Published: 28 October 2020

This infographic provides an overview of the risk the medical research charity funding crisis poses to researchers.

Data sources:

Charity funding is vital to thousands of researchers' career

• 17,000 researchers' salaries are funded by medical research charities, including 1,750 PhD students: Number is an estimate based on grants data returned by AMRC members and personal communication with members. Number of PhD students (1,750) was calculated as the number of Postgraduate Studentship grants active in 2019.
• 2 in 3 charity-funded early career researchers surveyed rely entirely on charity funding for their salary: survey responses as of 15 October, from 523 researchers funded by 72 charities. 

Cuts to charity funding threaten the future of early career researchers

• 61% of charities have had to cut or cancel support for early career researchers and skilled research roles: survey responses as of 14 October, from 54 AMRC charities. 
• 40% of charity-funded early career researchers are considering leaving medical research: survey responses as of 15 October, from 523 researchers funded by 72 charities. 
• 58% of charity-funded early career researchers have been unable to secure further funding since March: survey responses as of 15 October, from 523 researchers funded by 72 charities. 
• 82% of charity-funded early career researchers feel less secure in their research career than last year: survey responses as of 15 October, from 523 researchers funded by 72 charities.