Medical research charities may have lost out on thousands of pounds worth of National Lottery funding because of a misconception that the Charities Board is not interested in funding their research, it has been revealed.

This week the National Lottery Charities Board announced awards of Pounds 8.6 million to medical and social research charities in its current round of grants for projects in the health, disability and care fields.

The grants are the first made by the Lottery to fund charities of this type.

Medical research won 43 grants totalling Pounds 6.7 million, while Pounds 1.9 million in 13 grants went to social research. Much of this will take place in universities and teaching hospitals.

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David Sieff, chairman of the Charities Board, said 22 per cent of the 243 research applications had been successful.

He added: "One of the misconceptions that has got around is that medical research charities cannot bid. A very important message to get across is that anyone can apply."

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Among groups to benefit is King's Medical Research Trust which wins Pounds 263,594.

This week's grants follow concern among medical charities, particularly smaller organisations, that the National Lottery was strangling donations to medical research.