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Improving quality of life 2025

Grant round 2025

Strategic Programme grants in neuromuscular research 2024

Improving quality of life 2025

This grant round is closed. Details of the grant scheme will remain here until a funding decision is reached. A further round is planned for 2026. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive information about funding calls contact researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

Before applying, please ensure you refer to the following:

If you are unsure whether your research fits within our strategy and current criteria, contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

We’re currently offering funding for small projects of up to 12 months’ duration, and for consumables only of no more than £10,000. Research applications should specifically address an unmet need or offer an innovative solution to a problem that would improve the quality of life of people with neuromuscular conditions.

We appreciate that the pathway to deliver a product (or solution) to the target population is complex and that this funding alone will not be sufficient to take it ‘to market’. However, we expect applicants to outline the pathway that their product/solution will take to benefit lives of people with a muscle wasting condition and have a clear plan to achieve a specific a milestone on this pathway.

We will fund research across the breadth of conditions supported by the charity, including rare and very-rare conditions. Please refer to the list of conditions that we support. If you want to make an application for research into a neuromuscular condition that is not listed contact us on researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

Applications can relate to any aspect of research that may lead to an improvement in the quality of life of people with neuromuscular conditions. Our community has specifically highlighted the following areas of research as being important:

Improving accessibility. This could include research that provides novel solutions to improves access to public or other spaces or public transport
Mental health & psychological support
Assistive Technology or physical aids
Lifestyle (exercise or diet)
Fatigue
Physiotherapy
Pain management
Hydrotherapy

We’re interested in funding in these areas, but will consider any application for research in any area that will lead to improvements in quality of life for people with neuromuscular conditions. Please refer to our Research Strategy for further information about the aims and objectives of the charity, which must be reflected in your application. If you’re unsure whether your research fits the criteria or our remit, contact the research team at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

Strong applications will engage people with lived experience of the condition(s) specified by the applicant.

The deadline for submission of the online application is 3pm on Tuesday 24 June 2025. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline. Applications can be submitted at any time prior to the deadline. After online submission you must send us a copy of your application signed by the principal- and co-applicants, by your Head of Department and your institute’s research/finance office. This should be sent by email to researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org no later than 15 July 2025.

We welcome applications from any researcher or allied healthcare professional who is engaged in research. Applications from early-career researchers (defined as researchers who possess a PhD who have not yet gained, or are transitioning to, an independent research career) are also welcome.

We’re only able to fund UK-based applicants for research in UK institutions or hospitals.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted using our online application form, which is accessed by a secure login.

If you have used our online system before, go to the Smart Simple login page. Please login and update your profile before starting your application.

If you are new to the system, register as an applicant on the registration page. After that you will be able to log in and select the grant round and type of grant you wish to apply for.

If you work at an institution that is not already listed on our system, you may need to contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org to help you create a profile.

Ensure you use the correct form for your application; we reserve the right to reject applications that are submitted using the wrong form type. If you are unsure of which form to use please contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

You should refer to our Terms and Conditions and guidance for applicants, which are also accessible when you are logged into the online system; please select Help – Support Documents from the home screen.

The decision-making process

Applications will initially be assessed for eligibility by members of our Research Team. Queries to applicants will be dealt with in the first two weeks following the application deadline. Applicants may be asked to make amendments to their applications.

Expert review of the applications will be provided by a sub-committee of our Medical Research Committee, made up of researchers with expertise in clinical and qualitative research into neuromuscular disease and people with lived experience of a neuromuscular condition (Committee members to be announced). The application process is split into three stages

Stage 1. The Committee assesses applications and provides comments
Stage 2. Applicants will be asked to respond to the Committee’s comments
Stage 3. The Committee will meet to provide a final assessment of applications according to their quality, impact and potential for productivity. Each Committee member will score each application and these scores will be used to determine which applications are fundable. Applications that do not meet the quality threshold will not be funded. If the number of applications in the fundable range exceed the budget for the call the Committee will make recommendations for ranking the fundable applications.

The Improving Quality of Life Committee is governed by these Terms of Reference and this conflict-of-interest policy.

The Committee will make recommendations to our Senior Leadership Team who will make the final decision on whether applications should be funded. Decisions on grant applications will be available in early-mid November 2025.

Acceptance of Awards

Once the final decision on funding has been made, applicants will receive an email notifying them of the outcome. All principal applicants will receive a summary of feedback. Successful applicants will receive an award letter.

Successful applicants will be provided with details of how to accept their awards via our online grant management system. Prior to starting the grant a grant activation form must be submitted online and a signed electronic copy sent to our research grants management team. The grant activation form must be completed prior to the start date of the grant and no monies will be backdated if this form is not received in time. Project grants must start within six months of receiving the award letter.

