Muscular Dystrophy UK
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Muscular Dystrophy UK funds research into muscle wasting and quality of life, Changing Places toilets, and equipment for individual beneficiaries, so check that your work falls within one of these themes before applying.
- Its stated maximum for each programme ranges from up to £1,000 for specialist workshop grants to up to £300,000 for Research Training Fellowships, so size your request to the programme it fits; no typical grant size is given.
- Application windows differ: Research Training Fellowships open on 14 April with outline applications closing on 7 July, while MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowships rounds close in January, April and September.
- Research applications are considered in line with the charity's research strategy and must meet a minimum quality threshold, so align any proposal with that strategy.
- Do not apply for research outside the UK except in exceptional circumstances, for conference personal costs, or for paediatric research under one fellowship round, and do not apply for conference support unless you are a conference organiser who is part of a formally constituted group or society or an employee of a research institution.
Overview
Muscular Dystrophy UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 205395).
Muscular Dystrophy UK exists to fund groundbreaking research to understand muscle wasting and weakening conditions better, and to share expert advice and support people to live well now. It connects a community of more than 110,000 people living with one of over 60 such conditions, and all the people around them. It awards three types of grant: grants to fund medical research, grants for installing Changing Places toilets, and grants for equipment and other small welfare grants to individual beneficiaries. Its annual giving was £1,708,000 according to its annual report.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Muscular Dystrophy UK welcomes applications from laboratory-based and clinical researchers, as well as large strategic investors, to support research in its remit. It welcomes research that improves quality of life for people with neuromuscular conditions and establishes best practice in symptom management. Conference support is available for organisers who are part of formally constituted groups or societies, or employees of research institutions, and is intended to facilitate communication and collaboration. The charity also awards grants for installing Changing Places toilets, equipment purchases by specific beneficiaries, and other small welfare grants for individual beneficiaries affected by muscle-wasting conditions.
Themes
- Muscle wasting research
- Quality of life research
- Changing Places toilets
- Equipment grants
Geographic Focus
The UK.
What they don't fund
- Research outside the UK, except in exceptional circumstances
- Grant round 2027 only: Principal applicants who are not based in the UK
- Conference Support Grants only:
- Personal costs for conference attendance
- Applicants who are not one of the conference organisers and are not part of a formally constituted group or society or an employee of a research institution
- Overseas events that are not international in nature
- Overseas events that do not include collaborators from within the UK, unless requesting costs for speakers only, in which case only the speakers must be UK-based
- Events that are not open to all researchers, clinicians and/or allied healthcare professionals, except closed meetings organised by invitation only may be funded in exceptional cases
- Specialist workshop grants only: Single institution events
- Research Training Fellowships 2027 only: Research that does not focus on paediatric muscle wasting conditions within our remit
How to apply
Research applicants submit the correct online application form through the secure login system.
Application windows:
- Research Training Fellowships: Applications open on 14 April; outline applications close on 7 July.
- MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowships
- Application rounds close every January, April and September.
- Opens on 22 October and closes on 14 January.
- Opens on 15 January and closes on 8 April.
Who can apply:
- Conference Support Grants: The applicant must be one of the conference organisers and must be part of a formally constituted group or society or an employee of a research institution.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Applications for research funding are considered in line with the charity’s research strategy.
- Only applications meeting the minimum quality threshold are considered for funding.
- Conference events should be open to all researchers, clinicians and/or allied healthcare professionals.
- Conference planning must take the patient voice into consideration and, where appropriate, involve people affected by the condition, MDUK staff or healthcare practitioners.
- Early career researchers should be prominently represented and, wherever possible, have an active role in the event.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £5,544,000 | £3,574,000 | £192,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £6,669,000 | £5,609,000 | £1,236,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £8,221,000 | £6,856,000 | £1,924,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £9,508,000 | £8,042,000 | £2,498,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £7,912,000 | £10,091,000 | £1,708,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2023; year to 31 March 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- musculardystrophyuk.org
- musculardystrophyuk.org/research/for-researchers · read on 31 October 2026
- musculardystrophyuk.org/research/for-researchers/open-grant-calls · read on 31 October 2026
- musculardystrophyuk.org/research/for-researchers/our-funding-opportunities · read on 31 October 2026
- musculardystrophyuk.org/about-us · read on 31 October 2026
- musculardystrophyuk.org/about-us/contact-us · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 March 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Muscular Dystrophy UK?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 0800 652 6352source
- 0300 012 0172source
- info@musculardystrophyuk.orgsource
- research@musculardystrophyuk.orgsource
- researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.orgsource
- Muscular Dystrophy UK 32 Ufford Street London SE1 8QDsource
- musculardystrophyuk.org
- Apply online
Applying to Muscular Dystrophy UK?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 0800 652 6352source
- 0300 012 0172source
- info@musculardystrophyuk.orgsource
- research@musculardystrophyuk.orgsource
- researchgrants@musculardystrophyuk.orgsource
- Muscular Dystrophy UK 32 Ufford Street London SE1 8QDsource
- musculardystrophyuk.org
- Apply online