Biobank timeline

September 2006
Recruitment to UK Biobank scheduled to begin (four years later than originally planned). Recruitment of all 500,000 participants is expected to take 5 years.
June/July 2006
UK Biobank's funders plan another peer review of its scientific protocol, with a panel of national and international scientific experts.
March 2006
UK Biobank is launched and pilot recruitment begines.
July 2005
Biobank UK have published a briefing note aimed at providing an overview of the project's most recent achievements and looking forward to the forthcoming months.
20 May 2005
As a result of a Freedom of Information request by GeneWatch UK, the Medical Research Council finally publishes the scientific peer reviewers' comments made in 2002.
28 Feb 2005
Phase 1 pilot studies start to test the process of recruiting participants and taking measurements (such as blood pressure) and questionnaires.
24 Feb 2005
Draft Intellectual Property (IP) and Access policy published.
July 2004
Sample storage and processing report published for comment.
May 2004
Publication of the Ethics and Governance Framework (EGF) consultation responses, with a brief response from the funders.
April 2004
Briefing note (summarising the project) published. The project now has £61.5 million in funding.
Jan 2004
Board of Directors appointed.
Dec 2003
UK Biobank established as a charitable company.
10 Oct 2003
The Interim Advisory Group publish a background document on the Ethics and Governance Framework.
24 Sept 2003
Launch of the Ethics and Governance Framework for a one month consultation period.
July 2003
UK Biobank's Science Committee holds its first meeting.
June 2003
Government response to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's report on the MRC.
May 2003
Two stakeholder workshops on proposals for the Ethical and Governance Framework (EGF) and interviews with politicians.
15 May - 12 June 2003
Consultation on proposals for the EGF with a panel of lay people.
7 May 2003
University of Manchester becomes the co-ordinating centre for UK Biobank.
4 April 2003
UK Biobank consultation workshop with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).
24 Mar 2003
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on the MRC is published.
Feb to July 2003
Interim Advisory Group on Ethics and Governance meets to draft UK Biobank's Ethical and Governance Framework (EGF). The process is informed by a number of consultations
7 April 2003
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (a joint committee of the Lords and Commons) hold an informal debate on the project.
31 Mar 2003
UK Biobank's CEO is appointed.
Feb 2003
Consultation with general practice nurses and research nurses, funded by the MRC and Wellcome Trust.
4 Dec 2002
Sir George Radda, Chief Executive of the MRC, cross-examined by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. Issues include UK Biobank.
3 July 2002
House of Commons adjournment debate on UK Biobank. Issues raised by the Chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee receive a response from a Health Minister.
29 April 2002
UK Biobank's funding approval is announced. £45 million in total is allocated by the Wellcome Trust, MRC and Department of Health (DoH).
25 April 2002
UK Biobank ethics workshop.
Feb 2002
UK Biobank's scientific protocol is published.
Jan 2002
MRC/Wellcome focus group research.
July 2001
The Government responds to the House of Lords report.
17 April 2001
Protocol development workshop held to get input from scientists.
22 Nov 2000
As a result of the MRC's bid to the Government's Spending Review 2000, £20 million of MRC funding is earmarked for the UK Population Biomedical Collection.
October 2000
Consultation with primary healthcare professionals funded by the Wellcome Trust and MRC.
20 July 2000 to 20 March 2001
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee conducts and enquiry into human genetic databases, which includes evidence regarding the “UK Population Biomedical Collection”.
March to April 2000
The Wellcome Trust and MRC fund a study on public attitudes to the sample collection and database.
March 2000
The expert panel recommends two population cohort studies: 500,000 adults and 20,000-50,000 newborn babies. The birth cohort is dropped as lower priority (Barbour, 2003).
7 Dec 1999
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee first discusses proposals for a “possible NHS-wide genetic database” and for the UK Population Biomedical Collection.
5 Nov 1999
The Wellcome Trust holds a workshop on the collection of human biological samples.
Aug 1999 to Jan 1999
An expert working group chaired by Prof Tom Meade develops proposals.
June 1999
The Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council (MRC) commit funds “in principle” to the UK Population Biomedical Collection (later to become UK Biobank).
May 1999
Wellcome Trust workshop on establishing UK biomedical sample collection (Barbour, 2003).
April 1999
The pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) proposes a public-private partnership to establish a population biobank, using the National Health Service as a research resource.

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