Research investment strategy and governance

How we decide what to fund

Our vision is a world free from meningitis. We aim to bring this vision closer through funding world class research.

Research Investment Strategy

The below text and priority topics relate to our previous research strategy. We are currently in the process of publishing a new research strategy in alignment with the Meningitis Research Foundation organisational strategy for 2025 - 2030. 

Our approach to funding research is to highlight priority topics for each grant round. In setting priority topics, our aim is to elicit strong, well-constructed research proposals on subjects we believe will have the most impact in terms of clinical/public health benefit or unlocking key research questions that will enable further translational research. We will consider funding basic science, but this must increase understanding of the disease area and have a clearly defined potential for early translation into alleviation of the diseases. Research funded must be of the highest scientific merit, in terms of the importance of the investigation, excellence of the study, ability of the research team, and probability of success.

In our previous grant round we invited proposals dealing with all forms of meningitis and associated infections, improving prevention, treatment and outlook for patients, and improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.

Priority topics included:

• Research pertinent to prevention of bacterial meningitis and to maximising vaccine impact, including studies to:
  • evaluate vaccines or enable their evaluation
  • understand their mode of action
• Research leading to prevention of neonatal meningitis and sepsis, including research which facilitates GBS vaccine development and implementation
• Research in Africa that seeks to improve outcomes from meningitis by:
  • overcoming barriers to health seeking behaviour
  • improving prevention, treatment or health systems
  • improving recognition and accelerating the development and evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for meningitis

We are particularly interested in projects that lead to practical interventions and partnerships in Africa.

Research governance and policies

Scientific Advisory Panel

Our Scientific Advisory Panel ensures independent and rigorous review of proposals for research funding and makes recommendations to the Trustees who make final decisions on funding recommended proposals. All Panel members adhere to our Code of conduct and conflicts of interest policy to ensure impartial assessment of any research applications from members of the Panel, or from researchers based in a Panel member’s academic department.
 

Research Integrity

We are a supporter of the Universities UK’s Concordat to Support Research Integrity, a cross disciplinary national framework for good research conduct and its governance.

As a supporter of the concordat, we are committed to:

• Upholding the highest standards of rigour and integrity in all aspects of research
• Ensuring that research is conducted according to appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards
• Supporting a research environment that is underpinned by a culture of integrity  and based on good governance, best practice and support for the development of researchers
• Using transparent, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of research misconduct should they arise
• Working together to strengthen the integrity of research and to reviewing progress regularly and openly

Read more about our research integrity policy and our code of conduct.

Public Involvement in Research
 
Our role in defeating meningitis is to support both people and research, connecting the two to drive action and save lives. As such, it is of vital importance that people and communities are involved in our work – including the research we do and fund. Listening to the priorities of people with lived experience helps to drive and shape our research priorities and focus, directing funding in ways that will make the biggest difference to people around the world.
 
As such, we endeavour to continuously involve the public and our members in our research programme. Examples of this include:

• Starting our research-medical events with a patient speaker to emphasise the importance and impact of research on people with personal experience,
• Organising research discovery days,
• Inviting people with personal experience to input into research through Patient and Public Involvement Panels,
• Consulting our members as we develop MRF’s organisational strategies.

 
Recently, this has included developing the scope of our latest research round in collaboration with a family and their goals for defeating MenB after the tragic loss of their daughter.