Molecular Medicine Ireland (MMI) was established by University College Dublin, the National University of Ireland Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University College Cork, and Trinity College Dublin, as a research partnership to accelerate the translation of biomedical research into improved diagnostics and therapies for patients.
Formally known as the Dublin Molecular Medicine Centre (DMMC) founded by UCD and Trinity College in 2002, MMI has received funding under successive cycles of the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI). MMI is also funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the European Commission.
MMI's strategic vision is improved healthcare through the development of diagnostics and – therapies from concept to realisation. The mission of MMI is to mobilise the strengths of the five partner institutions and their associated hospitals to build a sustainable national system to coordinate, support and promote translational and clinical research.
MMI partners secured commitments from the HRB and the Health Services Executive to invest over €20M in developing clinical research facilities at NUI Galway/University College Hospital Galway and at UCC/Cork University Hospital.
MMI partners secured €10M funding from PRTLI 4 to establish a Clinician Scientist Fellowship Programme to train the next generation of academic medical leaders in Ireland. Twenty medical graduates from the five partner institutions were selected to participate on this programme, which was coordinated by MMI.
The MMI partners established the Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ICRIN) in 2006 to develop a national clinical research infrastructure to participate in the development of the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network. ICRIN is funded by the HRB, Enterprise Ireland and European Commission.
MMI's Dublin-based partner institutions secured €23M to develop the Dublin Centre for Clinical Research (DCCR), funded by the Wellcome Trust and HRB. The DCCR involves the building of a new clinical research centre (CRC) at St James's Hospital and the operation of a network across the city linking the UCD CRC with the RCSI CRC and the new facility being built at St James's Hospital.
MMI partners were awarded funding under PRTLI 5 for a structured PhD programme, the Clinical and Translational Research Scholars Programme, that will prepare scholars for careers in industry, academic medical centres and as biomedical entrepreneurs.
