Multiple Sclerosis Society UK

Funds research support projects in the United Kingdom through the Multiple Sclerosis Society charity network.

Multiple Sclerosis Society UK (MS Society UK) is a UK foundation and the country's largest charitable funder of MS research. It has invested over GBP 260 million since 1956 and channels roughly GBP 1.75 million a year into research support. Its remit covers MS biology, treatment, symptom relief, care services, and wider research capacity.

The portfolio is built around response-mode grants and fellowships: Project Awards, Catalyst Awards, Data Discovery Awards, PhD Fellowships, Early Career Fellowships, Skills Development Awards, and commissioned calls. Current caps include up to GBP 60,000 for Catalyst Awards, up to GBP 100,000 for Data Discovery Awards, typically GBP 300,000 to 375,000 for Early Career Fellowships, and up to GBP 500,000 for commissioned calls. Eligible applicants are UK university or NHS-based researchers, usually as principal investigators, with co-funded routes available with UKRI, NIHR, the Association of British Neurologists, and the Daphne Jackson Trust.

The society uses peer review by researchers and people living with MS, then passes promising projects to expert panels and trustee approval. Its current strategy prioritises quality of life, stopping disease progression, and prevention, so the strongest proposals are hypothesis-driven, evidence-led, and clearly relevant to people affected by MS. It is an AMRC member and follows that charity peer-review framework.