The SMF Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge

The SMF Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a pioneering partnership between the Steve Morgan Foundation (SMF), JDRF and Diabetes UK that will work towards the shared goal of transforming the lives of people with type 1 diabetes and finding a cure for the condition.

The Steve Morgan Foundation’s £50 million pound investment – the largest ever single donation in the UK for diabetes research – will be led from the UK and bring together the world’s preeminent researchers, scientific organisations and diabetes charities to drive innovations and breakthroughs over a five-year period.

Type 1 diabetes is a life-long condition and managing it with insulin is relentless and exhausting. It requires round the clock monitoring of blood glucose levels and injecting or infusing insulin. High or low blood glucose levels – known as hypers and hypos – are near impossible to avoid, and many people with type 1 will go on to develop complications such as kidney disease, eye problems and nerve damage.

The Grand Challenge will invest in research to alleviate the burden of type 1 and find a way to cure the condition for good.

What areas of research will the Grand Challenge focus on?

We’ve consulted with scientific experts and people with diabetes to decide on three key areas which have the most potential to improve the lives of people with type 1 and lead to cures. There will be new types of insulin, creating new beta cells and stopping the immune attack from taking place.