Research funding opportunities

We support and promote paediatric child health research in the UK and internationally. Search our database of current and upcoming opportunities for projects and posts.

These opportunities are not managed nor endorsed by RCPCH. Though we do our best to ensure they are relevant and high quality, we cannot take any responsibility for their content or accuracy.

If you have questions or would like to submit a joint funding application with the College, contact us on research@rcpch.ac.uk.

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Medical Research Council (MRC) - Partnership Grants

Provides core funds for one to five years to support new partnerships between diverse groupings of researchers and can be used for infrastracture support, platform activities and for bringing together managed consortia or multidisciplinary collaborations.
Award programme/theme
Partnership grant
Funding amount range
Over £500,000
Maximum duration
5 years
Submission deadline

Medical Research Council (MRC) - Programme Grants

Provides grants for larger, longer term and renewable programmes. A programme is defined as a coordinated and coherent group of related projects, which may be developed to address an inter-related set of questions across a broad scientific area. Applicant must contact the Programme Manager of the relevant MRC Research Board to confirm whether the application fits the scheme at least six weeks before the submission deadline.
Award programme/theme
Programme grant
Funding amount range
Over £500,000
Maximum duration
3-5 years

Medical Research Council (MRC) - Research Grant

Funding for focussed research projects that may be short or long term in nature.
Award programme/theme
Project grant
Funding amount range
Over £500,000
Maximum duration
3-5 years

Medical Research Council (MRC) - Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCF)

Supports talented medically and other clinically qualified professionals, with an effective track record of internationally competitive independent research, to make the transition to research leadership.
Award programme/theme
Fellowship
Maximum duration
5 years

Medical Research Council (MRC) - Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship (SNCF)

Supports proven independent researchers with an effective track record of internationally competitive independent research to make the transition to research leadership.
Award programme/theme
Fellowship
Maximum duration
5 years

Medical Research Council (MRC) - Skills Development Fellowship

For capacity building in MRC priority areas - devolved funding model in which applicant must apply to their research organisation for funding.
Award programme/theme
Fellowship
Maximum duration
3 years

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME)

Primarily supports clinical trials, and other robustly designed studies that test the efficacy of interventions. The interventions should have the potential to improve patient care or benefit the public. The programme will only support studies where there is sufficient evidence that the intervention might work in man, i.e. that there is ‘proof of concept’.
Award programme/theme
Project grant
Funding amount range
Over £500,000

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Funds research about the clinical and cost effectiveness and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests for NHS users and service providers. The study outcomes should lead to findings that have potential to be of direct benefit to NHS patients.
Award programme/theme
Project grant
Funding amount range
Over £500,000

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - Invention for Innovation (i4i)

To support the application of emerging technologies and demonstrate their usefulness and broader applicability within clinics.
Award programme/theme
Innovation award
Funding amount range
Over £500,000

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR)

Supports work that will deliver findings with practical application, typically through improved healthcare or better healthcare delivery, within three to five years of programme's end.
Award programme/theme
Programme grant
Funding amount range
Over £500,000
Maximum duration
Over 5 years