We are very careful about how we spend the money that you contribute and our Research strategy is based on strictly enforced principles:

• We put our effort where it will do the most good – we put most emphasis on types of arthritis that have the greatest impact on individuals and society both in terms of the number of sufferers and the severity of the condition
• We put our funding where it will give the widest possible advantage – we fund programmes that are likely to have the greatest impact on arthritis and its treatment both in the short and longer term
• We direct our arthritis research toward providing solutions to the practical questions we have about the condition – we try not to waste time and resources on theoretical problems without evidence that the knowledge obtained would be useful to people with arthritis
• We also support novel areas and take the long term view where appropriate
• We involve people with arthritis and those that look after them in helping us decide what research we fund
• We work in partnership with many other medical research bodies and the NHS to use what we know (and what they know) to help as many people as possible sharing ideas and converting our research into action

You can also learn about our overall research strategy (the things that we are interested in funding), how to apply for a research grant and how our grants are awarded and managed.