Our excellent organisation
Our vision: We will be an excellent organisation motivated by our mission and our values – where brilliant and diverse people work together as One ICR, supporting our science and embracing a sustainable future.
We can only fulfil our mission to defeat cancer if we are a great organisation capable of supporting and sustaining world-class science.
Our new research strategy is an ambitious attempt to turn research discoveries into real benefits for cancer patients. To realise our goals, we want to be a fantastic place to come and work – with an environment that attracts brilliant scientists, clinicians, professional staff and students from all over the world. Our motivated workforce will deliver excellent services for our science with urgency and efficiency. We will place our values at the heart of our organisation, work together across boundaries and create dedicated programmes to embed diversity and support early-career development. We also want to safeguard the ICR for the future, so we can continue conducting our world-class research until cancer is defeated.
This section of our strategy has four foundations, which underpin all our work:
1. Exceptional facilities and support
We will support our science and organisation through world-class facilities, services and support, underpinned by a commitment to research-centred solutions, efficiency and data security.
To fulfil our mission we need to deliver world-class facilities and support services across the ICR’s sites in Chelsea and Sutton.
We want to ensure the ICR has the latest equipment and best services to meet the future priorities of our research and organisation. We will develop our core scientific facilities so our researchers are fully supported and can pursue the most exciting new cutting-edge areas of science. We will also empower our professional staff to find solutions to the operational challenges faced by our researchers, adopting new technologies and processes.
2. Brilliant people, inspiring values
We will attract and develop talented staff and students, and support them through a vibrant culture that reflects our values.
We want to recruit and nurture brilliant people from a diverse range of backgrounds and ensure that our researchers, students, and professional services staff are supported.
We will do this by developing a positive ICR culture that embeds diversity and inclusivity. We will prioritise our staff and students’ wellbeing and mental health, including a zero tolerance of bullying and advancing our flexible working policy. We will also build on our career development support for all our staff, helping us to provide the next generation of leaders at the ICR.
3. Together, as One ICR
We will work together as One ICR, achieving our goals through close collaboration and with a shared commitment to our mission.
We will achieve our goals through close collaboration and with a shared commitment to our mission.
We will embrace multidisciplinary team science, and promote collaborative working between researchers and professional services. We will share knowledge across the ICR and build connections between different teams and disciplines. We will ensure our strategic research centres bridge disciplines and institutions and integrate our professional services in their leadership teams.
4. A sustainable future
We will build a sustainable future for the ICR in support of our mission and values, through financial, environmental and social responsibility.
In order to make discoveries that defeat cancer we need to ensure the ICR is fit for the future – and doing our bit to safeguard that future.
We will operate in the most financially and socially responsible ways, investing carefully, reducing costs and generating income, and doing what’s right in the way we employ staff and contract with external organisations.
We will work together to help make science more sustainable and reduce the ICR’s environmental impact. We have set a target to reach net zero by 2040.
Download the full strategy