Leading pharmaceuticals company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) have recently entered into a new educational sponsorship agreement to give a further £1.5m to the University to support the training of future neuroscientists at Cambridge.

In 1997 MSD entered into an agreement to give £1.5m over a period of five years to the University's School of Clinical Medicine. Under the terms of the new agreement, the School will now receive an additional £300,000 annually over the next five years commencing in October 2003.

In addition to providing support for graduate students in the combined MB/PhD programme, this donation will continue to provide funding for a number of PhD studentships and postdoctoral fellowships.

A series of symposia will also continue to be organised jointly by the University and MSD. All these initiatives will further strengthen the close ties between the company and the University of Cambridge.

Professor Sir Keith Peters, Regius Professor of Physic and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, commended MSD on their commitment to the support of neuroscience research at Cambridge.

"Such generous benefactions for educational support are crucial to maintaining the excellence of education and training in this rapidly evolving area of research. A well-supported body of students and young researchers today will ensure a high standard of neuroscientists tomorrow."

Dr Ruth McKernan, Vice-President and Director of the MSD Neuroscience Research Centre stressed "To make drugs for treating Alzheimer's Disease and psychiatric disorders we really need to understand the biology of the brain better. The educational sponsorship programme and our closer links with one of the world's leading universities will help us in this goal and I look forward to the exciting science that will emerge from this programme."

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