Published: 11 June 2020

This infographic outlines key facts and figures about the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical research charities and the people they serve.

To facilitate the sharing of these stats, you can view and download the individual graphics.

Data sources:

AMRC charities play a vital and unique role in the UK’s research sector:

• Invested £1.9 billion in medical research in the UK in 2019: Collective research spend in the UK for 2018/19 financial year by 149 AMRC members
• Fund half of publicly funded medical research nationally: £1.9bn accounts for 51% of all public spend on medical research. Other half of pie chart includes £1,062.4m from NIHR (page 50 of NIHR annual report 2018/19) and £753m from MRC (p.19 on the UKRI annual report)

Immediate impact of COVID-19 on AMRC charities:

• 38% loss in fundraising income: survey responses as of 29 May, fundraising income during the period of March-May 2020 compared to the same period last year, average from 52 charities weighted by UK research spend
• 34% of staff furloughed: survey responses as of 22 April, average from 32 charities
• 18% of spend on research in universities cut or cancelled: survey responses as of 29 May, percent already cut or cancelled as a result of the initial lockdown period March-May 2020, average from 48 charities weighted by UK research spend
• 70% of clinical trials and studies paused (in April): data provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Open Data Platform on 28 April
• 54% of clinical trials and studies paused (in June): data provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Open Data Platform on 19 June

Long-term impact of COVID-19 on AMRC charities:

• 40% decrease in medical research spend over the next year: survey responses as of 22 April, average from 53 charities
• £310 million shortfall in UK medical research spend: midpoint of £252m - £368m range estimated based on survey responses described above applied to UK research spend in 2019 (Wellcome Trust spend excluded). The average percent decrease per charity size category were applied for charities who did not complete the survey
• 4.5 years for medical research spend to recover to normal levels: survey responses as of 29 May from 47 charities, average responses weighted by UK research spend