Grants

Apply for funding as a real-world research exemplar to use, evaluate and influence new capabilities within and between trusted research environments.
You must be based at an eligible UK research organisation, and you must meet individual eligibility requirements.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be from £365,700 up to £609,500. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will fund 80% of the FEC.
The duration of this award is a maximum of 12 months.
This is a pre-announcement, and the information may change.
The funding opportunity will open on 8 September 2025. More information will be available on this page then.

Apply for funding to support excellent new investigator-led research across the breadth of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) scientific remit.
This scheme is designed primarily to assist newly employed university lecturers, researchers (at a level equivalent to lecturer) in research council institutes, and fellows (at a level equivalent to lecturer) to secure their first major element of research support funding.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. Funding is available for up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

Apply for funding to support excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) scientific remit.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding. Standard research grants are available for researchers at eligible research organisations.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. Funding is available for up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

Apply for funding to investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease.
Your project must:
focus on a mechanistic hypothesis include an experimental intervention or challenge in humans You must be a researcher based at a research organisation eligible to apply for MRC funding. If you are taking the next step towards becoming an independent researcher, you may be eligible to apply as a ‘new investigator’.
There is no limit to the amount of funding you can apply for or the length of your project. We will fund 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every April and October.

You can apply for support to become an independent researcher, if your research focus is within Medical Research Council (MRC) remit to improve human health.
You must:
have a PhD or equivalent show evidence of career progression show clear plans for establishing independence and developing as a leader in your area of research There is no limit on the amount of funding you can apply for.
We will fund your salary and project costs for up to five years (pro-rata for part-time fellowships). We will fund 80% of the full economic cost.
You may choose to apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.

Project co-leads (international) based in Norway can be included in UK-led applications and receive funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Money Follows Cooperation agreement between UKRI and Research Council of Norway (RCN) to reduce barriers to cross-border collaboration.
This agreement does not represent a separate funding scheme. Applications must be submitted through existing council programmes. Conditions and budgets will differ depending on the funding opportunity.
Search for funding opportunities
If you have enquiries about submitting an application, contact details for the participating councils can be found in the Contact details section.

UK non-higher education institutions (non-HEI), individual organisations or consortia, can apply to become arts and humanities collaborative doctoral landscape award grant holders to support and provide high-quality doctoral training.
AHRC will support up to 50 doctoral studentships per year, for four years through this scheme. You can apply for a minimum of three students per year (two in exceptional circumstances). Doctoral projects must align with the organisation’s priorities and are undertaken with a university partner.
The first cohort of students will start in October 2027.

You can apply for travel and subsistence in support of competitively awarded science observation time at astronomy facilities available to the UK research community.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for STFC funding.
You can apply for:
travel grants: funding for groups with travel costs of more than £7,500 a year (application deadline in October each year) travel claims: for applicants who neither hold nor have access to a travel grant awarded by the panel (no deadline) For further details of travel claims go to the ‘Related opportunities’ section.
STFC will fund 100% of the full economic cost.

UK registered government research organisations can apply for grants between £50,000 and £250,000 to move viable public sector knowledge assets towards commercial readiness. This funding is provided by the GOTT.
See the full opportunity details on the Innovation Funding Service.
Eligibility summary
This competition is open to single applicants.
To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered:
Public Sector Research Establishment a UK Research and Innovation wholly owned institute other public sector bodies that meet GOTT standard eligibility criteria, for example, arm’s length bodies, that undertake research as a primary function

Apply for an STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (ERF) to work on an independent research project. Projects must be within the remit of STFC’s core science programme.
You must:
be an early career researcher hold a PhD qualification or have relevant experience and clear leadership potential be hosted by an eligible UK research organisation with a STFC ERF quota You must not hold a tenured academic post or academic position at lecturer level.
We will fund your application at 80% of its full economic cost. The host research organisation must agree to find the rest.
The fellowship will last up to five years.

See the full opportunity details on the Innovation Funding Service.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of at least £1 million for collaboration with Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on joint semiconductors projects.
Eligibility summary
This competition is open to UK and Canadian collaborations only.
To lead a project your organisation must be one of the following:
a UK registered business a Canadian incorporated, profit-oriented SME Your collaboration must involve at least one grant claiming UK registered business and one eligible Canadian incorporated, profit-orientated SME.

Apply for Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) funding to tackle complex and interdisciplinary health challenges.
You must be invited to apply for this stage of the funding opportunity.
You must:
be a researcher employed by an eligible research organisation meet individual eligibility requirements have submitted an MRC CoRE round three outline application and, after successful assessment, have been invited to submit a full application MRC CoREs will be funded for up to 14 years. Your award will initially last for seven years, with a further seven years based on successful review.
The maximum MRC contribution will be £21 million.

