Our impact

We believe it essential that charities are accountable for their actions and especially their funding. Our Impact Reports demonstrate how we make a difference to the work of MSK clinicians and ultimately the lives of people suffering from poor MSK health by focusing our investments, partnering with others and supporting the wider MSK research ecosystem through training, events and networking.

We are one of the most important funders of MSK research in the UK and the only charity to cover all MSK conditions.

We are also one of the leading providers of continuous learning in MSK education in the UK. We fund education for healthcare professionals primarily through workshops, training courses, lectures, virtual conferences and webinars, that will improve knowledge of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and the management of MSK conditions.

To accelerate translation of research ideas into new products or services, we work with partners to provide Early Career Researchers (ECRs), who have successfully completed their research PhD projects, with funding, education, mentoring and networking support. We are also the first MSK charity to actively support start-ups and entrepreneurs. 

The results of our funded research are generally readily available in the public domain through the publication of results in the media and the public presentation of research projects.  These presentations and publications are always peer-reviewed to ensure a consistently high quality of research.

We apply a rigorous evaluation process for all our investment decisions that involves our trustees, co-optees, members of our Scientific Advisory Committee and external experts in accordance with the Association of Medical Research Charities principles. All our committees comprise eminent figures in their respective fields of expertise. We also expect all recipients of funding to provide regular reports on the results achieved and the impact that it will have on the lives of people. We use Researchfish to capture the outputs and impacts of the research we fund.

Details of our peer review process and policies on animal testing, sustainability and intellectual property  can be found here.