Why is research needed?

The science behind human milk is truly astounding. We believe that by helping this knowledge to develop and reach beyond the laboratory, parents can make more informed choices about how they feed their baby, and we can work towards improving the health of mothers everywhere.

We are delighted to present the Human Milk Foundation’s first research strategy, which has been developed by the HMF Trustees with contributions from the wider scientific community. This strategy aims to address gaps in the published evidence that need to be filled to support the development of services that can help more families feed their babies with human milk.

How will we do this? We aim to bring together milk donors, patients, mothers and families and our supporters with researchers and healthcare professionals to deliver world-class research. Our Research Committee, who will be responsible for choosing the most impactful projects, will be announced shortly.

As the charity grows, so too will our ambition for funding research with a wider remit and with a wider range of funding opportunities. We will fund the consumables to conduct research with pilot studies and larger project studies, and we aim to train the next generation of researchers by funding PhD studentships.

NEW: As our first research call is announced on the 7th October 2020, within 3 years of the launch of the HMF, we invite you to apply for funding towards our core research objectives. Please spread the word!