Funding Available to Establish Multimorbidity Research Collaboratives

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is administering a Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) research call to bring together multi-disciplinary collaborations with a range of scientific, methodological, and clinical knowledge and skills to build manageable, focussed “Multimorbidity Research Collaboratives”.

Multimorbidity is the co-existence of two or more chronic conditions in a single individual, including mental and physical conditions and long duration infectious diseases. Large, multi-disciplinary research collaborative efforts are needed to address current research gaps and achieve the required cohesion in this field. These collaboratives will be expected to have strong patient involvement, as benefits the remit of the project, and add significant understanding to a broad range of topics including, for example:

Identification of new disease clusters.

Multimorbidity over different stages across the life-course taking a comprehensive multi- disciplinary approach.

Discovery, validation and targeting of underlying mechanistic and pathobiological pathways.

Recognising the potential to identify new patterns of multimorbidity and contributing factors, and the more advanced nature of research on more established multimorbidity clusters, the call is designed in two streams:

For those groups that need time to consolidate existing data or collaborations and/or obtain preliminary data there is an option to apply for a rapid and modest “Consolidator grant”. These grants will serve as a test bed, bringing new disciplines together and provide proof-of-concept data, enabling the best groupings and ideas to mature to a second “Research Collaborative award” stage.

For those other groups that have already developed multi-disciplinary networks and supporting data, there will be the option to move straight to the “Research Collaborative award” stage.

Applications will be accepted from the following:

Those eligible for standard MRC research grants as described in the MRC Guidance for applicants.

MRC unit/institute staff.

Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs).

As this is a UK-focused initiative, proposals can only be led by an eligible UK-based Principal Investigator. Overseas Co-investigators are permitted where this adds value to research.

Up to £1.5 million is available for Consolidator grants. These will be funded for the fixed duration of six months and may receive up to £100,000. £35 million is available for each research collaborative for a period of two to four years. All awards will be funded on the basis of 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).

Applicants to either the Consolidator grant or full Research Collaborative stream should submit proposals through by the closing date of 11 February 2020.

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.