Please note: This website is best viewed in a modern browser like Chrome, Edge or Firefox. We no longer support Internet Explorer 11.

Where to find funding

Where to find funding

NIHR is the nation’s largest funder of health and care research, spending £1 billion from the Department of Health and Social Care on research every year.  However, a wide range of bodies fund health and social care research, including charities i.e. Alzheimer’s Society and the Medical Research Council, or industry, some fund projects jointly. Most have specific areas of interest and many are disease specific. Sources of further information include (note this is not an exhaustive list):    

  • Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) is the national membership organisation for medical and health research charities. AMRC members support over one-third of all UK publicly-funded medical research in the UK, with members investing over £1.2 billion in health research in the UK in 2012.
  • Medical Research Council (MRC) funds research through a range of grants, calls, highlight notices, studentships and fellowships.
  • National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a range of programmes addressing a broad range of health priorities. Funding is based on the quality and relevance of the research to personal social services, public health and the NHS. 
  • NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) is part of the NIHR, manages a number of research programmes, including: Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation; Health Services and Delivery Research; Health Technology Assessment; Public Health Research; and Systematic Reviews. 
  • UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) many different organisations fund health research in the UK. The UKCRC has developed a coherent approach to health research funding by providing a forum to coordinate the activities of funding bodies and by developing an evidence base to inform strategic planning. 
  • UK Research Office (UKRO) is the European office of the UK Research Councils. Activities include providing details on European Commission funding opportunities.

There is support available to you when preparing a grant application.

Specific Calls

Funder 

Clinical area 

Research question 

Criteria 

Amount 

Deadline 

NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme 

Children and young people 

What is the clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve self-care of children and young people with neurodisability? 

Randomised Controlled Trial 

Minimum duration of follow-up is 12 months 

No maximum limit 

29/11/2022 (Stage 1) 

NIHR Public Health Research Programme 

Health inequalities 

What interventions are effective to promote good mental health and wellbeing among young women aged 12-24? 

Evaluation of interventions operating at a population level rather than at an individual level, which should address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. 

Primary or secondary research, i.e. trials, evaluations, or analysis of epidemiological data. 

 

No maximum limit 

29/11/2022 (Stage 1) 

 

Webinar for applicants on Wednesday 28 September, 14:45–16:00 

NIHR Public Health Research Programme 

Health inequalities 

Which interventions, aimed at people working in SMEs, precarious job roles or in specific occupations, have the most impactful in securing mental health and wellbeing of the employees and how do we ensure that these interventions are cost-effective for the employers, business owner or host organisation? 

  

Evaluation of interventions operating at a population level rather than at an individual level, which should address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. 

Primary or secondary research, i.e. trials, evaluations, or analysis of epidemiological data. 

 

No fixed limit 

29/11/2022 (Stage 1) 

 

Webinar for applicants on Wednesday 28 September, 14:45–16:00 

NIHR Public Health Research Programme 

Perinatal 

Which interventions are the most impactful in improving mental health outcomes in women or/and partners experiencing a pregnancy not ending in a live birth in the UK? 

 

Evaluation of interventions operating at a population level rather than at an individual level, which should address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. 

Primary or secondary research, i.e. trials, evaluations, or analysis of epidemiological data. 

 

No fixed limit 

29/11/2022 (Stage 1) 

 

Webinar for applicants on Wednesday 28 September, 14:45–16:00 

Wellcome Trust 

Anxiety, depression, psychosis 

Mental Health Award: Integrating sleep and circadian science into our understanding and treatment of anxiety, depression and psychosis 

PhD (or equivalent) and significant postdoctoral research experience, ready to lead independent research programme. 

Interested in applications that advance understanding of the dynamic changes that occur in sleep and circadian rhythm across trajectories and phases of anxiety, depression and psychosis, in different developmental, geographical, societal and cultural contexts. 

Up to £3M over 5 years 

19/10/2022 

Generic Calls

Funder 

Clinical area 

Title 

Criteria 

Amount 

Deadline 

Wellcome 

N/a 

Early Careers Awards 

PhD or at least four years' equivalent research experience 

 

Early-career researcher ready to design, plan and deliver own innovative research project that aims to: 

 

Advance understanding in your field and/or 

 

Develop methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research. 

salary and up to £400,000 for 5 years 

18/10/2022 

Wellcome 

N/A 

Career Development Awards 

Mid-career researcher and ready to lead a substantial and innovative research programme; 

Make a key contribution to your field by: 

  • generating significant shifts in understanding and/or 

  • developing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research. 

