Interim evaluation of the Sector Plan for Medicine and Health Sciences

The Sector Plan Committee for Medical and Health Sciences notes that, after three years, significant progress has been made towards both general and thematic objectives. Sector plan funds have enabled the creation of permanent positions for over 500 talented academic researchers, lecturers, and support professionals. University Medical Centres (UMCs) have made important advances in strengthening and renewing research programmes, with an emphasis on quality, societal relevance, interdisciplinarity, and practical application. Noteworthy and innovative initiatives are also visible in the field of education. National cooperation has intensified further, facilitating the efficient use of expertise and resources.

Effective collaboration and academic governance

The committee also observes fruitful collaboration among researchers, lecturers, healthcare professionals, and administrators. This is fostering a shared direction and beginning to reveal the outlines of an effective academic governance model, with clear opportunities for further development in the next phase.

Conclusions and recommendations

Based on these findings, the committee concludes that a strong foundation has been established for the continued implementation of the Sector Plan for Medicine and Health Sciences. The committee therefore advises the Minister to maintain the current commitment and distribution of funds. The committee also highlights several points for attention for the future.

In short:
The committee is very positive about the results so far, particularly:

• The strengthening and renewal of research programmes
• Innovative initiatives in education
• Increasingly intensive (national) cooperation
• Efficient use of expertise and resources
• The committee recommends continuing the sector plan, maintaining the current commitment and distribution of funds.

The committee has identified a number of future points for attention:

• Several universities without a UMC possess significant expertise and capacity in health sciences that have not yet benefited from the sector plan. The committee recommends involving these universities more actively in future sector plan initiatives.
• The committee explicitly advises that future initiatives invest in interdisciplinary collaboration across domains, particularly by forging stronger links with the Beta & Technology and Social Sciences & Humanities fields.
• For the coming three years, the committee encourages UMCs to further elaborate the complementarity between UMCs in terms of expertise and capacity, both in content and organisation. This should be accompanied by transparency in choices and priorities, in favour of collective interests, and with continued attention for the development of a suitable academic governance model.

You can download the interim evaluation of the sector plan for medicine and health sciences here.