Trialect

+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Not Verified

Experimental medicine stage one

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Opportunity status:

Open

Funders:

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Funding type:

Grant

Total fund:

£10,000,000

Publication date:

17 April 2025

Opening date:

17 April 2025 9:00am UK time

Closing date:

1 October 2025 4:00pm UK time

Apply for funding to investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease.

Your project must:

focus on a mechanistic hypothesis
include an experimental intervention or challenge in humans

You must be a researcher based at a research organisation eligible to apply for MRC funding. If you are taking the next step towards becoming an independent researcher, you may be eligible to apply as a ‘new investigator’.

There is no limit to the amount of funding you can apply for or the length of your project. We will fund 80% of your project’s full economic cost.

This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every April and October.

Specialties

General Medicine

Public Health

Eligibility Requirements

To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible.

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must:

show that you will direct the project and be actively engaged in the work
be looking to investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease

For applicants who do not have a contract of employment for the duration of the proposed project, by submitting an application the research organisation is confirming that, if it is successful:

contracts will be extended beyond the end date of the project
all necessary support for the project and the applicants will be provided, including mentorship and career development for early career researchers

New investigator applicants

We welcome applications from early career researchers. The new investigator grant is aimed at researchers who are capable of becoming independent researchers and who are now ready to take the next step towards that goal.

If you are applying as a ‘new investigator’, you must also:

have research organisation support
be able to demonstrate that their skills and experience at the time of their application match those of the ‘transition to independence’ career stage, as set out in the MRC skills and experience table
use this grant to support your long-term career goals and chosen career route
be able to demonstrate you are the sole intellectual leader of the application and the proposed work

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can also apply as a new investigator, if you:

are employed as a postdoctoral research assistant, although this grant cannot start until your current work finishes
hold a lecturer appointment, a junior fellowship or another research staff position
hold, or have held, an early career training fellowship such as a Medical Research Council (MRC) skills development fellowship
do not have a contract with your chosen host organisation
are not currently based at the eligible research organisation that has agreed to host your new investigator award
are either a non-clinical or clinically active researcher
have any number of years of experience

Who is not eligible to apply as a new investigator

You are not eligible to apply if you have already achieved independence. New investigator grants support individuals who have not previously led a research team or been awarded a substantial grant as fellow or project lead (formally known as principal investigator).

A substantial grant is typically defined as for three or more years and including salary support for one or more additional team members.

You are also not eligible to apply if you:

already hold or have held an award that facilitates the transition to independence
have applied for an MRC new investigator research grant twice before
have an application for any UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fellowship currently under consideration, including a career development award, clinician scientist fellowship or future leaders fellowship

If you are unsure whether you meet the eligibility criteria as a ‘new investigator’ or have any questions about your eligibility, you should contact experimental.medicine@mrc.ukri.org to find out whether you can apply.

See further details on the New Investigator Grant.

Your other team members (new investigators)

We recognise and support the value of team science and interdisciplinary research, which may be important to your career development. Therefore, project co-leads, specialists and other team roles may be included if you are applying as a new investigator. Your team members should bring essential complimentary research, technical expertise or skills to the project, that you as the new investigator project lead cannot provide, or you are aiming to develop.

We encourage you to use the appropriate application sections, such as ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’, to make your leadership role clear and justify the team around you.

It is not usually appropriate for a current or recent supervisor, or lab head of the new investigator, to be part of the applicant team as this may make your leadership unclear. If this is essential to the proposed work, it must be specifically justified.

Who is not eligible to apply

You are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity as a project lead if you are based at an international research organisation. This does not include MRC Unit The Gambia or MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

International researchers

As the MRC is the funder for this funding opportunity, international researchers can apply as project co-lead (international).

Project co-leads (international) make a major intellectual contribution to the design or conduct of the project. Their contribution and added value to the research collaboration should be clearly explained and justified in the application, see Applicant and team capability to deliver.

Read UKRI project co-lead (international) eligibility for more details. Please contact us if you are uncertain about eligibility.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

career breaks
support for people with caring responsibilities
flexible working
alternative working patterns

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Medical Research Council (MRC)

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon, SN2 1FL United Kingdom

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity