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Neurosciences and mental health: new investigator

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Opportunity status:

Open

Funders:

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Funding type:

Grant

Publication date:

2 May 2025

Opening date:

2 May 2025 9:00am UK time

Closing date:

4 September 2025 4:00pm UK time

Apply for funding to:

research neurosciences and mental health
take the next step towards becoming an independent researcher

You must have:

the skills and experience to ‘transition to independence’
the support of a host research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding

There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but the typical full economic cost of a project is under £1 million. MRC will usually fund 80% of the full economic cost.

This funding usually lasts three years and covers up to 50% of your salary.

This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Specialties

Mental Health

Neurosciences

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 as a new investigator you must:

have research organisation support
be able to show that your skills and experience match those in the ‘transition to independence’ stage of the MRC applicant 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
focus your application within the research area of neurosciences and mental health

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can also apply 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 an MRC skills development fellowship
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

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, 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

Who is not eligible to apply

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 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 or have any questions about your eligibility you should contact nmhb@mrc.ukri.org to find out whether you can 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 project leads from MRC Unit The Gambia or MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Project co-leads and other team members

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 within your new investigator application. 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.

International researchers

As MRC is a lead 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 should be clearly explained and justified in the application, see Applicant and team capability to deliver.

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

You should include all other international collaborators as project partners.

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

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