Not specified, 8 years 

 

01/12/2022 

Barts Charity 

Enhance our understanding of health and illness and/or have the potential to lead to improved lives in East London. 

 

Research Seed Grants 

 

 

Applicants need to be in post at one of the below: 

  • Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London 

  • Barts Health NHS Trust hospitals 

  • School of Health Sciences at City, University of London  

Up to £75,000 for staff and research costs specific to your application, over up to 12 months (or 18 months for projects that involve patient/participant recruitment). 

Applications accepted 4 times a year. Upcoming deadlines: 

20/10/2022 

27/01/2023 

Barts Charity 

Enhance our understanding of health and illness, with  

potential to lead to improved lives in East London. 

 

Research Project grants 

Applicants need to be in post at one of the below: 

  • Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London 

  • Barts Health NHS Trust hospitals 

  • School of Health Sciences at City, University of London 

£75,000 to £600,000 for staff and research costs specific to your application, over up to 36 months (or 48 months if includes PhD studentship).   

Applications accepted twice a year. Next deadline: 

6/10/2022 

Medical Research Council (MRC) 

Public Health 

Public Health Intervention Development (PHIND) 

Applicants need at least a postgraduate degree and an employment contract for the duration of the award at an eligible research organisation. 

Early-stage development of interventions that seek to address either UK or global public health challenges, including qualitative and quantitative primary research and the development of theory and logic models. 

up to £150,000, for a maximum of 18 months. 

15/09/2022 

Medical Research Council (MRC) 

Neuroscience and mental health 

Neurosciences and mental health partnership 

Researcher with at least postgraduate degree, but PhD preferred.

Funding for new collaborations that will transform our understanding of neurosciences and mental health. 

Not stated 

27/09/2022 

Medical Research Council (MRC) 

Neuroscience and mental health 

Neurosciences and mental health new investigator  

Applicants need to have a postgraduate degree and employed by eligible organisation, ready to take the next step to become an independent PI. 

Proposal for research that increases understanding within the field of neurosciences and mental health. 

Maximum limit not specified, but funding lasts three years and covers up to 50% of salary and 80% of full economic costs of project. 

27/09/2022 

Future deadlines in January and May. 

Medical Research Council (MRC) 

N/a 

Daphne Jackson fellowship 

Anyone who has taken a break of two years or more from research for family, caring or health reasons. 

A PhD, or at least three years research experience (academic or industrial) prior to the career break (with evidence of research impacts and outcomes) 

Salary and expenses up to £1,500 

Applications accepted throughout the year.

Specific Sponsored Fellowships advertised throughout the year. 

PhD Fellowships

Funder 

Clinical area 

Summary 

Criteria 

Amount 

Deadline 

Wellcome 

Under-represented populations and diseases 

HARP PhD programme 

Research projects must focus on underrepresented populations and diseases and can address mechanisms, phenotypes or therapies. 

 

Funding for health professionals. 

 

1 year pre-doctoral training also available. 

FT salary for 3 years 

2023 deadline TBC 

Wellcome 

Translational neuroscience 

 

Data science and digital technologies 

 

Society, Policy and Mental Health 

King’s PhD Programme in Mental Health Research for Health Professionals 

health or social care professionals and be registered with a national professional regulatory body 

FT salary for 3 years 

2023 deadline TBC 

Medical Research Council (MRC) 

MRC science area, including: 

  • population and systems medicine 

  • neurosciences and mental health 

  • translation 

  • global health 

  • methodology 

  • public health. 

Clinical research training fellowship 

registered healthcare professional, either: 

  • planning to undertake a PhD or similar 

  • a PhD graduate working outside of research, usually five or more years ago. 

Salary and project costs for 3 years 

07/09/2022 

 

Application rounds open three times per year, closing in January, April and September. 

London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP) 

Social and behavioural science  

Open competition 

Open to UK and international students 

 

Research proposal developed by applicant 

Either full or part-time (50%) in either 1+3 (1 year-Masters degree following by a 3-year PhD) or +3 (3-year PhD) format. 

2023 deadline TBC 

Barts Charity 

Enhance our understanding of health and illness and/or have the potential to lead to improved lives in East London. 

Healthcare Professional Clinical Research Training Fellowships 

Healthcare professionals employed by Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London or City, University of London 

3 years of full time salary support 

04/11/2022