The University of St Andrews is administering a new funding pool for researchers working on neurodegenerative conditions.
The Scottish Government and the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust are each contributing £75,000 this year to help further strengthen Scotland’s research capacity in the neurodegenerative area, meaning researchers from across Scotland’s Universities will be able to apply for seed-corn grants of up to £15,000 to support clinically relevant research into conditions including Alzheimer’s, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis.
“Research is essential for the development of new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions, which affect the lives of over a million people living in Scotland,” said health secretary Jeane Freeman.
“We launched the consultation for the first Scottish National Action Plan on Neurological Conditions at the end of last year as we work to transform care for people affected by neurological conditions and raise awareness more broadly.
“The plan covers common themes that are important to people living with neurological conditions, ranging from everyday conditions such as migraines to rare and life-limiting illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease and Huntington’s Disease.”
The fund will provide an opportunity for researchers working in different academic centres with the chance to test out ideas that could lead to future funding or development of further collaborative working, and applications will be assessed by an expert panel of clinicians, academic researchers and lay representatives chaired by University of St Andrews Professor Frank Gunn-Moore, who established and initially chaired the Alzheimer’s Research UK network for Scotland.
