Professor Leighton asked to speak as call for new AMR networks is launched

A major goal of NAMRIP post-2018 was to persuade the UK Research and Innovation council (UKRI) to invest in networks to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), infection prevention, and vaccination. In 2023, it appears that goal is likely to be achieved, because Professor Leighton was invited by UKRI to talk on how to produce a successful network on the topic of antimicrobial resistance, in Birmingham on 17 May 2023, to prepare applicants to respond to UKRI’s coming call for bids to apply for funding for new AMR networks on 18 October 2023.

On his talk, Professor Leighton explained the philosophy and practice behind his founding and running NAMRIP and Global-NAMRIP. The event heralded the pre-launch meetings of a call by the UKRI to fund new AMR networks, and they invited 4 speakers to explain various aspects of AMR. Professor Leighton was asked to explain how he founded and ran NAMRIP. The talk is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M59I6I3IZmo&t=4105s .

NAMRIP was founded by Professor Leighton in 2015, and initially funded by the UKRI council EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) for 2 years at £434k per year. After that, EPSRC and UKRI ceased to fund all of the 11 AMR networks. One of the missions of Professor Leighton since then has been to re-establish funding for UK AMR networks, and so this move by UKRI to do so is very welcome.

Ironically, this success in a key post-2018 goal of NAMRIP might lead to the eventual closure of NAMRIP itself, because (funded as it is by Sloan Water Technology Ltd .) NAMRIP cannot hope to support activities and members on the scale that the multi-million pound investment by UKRI in new AMR networks will allow.