What we do

Our vision

Our vision is a world where medical research improves health for everyone.

There are still many health conditions which impose a heavy burden on millions of people, in the UK and around the world. History has shown us, time and again, that the best way to achieve better human health is through medical research. We know that by investing now, we will see life-saving advances in the future and improvements in health for everyone.

Our mission

Our mission is to lay the foundations for ground-breaking new discoveries and life-changing advances.

We give hope to people whose health conditions are overlooked, by supporting research in areas that are underfunded. We invest in the brightest and best researchers, ensuring the next generation of scientists can continue to solve the biggest challenges facing human health.

Strategic research themes

As a small, broad-based medical research funder, our remit is wide, and the need is great. This means we need to focus on funding research in ways that will have the biggest possible impact on people’s lives.

We will continue to take a targeted approach to our research funding and are aiming to invest £50 million in life-changing medical research between 2019-2029.

This means that, having funded £25 million of research in 2019-2024, we are aiming to invest a further £25 million in new research between 2024-2029 that aligns with one or more of our strategic research themes:

High-need, low research investment

There are too many health conditions which continue to devastate lives. As a broad funder of medical research, we will identify and fund in areas that are overlooked by other funders.

Emerging research leaders

The health problems of the future will be solved by the researchers we invest in today. We will award funding to keep the brightest minds in science, for the benefit of us all.

Changing policy and practice

Few funding opportunities exist for scientists to ensure that policymakers and practitioners are aware of their research. By funding in this way, we will ensure healthcare policy and practice is based on the latest evidence.

Research priorities

We fund research that falls within our three strategic research themes and fits with our research priorities. Our priorities for the next five years include:

• Improving the lives of children and young people
• Addressing neglected areas of mental health
• Tackling the health impacts of climate change
• Responding to emerging health threats and research opportunities

Our Research Strategy provides more detail on our strategic research themes and research priorities.

Membership of AMRC

The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) is a membership organisation of the leading medical and health research charities in the UK. As a member, we follow its guidelines for best practice on peer review and support its position statements on supporting research in universities and the use of animals in research.

How we work

As a broad funder, we are free to fund whatever we feel are the most important medical research questions of the time. Unlike many other funding bodies we are not restricted to providing support for a particular disease or condition, or a particular research institution. We can respond to the emerging health needs of the nation and the wider world, and the research priorities and opportunities identified by scientific experts and our donors. We are inspired by the responsibility and independence that your donations give us. We are a purely research-led organisation, meaning all our efforts are centred around funding scientists and research.

Find out more about our governance, values, and ways of working.