. It competes on the global market for these highly sought after individuals for which there is both a national and global Page 6 of 9
shortage. The institute's continued success depends on being able to recruit the best informaticians in the world”.
For the UK to remain competitive in the global market and achieve the governments UK Strategy for Life Sciences7 vision, immigration policy needs to reflect the changing demands of the various sectors; the research sector is evolving rapidly. As skill gaps are identified there needs to be a rapid means of addressing relevant shortages in order to capitalise on these changes and ensure the best talent are attracted to the UK. By 2015 the Francis Crick Institute alone will need to recruit up to 100 bio-informaticians which represent a five-fold increase in the number of bio-informaticians currently employed in its largest stakeholder institutes. At the same time many other medical and research institutes have similar demands; European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) will need to recruit in the order of 300 bio-informaticians into the ELIXIR funded Technical Hub at Hinxton Genome Campus. In addition to the roles that focus on the data infrastructure (such as those at EBI) we crucially need to invest in biologists who are able to penetrate the ordered data and can help answer some of the very big scientific questions to rapidly advance progress in human health. Chris Ponting, Professor of Genomics at the University of Oxford and also at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute places considerable emphasis on this issue:
“Projects, such as the one that sequenced the human genome, have revolutionised biology and have led to a transformation in what skills are required to produce high quality biological research. Biological studies have already transformed into highly numerical endeavours and a similar fate awaits clinical science in the near future. Yet, these changes have only deepened the previous shortage of bioinformaticians and computational biologists. I fear that the consequences for the UK will be long-lasting and far-reaching if the evident training needs in the understanding and exploitation of large data sets are not met.”
Appropriate code of practice Based on the wide ranging research impact of a bio-informatician’s role, we believe that the most appropriate code of practice for the role is 2119, with the associated minimum salary levels for entry and experienced candidates as expressed for scientific researchers within the code.
Impact of the sunset clause We strongly believe that, rather than an arbitrarily chosen timeframe for automatic removal from the shortage occupation lists, a more flexible and evidenced-based approach should be used. We believe that the evidence- based, detailed analysis the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) undertake to determine whether an occupation should be on the shortage occupation lists should be adopted equally to assess whether a role is due to be taken off the list.
We strongly believe that where an occupation has been identified to be in shortage it should only be removed from the relevant list once the shortage has been addressed. This is of great concern for positions in the research and academic environs as these are highly specialised roles and the proposed period of 2 years before automatic withdrawal from the lists does not take into consideration the length of time that is required to train and develop appropriate resident talent. Typically it takes 7 to 8 years for really successful scientists to progress from early post-doc level to the first steps in an
7 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/s/11-1429-strategy-for-uk-life-sciences Page 7 of 9 independent career8. This is however the exception rather than the norm. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the field, it is likely that scientists make side-ways moves in order to specialise in bio-informatics, adding a few more years to this pathway.
We also support the need to undertake a regular review in order to ensure the shortage occupation lists remain responsive to ever changing developments in the scientific research sector, and that future needs are identified and supported. Whilst we believe the relevant sector should be able to identify and respond to shortages, we would also recommend that full justifications are provided to ensure that identified shortages are addressed in an appropriate manner.
Overview of the signatories
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded organisation dedicated to improving human health. We support research across the entire spectrum of medical sciences, in universities and hospitals, in our own units, centres and institutes in the UK, and in our units in Africa.
The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world’s most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. Scientists and clinicians at the ICR are working every day to make a real impact on cancer patients’ lives and our mission is to make the discoveries that defeat cancer.
Wellcome Trust – The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. We support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. We are independent of both political and commercial interests.
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute – A leader in the Human Genome Project, we are now focused on understanding the role of genetics in health and disease. Our passion for discovery drives our quest to uncover the basis of genetic and infectious disease. We aim to provide results that can be translated into diagnostics, treatments or therapies that reduce global health burdens.
Cancer Research UK – Leading pioneering, life-saving research to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. We fund over half of the UK’s cancer research, including the life-saving work of over 4000 scientists, doctors and nurses fighting cancer on all fronts. Every day, our researchers make cutting-edge discoveries in our labs, and our doctors and nurses pioneer new treatments with patients in hospitals. This is why our research is so vital and why we need the public’s support to keep forging ahead to create more tomorrows for more people with cancer.
The Francis Crick Institute – will be an interdisciplinary medical research institute. Its work will help understand why disease develops and find new ways to prevent and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases. By bringing together scientists from all disciplines, it will not only help to improve people's lives but will also keep the UK at the forefront of innovation in medical research, attract high-value investment, and strengthen the economy. The Francis Crick Institute has been founded by a consortium of six of the UK's most successful scientific and academic organisations — the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the
8 Typically 2 post-doc appointments, approximately 3 years each, followed by a prestigious fellowship. Page 8 of 9
Wellcome Trust, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King's College London.
The Royal Society – The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, reflected in its founding Charters of the 1660s, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.
The Sainsbury Laboratory – The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) is a charitable company and a world leader in plant science. We are dedicated to making fundamental discoveries about plants and how they interact with microbes and viruses and favours daring, long- term research over work that could be equally well carried out elsewhere.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry - The ABPI represents innovative research-based biopharmaceutical companies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new era of biosciences in the UK. Our industry, a major contributor to the economy of the UK, brings life-saving and life-enhancing medicines to patients. Our members supply 90 per cent of all medicines used by the NHS, and are researching and developing over two-thirds of the current medicines pipeline, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of helping patients prevent and overcome diseases. The ABPI is recognised by government as the industry body negotiating on behalf of the branded pharmaceutical industry, for statutory consultation requirements including the pricing scheme for medicines in the UK.