The role of the Wellcome Trust in support of biomedical research

The mission of the Wellcome Trust is 'to promote and foster research with t he aim of improving human and animal health'. In this paper the Director of the Wellcome Trust describes the organisation's history, its current posit ion in the UK and international arenas, and the strategies the Trust will p ursue in meeting its mission. This includes an explanation of the role of t he Trust in enhancing the UK science base by focusing on support of knowled ge creation, scientific careers, infrastructure and the translation of rese arch from the laboratory to the clinic, and in promoting the public's appre ciation of and confidence in science.