Expression of interest: Precision prevention: biological mechanisms of response variation
UK Research and Innovation funds experimental human research to uncover biological mechanisms behind individual variation in response to biomedical prevention interventions.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: September 17, 2026 (Expression of Interest) | November 5, 2026 (Full application)
Funding Amounts: Up to £5 million per project (80% FEC), duration 3–5 years; total fund £15 million.
Summary: Supports experimental research in humans to uncover biological mechanisms driving variation in response to biomedical prevention interventions, enabling more precise and equitable prevention strategies.
Key Information: Mandatory EOI required to submit full application; international co-leads allowed (see eligibility).
Description
This funding opportunity, delivered by the Medical Research Council (MRC) through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to advance precision prevention by supporting experimental studies in humans that investigate why biomedical prevention interventions yield different responses across individuals. Projects must focus on generating mechanistic evidence—using biomedical interventions or challenges in pre-disease or early disease states—to elucidate the biological pathways underlying response variability. The ultimate goal is to inform more effective, targeted, and equitable prevention strategies, addressing health inequalities and improving health outcomes.
Key features include:
- Requirement for an experimental intervention or challenge in humans, designed to test a mechanistic hypothesis.
- Focus on pre-disease, early disease, or disease emergence stages.
- Emphasis on studies that will yield actionable mechanistic insights, moving beyond observational or biomarker discovery research.
- Projects are expected to contribute to understanding heterogeneity in prevention responses and inform the optimization of future interventions.
