Funding available
The MRC’s main priorities for the current Government spending review period (2005/06–2007/08) remain clinical and public health research and securing the health of underpinning disciplines and research areas. This is the first year in the spending review period of extra funding from the Government for pursuing the clinical research priority. Other priorities include infections and vaccines, global health, biomarkers, regenerative medicine, systems and integrative biology, brain sciences, and ageing.
These priorities have been taken into account in determining the level of funding for each MRC research board, and in deciding the size of the strategic budget.
Budgets for new research awards in 2007/08 in £million | |
Research board (including NIRG) and strategic |
MRC Council approved |
HSPHRB |
40 |
IIB |
30.6 |
MCMB |
36 |
NMHB |
44 |
PSCSB |
26.5 |
Strategic including 2004 Spending Review |
30 |
TOTAL |
207.1 |
HM Treasury announced earlier this year that the overall Science Budget for the next Comprehensive Spending Review period will rise by an average rate of 2.7% in real terms. The settlement for MRC for this period will be announced in October.
Budgets for new research awards in 2006/07 in £million | ||
Research board (including NIRG) and strategic |
MRC Council approved |
Total including carry-forward and full economic costing (FEC) uplift |
HSPHRB |
25.5 |
37.8 |
IIB |
22.0 |
32.6 |
MCMB |
27.0 |
39.1 |
NMHB |
32.1 |
47.6 |
PSCSB |
20.0 |
28.0 |
Strategic including 2004 Spending Review |
36.7 |
47.6 |
TOTAL |
163.3 |
232.7 |
Demand management
Where there are high numbers of applications submitted a triage system will be used. The MRC research boards will make the final funding decision.
Competition for funding for the MRC Research Boards
Competition for funding 2007/2008 | |||
Board cycle |
Number of applications |
Whole life value of applications (£m) |
Funding available (£m) |
1st Board cycle June/July 2007 |
374 |
239 |
64.9 |
2nd Board cycle October/November 2007 |
306 |
173.5 |
53.1 |
Competition for funding 2006/2007 | |||
Board cycle |
Number of applications |
Whole life value of applications (£m) |
Funding available (£m) |
1st Board cycle June/July 2006 |
198 |
149 |
61.4 |
2nd Board cycle Oct/Nov 2006 |
281 |
180 |
62.4 |
3rd Board cycle Feb/Mar 2007 |
367 |
204 |
62.4 |
Contact: Pre-award Management Team
Telephone: 020 7636 5422
Email: grants@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk