MRC: partnership grant: applicant-led
MRC: partnership grant: applicant-led supports research teams through collaborative activities, shared resources and skills that advance understanding of human health and disease and improve diagnosis and treatment.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: Rolling (Applications; no closing date) | April 7, 2026, 9:00am UK time (Opened)
Funding Amounts: No funding limit; up to five years; 80% of full economic cost and 100% of permitted exceptions
Summary: Supports ambitious research partnerships, shared capabilities and skills that advance understanding of human health and disease.
Key Information: Project leads may have only one application under assessment across MRC applicant-led research, partnership and new investigator opportunities.
Description
The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, funds novel collaborative activities and capabilities that add value to existing research or underpin future work within its remit. Partnerships should transform understanding of human health and disease mechanisms, accelerate diagnosis, advance treatment or prevent illness. MRC welcomes team-science, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, global perspectives, and equitable, co-designed international collaborations.
Supported activities include consortia, knowledge sharing, shared resources, specialist data and software platforms, and training or capacity building in areas of unmet need. Small-scale pump-priming research can demonstrate a new partnership’s capabilities, but specific research questions must not be its main focus. Proposals should engage the wider research community, embed support for people and teams, and consider sustainability beyond the grant.
