Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will prioritise funding for research on the impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis on women.

UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6 million in this area since 2012.

This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CFS study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHIR), which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways. Initial results of the DecodeME study, posted on NIHR Open Research, include consideration of the impact of ME/CFS on women.

UKRI continue to encourage high-quality proposals across their funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.