National PET Imaging Platform: Data Platform
Medical Research Council (MRC) · United Kingdom
Funding to host the National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) Data Platform, enabling the collection, curation, management and sharing of total-body PET imaging and associated research data across the UK.
Summary
Deadline
17 Jun 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
Funding to host the National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) Data Platform, enabling the collection, curation, management and sharing of total-body PET imaging and associated research data across the UK.
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Biomedical imaging, health data infrastructure, life sciences, and data science.
Match funding
No matched funding is required from host institutions. Third-party project partner contributions may be provided in cash or in kind.
Eligible applicants
Applicants must be members of the NPIP-approved Data Platform consortium, based at an eligible UK research organisation with relevant infrastructure development expertise and experience. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to direct and deliver the Data Platform.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Up to £4,700,000 (100% Full Economic Cost)
Total fund available
£4,700,000
Funding intensity
100% of Full Economic Cost funded by MRC.
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
Development of a unified data platform to collect, curate, manage and share total-body PET imaging and associated research data; provide data access and reuse; support linkage and federation with other sensitive health data; and provide tools and services for research and clinical use.
Eligible expenses
- Staff salaries, infrastructure management roles, technical staff, data storage and computing systems, data management and curation, tool and service development, travel, public and patient engagement, governance, information governance, estates and indirect costs.
Ineligible costs
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Not specified.
Decision timeline
Assessment is expected to be completed within approximately four months of submission. Interviews are expected in late July 2026, with the funding decision meeting planned for August 2026.
Assessment process
Applications undergo eligibility and scope checks followed by assessment by an expert panel with infrastructure and data management expertise. The panel interviews applicants and makes a funding recommendation, with the final decision made by MRC.
Application sections
- Summary, Vision, Approach, Data management and sharing, Applicant and team capability (R4RI), Project partners, Ethics and responsible research and innovation, Resources and cost justification, Trusted Research and Innovation, Industry Collaboration Framework where applicable, and international collaboration.
Application components
Not specified
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if they are outside scope, fail eligibility requirements, lack sufficient infrastructure development expertise, fail to demonstrate effective consortium collaboration, or do not provide a credible and feasible approach to delivering the Data Platform.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
1 Apr 2026
Project duration
42 months
Project start
1 Oct 2026
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
- Innovate UK
Collaboration rules
- The project must be delivered through a consortium of organisations working collaboratively to develop and deliver the NPIP Data Platform.
Consortium requirements
- The consortium must include approved NPIP partners and demonstrate complementary strengths, infrastructure expertise, collaborative working and the ability to bring together NPIP data assets and resources.
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-13.
International Collaboration Requirement
International infrastructure developers cannot lead the application but may participate as international co-project leads where they make a major intellectual and technical contribution. Other international collaborators must participate as project partners.
Research Category
Research infrastructure and data platform development, rather than research activity.
Research Organisation Funding
Host organisations must provide the necessary research environment, infrastructure and support for the project.
Subcontractors
Not specified.
Interview Stage
Yes, interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 27 July 2026.
Key Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate strong infrastructure delivery capability, relevant data governance and management expertise, consortium collaboration, ability to develop a scalable and sustainable data platform, FAIR data principles, interoperability with other data assets, and a credible long-term sustainability plan.
Important Notes
This is an invited-only funding opportunity. Applicants must be members of the NPIP-approved Data Platform consortium. The platform should prioritise reuse of existing infrastructure, tools and services, use open-source approaches where practical, support FAIR data, and enable linkage and federation with sensitive health data.
Application deadline in source document
17 June 2026, 4:00pm UK time
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 17 Jun 2026
- Funding amount
- Up to £4,700,000 (100% Full Economic Cost)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Biomedical imaging, health data infrastructure, life sciences, and data science.
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 16 Mar 2026