Grant monitoring

On termination of the grant, the Principal Investigator is required to complete an End of Project Report, which is to be received by us within two calendar months of receipt of the report template from MDUK. Failure to submit will result in the final payment being withheld until submission of the report and may affect future grant applications.

Principal Investigators are also required to submit outputs and impact data annually through the ResearchFish system (details to be provided by the MDUK Research Team).

Our Research Team monitors the content of annual and final reports and may contact the grant holder to request further information or clarification. The Principal Investigator will be required to provide follow-up information on the research after completion of the project as and when requested by us.

Grant round 2025

This grant round is closed. Details of the grant scheme will remain here until a funding decision is reached. A further round is planned for 2026. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive information about funding calls contact Researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

This grant round was open for PhD studentships and project grants (including two- to three-year project grants and shorter, proof-of-principle projects of up to one year) that have relevance to one or more types of muscular dystrophy or a related neuromuscular condition.

Grant FAQs
Research Strategy
Terms and Conditions (project grant or PhD studentship)
Guidance for completing the online application form (project grant or PhD studentship)
Top tips for writing a plain English application

We will invest in research that increases our understanding of neuromuscular conditions and that promotes the development of potential treatments. These may be basic, pre-clinical or clinical projects, but must be in line with our Research Strategy.

We also welcome applications for research that will have a direct, positive impact on the quality of life of people with neuromuscular conditions or will help to establish best practice in symptom management. This could include, but is not limited to, social or psychological research or projects with a focus on exercise, physiotherapy, fatigue or chronic pain.  Please refer to our Research Strategy for further information about the aims and objectives of the charity, which must be reflected in your application.

We will fund research across the breadth of conditions supported by the charity, including rare and very-rare conditions. Please refer to the list of conditions supported by Muscular Dystrophy UK.

If you would like to make an application for research into a neuromuscular condition that is not listed here, or if you are unsure whether your research fits within our strategy and current remit, please contact the research team at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

PhD Studentships

Grants for 4-year PhD studentships are available. The charity will fund stipends (up to UKRI minimum rates), university fees, and consumables (up to £10,000 per year).

Please refer to the guidance for completing PhD studentship applications.

Project grants

We welcome proof-of-principle and project grant applications from early career researchers as well as existing principal investigators. Applicants can only apply for one of the following:

Grants for 2–3-year projects

The charity will cover any combination of salary and consumables up to a maximum of £100,000 per year.

Grants for up to 1 year for proof-of-principle projects

If you are applying for a shorter grant of up to one year, for example to show proof of principle in a pilot study, the charity will cover up to £30,000 for salary and consumables. In this case, please apply using the project grant application form; we will not require as much detail to be given in the text boxes as for a full project grant application.

Please refer to the guidance for completing project grant applications.

Who can apply

Each applicant can submit up to one grant application per grant type; multiple grant applications for the same grant type will not be accepted.

If you currently hold a Muscular Dystrophy UK-funded project or studentship grant, you may still apply in this round. A single resubmission of a previous Muscular Dystrophy UK application is permitted.

Whilst we are only able to fund principal applicants who are based in the UK, we strongly encourage international collaborations.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted using our online application form, which is accessed by a secure login. Please ensure you use the correct form for your application; we reserve the right to reject applications that are submitted using the wrong form type. If you are unsure of which form to use, please contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

If you have used our online system before, go to the Smart Simple login page. Please log in and update your profile before starting your application.
If you are new to the system, please register as an applicant on the registration page. After registering you will be able to log in and select the grant round and type of grant you wish to apply for.
If you work at an institution which is not already listed on our system, you may need to contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org to help you create a profile.

Please also refer to our Terms and Conditions (PhD studentship or project gran t) and guidance for applicants (PhD studentship or project grant), which are also accessible when you are logged into the online system; please select Help – Support Documents from the home screen.

The deadline for submission of the online application is 3pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline. Please note that applications can be submitted at any time prior to the deadline. After online submission you must send us a copy of your application signed by the principal applicant and co-investigators, and by your Head of Department and institute’s research office. This should be sent by email to researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org no later than three weeks after the submission deadline.

The decision-making process

Muscular Dystrophy UK staff will review grant applications to ensure eligibility and alignment with the call’s remit. Applications will then be sent to a least three reviewers who will be selected from the international community of experts, based on their relevant research experience and ability to comment on the proposal. Applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to reviews.

A triage process may be required if we receive too many applications to handle at the final assessment stage. Under those circumstances applications will be considered, including expert review comments and responses from applicants, by three members of our Medical Research Committee and three members of our Lay Research Panel. These members will provide recommendations on whether the application moves forward to the final assessment. If your application is rejected at this point you will not be informed of the final decision until after our Board of Trustees meets to consider the overall recommendations of the Medical Research Committee, at which point you will receive feedback in the form of a letter.