Apply for funding to support new partnerships between diverse groups of researchers within the remit of Medical Research Council (MRC).
You must be employed by a research organisation eligible to apply for MRC funding.
The grant will allow you to:
establish new, high-value collaborative activities or capabilities add value to high-quality scientific programmes that are already supported by grants from MRC and other funders Funding is available for between one and five years.
You must complete the pre-application stage and be invited to the full stage. This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to support a programme of research focused on Infections and immunity.
You must:
be employed at a research organisation eligible to apply for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding have a record of securing funding and delivering research There is no limit to the funding you can apply for. Applicants typically apply for £1 million or more.
We will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
Your programme can last up to five years.
You must complete the pre-application stage and be invited to the full stage.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to support a programme of research focused on neurosciences and mental health.
You must:
be employed at a research organisation eligible to apply for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding have a record of securing funding and delivering research There is no limit to the funding you can apply for. Applicants typically apply for £1 million or more.
We will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
Your programme can last up to five years.
You must complete the pre-application stage and be invited to the full stage.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to support a programme of research focused on population and systems medicine.
You must:
be employed at a research organisation eligible to apply for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding have a record of securing funding and delivering research There is no limit to the funding you can apply for. Applicants typically apply for £1 million or more.
We will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
Your programme can last up to five years.
You must complete the pre-application stage and be invited to the full stage.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to support a programme of research focused on molecular and cellular medicine.
You must:
be employed at a research organisation eligible to apply for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding have a record of securing funding and delivering research There is no limit to the funding you can apply for. Applicants typically apply for £1 million or more.
We will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
Your programme can last up to five years.
You must complete the pre-application stage and be invited to the full stage.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to:
research molecular and cellular medicine take the next step towards becoming an independent researcher You must have:
the skills and experience to ‘transition to independence’ the support of a host research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but the typical full economic cost of a project is under £1 million. MRC will usually fund 80% of the full economic cost.
This funding usually lasts three years and covers up to 50% of your salary.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to:
research neurosciences and mental health take the next step towards becoming an independent researcher You must have:
the skills and experience to ‘transition to independence’ the support of a host research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but the typical full economic cost of a project is under £1 million. MRC will usually fund 80% of the full economic cost.
This funding usually lasts three years and covers up to 50% of your salary.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to:
research Infections and immunity take the next step towards becoming an independent researcher You must have:
the skills and experience to ‘transition to independence’ the support of a host research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but the typical full economic cost of a project is under £1 million. MRC will usually fund 80% of the full economic cost.
This funding usually lasts three years and covers up to 50% of your salary.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

Apply for funding to:
research population and systems medicine take the next step towards becoming an independent researcher You must have:
the skills and experience to ‘transition to independence’ the support of a host research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but the typical full economic cost of a project is under £1 million. MRC will usually fund 80% of the full economic cost.
This funding usually lasts three years and covers up to 50% of your salary.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

See the full opportunity details on the Innovation Funding Service.
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a share of up to £2 million for on-farm trial and demonstration projects, to improve adoption of new ideas or solutions in the agricultural sector.
Eligibility summary
This competition is open to collaborations only.
To lead a project your organisation must:
be an active farming, growing or forestry business based in England be able to evidence that you are an established business, including sole traders and partnerships collaborate with at least one other farming business based in the UK

Apply for support to become an independent researcher in a medical research field.
Your research can focus on any area of Medical Research Council’s (MRC) remit to improve human health.
You must:
be a registered healthcare professional have a PhD or equivalent show evidence of career development show clear plans for developing as a leader in your field We will fund your salary and project costs for up to five years. We will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
You may apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close January, April and September.

Apply for funding to undertake a PhD.
Your research can focus on any area of Medical Research Council (MRC)’s remit to improve human health.
You must:
be a registered healthcare professional be at an appropriate point in your training to undertake a PhD show plans to pursue a research career We will fund your salary and project costs for three years. We will fund 100% of the justified costs.
You may also choose to apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every January, April and September.

Apply for funding to reacquire research skills.
Your research can focus on any area of Medical Research Council (MRC)’s remit.
You must:
be a registered healthcare professional be a PhD graduate working outside of research, usually five or more years show plans to pursue a research career and be at an appropriate point in your clinical training to undertake the fellowship We will fund your salary and project costs for three years. We will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
You may also apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every January, April and September.