Giving Compass' Take:

• Research from Wellcome reveals that long-term efforts to fund medical research pay off. In particular, they highlight work they have done on musculoskeletal diseases.

• What issue would you like to make an impact on over the next two decades? What partners do you need to effectively engage with your issue? 

• Learn how to find and fund scientific research. 

Over the past 10 years, Wellcome and other funders have supported a number of 'What’s it worth?' studies to better understand the economic impact of medical research.

This latest study, the third in the series, focuses on musculoskeletal diseases. These conditions, which include inflammatory forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis, back pain and osteoporosis, affect around 10 million people in the UK.

The research team was led by Professor Jonathan Grant from King’s College London and Professor Martin Buxton from Brunel University. They calculated investments into musculoskeletal disease research over several decades, and worked with disease experts to link research findings to changes in clinical practice.

On average it takes 16 years for an initial investment to lead to new NHS therapies for musculoskeletal conditions, showing the importance of long-term support for research.