How the Lung Research Grand Challenges were developed

The Lung Research Grand Challenges are an ambitious, disease agnostic, set of priorities with the potential to deliver transformational change to lung research. They were developed by the Lung Research and Innovation Group (LRIG) with funding from Asthma + Lung UK, and with social research partners Hopkins Van Mil. 
 

Process

The Lung Research Grand Challenges were developed through cross-sector consultation. Stakeholders from across respiratory research disciplines, as well as people living with lung conditions, were consulted through an iterative process with four distinct phases; defining the priority areas for research investment, evaluation the 'grand challenge' framework as a potential solution, deliberative consultation on the content of the challenges, and finalisation of the challenges and their underlying goals. 

Phase 1 - defining priority areas for research investment 

In early 2022, following a roundtable with respiratory academics and with input from people with lived experience, the Investing in lung research – making the UK a research superpower report in 2023 was published - a visionary blueprint for structural reform that positioned respiratory as central to the UK’s science superpower agenda. 

In 2024, to help actualise this vision, LRIG proposed an action plan of 10 detailed priorities for addressing the vast unmet need for respiratory research and innovation. These were published in the report Fixing lung health in the UK - 10 priorities to accelerate respiratory research and innovation. 

One of these priorities was to 'Identify and communicate top-level research goals'. 

Phase 2 - Understanding how 'grand challenges' attract cross-sector investment 

LRIG systematically reviewed ambitious research frameworks that have stimulated coordinated action from academics, funders, and policy-makers and successfully transformed their research funding environments in other fields. 

Evidence from the fields of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health revealed a ‘grand challenges’ model could be successful for transforming bold, actionable goals into coordinated research action, the de-risking of multi-sector investment, and engagement of the patient population. 

Phase 3 - Deliberative stakeholder review 

To maximise impact and longevity, a draft set of ‘healthy lung grand challenges’ were put through a process of deliberative stakeholder review and revision, consulting with lived experience, scientific and clinical representatives. The primary aims of this phase of review were to:

• To understand how the draft challenges resonate with people with lived experience and reflect their needs and priorities.
• Learn from lung researchers in academia and industry how key scientific gaps and high-impact opportunities for people with lung conditions are reflected in these challenges.

Workshops were the primary method of engagement in order to capture a broader diversity of perspectives and to facilitate the co-construction of a more comprehensive understanding of the potential and significance of the challenges through real-time collective discussion. These workshops were facilitated by Hopkins Van Mil. 

Phase 4 - Finalising the Lung Research Grand Challenges 

This iterative process concluded with the revision of the ‘healthy lung grand challenges’ into the Lung Research Grand Challenges, which were finalised and ratified by LRIG during its October 2024 session.  

The Lung Research Grand Challenges were published in Throax in Autumn 2025 - Lung Research Grand Challenges: transforming respiratory research. 

Acknowledgments

Asthma + Lung UK, the Lung Research and Innovation Group, and Hopkins Van Mil are immensely grateful to all those with lived experience of lung conditions and the researchers who took part in the workshops, and those who supported us to reach out to them.