The money comes from membership fees, donations, legacies or external grants we have applied for.

Since 2005 we have committed around £3.5M to research. The frequency of research calls and the amounts available for each one vary depending on donations, receipt of legacies and external grants.

Members of Coeliac UK can opt in to be contacted about research and opportunities to get involved in research will be advertised on our website here: www.coeliac.org.uk/research/our-approach/recruiting-for-research

Members and non members are welcome to apply for research, but projects will have different inclusion and exclusion criteria such as: age, gender, location, length of diagnosis, etc., which may mean that some people are not suitable for particular projects. 

No, participation is always voluntary. After you have received information about a research project you are not obliged to participate and if you do consider becoming involved, you also have the right to change your mind at any time. 

Most of our research is carried out externally however we do run a number of projects ourselves, some with the help of our members and volunteers.

Coeliac UK funded the initial project of Professor Bob Anderson which identified the most important gluten peptides causing problems for people with coeliac disease. This research formed the basis of further research and eventually the development of the NexVax2 vaccine.  

Unfortunately, this work was halted in 2019 as results showed that it did not provide sufficient protection to gluten exposure. Coeliac UK is committed to funding research which provides a greater understanding of the disease process to identify new targets for treatment or a cure. 

Our Fundraising Team will be able to help you with your donation - please phone 01494 796 136 to speak to one of our Team Members or email fundraising@coeliac.org.uk.

Everything we do is to support our Members and in particular the strategic aims of the Charity. The research we carry out ourselves is usually generated to determine a policy position on which we can campaign for improving the lives of people with coeliac disease.

Research proposals are screened by our Policy, Research and Campaigns team for their completeness.

Our Research Awards Panel comprises of experts who make recommendations for funding, either autonomously or based on the feedback of experts external to the panel and the lay Member Review Panel. The selection of proposals for funding by our Research Awards Panel, is based strictly on peer review evaluation of scientific excellence and against the criteria of our Research Strategy.

Research must underpin our top ten research priorities 

Each year Coeliac UK holds a Research Conference for healthcare professionals to provide an update on the latest research and best practice. Previously the conference was held in London but for the last few years the conference has taken place virtually as a series of pre-recorded talks. 

The talks are aimed at employees of the NHS involved in the diagnosis and/or management of patients with coeliac disease and/or gluten related conditions, plus academics, researchers or students who have an interest in coeliac disease, gluten related conditions and/or the gluten free diet. 

Each talk will have a set of CPD questions, which you can complete for a certificate for your records. 

The talks are available online for anyone to watch. Please find past recordings here: www.coeliac.org.uk/research/our-approach/research-conference/   

Please contact our Health Policy Lead, Alice Andrews, at research@coeliac.org.uk