Our funding opportunities

This includes research into more than 60 different types of muscle wasting conditions. The charity has application processes in place that involve rigorous international peer review and a panel of lay experts to ensure we fund high-quality science that’s relevant to people with muscle wasting conditions.

Please refer to our open grant calls. We may offer a number of funding opportunities for laboratory-based and clinical researchers. 

Annual call for research grant applications

Normally, grants will be available for project grants of two to three years duration as well as proof-of-principle grants of up to one year and support for four-year PhD studentships. However, the types of award being offered may change depending upon the priorities and available budget of the charity.

Improving quality of life grants

This pilot grant call aims to attract applications for research that will improve the quality of life for people living with muscle wasting conditions. Grants of up to £10,000 will be available for consumables for 12-month projects.

Infrastructure grants

We may consider infrastructure grants to help accelerate the translational path to clinical trials, including support for patient registries, natural history databases and clinical trials coordinators.

Very rare conditions

Alternative funding approaches to support research for a number of the very rare conditions (fewer than 500 patients in the UK), which may include establishing international research partnerships – contact us if you wish to discuss an approach for a very rare condition.

Applications outside the grant round

In exceptional circumstances we will consider an application outside the grant round that will be subjected to a peer review similar to those of the annual grant round.

MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowships

We are working in partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC) to award up to one clinical research training fellowship per year. The fellowship aims to support clinicians from relevant specialities looking to develop their long-term academic careers in the field of neuromuscular research. This is an ongoing funding opportunity, administered by the MRC. Application rounds close every January, April and September.

All applications should be made through the MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship Scheme. As part of the application, applicants must choose Muscular Dystrophy UK as a joint funder.

Large strategic investments 

• We encourage researchers to contact the Director of Research and Innovation (via researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org) should they have specific proposals that would require significant grant funding over and above the duration and financial envelope of our normal project grant funding. In such circumstances. 
• Proposals must address multiple neuromuscular conditions, address aspects strategically important to Muscular Dystrophy UK and benefit the wider UK neuromuscular community; 
• The host university must have a clear strategy for neuromuscular research and; 
• There must be a significant financial commitment from the university as part of the planned partnership with us. 
• Applicants seeking support for a Muscular Dystrophy UK University Centre must clearly articulate how it would build on existing MDUK and other support into neuromuscular conditions to add value to these investments. The Centre should support researchers with a shared interest in neuromuscular conditions to collaborate and deliver world-leading research and high-impact translation that will benefit patients. Centres must have clear research goals, strong leadership and actively engage the people with lived experience of neuromuscular conditions with their research. 
• Please submit a written outline of your plans (via researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org) detailing what support is required, why it is important and how the plans address the above criteria. Credible approaches will be taken to the Board of Trustees to gain approval for a formal submission. If approved for submission the Board will reserve the right to include specific points for the review to focus on. These will be shared with the applicants. 
• The proposal will be subject to rigorous peer review, a specially convened sub-committee comprising members of our Medical Research Committee, Lay Research Panel and subject-area experts. The recommendation from this sub-committee will be taken to the Board for final sign off. 
• If a collaboration agreement is required by partners involved in the research, no funding can be released from us to any party until the collaboration agreement is signed. 
• Our ability to engage will depend upon our financial position. Agreement to proceed with the review of your plans in no way guarantees that the proposal will be funded. 

For more information read our advice for applying for a grant and our open grant calls.

Email our research team researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.org with any queries about our grant schemes, funding available or your grant application.