Small molecule high throughput screen using AstraZeneca facilities
- Funding
- Up to £270,000
- Deadline
- 28 January 2027
- Location
- UK-wide
- Applications
- Deadline: 28 January 2027
Overview
UK Research and Innovation's Medical Research Council (MRC) funds academic researchers across the UK to run a high throughput screen using AstraZeneca's compound library and screening robots. Full economic cost can reach £270,000, with £250,000 as the cost to MRC. The current round closes on 28 January 2027 at 4:00pm UK time. MRC funds up to four projects per year. Applicants get access to over two million molecules. AstraZeneca provides technical input on assay optimisation and a pilot screen, then between 100,000 and 1 million compounds are screened. Funded costs include £20,000 for optimisation and establishment of an HTS, £150,000 for running the screen, and travel, accommodation and subsistence for a researcher to work at AstraZeneca in Cambridge for three months. Projects usually last 15 months, within a range of 12 to 18 months. A less well-developed assay does not count against you. Applications go through the UKRI Funding Service.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- Full economic cost of up to £270,000, with £250,000 as the cost to MRC
- MRC funds 100% of work at AstraZeneca and 80% of work at the research organisation
- Projects last 12 to 18 months, typically 15 months
- Only one application as project lead per person
- No uninvited resubmissions of applications submitted after 1 April 2026
- Projects led by commercial entities are not eligible and no other commercial collaborators are allowed
Who it is for
- Organisations with standard UKRI eligibility
- Project leads who will direct the project and be actively engaged in the work
- Academic researchers looking for starting points for small molecule medicines
- Project leads at MRC Unit The Gambia or the MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Who it is not for
- Research applications led by commercial entities
- Applications that include collaborations with additional commercial parties
- Project leads based at an international research organisation, other than the two MRC units named above
- Anyone submitting a second application as project lead
- Uninvited resubmissions of applications submitted after 1 April 2026
- Conference attendance costs
This is open to organisations with standard UKRI eligibility. You must direct the project and be actively engaged in the work. You can only submit one application as project lead. Projects led by commercial entities are not eligible, and you cannot include other commercial parties as collaborators. Project leads based at international research organisations cannot apply, except at MRC Unit The Gambia or the MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Uninvited resubmissions of applications submitted after 1 April 2026 will be rejected.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
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Start freeWho is this for?
Academic researchers who want to find starting points for small molecule medicines and can use AstraZeneca's compound library and screening facilities.
Regions
No published award history for UK Research and Innovation, Medical Research Council. Some funders do not publish their grants data.
Full details from UK Research and Innovation, Medical Research Council
Apply for funding to run a high throughput screen (HTS) using AstraZeneca’s compound library and screening robots. There are two funding opportunities per year that are open to all targets.
How to apply
Apply on the UKRI Funding Service; the Je-S system cannot be used. As project lead, select 'Start application', sign in or create an account, and answer the questions online. Send the finished application to your research office, which checks and submits it to UKRI. MRC must receive it by 28 January 2027 at 4:00pm UK time.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I get from the MRC small molecule high throughput screen using AstraZeneca facilities?
The full economic cost can be up to £270,000, with £250,000 as the cost to MRC. MRC funds 100% FEC of work at AstraZeneca and 80% FEC of work at the research organisation, staff, subsistence and travel.
When is the deadline for the MRC AstraZeneca high throughput screen funding?
MRC must receive your application by 28 January 2027 at 4:00pm UK time. You cannot apply after this time.
Can a commercial company apply to the MRC high throughput screen using AstraZeneca facilities?
No. Applications led by commercial entities are not eligible, and applications may not include collaborations with additional commercial parties.
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Create free accountLast updated: 9 November 2026