Published: 14 July 2026

By Simon Denegri, Chair of the Expert Review Committee and Chair of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Clinical Trials Unit Network Executive Group

Few issues matter more to the scientific community today than public trust. At a time when confidence in many institutions is declining, maintaining trust in the way research is funded has never been more important.

For medical research charities, trust is not an abstract concept but a daily reality. Every donation represents more than financial support; it reflects a donor's confidence that a charity will invest those funds wisely, support the highest-quality research and improve lives.

The millions of people who donate to AMRC members each year demonstrate that confidence. They trust charities to make funding decisions fairly, transparently and in the public interest. Expert review is one of the defining strengths of the UK's medical research charity sector. It provides the framework through which charities make robust, independent and evidence-based funding decisions. Since its foundation in the late 1980s, AMRC has championed that framework, establishing common principles and independently auditing members against them every five years.

I had the privilege of chairing the Expert Review Committee that oversaw AMRC's latest audit. Over the past 12 months, the Committee reviewed members' funding processes against AMRC's refreshed Principles of Expert Review. These updated principles build on the learning from the 2020 audit while reflecting the continuing evolution of research funding practice. The audit therefore provides more than assurance about current performance; it demonstrates how expert review continues to evolve to meet new challenges and maintain public confidence.

From peer review to expert review

Perhaps the most significant development has been the journey from traditional peer review towards a broader model of expert review set out in AMRC’s Principles of Expert Review which built on the findings of AMRC’s 2020 audit. Collectively, AMRC members have embraced the organisation's Diversity Principles and now increasingly draw on a wider range of expertise when making funding decisions.

Alongside scientific experts and health professionals, many charities now involve people with lived experience, patients, carers and members of the public. Their perspectives help ensure that research addresses the questions and outcomes that matter most to those living with disease.

What struck me throughout the audit was how thoughtfully members had embraced this approach. Their contribution strengthens existing research programmes, encourages charities to explore new avenues that address unmet need and enriches the quality of funding decisions themselves.

A rigorous and consistent process

AMRC's latest audit represented a significant collective effort. The Committee reviewed 144 submissions from member charities. Eighteen senior research leaders from across the membership served on the Expert Review Audit Committee, bringing experience from organisations of different sizes and areas of research. Two external members from NIHR and the Medical Research Council added further independence alongside my role as independent Chair.

The Committee assigned two independent reviewers to every submission before considering it in full. Over several months, members carefully moderated their assessments to ensure a fair and consistent approach across all organisations while giving charities the opportunity to provide additional evidence where appropriate.

This level of scrutiny is demanding, but it underpins confidence in the findings. The audit was never intended to become a simple compliance exercise. Instead, it relied on thoughtful discussion, careful judgement and a shared commitment to reaching fair, consistent decisions across a diverse membership.

One of the strengths of AMRC's approach is that it uses audit not simply to assess performance but to support improvement. Every charity received detailed feedback that brought together reviewer comments and committee discussions. Where the Committee identified opportunities to strengthen practice, charities developed action plans with continued support from AMRC as they implemented them.

I remember the value of this approach from my own time as Chief Executive of AMRC. A rigorous audit should not simply judge current practice; it should help strengthen research funding practice across the sector.

Sharing learning across the membership

One of the greatest benefits of such a comprehensive process is the insight it provides into how AMRC members are responding to today's challenges while preparing for tomorrow's.

The Committee encountered many examples of innovation and, more broadly, saw members demonstrating a thoughtful approach to expert review and a clear commitment to fairness, transparency and rigour despite the considerable pressures under which charities now operate.

The research funding landscape continues to evolve, and charities must evolve with it. They cannot stand still in the way they assess research proposals or assure the quality of their funding decisions. From ensuring that expert review processes remain proportionate to the decisions they support, to broadening the diversity of perspectives that inform funding decisions, to understanding the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence, charities will need to continue adapting in the years ahead.

This audit confirms that current practice remains robust while identifying opportunities to strengthen it further. AMRC will continue to share good practice across its membership and use the insights from this audit to strengthen its guidance, support members and help ensure that expert review continues to command the confidence of researchers, donors and the public.

Reflections and thanks

I began this blog by talking about public trust because, ultimately, that is what expert review protects.

The partnership between AMRC and its member charities is unique. Few countries can match the combination of public generosity, scientific excellence and patient involvement that characterises the UK's medical research charity sector. Expert review is the thread that binds these together. It provides confidence that funding decisions rest on evidence, expertise and fairness, while ensuring that charities remain accountable to the people whose generosity makes their work possible.

I would like to thank every member charity that took part in this audit. Preparing submissions and engaging in detailed review requires considerable time and commitment, and it reflects the importance members place on funding the highest-quality research.

My sincere thanks also go to the members of the Expert Review Audit Committee for the expertise, diligence and thoughtful judgement they brought to this work, and to the AMRC staff team for their exceptional leadership in coordinating and delivering an audit of this scale and complexity.

This audit demonstrates the commitment that runs across AMRC's membership to fair, transparent and rigorous funding decisions. Ultimately, expert review protects something far more valuable than process. It protects public trust, ensuring that every donation has the greatest possible chance of advancing research and improving lives.