The Migraine Trust

Registered charity 1081300 · since 2000migrainetrust.org·United Kingdom·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£18,000
Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025
From filed accounts
A small fraction of the prior year (£136k in year to 31 December 2024).
£18,000
Typical grant (median)
1 published grants

Key takeaways

  • The Migraine Trust's grants are for migraine research, research grants and Research Fellowships, and for PhD Studentships and Fellowships, so a group whose work is not about migraine research is unlikely to fit.
  • Its annual giving is £18,000, which makes it a small funder, so a modest request is more realistic than a large one, and no grant range is stated.
  • The Trust has no publicly published application process, so check its website for how to apply before writing anything, and expect funded research to go through expert peer review and a decision by its Research Committee and Board.
  • Nothing published says how competitive it is or whether existing relationships matter, so make no assumptions on those points.
  • A charity whose work is mainly service delivery or general health should weigh whether its work matches the research focus before applying.

Overview

The Migraine Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1081300).

The Migraine Trust's vision is to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by migraine. It aims to support and empower people affected by migraine and to ensure access to high-quality health care. For almost 60 years it has invested in research through research grants and Research Fellowships, and it also supports the next generation of experts through PhD Studentships and Fellowships. It has funded over 140 research projects, and its annual giving is £18,000.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Migraine Trust funds migraine research through research grants and Research Fellowships, and supports the next generation of experts through PhD Studentships and Fellowships. Its funded work spans projects addressing themes and ideas in migraine understanding and treatment, including basic and clinical science and research into migraine mechanisms and potential treatments. Its research programme is overseen by the Scientific Research Committee, and supported projects undergo expert peer review. The Trust’s wider charitable work supports and empowers people affected by migraine and aims to ensure access to high-quality health care.

Themes

  • Migraine research

Geographic Focus

United Kingdom.

How to apply

Applications for grants, including research, are received; the Research Committee and Board formally award them.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

  • Supported research projects undergo rigorous peer review by a group of experts.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

  • United Kingdom

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Migraine Trust.

Grants

1 published grants analysed · median £18,000

The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:

  • iCase Research
    £18,000year to 31 December 2025

Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts.

Five years of accounts

Financial yearIncomeExpenditureGrants paidAccounts document
year to 31 January 2022£677,792£846,870£66,431Accounts for year to 31 January 2022
year to 31 January 2023£1,981,000£1,756,000£24,000Accounts for year to 31 January 2023
year to 31 January 2024£615,000£1,106,000£38,000Accounts for year to 31 January 2024
year to 31 December 2024£2,203,715£2,043,634£135,985Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025£1,008,000£1,124,000£18,000Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2022
£66,431 grants
YE 2023
£24,000 grants
YE Jan 2024
£38,000 grants
YE Dec 2024
£136k grants
YE 2025
£18,000 grants

Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.

  • Grants paid, year to 31 January 2022; year to 31 January 2023; year to 31 January 2024; year to 31 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
  • Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.

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

  • Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)

This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.

Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.

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