Published: 23 June 2020

This infographic outlines key facts and figures about our members and the research they fund to highlight the innovative work of medical research charities.

You can find an in-depth discussion of their research expenditure in this briefing.

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

Data sources:

Our sector’s footprint in 2019

1. 151: number of current AMRC member charities as of June 2020
2. 83%: percentage of AMRC members who indicated in our annual member survey that they’re using patient voice in their research, strategy or influencing work. Specific examples include to develop strategy, on research advisory committees, in influencing work, to define needs, in peer review, in dissemination of research findings, to define research questions, and in research evaluation and impact work.
3. £1.9bn: Collective research spend in the UK for 2018/19 financial year by 149 AMRC members; £1.1bn: £1,062.4m, page 50 of NIHR annual report 2018/19; £0.8bn: £753m, p.19 on the UKRI annual report.
   An accompanying briefing on charity investment can be found here.
4. £14bn: Total research spend in the UK from 2010 to 2019 by AMRC members
5. Every £1: Total estimated return from public and charitable investment in medical research, every year, forever. See Medical Research: What it's worth? report for full explanation of calculation and all assumptions and caveats.

  

1. 94%: The percent of AMRC member grants active in 2019 in the UK that took place in universities or hospitals, including NHS-affiliated institutions. Percentage for universities and hospitals (including NHS-affiliated institutions) are shown separately as well.
2. 17,000: Total number of researchers whose salaries/studentships were paid for by AMRC charities in 2019. Number is an estimate based on grants data returned by AMRC members and personal communication with members. Number of PhD students (1,750) was calculated as the number of Postgraduate Studentship grants active in 2019.
3. 1 in 8: Proportion of AMRC grants active in 2019 that were reported to be co-funded with other organisation(s). Unknowns are excluded. Co-funding organisations were categorised by type and the top 5 most common types are displayed with the relative percentage of co-funded awards. Public bodies include UKRI, NIHR and other UK and non-UK governmental and public bodies. Private sector includes private companies and industry. Organisation types with lower percentages that are not shown include universities, NHS/hospitals, networks, institutes, societies, and other. Some grants were co-funded with organisations in multiple sectors, which were grouped together into one ‘multiple’ category. These are not included in the percentages shown.
4. Map: apportioned value of awards active in 2019 by UK region. 1.9% were unknown.

Funding across health areas and research stages

1. Data from 91 AMRC members was coded with HRCS categories and included in the UK Health Research Analysis 2018 for UK grants active in 2018. Breakdown of health categories included in ‘Other’: Metabolic & endocrine (1.9%); Musculoskeletal (1.9%); Eye (1.0%); Respiratory (0.9%); Oral and gastrointestinal (0.8%); Reproductive health and childbirth (0.8%); Renal and urogenital (0.7%); Stroke (0.7%); Congenital disorders (0.4%); Skin (0.3%); Ear (0.2%); Blood (0.2%); Injuries and accidents (0.1%); Disputed Aetiology and other (0.1%).

2. Data from 91 AMRC members was coded with HRCS categories and included in the UK Health Research Analysis 2018 for UK grants active in 2018. Total investment amounts to £1bn.

Making a difference for patients

1. 213,000: Number of participants in the UK recruited into clinical research studies or trials funded by AMRC member charities between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020. Data provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Open Data Platform. Annual data cut 05 June 2020.
2. 32%: Percentage of non-commercial research studies supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Network that were funded by AMRC member charities between April 2019 and March 2020. Data provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Open Data Platform. Annual data cut 05 June 2020.
3. 47%: Percentage of AMRC members who indicated in our annual member survey that they fund research posts in the NHS in 2019, including clinicians, nurses, clinical trials support staff, pharmacists and others.
4. Top specialties: Breakdown of total number of participants in UK recruited into AMRC member funded studies by specialty (figures rounded down to nearest 100). Data provided by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Open Data Platform. Annual data cut 05 June 2020.