UKRI Translation: MRC Impact Acceleration Awards
UKRI Translation: MRC Impact Acceleration Awards support academic researchers to test a high-risk development step for medical products or interventions, generating evidence to guide progress towards patient benefit.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: November 11, 2026, 4:00pm UK time (Closing date)
Funding Amounts: £50,000–£300,000 full economic cost for six to 18 months; 80% funded, with permitted exceptions at 100%
Summary: Supports one high-risk translational development step for a medical product or intervention, generating data to guide progression towards patient benefit.
Key Information: Only one application per project lead; projects must address a single development goal, not multiple work packages.
Description
The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UKRI, funds academically led translational projects developing new or repurposed medicines, devices, diagnostics and other medical interventions. Formerly called the “Gap Fund,” this award bridges Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs) and larger MRC Proof of Concept awards. Projects generate critical evidence to reduce uncertainty about further development—or establish that an approach should not proceed.
All human diseases are within scope, including UK healthcare and global health needs. Priorities include precision prevention, early and accurate diagnosis, advanced treatments, patient outcome monitoring and better disease management. Supported work includes therapeutic discovery and validation, prototype development and testing, initial biomarker validation, vector optimisation and medicinal chemistry. Each project needs a clear, plausible development route towards patient benefit.
