How we invest in research

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 research grants through a competitive process. We work with leading research experts and people affected by MND who review our funding applications and provide independent recommendations to our Board of Trustees.

Our peer review process

All applications are reviewed rigorously by independent research experts and people affected by MND. See here a guide to the review process for each of the awards in our Grant Scheme.

The Chair 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 will take their place.

Throughout our peer review process, information is kept strictly confidential. All reviewers must accept our conflict of interest 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. We have specific conflict of interest policies for each of our review panels which are accepted and acknowledged on an annual basis by all our committee 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 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.

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 manuscipts 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 it's 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 Research Review Committee, ensuring the research we fund matters to people affected by the disease. We support AMRC’s position statement on the importance of involvement in medical research.