Two major sponsors throw their weight behind the next ME/CFS research conference | Newcastle, 13-14 October 2015

‘WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE WELLCOME TRUST AND ARTHRITIS RESEARCH UK'

People with M.E. need better treatment and support.

This can only be achieved through increasing the quality of research; by coordinating a stronger collaborative approach to stimulate more research through bringing in expertise from outside the field and supporting early stage career researchers; and by working strategically to increase funding for research. The UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative (CMRC) was set up to achieve these aims.

The CMRC Executive Board is delighted to announce that The Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK have each made a £10,000 contribution to fund the CMRC’s second annual conference and support the ongoing work of the Collaborative. This commitment builds on the support from the Medical Research Council (MRC) which has, over the past two years, provided critical funding to support two conferences and the future work of the CMRC.

The conference takes place Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 October 2015 in Newcastle.

Arthritis Research UK will be co-facilitating a workshop for researchers and Associate Members on fatigue, exploring what we can learn from research in the two illness fields and what further potential there is for collaboration in the future. Places are limited so do book now if you wish to attend.

Alongside this, the Wellcome Trust and National Institute of Health Research will be joining the MRC on the Executive Board as observers. This provides the impetus to commence work on the Grand Challenge programme announced by the CMRC. This will seek to achieve a more co-ordinated and joined up approach working strategically with mainstream funders, charities, researchers and people with CFS/ME to progress the research field.

To kick-start this endeavour, the Collaborative is working with Über Research to gain a detailed overview of research funding into CFS/ME in the UK and globally over the last 10 years. This will, for the first time, provide a detailed picture of what research has, or is, being undertaken, evidence the gaps that exist in specific research areas, and inform what action needs to be taken as part of the Grand Challenge.

In support of improving the quality of applications submitted to mainstream funders, the Board is also launching the provision of peer review for early stage career researchers. This peer review will be undertaken by experienced researchers and scientists such as Prof Hugh Perry.

Prof Stephen Holgate, Chair, CMRC, says:

“This is an incredibly exciting development for the research field in the UK but also more widely. For too long, we have seen considerable gaps in CFS/ME research and there is no question that this ultimately impacts on the quality of care, treatment and support that people with the illness receive. We need to see more researchers coming into the field but we also need to see the quality of research improve and a more proactive collaborative approach to tackling these issues.”

Information about the Collaborative and becoming a member: http://bit.ly/1NmVYMN
Researcher registration for the Conference: www.cmrc2015.eventzilla.net
Associate Member registration to attend the conference on the afternoon of 13 October: www.cmrcprom.eventzilla.net