MRC: research grant: applicant-led

The Medical Research Council, under UK Research and Innovation, is offering applicant-led research grants under solicitation 178410 to support projects that address ambitious, innovative, and well-defined research questions. The primary objective of these grants is to fund novel research that advances the mechanistic understanding of human health and disease, unlocks new pathways for future investigation, and generates new insights, concepts, or tools capable of shifting practice within and beyond the research field. Awards are determined through a shortlisting assessment based on relative competitiveness rather than absolute scientific merit. Applications are evaluated across three primary factors: Ambition, which focuses on novelty, innovation, and the management of high-risk research; Impact, which assesses the relevance to biomedical or human health questions and the potential to reduce disease burden; and Deliverability, which examines the coherence of the research approach, the expertise of the applicants, and the suitability of the supporting infrastructure. While value for money is not assessed during the shortlisting stage, applicants must provide detailed cost descriptions in the Facilities and Justification of Resources sections, particularly when utilizing specific national facilities or other directly incurred costs.