Expression of interest: Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) medical countermeasures R&D
Expression of interest: Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) medical countermeasures R&D supports researchers developing and testing medical countermeasures to improve UK domestic preparedness.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: October 20, 2026 (EOI, 4:00pm UK time) | January 20, 2027 (Invited full application)
Funding Amounts: £20 million total fund; up to £4 million full economic cost per project, funded at 80%, for up to 30 months
Summary: Supports pre-clinical and early translational medical countermeasure research to improve UK domestic preparedness for CBRN threats.
Key Information: A mandatory expression of interest and invitation are required before submitting a full application.
Description
The Medical Research Council (MRC), with co-funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), supports development and testing of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Projects must generate evidence that improves domestic preparedness, particularly within the health system. Work may start and finish anywhere from early prototype development through pre-clinical refinement and testing to early-phase clinical studies and trials, up to phase 2a.
Supported interventions include vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, broad-spectrum countermeasures, symptomatic management approaches and repurposed medicines. Priorities include treatments addressing shared symptoms or toxidromes, evaluating licensed drugs potentially available locally in hospitals and pharmacies, countermeasures for priority pathogens, and radiological or nuclear diagnostic and detection capabilities. Research must be linked to a medical countermeasure development plan.
