The Royal Free Charity is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC). We support the principle of using animals in research when it is necessary to advance understanding of health and disease and to develop new treatments. This research only takes place where there is no alternative available.
All AMRC member charities support this principle, as outlined in the AMRC position statement, which commits researchers to high standards of animal welfare.
Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in research helps ensure that research is focused on outcomes that are important to people with lived experience. It also makes the research more relevant by helping to identify and prioritise wider research questions that may not have been considered.
To make outcomes as relevant as possible, people with lived experience should be involved from the outset, whether that’s formulating the research questions and priorities or being involved as co-applicants as part of a diverse research team.
The research we fund aims to have a tangible impact not only on the people of north central London who are served by the Royal Free London but also on the wider population. Key to this, is integrating PPIE in our research funding decision making process.
Aligned with our work on PPIE, we endorse the AMRC position statement on the importance of involvement in medical research.