You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do so following a successful outline application. Any uninvited applications will be rejected.

Eligibility for this opportunity was explained on the UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme: round two outline stage opportunity page (PDF, 1MB). It is explained again below, with some important additional information for full stage applicants.

Organisation eligibility

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

Research grants are open to UK organisations normally eligible for funding from UKRI research councils, including:

• UK higher education providers
• research council institutes
• UKRI approved independent research organisations (IROs)
• public sector research establishments (PSREs)

If you are unsure, please contact the Interdisciplinary Responsive Mode (IRM) team at ukrirm@ukri.org for advice.

It is the responsibility of the UK lead research organisation to check eligibility of all collaborating organisations (UK and international) and the eligibility of individuals for their proposed roles. Eligibility will be checked by UKRI and any applications with ineligible organisations could be at risk of being rejected or required to change the role of the ineligible organisation to a project partner or sub-contractor if they are not eligible for funding.

Organisations not eligible to apply

The following organisations are not eligible to apply to this scheme:

• research and technology organisations unless they are listed as eligible
• non-academic organisations, such as businesses, charities or other third-sector organisations that are not UKRI approved IROs or PSREs.

These organisations can contribute as project partners. For more information see the Collaborators section.

Current co-funding arrangements via international lead agency agreements with individual research councils, do not apply to this pilot funding opportunity.

Person eligibility and grant roles

You can apply as an individual or team, from a single organisation or across a number of organisations. For teams with multiple organisations involved, the organisation of the project lead should submit the application.

You may be involved in any number of applications provided you have the capacity to meet these commitments. You may be the project lead on only one application to this round of the pilot scheme.

Who is eligible to apply

The project lead is the individual responsible for the intellectual leadership of the project and its overall management. If intellectual leadership is shared, the project lead is the individual who will be the main contact for UKRI. The project co-lead (UK based) assists the project lead in the management and leadership of the project and may deputise or take over the leadership of the project if required. There may be a number of project co-leads supporting the project lead. To be a project co-lead, you must be affiliated with an eligible research organisation.

Project leads and project co-leads (UK based) must meet all the following essential requirements:

• usually have at least a postgraduate degree, although we expect most applicants to have a PhD or equivalent
• be a researcher based in the UK and employed by an eligible research organisation. The exceptions to this are if your project will involve long periods in another country, you are located at an eligible international research organisation (for example, CERN or a Medical Research Council overseas unit), or you will be moving to the UK to take up an already agreed contract at an eligible organisation (the contract must not be dependent on the outcome of the application) and will remain resident in the UK for the duration of the proposed project
• a contract of employment at lecturer level or equivalent that either extends to beyond the duration of the proposed grant (or, if not employed by the submitting organisation, a formal non-salaried arrangement that extends to beyond the duration of the proposed grant), or an assurance from the submitting organisation that, if the proposal is successful, a pre-existing contract of employment (or pre-existing formal commitment to provide support if not employed at the organisation) at lecturer level or equivalent will be extended beyond the end date of the grant

A research and innovation associate who is not eligible to be project lead or project co-lead can be assigned to the role of researcher co-lead if they have made a significant contribution to the design of the project and application.

Other grant roles are eligible to be part of the core team, such as specialists, grant managers and other professional enabling staff, technicians and visiting researchers.

For full details of these roles, visit Eligibility as an individual and guidance on role eligibility, responsibilities and costings.

Who is not eligible to apply

Doctoral students are not eligible for this scheme and funds are not available for PhD studentships.

International researchers

This funding opportunity is primarily to support interdisciplinary ideas emerging from the UK research community, but in specific circumstances we will allow international researchers to apply as project co-leads (international).

A project co-lead (international) is an individual employed by a research organisation (RO) in an overseas country, who would otherwise fit the normal definition for a project co-lead. That is, they are a member of the project leadership and management team. However, a project co-lead (international) cannot take over the leadership of a project as they do not meet the residency criteria for a project lead, as outlined in the ‘Who is eligible to apply’ section.

To be a project co-lead (international):

• you would be expected to make a significant intellectual contribution to the design and conduct of the project
• your contribution and added value to the research collaboration should be clearly explained and justified in the application

The international RO would be expected to meet the general equivalent requirements for being eligible to receive UKRI funding taking into account the national context of the international RO. This means the international RO should meet the relevant equivalent criteria specified in the guidance applicable for:

• registered higher education institutions (HEIs)
• research institutes receiving long term investments through relevant national funders
• independent research organisations with existing in-house capacity to carry out and lead research, including but not limited to approved charitable or non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Further information on the eligibility criteria for international research organisations is provided in the CRCRM round two: guidance for applicants and research organisations v1.4 document and in the UKRI project co-lead (international) policy and guidance.

The UK research organisation which hosts the project lead will be responsible for the due diligence and confirming that the international research organisation and project co-lead meets the eligibility criteria.

Eligible Countries:

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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