The UK is represented in JPIAMR by the Medical Research Council (MRC), representing UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The MRC is a publicly-funded organisation dedicated to improving human health. UKRI research spans the breadth of One Health research activity including academic research and includes Innovate UK. Research into combating antimicrobial resistance is currently funded by response-mode grants, fellowships and strategic initiatives.
National AMR research program and activities
National AMR Research program
- UKRI AMR Initiative launched in 2014; UKRI is also in the process of developing new programme of funding targeting interdisciplinary working within AMR research, this is early in development and more details will be shared at a later stage.
- Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF); launched 2016
- Fleming Fund; launched 2016
- National PhD Training Programme in AMR; Medical Research Foundation (MRF)
- AMR Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (AMR SORT IT); January 2019 – December 2022 NIHR with UNICEF/UNDP/ World Bank/ WHO
- UK Food Standards Agency AMR Programme
- Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (PATH-SAFE) programme; UK cross government programme, led by UK Food Standards Agency; 2021-2024.
- UKRI Transdisciplinary funding to tackle AMR programme – Phase 1 launched 2023
- VMD-APHA framework arrangement for AMR research that underpins surveillance findings 2020-2024
- Fleming Fund surveillance and data project; phase II launched in August 2023, worth up to £210m
- Evaluation of the UK AMR National Action Plan, NIHR Policy Innovation and Evaluation Unit (PIRU), October 2023
National AMR research calls
- Tackling AMR: A cross council initiative; UKRI: VMD, DHSC; 2016-2021
- Review of the impact of food processing on AMR in meat & meat products; FSA June 2018
- Burden of antimicrobial resistance genes in selected ready-to-eat foods; FSA August 2018
- Capital call to support AMR research; NIHR October 2018
- BBSRC/NERC-CONICET Joint Awards for AMR in the Environment; launched November 1st 2018
- Health Protection Research Unit in healthcare associated infections and AMR; NIHR March 2019
- UK-India tackling AMR in the environment from antimicrobial manufacturing waste; May 2019
- UK-South Africa AMR Drug Discovery Hub call; June 2019
- JPIAMR HARISSA Call -10 UK Partners/Coordinators October 2021
- BBSRC Network Plus Call: Partner with researchers in Canada to tackle AMR – June 2022
- JPIAMR Diagnostics and Surveillance Network Call 2022
- JPIAMR DRUID Call 2022
- JPIAMR DISTOMOS call 2023
- China-UK One Health research for epidemic preparedness and AMR 2023
- India-UK partnership to address farmed animal diseases and health 2023
- Health Protection Research Unit in healthcare associated infections and AMR; NIHR October 2023
- Health Technology Assessment call – Interventions to Reduce AMR; NIHR July 2023
Activities on AMR actions at national level
- AMR Panel Event in Parliament; February 2019
- Tackling AMR National Campaign; March 2019
- UK-India tackling AMR in the environment from antimicrobial manufacturing waste; May 2019
- UK-South Africa AMR Drug Discovery Workshop; June 2019
- UK antibiotic procurement model launched June 2020
- Acquired carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria added to the list of organisms in the UK requiring statutory notification (July 2020).
- UK AMR Public Consultation – Webinar series Sept 2020
- Formal Inquiry: Anti-microbial resistance June 2022
- AMR Innovation Mission to the UK May 2022
- The antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages Inquiry 2023
- Welsh Written Statement: Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance 2023
- Additional £2.5m to tackle antimicrobial resistance in animals in Wales
- Public Health Wales has created an online portal that will enable healthcare professionals in Wales to have more localised and timely data on the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) position in the communities in which they work and published a set of prescribing guidelines to support safe and optimised prescribing of various medications, including antimicrobials.
- Academy of Medical Science/NIHR/DHSC Workshop: Antimicrobial resistance research: learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
National action plans
- UK’s five-year NAP: The UK’s first NAP, Tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019-2024, was published in 2019 runs until 2024. This underpins ty a 20-year strategic vision to see AMR contained and controlled (UK 20-year vision for antimicrobial resistance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
- UK’s 20-year vision for AMR: Contained and Controlled; 24th January 2019
- The latest addendum to the NAP was published 16th May 2022
- The NAP oversaw the creation of the UK’s Antimicrobial Purchasing Project. In July 2019, the UK formally launched the project that developed and tested the world’s first ‘subscription-style’ payment model for antibiotics which pays pharmaceutical companies upfront for access to their antibiotic product, based on a product’s value to the NHS, as opposed to the volume used.
- The UK is in the process of updating its National Action Plan (NAP) for AMR, co-ordinated by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). The 2024 NAP is being developed in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders across different sectors and will be informed by the findings from the AMR Call for Evidence. The NAP will set out challenging ambitions and actions for the next five years that will set us on course for achieving our long-term national and international ambitions.
- UKRI is providing input from research perspectives
- VMD are coordinating the development of Animal, Plant, Food and Environmental elements
- UK’s 20-year vision for AMR: Contained and Controlled; 24th January 2019
Management Board representative
- Stephen Oakeshott, UKRI Medical Research Council
