Association of Medical Research Charities

Charities play a vital role in UK research, helping save and improve lives. AMRC charities were a major contributor to medical research across the UK in 2023, investing in universities and the NHS, as well as supporting the R&D workforce. #CharityImpact

Our new briefing on the Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF) explains why it is so important to bolster charity-university research partnerships and calls on Government to increase the CRSF: https://shorturl.at/Jkw41 Most grants funded by AMRC charities are awarded to the UK’s world-class universities. These grants cover the direct costs of research – in line with the charities’ mission and the wishes of their donors. Beyond these costs charities make strategic investments in university research infrastructure. In recognition of charities’ substantial contributions to research in universities, the Government provides support through the CRSF to cover some of the indirect costs of research. These are diverse, ranging from administration overheads to library services. But the CRSF has stagnated, never reaching the amount initially committed when it was established almost two decades ago. This makes it harder for universities to accept charity grants and threatens the sustainability of charity-university research. Government must increase the CRSF so that it keeps pace with charitable funding and secures 80% full economic cost recovery. Please join us in sharing this briefing and making the case for an increase to the CRSF.

AMRC charities have invested £2.2 billion in UK research infrastructure over the last 10 years. Our new report showcases how they invest in underpinning infrastructure, accelerating health impact across the UK: https://shorturl.at/ArDqr #charityimpact

Unlocking NHS patient data has the power to transform UK care and research. But the system isn't working, and the UK is missing out. To fix it, the Government must do two things in parallel:   1️⃣ Design an ambitious new strategy to make proper use of patient #data, realising its value for the benefit of patients and the NHS. This will need careful deliberation and wide engagement, and we urge the Government to take time to get it right. This is too important to fail.   2️⃣ Address urgent priorities now:   🔸 Prioritise ongoing engagement with the public 🔸 Review and reform the opt-out model 🔸 Unlock access to primary care data for research 🔸 Resource Secure Data Environments (SDEs) to speed up access 🔸 Maximise use of patient data for clinical trial recruitment   Read more in our new ‘Unlocking patient data to transform research and care’ briefing. https://bit.ly/3VZBm4C

It's still amazing and inspiring to me that nearly HALF of all publicly-funded medical research is funded by charities. That's normal everyday people funding science to do extraordinary things. And often, they do so not because they have a medical background, or know lots about science. But because they have a personal connection to the disease or condition, and they want to make things better for other people in the future. Nearly HALF of all medical research in the UK is funded thanks to these people - and we should never forget that 💛 More data about the impact of charities in the post from the Association of Medical Research Charities below 👇

Today's the day to vote in the #GeneralElection2024! Whatever the result, it's essential that the next government provides strong support for life sciences to benefit patients across the country, and improve economic growth and productivity. Read more 👇

NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) has established a new Charity Engagement Lead role, to help strengthen its relationship with the sector. In our latest blog, Kate Blackstone tells us about what motivated her to take on the role, what it means for AMRC charities and more.

Three weeks to go until our Summer Social! 🎉 Register your place to join us on 16 July for a summer celebration where we'll be bringing together our members for an opportunity to meet others and network. https://bit.ly/3JPVfFz

Last week our team got to visit the UK to chat with nonprofit leaders about how AI fits into their work. It was a great time to connect and learn. And a good excuse to see the inside of Vintners Hall 👀 A big thank you to the Association of Medical Research Charities, Charity Finance Group, and Microsoft for Nonprofits for helping us put this event together!

Involving people in clinical research is an essential part of the development of new treatments. Read about the vital role charities play in supporting recruitment to this research in our new report. https://bit.ly/3yMJ2iT