One of our membership criteria is that charities have a research strategy. A good strategy will cover the following points:

• Why the charity funds research
  An outline of the charity’s aims, objectives and priorities in funding research, and how it fits in the wider research landscape.
• What research it will fund
  An outline of the scientific areas the charity intends to support, and why.
• How the charity will fund research
  The types of grants and time scales that the charity supports. Any partnerships the charity has or wishes to develop.
• Who the charity will fund
  What types of people the charity will fund, and the qualifications required by those individuals (eg clinical qualifications, allied health professionals)
• Where the charity will fund research
  Any regional or institutional restrictions.
• When the funding will begin and when then strategy will be reviewed.

We recommend that strategy is available publicly on the charity’s website.