Careful and credible research investment to improve the lives of people affected by MND

MND Scotland’s research funding processes have passed the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) expert review audit, confirming their transparency, fairness and robustness.

At MND Scotland, we know that every donation made to support motor neuron disease (MND) research is made with the trust that it will be used responsibly. Whether a donation is made in memory of a loved one, through fundraising events, or from a monthly donation, it’s important to know that each donation is being used to help fund research that will have a meaningful impact. Alongside our research funding, MND Scotland also provides direct support to those affected by MND in Scotland. But this post will focus solely on our research funding processes.

We are pleased to announce that we have successfully passed the 2025 AMRC Expert Review Audit, recognising the high standard of our funding processes.

What is the AMRC?

MND Scotland is a member of the AMRC, the membership body for leading medical research charities across the UK. Together, its member charities invest hundreds of millions of pounds into research each year, supporting research that drives progress across a wide range of conditions.

Being a member of the AMRC is recognised as a mark of quality. To become and remain a member, charities must show that they fund research using robust, transparent, and independent processes. This helps ensure that research funding decisions are based on scientific excellence and potential impact, rather than personal connections, bias or other influences.

For charities like MND Scotland, AMRC membership reflects our commitment to funding the best possible research to help expand our knowledge of MND and find ways to improve care and treatment.

Why does expert review matter?

Medical research is complex. Deciding on which projects to fund requires careful assessment by people with the right expertise and experience.

As an AMRC member, MND Scotland must follow a set of principles for expert review. These principles are designed to ensure that research funding decisions are fair, evidence-based, and informed by independent experts.

This means that research applications are assessed by specialists with relevant scientific, clinical, and lived-experience expertise. Applications are scrutinised for their scientific quality, feasibility, value for money, and potential to benefit people affected by MND.

These safeguards help make sure that donations are used to fund the projects most likely to advance knowledge, improve care and ultimately bring us closer to effective treatments.

Most importantly, these expert review processes provide reassurance to supporters that research funding is being awarded through a credible and impartial process.

What did the Expert Review Audit involve?

Every five years, AMRC member charities must take part in the Expert Review Audit. The audit examines how charities make research funding decisions and assesses whether their processes meet AMRC membership requirements and its principles of expert review.

As part of the audit, charities were asked to provide information about their research funding processes. These processes were reviewed in detail by the AMRC Expert Review Committee, which includes senior research funding professionals from across the charity and public research funding sectors.

The audit does not focus on the projects a charity funds, but on how funding decisions are made. It evaluates whether processes are robust, transparent, independent and proportionate, and whether they draw on appropriate expertise while managing conflicts of interest effectively.

How MND Scotland makes research funding decisions

At MND Scotland, funding decisions are guided by a rigorous review process designed to fairly identify the most promising opportunities to advance MND research.

Research applications are independently reviewed by both scientific experts and experts by lived experience. These expert reviewers are independent of MND Scotland’s Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), while the lived experience reviewers come from MND community in Scotland. Reviewers consider the scientific quality of the proposal, how viable they think the project is, the expertise of the research team and how meaningful the research is for people affected by MND. Their recommendations are then considered by the MND Scotland SAP, consisting of MND clinicians, researchers, MND Specialist Nurses and people with lived-experience of MND. The SAP will read all applications and reviews before deciding which projects should be funded. This decision is then reviewed and approved by the MND Scotland Board of Trustees. Throughout this process, conflicts of interest are carefully managed. Any individual deemed to have a conflict with an application or applicant is restricted from reading, reviewing, or taking part in decision-making discussions relating to the application, to ensure that decisions are not influenced by personal connections.

The AMRC audit confirmed that MND Scotland’s processes meet the high standards expected of medical research charities in the UK.

What does passing the audit mean?

Passing the AMRC Expert Review Audit means that MND Scotland continues to meet nationally recognised standards for research funding decision-making. It confirms that our processes align with best practice and that we are committed to funding high-quality research through fair, transparent and evidence-based methods.

For our researchers, it provides confidence that funding applications will be assessed rigorously and fairly.

For our supporters, who we couldn’t fund research without, it provides reassurance that their generously donated funds are being invested responsibly.

Passing the AMRC Expert Review Audit is an important recognition of the systems and processes our team work daily to keep in place and up to date, but it is also a reminder of our responsibility to the MND community. We remain committed to ensuring that every donation made to support research is invested carefully, credibly and with the goal of improving the lives of people affected by MND.

You can learn more about the AMRC and benefits for its member charities, such as access to funds from the Medical Research Council/National Institute for Health and Care Research, training for staff, and the chance to share best practice with other member organisations, on their website.