Our research policies

Investing in research lies at the heart of everything we do

It’s what allows world-leading experts to investigate potential drugs, expedite new treatments and, fundamentally, work towards finding a cure for MND. To ensure we fund only the smartest, most efficient research, we implement best practices in research management.

How we invest in research

We are members of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and we adhere to their guidelines and principles of peer review. We award our funding through a competitive process. We work with leading research experts from academia and industry and people affected by MND who review the funding applications we receive and provide independent recommendations to our Board of Trustees. 

We have two independent review committees: our Translational Research Review Committee and our Discovery Network Advisory Board. See a full list of the review committee members on Our Experts page.

Our independent review committees follow our terms of reference:

• Translational Research Review Committee terms of reference
• Discovery Network Advisory Board terms of reference

Our peer review process

All applications are reviewed rigorously by independent research experts and people affected by MND, according to the principles of the AMRC. The Chairs of our committees do not review individual applications but help the committees to achieve consensus on which applications should be recommended for funding. They also work with the Foundation executive to assign reviewers to applications and resolve conflicts to ensure that funding decisions are fair, objective and transparent. In the event that the Chair is conflicted or unavailable, the Vice Chair takes their place.

Throughout our peer review process, information is kept strictly confidential. All reviewers must accept our conflict of interest policy and confidentiality policy before they agree to review a grant application. If an individual has a conflict of interest, they are not involved in reviewing that application and will not be involved in the panel discussion or decision-making process for that application. Our conflict of interest policy is acknowledged and accepted on an annual basis by all our Translational Research Review Committee and Discovery Network Advisory Board members.

Research policies

Policy on the use of animals in research

We support the principle of using animals in research when there is no alternative, or when absolutely necessary to advance our understanding of motor neuron disease and the development of potential new treatments. We are committed to the 3Rs of reduction, replacement and refinement, as basic principles of humane animal research. As members of the AMRC, we endorse their position statement on the use of animals in research. Our funded researchers have to comply with the PREPARE (Planning Research and Experimental Procedures on Animals: Recommendations for Excellence) guidelines. We no longer accept applications involving non-human primates.

Policy on the publication of research

We believe that open and transparent dissemination of knowledge resulting from research is essential to accelerate progress and avoid duplication. We encourage our researchers to disseminate research findings - both positive and negative - at conferences and other meetings. We encourage our researchers to publish their findings as rapidly as possible in peer-reviewed papers and make manuscripts open access. These costs can be covered in our grants. Publications arising from clinical trials should comply with the CONSORT Statement, and those arising from animal research should comply with the ARRIVE guidelines.

Our Discovery Network is underpinned by its own open science policy.

Policy on involvement in medical research

Involving people affected by MND in everything we do forms an important part of our Research Strategy, to ensure their needs and priorities remain at the heart of our activities. For example, people affected by MND form an essential part of our Translational Research Review Committee and Discovery Network Advisory Board, ensuring the research we fund matters to people affected by the disease. We support the AMRC’s statement on the importance of involvement in medical research.

Policy on supporting research in universities

We endorse the AMRC’s statement on supporting research in universities, which details our mission as a charity and our role in supporting research infrastructure in UK universities. We are committed to funding directly incurred research costs aligned with our Research Strategy, which exclude overheads.

Global Talent Visa

We are an endorsed funder within the UK’s Global Talent visa (GTV), the UK’s specialist research and innovation visa. Endorsed funder status means that researchers looking to work in the UK on a research grant of at least 2 years and £30,000 from an endorsed funder can be eligible for a GTV, subject to certain eligibility criteria. Please refer to gov.uk for up-to-date information on the GTV.