Stroke research in the UK continues to make impressive progress, even as investment and capacity fall short of what the field needs.

Our new strategy responds with a stronger role for the Stroke Association as a system leader. We will continue to fund talented people and high-quality projects, but more actively champion stroke as a national research priority and help evidence reach real-world care more quickly.

Shaped by stroke survivors, healthcare professionals and the research community, this strategy sets out how coordinated action can deliver meaningful change for people affected by stroke.

Watch our Research Strategy webinar below:

Our research strategy objectives

There are four objectives at the heart of our research strategy. These objectives lay the foundations for a new era in stroke research, one capable of delivering lasting change for people affected by stroke. They also mark an evolution in our role – from being primarily a funder to being a system leader that shapes the national stroke research landscape.

1. Unlock greater investment and capacity in stroke research

We’ll establish a Stroke Research Academy – the first of its kind in the UK – to attract, train, and retain the next generation of stroke researchers. We’ll also expand collaborations, co-funding partnerships and tell powerful research stories to inspire new donors and partners.

2. Ensure stroke research is informed by those it serves

We’ll strive to make sure people with lived experience are at the heart of all stroke research across the UK, and remove barriers so research is more inclusive and truly represents everyone affected by stroke.

3. Close the gap between discovery and delivery for improved outcomes

We’ll help shorten the time it takes for new research discoveries to translate into real world impact.

4. Position stroke research as a national health research priority

We’ll campaign relentlessly to ensure stroke research is recognised and funded in line with its impact, and strengthen global collaborations, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of stroke research innovation.

Research is a fundamental part of what the Stroke Association needs to be doing. It's vital. It's an incredibly important part of what survivors can give back.

Lee, Stroke Voices in Research member

Our research schemes: supporting people, projects and progress

Working with the James Lind Alliance, we fund research that tackles the priorities identified by people affected by stroke across prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. These priorities, including those relating to childhood stroke, guide all our funding decisions.
Over the lifetime of this strategy, we will invest in research that prevents stroke, improves treatment and speeds up recovery. Our aim is to support excellent people and projects while strengthening the wider research environment. In the months and years ahead, we’ll refine and improve our funding schemes, introduce new ways to drive excellence and sustainability, and strengthen how we deliver and evaluate our research activity.

Find out more about our existing schemes or talk to us about any aspect of the strategy.