Medical Research Council (MRC) Grants
The Medical Research Council funds medical and biomedical research, almost entirely at universities, NHS bodies and research institutes. Most schemes require you to be employed by an eligible research organisation, so a company or charity cannot usually apply as the lead. Businesses more often reach MRC money as a partner on someone else’s project.
Medical Research Council (MRC) has 13 open funds listed here, 5 of which accept applications all year.
Checked daily. Last updated 11 November 2026.
No published award history for Medical Research Council (MRC). Some funders do not publish their grants data.
What Medical Research Council (MRC) funds
Counted across the 13 open funds on this page.
No deadline listed
Check the funder's current application window before you apply.
MRC: research grant: applicant-led
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is offering research grants for exciting and ambitious projects within its remit. The aim is to drive insights into the causes and mechanisms of disease, and to help speed up diagnosis, advance treatment and prevent human illness. Your research should focus on discovery and early translational work. The grant can support focused research that is flexible in length and scale, longer-term work that tackles a series of linked questions, or proof of principle work to test a key hypothesis. Projects can last up to five years and should start between nine and 18 months after you submit. There is no limit to the funding you can ask for. The amount must suit the project and you must be able to justify it. MRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost and 100% of permitted exceptions. If you are seeking a large amount, the page encourages you to contact the relevant MRC programme manager before you submit. The opportunity opened on 12 October 2026 and has no closing date. You can submit when your application is ready. You may see a notional closing date in the Funding Service, but you should ignore it. One practical caveat: you can only be project lead on one application at a time across MRC's applicant-led responsive funding opportunities (research, partnership and new investigator). If you submit a second one while the first is being assessed, the new one will be rejected. Uninvited resubmissions of applications submitted after 1 April 2026 will also be rejected. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/mrc-research-grant-applicant-led/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 16 October 2026.
MRC: partnership grant: applicant-led
Medical Research Council (MRC)
This Medical Research Council (MRC) grant pays for partnerships. These are new collaborative activities between researchers that aim to improve our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of disease. They should also help speed up diagnosis, advance treatment and prevent human illness. The opportunity opened on 12 October 2026. The funding can support things like networking and partnership activities, shared infrastructure, specialist data and software platforms, and training and career development in areas of unmet need. Small pump-priming projects can be included, but specific research questions should not be the focus of the partnership. There is no limit to the amount you can apply for. Your request should suit the partnership and you must be able to justify it. MRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost and 100% of permitted exceptions. Funding is available for up to five years, and projects should start between nine and 18 months after you submit. There is no closing date. Applications are accepted and processed continuously, so you can submit when your application is ready. One practical caveat is demand management. You can only lead one application at a time across MRC's applicant-led responsive funding opportunities. MRC will also reject uninvited resubmissions of applications first submitted after 1 April 2026. Partnership grants are not meant to mainly support research, so if you need money for a research project, look at a research grant instead. MRC encourages you to contact the relevant programme manager before applying. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/mrc-partnership-grant-applicant-led/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 16 October 2026.
Using the ‘Our Future Health’ data resource for research
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) pays data access costs for researchers it already supports who want to use the Our Future Health data resource. It is a pilot scheme. The funder's website says the scheme has been open since 23 March 2026 with no closing date. Expressions of interest are accepted on a rolling basis. The funder's website does not state a fixed award amount. Applying is a two stage process. First, send MRC an expression of interest on an online form. It asks for your details, your current MRC funding identifiers, a summary of your proposed research and short alignment statements. If MRC confirms eligibility, register with Our Future Health and apply through its usual study application route. Our Future Health then tells you its Access Board decision. A closing date may be set later, depending on how many applications arrive. If the form gives you trouble, email OFH@mrc.ukri.org.
MRC: new investigator research grant: applicant-led
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) funds new investigators moving towards research independence through its New Investigator Research Grant (applicant-led). Applicants need the support of a research organisation and must be the sole intellectual leader of the work. The opportunity opened on 12 October 2026 at 9:00am UK time. Applications go through the UKRI Funding Service, not Je-S, and are accepted and processed continuously. Applicants answer questions on Vision, Approach, Reproducibility and statistical design, Host organisation support, Applicant fit, Career development, and Applicant and team capability. Only the lead research organisation can submit to UKRI. Research office staff check each application first. The host's Head of Department (or equivalent) must write a supporting statement of up to 1,000 words. Shortlisting decisions and interviews happen twice a year.
Collaborate with the functional genomics screening laboratory
Medical Research Council (MRC)
This MRC opportunity lets you work with the Functional Genomics Screening Laboratory (FGSL) on CRISPR screening projects. The laboratory uses complex human in vitro models to help you better understand model biology and enable target identification. You define the purpose of the screen and the outcomes you want. Scientists employed at the Milner Therapeutics Institute carry out the screens, but every project runs as a close collaboration. The FGSL is prioritising human in vitro models outside of cancer cell lines. Your model must be genetically tractable and scalable enough to provide material for pre-screening and a suitably sized screen. This is not a cash award. The Milner Therapeutics Institute and AstraZeneca cover the cost of the scientists running the screens. Support for consumables comes either from AstraZeneca, where the model is of interest to them, or from a screening access fund provided by MRC. You do not need your own CRISPR library, as library access is provided. It suits researchers eligible for MRC funding, including teams. You do not need to be MRC funded. Where space permits, UK based small and medium-sized enterprises and industry can also apply. They are advised to provide their own library to avoid a conflict of interest. The opportunity is open with no closing date. A Joint Steering Committee reviews applications twice a year, in May or June and in November or December. This timeframe may change depending on application numbers. One caveat: although the service is already funded, cost is still considered when assessing whether your project is feasible. Project length is decided case by case, based on your model, its expansion capacity and the size of the screen. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/collaborate-with-the-functional-genomics-screening-laboratory/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.
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Create free accountExperimental medicine: invited stage two application
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) funds invited stage two experimental medicine projects at research organisations eligible for MRC funding. Applications close on 24 February 2027 at 4:00pm UK time, and the round opened on 8 October 2026. You can only apply if MRC invited you after a stage one application. Projects investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease and must include an intervention in humans. The intervention can be a compound, biologic, psychological, physiological, vaccine or immune challenge. Applications need at least two milestones with go or no-go criteria, each with a target and an acceptable value. They are written in sections with word limits, such as Vision (1,100 words), Approach (3,500) and Project milestones (1,500). Early career researchers can apply as new investigators. The new investigator test includes not having held a substantial grant as project lead of three or more years.
+1 related call in this programmeWhere this funding goes
Frequently asked questions about Medical Research Council (MRC) funding
How many Medical Research Council (MRC) grants are open right now?+
13 grants from Medical Research Council (MRC) are open on GrantMatch today, of which 5 have no fixed deadline. The list is checked daily.
When is the next Medical Research Council (MRC) deadline?+
The nearest deadline is 18 November 2026, and the furthest is 14 April 2027. Always check the funder's own page for the final date before applying.
How do I apply for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding?+
Each grant on this page links to the Medical Research Council (MRC) application page for that fund. Read the funder's own eligibility criteria before you start, since terms differ between funds.