The Unit is headed by a Director who has the overall responsibility for overseeing and directing the mission and strategic objectives of the Unit. The Director is supported by the Chief Operating Officer, and the Leadership Board.
The Leadership Board is an internal advisory body that supports the governance, operations and management of the Unit. Membership of the Leadership Board includes the theme leaders, the Chief Operating Officer and heads of departments from research support services, laboratory and clinical services, and research training and career development. The board reviews the internal controls and operating systems and their effectiveness as well as contributing to strategic planning in line with the Units' strategic objectives.
Status
MRC Unit The Gambia (MRCG) has been operating in The Gambia since 1947. We were a Unit of the Medical Research Council (MRC) UK based in The Gambia until 1 February 2018, when we transferred to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) resulting in our current name, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG at LSHTM).
This was part of a general strategy by the MRC UK to transfer its Units to universities. Such a transfer does not change the way the Unit is managed. MRCG remains an Africa-based academic research institution as it maintains its scientific independence within LSHTM and is considered an entity of its own.
In The Gambia, MRCG operates through a Memorandum of Understanding with The Gambia Government that provides the legal framework for conducting research, training and providing clinical services which are integrated into The Gambian health system. It also defines the capacity of the Unit to operate in The Gambia, employ staff, own assets, operate bank accounts and take ownership of contractual obligations. The Unit employs more than 1,000 staff in The Gambia and is one of the main taxpayers in the country.
MRCG works in partnership with The Gambia Government through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, providing expertise and support to the National Malaria Program, TB National Program, Nutrition National Program, as well as provides support to national immunisation and epidemic prone including viral haemorrhagic fevers disease surveillance programs. Additionally, MRCG has strong engagement with University of The Gambia and the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul.
Research governance
The research activities of the Unit are conducted in accordance with the local regulatory requirements of The Gambia, the principles set out in the 2019 concordat to support research integrity as an institution registered under the royal charter and the UK policy framework for health and social care research.
Accreditation
We have consistently maintained and integrated quality benchmarks throughout our institution's research areas. Among these, Good Research Practice (GRP) lays the foundational framework for all research at MRCG.
Additionally, we adhere to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) standards, which govern our clinical trial activities, in our field operations and our laboratory analyses.
For over ten years now, MRCG at LSHTM has held accreditation to ISO 15189:2012 as well as GCLP, affirming not just our commitment to standards but also establishing our prominence as a leading and competitive centre of research excellence in the subregion. This underscores our ongoing dedication to maintaining high quality standards in all facets of our research and operations.