Apply for funding

Through our successful PhD studentship programme we have a track record of attracting and funding promising young scientists to develop their careers in MND research. We only fund research of the highest scientific/clinical excellence and greatest relevance to MND.

Deadline

We hope to accept further studentship applications in 2021, see planned deadlines below.

Please read our Guidelines, Terms and Conditions and our Guide to Completing the Online Summary Application Form. It is also recommended that you read the MND Association Research Strategy and Research Governance Overview.

Duration

Awards will be offered for three years to allow registered students to undertake full-time research for a PhD.

Eligibility

Studentship applications are invited from prospective supervisors, based in UK and Ireland laboratories. Collaborative projects between departments are welcomed, provided the relative roles of the supervisors and departments are addressed. Supervisors should recruit and nominate the student of their choice (subject to MND Association approval). Students should hold, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second class honours degree.

Assessment and Budget

Please see our Guidelines for more information on assessment criteria and budget information.

We are committed to playing a key role in ending MND. Our biomedical research programme is delivering significant and measurable advances in understanding and treating the disease. We only fund research of the highest scientific excellence and greatest relevance to MND.

Application Process and Deadlines

We normally invite applications to be submitted via our Online Summary Application Form during September and October each year.

Due to the unique circumstances of 2020, funding for new Biomedical Project Grants to be awarded in 2020 and 2021 is very limited. In the 2019-20 applications round we received a high number of very strong applications, but can only fund a few of these in 2020. Therefore, we are operating a different system for the 2020-2021 Biomedical Project application round. We have invited resubmission of some of the best unsuccessful applications from 2019-20. The relevant applicants have already been notified. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any new summary applications during the autumn of 2020.

We hope that we will be able to return to our normal process in 2021, with summary applications for the 2021-2022 biomedical project grants round being accepted in September-October 2021.

If you are interested in applying in 2021, please read our Guidelines, Terms and Conditions and our Guide to Completing the Online Summary Application Form. It is also recommended that you read the MND Association Research Strategy and Research Governance Overview.

If you need further information please email research.grants@mndassociation.org.

Duration

Grants will be offered for up to three years duration. Applications for less than two years should include a named researcher with the relevant expertise, familiar with the laboratory.

Eligibility

Applicants can be based outside the UK and Ireland, provided the project is unique in concept or design (i.e. no similar research is being performed in the UK) and involves a significant aspect of collaboration with a UK institute.

Assessment and Budget

Please see our guidelines for more information on assessment criteria and budget information.

Our Lady Edith Wolfson Fellowship programme, in partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC), has the aim of attracting and developing outstanding young clinicians in MND research in order to create future scientific leaders in this field.

Central to the MND Association’s research strategy is the need to develop opportunities for the scientific training of young clinicians, to strengthen the links between the laboratory and the clinic.

The MRC/MND Association Lady Edith Wolfson Fellowships aim to support clinicians wishing to pursue research into the pathogenesis and treatment of motor neurone disease. Awards under this scheme are available at three levels:

Clinical Research Training Fellowships
The next deadline date is for 2021 round two: 7 April 2021
The deadline date for 2021 round three is 2 September 2021
The first date in 2022 is not yet specified on the UKRI/MRC website.

Clinician Scientist Fellowships
The next deadline date is for 2021 round two: 7 April 2021
The deadline date for 2021 round three is 2 September 2021
The first date in 2022 is not yet specified on the UKRI/MRC website.

Senior Clinical Fellowships
There is usually only one annual round for this scheme.
The next deadline 21 April 2021

Please check all deadlines on the MRC's website. The application systems are usually open about two months before the deadline.

How to apply

Full guidance on the application process, which uses the online Je-S system, is available through the MRC website.

For more information please see the MRC website. If you wish to discuss your proposed research area in advance of submission, please contact Dr Brian Dickie, our Director of Research Development.

Since 2015 the MND Association has awarded non-clinical fellowships to nurture the best post-doctoral researchers and develop the MND research leaders of the future.

The fellowships will be awarded at two levels, depending on the experience of the applicant: Junior Non-Clinical fellowships or Senior Non-Clinical fellowships.

Deadline

The 2020 round is now closed. We hope to accept further applications in 2021, see planned deadlines below.

Please read our Guidelines, Terms and Conditions and our Guide to Completing the Online Summary Application Form. It is also recommended that you read the MND Association Research Strategy and Research Governance Overview.

Duration

Grants will be offered for up to three or four years duration.

• Junior Non-Clinical – awards will be offered for 2 – 3 years
• Senior Non-Clinical – awards will be offered for 3 – 4 years

Eligibility

Fellowship awards may only be held at an institute in the UK and Ireland. At the time of application the prospective fellow may be based elsewhere

• Junior Non-Clinical – applicants must have 2 – 6 years post-doctoral experience at the time of commencement of the award. Exceptional final year PhD students may apply but should consult the Association prior to submitting a summary application.
• Senior Non-Clinical – applicants must have 4 – 10 years post-doctoral experience at the time of commencement of the award.

Assessment and Budget

Please see our guidelines for more information on assessment criteria and budget information.

The MND Association has a longstanding record in commissioning and funding healthcare research. Our goal is that healthcare research we fund will lead to better symptom management and quality of life for people with MND, their families and carers and help strengthen the case for public funding of high-quality MND care.

One current priority is the creation of a population-based MND register to obtain better information on the demographics and natural history of MND, and help to assess the impact of co-ordinated care provision through our Care Centre network.

We also have an established record of supporting studies in collaboration with other agencies, such as Marie Curie and NIHR to fund research into improved care for those living with MND. We will be keen to discuss opportunities for jointly funded initiatives. 

Enquiries about Healthcare research can be directed to the Research Grants Team at research.grants@mndassociation.org.

Read about our Terms and Conditions for our ongoing Healthcare grants and our Healthcare Research Governance Overview.