In the second year of our five-year research strategy, we have built on the foundations of year one, increasing the scale and reach of our research funding.
Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Research
In 2023, we launched our research strategy, Catalysing a Cure, with a clear aim: to fund the best possible research and speed up the search for effective treatments and one day, a cure for motor neuron disease (MND).
Today, we’re sharing our year two research strategy Report, covering April 2024 to March 2025. In the second year of our five-year strategy, we have built on the foundations laid in year one, significantly increasing the scale and reach of our research funding.
Over the year, we committed more than £8 million to 26 new research projects, taking our total investment under Catalysing a Cure to over £11 million in just two years.
In Year Two, we increased our investment in MND research, supporting projects across four funding programmes, from early-stage research through to clinical trials.
One of the biggest steps forward was the launch of our Discovery Network. This brings together 30 researchers across 11 universities in the UK, US and Singapore, working collaboratively to better understand what drives MND and to identify new starting points for future treatments.
At the same time, we continued to support work that helps turn discoveries into potential treatments - including projects that validate promising targets and explore new approaches that could one day be tested in people living with MND.
We know we can’t do this alone.
During Year Two, we worked with partners in the UK and around the world to share expertise, pool funding and support ambitious research. This included collaborating with other funders on major initiatives such as the Longitude Prize on ALS, and continuing to build strong relationships across academia, industry and the wider MND community.
In Year Two, we continued to influence the direction of MND research.
We engaged with policymakers, hosting events in Westminster and Holyrood to highlight both the challenges facing MND research and the opportunities to accelerate progress.
People affected by MND remain central to everything we do.
In Year Two, almost a quarter of our research committee members were people affected by MND, helping to shape funding decisions and ensure lived experience informs the research we support. We also continued to bring researchers and people affected by MND together through shared events, encouraging open conversation and collaboration.
Everything we’ve achieved in the second year of Catalysing a Cure has been made possible by the hard work of our supporters.
People living with MND do not have time to wait. That’s why we’re acting with urgency - backing bold ideas, strengthening collaboration and doing everything we can to move closer to effective treatments and, one day, a cure.
Read our full Year Two research strategy report here and find out how you can support our mission to create a world free of MND.
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