MRC: new investigator research grant: applicant-led
Medical Research Council (MRC) · International
Grant funding to support researchers transitioning to independence to lead their own discovery research projects within the Medical Research Council (MRC) remit, advancing understanding of human health and disease and enabling early career researchers to establish independent research careers.
Summary
Deadline
Rolling
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
Grant funding to support researchers transitioning to independence to lead their own discovery research projects within the Medical Research Council (MRC) remit, advancing understanding of human health and disease and enabling early career researchers to establish independent research careers.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Research, Public Sector
Business size
Research organisation
Industries
Biomedical research, medical sciences and health-related research fields aligned with MRC research priorities.
Match funding
Required
Requirements
Early-career researchers transitioning to independence with support from an eligible research organisation. Applicants may include postdoctoral researchers, lecturers, junior fellows or equivalent research staff who have not yet achieved research independence. The project must be hosted and submitted by an eligible UK research organisation registered on the UKRI Funding Service. Research propos...
Eligible applicants
Early-career researchers transitioning to independence with support from an eligible research organisation. Applicants may include postdoctoral researchers, lecturers, junior fellows or equivalent research staff who have not yet achieved research independence.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
No fixed funding limit; typical full economic cost (FEC) for projects is under £1,000,000.
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
MRC funds 80% of full economic cost (FEC).
Payment type
Grant (typically 80% FEC in arrears)
Eligible scope
Research proposals must advance understanding of human health and disease and align with one of the MRC research areas including infections and immunity, molecular and cellular medicine, neurosciences and mental health, or population and systems medicine. MRC_ new investigator research …
Eligible expenses
- Investigator salary contribution (up to 50% of working time), research staff salaries, consumables, equipment, travel costs, data management and dissemination, estates and indirect costs, and NHS research costs where relevant.
Ineligible costs
- Costs not eligible under MRC funding opportunity and UKRI FEC terms.
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Competitive Selection
Decision timeline
MRC aims to complete the full assessment process within approximately 10 months from submission. MRC_ new investigator research …
Assessment process
Applications are examined for eligibility and scope, undergo expert peer review, are shortlisted by a panel and then considered by a funding panel for final funding decisions. MRC_ new investigator research …
Application sections
- Summary, core team details, applicant eligibility statement, research vision, research approach and methodology, reproducibility and statistical design, data management plan, career development plan, applicant and team capability, research organisation support, project partners, ethical considerations and resource justification.
Application components
Not specified
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if they fall outside the MRC remit, fail eligibility checks, exceed submission limits, or do not demonstrate the applicant’s readiness for research independence.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
7 Apr 2026
Project duration
Typically 3 years.
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
- None specified
Collaboration rules
- Collaborative teams are permitted. Project co-leads, specialists and technical staff may be included where they provide essential complementary expertise to the project.
- International project co-leads and collaborators are allowed where they provide significant intellectual contribution to the project.
Consortium requirements
- Not mandatory. Projects may be led by a single investigator with optional collaborators or co-leads where necessary.
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Research Category","value":"Discovery research and fundamental biomedical research within the MRC remit."},{"label":"Subcontractors","value":"Subcontracting is allowed where required for specific elements of the research project and must be justified in the application budget."},{"label":"Interview Stage","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Key Requirements","value":"Applicants must demonstrate readiness to transition to independence, lead the project intellectually, and provide a strong research proposal aligned with MRC research priorities and supported by their host organisation."},{"label":"Renewal Rules","value":"New investigator research grants are not renewable. MRC_ new investigator research …"},{"label":"Important Notes","value":"Applicants are limited to two submissions as project lead across MRC applicant-led funding opportunities within a rolling 12-month period. Resubmission of unsuccessful applications is normally only allowed after a 12-month waiting period unless early resubmission is permitted"}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Funding amount
- No fixed funding limit; typical full economic cost (FEC) for projects is under £1,000,000.
- Funding band
- Mid (£500k-£5M)
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Grant (typically 80% FEC in arrears)
- Audience
- Research Innovation, Public Sector, Mixed
- Industry
- Biomedical research, medical sciences and health-related research fields aligned with MRC research priorities.
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- 26 Nov 2025