Aim

We are looking for outline applications to create new MRC CoREs that will support bold and ambitious research focused on a specific and defined challenge with the potential to prove transformative to biomedical research, health research or both within 14 years. Tackling such challenges will transform approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, improving health and wellbeing for all.

MRC CoREs will be beacons of excellence in research culture, equality, diversity, and inclusion, leadership models, and innovation. These major investments should be outward facing, harnessing the best talent in the UK to deliver upon their proposed vision and providing a stimulating environment to train the next generation of researchers and technologists.

Applications can be from a single research organisation or in partnership across multiple organisations. Applications may include project partners.

We expect to fund one to two MRC CoREs per year.

Scope

What types of challenges should MRC CoREs tackle?

MRC CoRE challenges are:

• bold, ambitious, and innovative, and address a gap or opportunity which is not being adequately addressed elsewhere
• address substantial unmet needs in understanding or modifying human health and disease
• have major strategic objectives achievable within the 14-year timeframe which, if achieved, will transform the research field or area of health research
• aligned to the MRC mission
• best pursued through coordinated and flexible, major long-term funding

MRC CoRE challenges will be achieved through:

• fostering innovation and engagement to establish the capability and capacity to place the UK at the international forefront of impactful health research
• harnessing and networking the best expertise in the UK, to bring together creative and diverse approaches for cross-sectoral and multi or interdisciplinary working
• distinct and disruptive research that drives breakthrough advances and addresses specific bottlenecks through knowledge generation, technological or methodological innovation, with clear translational relevance
• pursuing a compelling vision around specific questions of importance or critical knowledge gaps, not through open ended discovery research programmes

What areas of research should the challenge address?

For round three we welcome outline applications to address challenges across any part of MRC remit, including discovery, understanding mechanism, and development of concepts or interventions for prevention or treatment.

It is not our expectation that a single MRC CoRE will address the challenge of the field as a whole within 14 years. You should identify a gap or opportunity, a major barrier or bottleneck that needs to be surmounted, or the breakthrough advance that is pivotal for our understanding and ability to prevent, diagnose and treat disease, and build a specific and defined challenge around this.

Your outline application should be positioned in the context of ongoing investments across MRC and the broader landscape, synergising with or capitalising upon existing knowledge and investments where relevant.

Support from research organisations

Considerable, sustained and clearly defined support from the research organisation is essential to a successful application. We expect research organisations to provide:

• laboratory space
• access to facilities and equipment
• access to necessary digital support infrastructure
• support to manage estates
• human resources services
• finance services
• underpinning of key staff positions
• access to additional sources of funding and support available to other researchers across the research organisations

Number of applications

An organisation may lead one outline application in round three.

Applications from existing MRC units may be submitted in addition, and do not count towards the one lead application per organisation limit.

Organisations may freely participate as a partner in applications led from other organisations.

For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the Additional information section.

Duration

We will support MRC CoREs for up to 14 years. The initial duration of this award is seven years, with a review point in year six to approve release of the second period of funding.

Funding available

The FEC of your project for the first seven years can be up to £26.25 million.

We will fund 80% of the FEC. Any identified exceptions will be funded at 100%. The maximum MRC contribution, including any identified exceptions funded at 100%, is £21 million.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) indexation will be applied at the time of award. We will not supplement awards for inflation after they have started.

We will support a limited number of interlinked research activities or themes, with funding focused on key strategic objectives, achievable during the 14-year lifespan. The MRC CoRE award should be founded upon existing grants at the point of establishment and provide a platform to win additional grant support from all available funders.

Full details of what we will fund will be available when the outline funding opportunity launches on 9 October 2024. This is expected to follow the same principles as previous MRC CoRE opportunities.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.

This funding opportunity includes a two-stage application process. The first stage is an outline application, the second stage is a full application.

Full details of how to apply will be made available when the outline funding opportunity opens on 9 October 2024.

You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system. The funding opportunity will run on the new UK Research and Innovation Funding Service.

Outline applications will be assessed by a panel consisting of individuals with expertise collectively spanning MRC remit.

The assessment is designed to identify the outstanding outline applications that demonstrate clear potential to be the international centre of excellence in the challenge, or those of exceptional national strategic importance. Only a small number of applicants will be invited to prepare a full application.

Full details of how we will assess your application will be available when the outline funding opportunity launches on 9 October 2024.

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

Improtant note: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact core@mrc.ukri.org

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

See further information on submitting an application.

Background

Further information on the funding model can be found in the MRC Centres of Research Excellence page.

Applications should be positioned in the context of ongoing investments
across MRC and the broader landscape and aligned with MRC Strategic Delivery Plan objectives.

MRC CoRE is a new funding model and MRC is committed to working with the community to ensure the application process and model is best positioned to realise its full potential. There may therefore be refinements to the submission requirements as the model matures, these will be communicated at the outline and full stage of each round.

Webinar for potential applicants

We will hold a webinar in November 2024, date to be confirmed. This will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.