Developmental pathway funding scheme: invited stage two
Medical Research Council (MRC) · United Kingdom
Grant funding to support academically led translational research projects that develop and test new therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices and other health interventions. Projects can progress innovations from early development through pre-clinical testing to early phase clinical studies or trials.
Summary
Deadline
8 Jul 2026
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
Grant funding to support academically led translational research projects that develop and test new therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices and other health interventions. Projects can progress innovations from early development through pre-clinical testing to early phase clinical studies or trials.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Research
Business size
Research organisation
Industries
Biomedical research, healthcare technologies, diagnostics, therapeutics and medical device innovation.
Match funding
Not required
Requirements
Invitation only — must be invited following successful DPFS stage one application or panel-approved resubmission.
Eligible applicants
Researchers who submitted a successful stage one application to the Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme and have been invited to apply to stage two. Applicants must be actively engaged in directing the project and be affiliated with an eligible research organisation.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
No fixed funding limit. Applicants may request funding appropriate to the proposed project.
Total fund available
£26,000,000
Funding intensity
MRC typically funds 80% of the full economic cost of the project and 100% of permitted exceptions.
Payment type
Grant (typically 80% FEC in arrears)
Eligible scope
Projects aimed at improving prevention, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of significant health needs or developing research tools that improve the efficiency of developing health interventions.
Eligible expenses
- Investigator and research staff salaries, research consumables, equipment, travel, data preservation and sharing costs, dissemination activities, estates and indirect costs, and public partnership activities.
Ineligible costs
- Costs not eligible under NIHR DPFS stage two invited application terms.
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Competitive Selection
Decision timeline
Applicants are notified of the outcome shortly after the panel meeting, and reviewer feedback is typically provided within eight weeks of the meeting.
Assessment process
Applications are assessed through independent expert review followed by panel evaluation and final funding decision by the Medical Research Council.
Application sections
- Related applications, opportunity and market, scientific background and development stage, development plan and route to patient benefit, approach and methodology, milestones, applicant and team capability, intellectual property management, ethics and responsible research and innovation, data management and sharing, resources and cost justification.
Application components
Not specified
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if they do not meet eligibility criteria, fall outside the translational development scope, fail to address milestone requirements or do not follow application guidance.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
10 Dec 2025
Project duration
No fixed duration limit. The project timeline must be justified according to the proposed work.
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Collaboration with charities, industry or other partners is encouraged where it adds value to the research project.
- International researchers may participate as project co-leads (international) or project partners where they provide significant intellectual contribution.
Consortium requirements
- Not mandatory. Projects may include collaborators or project partners where relevant to the research.
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Research Category","value":"Translational medical research and intervention development."},{"label":"Subcontractors","value":"Subcontracting is permitted where justified for specific activities that cannot be undertaken within the host organisation."},{"label":"Interview Stage","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Key Requirements","value":"Applicants must have been invited following a successful stage one submission and demonstrate a clear translational development pathway with defined milestones and measurable success criteria."},{"label":"Renewal Rules","value":"Resubmission of the same or similar application is not permitted within 12 months unless early resubmission is invited."},{"label":"Important Notes","value":"Projects should include clearly defined milestones that enable go or no-go decisions during development and may involve collaboration with industry or other partners where appropriate."}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- 8 Jul 2026
- Funding amount
- No fixed funding limit. Applicants may request funding appropriate to the proposed project.
- Funding band
- Large (£5M+)
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Grant (typically 80% FEC in arrears)
- Audience
- Research Innovation
- Industry
- Biomedical research, healthcare technologies, diagnostics, therapeutics and medical device innovation.
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- 25 Nov 2025