Experimental medicine stage one
This UKRI grant supports hypothesis-driven experimental medicine studies in humans to uncover disease mechanisms and inform new therapies through mechanistic, intervention-based research.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: October 7, 2026 (Stage one) | February 24, 2027 (Stage two, invited) | September 1, 2027 (Stage two, deferred round)
Funding Amounts: No set funding cap or project duration; typically 80% of full economic costs funded; international co-leads from high-income countries capped at 30% of total, no cap for DAC list countries.
Summary: Supports hypothesis-driven experimental medicine studies in humans to uncover disease mechanisms and inform new therapies, requiring an intervention and clear clinical relevance.
Key Information: Two-stage process; open to established and new investigators; all disease areas and intervention types eligible if human-centric and mechanistic.
Description
This opportunity funds academically-led experimental medicine projects that investigate the causes, progression, and treatment of human disease through mechanistic studies involving interventions or challenges in humans. Projects must address a clear gap in understanding of human pathophysiology, be based on a mechanistic hypothesis, and aim to generate insights that could enable new therapeutic or diagnostic approaches. All disease areas and intervention types are welcome, provided the work is human-centric, involves established safety profiles, and is designed to validate mechanistic hypotheses. The scheme supports both established and new investigators, including early-career researchers seeking independence.
Ineligible activities include biomarker discovery, animal-only studies, pre-clinical model development, and late-phase clinical trials. The grant encourages hypothesis-driven, milestone-based research with a strong rationale for the experimental system.