The application will be considered by a panel of experts in the field of neuromuscular research (our Medical Research Committee) and people with lived experience of muscle wasting and weakening conditions (our Lay Research Panel). Both panels will score applications and only applications that meet the minimum quality threshold will be considered for funding. The Committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees and applicants will receive a decision letter in late July 2025.

The Medical Research Committee and Lay Research Panel are governed by the following policies:

Other relevant policies

Other policies relating to research applications can be found here

Additional requirements for HRA-approved clinical research
Animal research and the NC3Rs
Intellectual property, exploitation and revenue share policies
Use of generative AI tools in funding applications and assessment
AMRC position statement on patient and public involvement (PPI) in research
Expert review policies

If you have any questions, please contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org

Strategic Programme grants in neuromuscular research 2024

This grant round is closed. Details of the grant scheme will remain here until a funding decision is reached.

Applying for a Research Grant.
Grant FAQs.
Refer to our Research Strategy for further information about the aims and objectives of the charity, which must be reflected in your application. If you are unsure whether your research fits the criteria or our remit, please contact the research team at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.
Terms and Conditions for Programme Grants.
Guidance for completing the online Programme Grant application form.
List of conditions supported by Muscular Dystrophy UK. If you want to make an application for research into a neuromuscular condition that is not listed here, please contact us on researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

Researchers who are interested in applying are encouraged to contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org to ensure the application fits the remit of the call.

Programme grant applications must meet the following broad criteria:

Proposals must address at least one neuromuscular condition supported by Muscular Dystrophy UK. Applications may be strengthened by a focus on multiple conditions, but this is not a prerequisite for the application to be considered for funding.
Applications must demonstrate relevance to Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Research Strategy and must benefit the wider UK neuromuscular community.
Only one Strategic Programme Grant may be submitted per institution.
The host university must have a clear strategy for neuromuscular research.
There must be a significant financial or ‘in kind’ commitment from the university as part of the planned partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK. For example, through the provision of posts or other key elements of the programme, or by seeking additional support from other sources, e.g. industry etc.
Applicants must clearly articulate how the strategic programme would build on existing Muscular Dystrophy UK or other support for research into neuromuscular conditions to add value to these investments.
The grant should support researchers with a shared interest in neuromuscular conditions to collaborate and deliver world-leading research and will lead to high-impact translation to benefit patients.
Applications should include strong national (and where relevant, international) collaborations.
The proposal must have clear research goals, milestones and strong leadership.
Applications with a clinical focus or element must demonstrate how people with lived experience of neuromuscular conditions will be engaged. In such cases, applications would be strengthened if you can demonstrate the people with lived experience of relevant neuromuscular conditions have been involved in designing the planned work.
We will invest in research that increases our understanding of neuromuscular conditions and that promotes the development of potential treatments. Applications for this strategic funding can cover a range of basic, pre-clinical and clinical projects, but must demonstrate a coherent theme.

See the guidance for the call which gives more detailed criteria.

Whilst we are only able to fund principal applicants who are based in the UK, we strongly encourage international collaborations. Applications may be strengthened by a demonstration of wide collaborative networks within the field of neuromuscular research.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted using our online application form, which is accessed by a secure login. Please ensure you use the correct form for your application; we reserve the right to reject applications that are submitted using the wrong form type. If you are unsure of which form to use, please contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org.

If you have used our online system before, go to the Smart Simple login page. Please login and update your profile before starting your application.
If you are new to the system, please register as an applicant on the registration page. After that you will be able to log in and select the grant round and type of grant you wish to apply for.
If you work at an institution which is not already listed on our system, you may need to contact us at researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org to help you create a profile.

Please also refer to our Terms and Conditions and guidance for this call, which are also accessible when you are log into the online system; please select Help – Support Documents from the home screen.

The deadline for submission of the online application is 3pm on Thursday 3 October 2024. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline. Please note that applications can be submitted at any time prior to the deadline. After online submission you must send us a copy of your application signed by the principal- and co-investigators, and by your Head of Department and institute’s research office. This should be sent by email to researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org no later than three weeks after the submission deadline.

The decision-making process

Muscular Dystrophy UK staff will review programme grant applications to ensure eligibility and alignment with the call’s remit. Applications will then be sent to at least five reviewers who will be selected from the international community of experts, based on their relevant research experience and ability to comment on the proposal. Applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to reviews.

The application will be considered by a panel of experts in the field of neuromuscular research and people with lived experience of muscle wasting and weakening conditions selected from our Medical Research Committee and our Lay Research Panel respectively. The panel will score applications and only applications that meet the minimum quality threshold will be considered for funding. The panel will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees and applicants will receive a decision letter in Late March 2025.

The Strategic Grant Committee is made up of the following contributors: