MRC Launches First 2021 Call for Experimental Medicine Grants

The Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Experimental Medicine Panel runs the Experimental Medicine Grants call biannually to address gaps in current understanding of the causes, progression and treatment of human disease via experimental intervention, or challenge, in humans.

Projects funded through the call should be based around a clear gap in understanding of human pathophysiology and have a clear path to clinical impact. The ambition is to produce new mechanistic insights, identifying opportunities to modify disease pathways and enabling novel therapeutic or diagnostic approaches for future development.

The application must involve an experimental intervention/challenge in humans, perturbing the system to explore disease mechanism. The challenge may be, but is not limited to, pharmacological, immunological, physiological, psychological, infectious etc.

The lead applicant must be the academic partner. Applicants should be based at an eligible research organisation, which include:

Higher education institutions.

UKRI-approved independent research organisations or NHS bodies.

Government-funded organisations.

MRC institutes.

MRC units and partnership institutes.

Institutes and units funded by other research councils.

Applicants are invited to consult MRC’s general guidance for applicants for further details about institutional and individual eligibility. Investigators in receipt of Fellowships (MRC, NIHR, Charity, Learned Societies) and NIHR lectureships are eligible if their fellowship T&Cs allow. Applications including partnerships with charities or industry are encouraged where these add value to the project, however this is not a requirement.

There is an annual budget of £10 million to support a range of award sizes. There is no formal limit to the total amount that can be requested , but all costs should be fully justified within a proposal as value for money will be taken into account when making funding decisions.

Additionally, there is no formal expectation of the duration of the grants. Project duration should be dictated by the timelines required to complete the proposed work.

Outline applications should be submitted by the 28 April 2021 (16:00) deadline.

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.