An AMRC member charity: What does it mean?

In 2018, we announced our awarded membership to the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), but what does this actually mean for our research? 

The AMRC is a membership organisation that supports medical research charities in saving and improving lives through innovative, patient-centric research. Their mission is to help charities fund research at the highest quality, through both guidance and training, and an audit of charity funding processes. 

To obtain and keep our membership to the AMRC, there are criteria we which we must meet regarding our research work. This includes maintaining a robust peer review process when it comes to funding research, which holds up to their five standards of good practice. 

• Accountability 
• Balance 
• Independence 
• Rotation 
• Impartiality 

Peer review is one of the best ways to ensure we fund the best possible research of the highest standard, and in the fairest way. Our review process involves examination and advice by non-conflicted scientific experts in the field, representatives from the neuroblastoma community, and our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board. This helps to ensure that the money so kindly donated to our charity is put to the best possible use, and that the projects we support can have the biggest impact for children with neuroblastoma, now and in the future. 

How our process works 

This process is reviewed every 5 years by the AMRC, and we are delighted to have passed the 2020 audit, with great comments on how our research work is done. Integrity and fairness are at the heart of our award process, as only with this in mind can we be sure that we are doing the very best that we can for children with neuroblastoma.

As well as upholding its members to a high standard of practise, the AMRC also provides guidance to charities and the people within them in the areas of research management, funding partnerships, research impact and future trends in medical research. They also serve as advocates for medical research charities in the UK, both by highlighting the important work that we do, as well as challenging the policies on research funding by governing bodies. Working in this way not only helps individual charities to fulfil their potential, but also creates a strong community of people from various organisations all fighting for the same thing- to improve and save lives through medical research. 

You can learn more about the AMRC and their work here.

Solving Kids’ Cancer UK thanks the team at the AMRC for their support and guidance, helping us to do the most that we can for children with neuroblastoma.