Introducing Our New MND Research Strategy: Catalysing a Cure

17 April 2023

catalyse

verb

1. To start or speed up a chemical reaction by acting as a catalyst
2. To make something start happening or start being successful

We are delighted to officially launch our new Research Strategy, “Catalysing a Cure”. It sets out our role in the landscape: catalysing innovative research to develop new treatments for MND, and ultimately a cure. It outlines not only where we will focus our efforts to drive forward MND research over the next five years, but how we will do it.

Where will we focus?

We developed our strategy in collaboration with over 100 people across the MND community, to ensure the needs and priorities of people living with MND remain at the heart of the research we fund. Through a series of workshops, surveys and landscape analyses, we have established three strategic priorities that will help us to achieve our vision of a world free of MND:

• Validating therapeutic targets; as our understanding of the biology of MND grows, so does the list of potential targets for new treatments. We will ensure novel targets are rigorously assessed, so the most promising ones can be taken forward to develop new treatments.
• Accelerating new treatments; we will support the development of a diverse portfolio of new treatments that have the potential of big impact for people living with MND. We will help to advance the most promising ones, so they reach the clinic faster.
• Improving translation; too often, drugs that are tested in clinical trials fail to replicate the promise they showed in pre-clinical studies. We will encourage research that addresses barriers to effective translation including earlier detection and diagnosis of MND and the development of better biomarker and patient stratification strategies.

How will we achieve our vision?

We have set out four key ways of working that will underpin all our activities, enabling us implement our Research Strategy in the most effective way possible. We will:

• Invest in a portfolio of cutting-edge translational research through our new competitive grant scheme and strategic initiatives, which will be announced later in the year.
• Partner with all those who can help us achieve our vision, leveraging expertise and generating bigger funding pots, to accelerate progress together.
• Influence the research agenda to boost investment for targeted MND research and accelerate the adoption of innovative approaches and ways of thinking.
• Involve people affected by MND so their needs remain at the heart of all our activities.
  
  

Jessica Lee, Director of Research at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said:

“Our new Research Strategy “Catalysing a Cure” outlines our commitment and ambition over the next five years to advance MND research, expediting the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure. We recognise that people living with MND do not have time to wait, so we are driving forward our strategy at pace. We have already opened applications to our flagship grant scheme and we are encouraging researchers who share our vision of a world free of MND to get in touch to discuss their ideas with us.”

Applications for our flagship grant scheme are now open

We are offering Project Awards of up to £500k for projects that will support the early-stage development of new treatments for MND. Researchers should visit our Funding Opportunities page to find out more about the scope of the awards and how to apply.

Thank you

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us in the development of our Research Strategy. We are more determined than ever to drive forward research that will help us to achieve our vision of a world free of MND. For us, this is just the beginning.