As of 2009 the research we support  focuses on child health to include problems affecting pregnancy, childbirth, babies, children and young people.There are ongoing projects described on our website from our previous wider remit that have several years to run but all new applications must focus on child health.

Within child health, we support a broad spectrum of research with the objective of:

• preventing disease and disability and
• alleviating physical disability

Please note that our emphasis is on clinical research or research at the interface between clinical and basic science.  We pride ourselves that our research is both innovative and of a high standard as judged by rigorous peer review.  

Within the above criteria, we also support research and development of equipment and techniques to improve diagnosis, therapy and assistive technology (including orthoses, prostheses and aids to daily living) and we encourage applications in the field of medical engineering.

Exclusions

Please note that we do not provide:

• grants towards service provision or audit studies
• grants purely for higher education, e.g. BSc/MSc course fees and subsistence costs
• grants for medical or dental electives
• grants specifically for studentships (although researchers are encouraged to  independently register for a higher degree such as a PhD)
• grants for work undertaken outside the UK
• any indirect costs such as administrative or other overheads imposed by the University or other Institution
• costs associated with advertising and recruitment
• ‘top up’ funding for work supported by other funding bodies
• costs to attend conferences (current Action Medical Research grantholders may apply separately)
• grants to MRC Units, other than RTF awards where the training/facilities cannot be offered elsewhere
• grants to other charities
• grants for research into complementary / alternative medicine