MICA - Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and answers regarding eligibility, funding, preparing an application, ethics and communications for the MRC Industry Collaboration Agreement (MICA).
Eligibility
Q: Which organisations are eligible?
A: Normal MRC eligibility criteria for MRC grant applicants apply; in addition applications must involve at least one company and one RCUK-approved research organisation. This scheme aims to encourage collaborative research between research organisations and industry.
UK companies of any size may participate in partnership with an eligible research organisation, and multinational companies may do so provided they have a significant manufacturing or research base in the UK. However, if the only/most appropriate industrial partner that could be justified scientifically was a non-UK industrial partner this is also acceptable.
Q: Can MRC units and institutes apply?
A: Yes but only in cases where the lead applicant is eligible for the chosen research funding scheme i.e. managed mode, strategic applications. Where the MRC institute/unit is the lead applicant, any MRC award will be made on the basis of 100 percent directly incurred costs only and will not include indirect or estates costs.
Q: Is my UK institution eligible?
A: Eligible organisations fall into three categories:
- UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs);
- Research Council institutes;
- Independent Research Organisation (IROs).
For further details please see the applicants handbook and the Research Council UK website.
All eligible lead research organisations must also be registered with the MRC to apply for funding via the Joint electronic-Submission system (Je-S). If you are unsure whether your research organisation is registered or is eligible, email the helpdesk JeSHelp@rcuk.ac.uk
Please note that the registration process can take up to 10 working days. Your organisation will only be registered once all documents have been assessed and your eligibility confirmed.
Q: Does my application have to include an industry partnership?
A: Yes. In addition, a representative of the industrial partner should, in general, be named as a Project Partner on the Je-S application.
Q: Do I need to specify the level of the industrial partner’s contribution on the Je-S application?
A: Yes. Their allowed costs should be entered into the Project Partners contribution fields. You should also provide a detailed breakdown of these costs on the MICA form.
Q: Can the value of the partnership be counted in resources rather than £ sterling?
A: Yes. For all applications, MRC will expect to see evidence of commitment to the venture from both the research organisation and the company. You will need to provide details as to how the collaboration will work and what contributions each party is making.
Q: What about Intellectual Property (IP) rights?
A: The MRC does not deal with IP rights arising from research funded by grants for extramural research. The host research organisation will have to handle this with the industrial collaborator (taking care to retain IP rights themselves). The agreed distribution of project generated IP must be consistent with the requirements of the EC approved “Grant for Collaborative R&D” scheme.
MRC will need agreement and confirmation that the data generated from this research can be placed in the public domain within a reasonable timeframe.
Any MRC establishments or directly-employed MRC staff will need to discuss IP with MRC Technology.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of applications a research organisation can submit?
A: No, there is no limit per research organisation, but we would strongly suggest that research organisations consider the funds available when approving applications for submission, and their capacity to deliver the full range of proposed studies.
Q: Can I submit research which has previously been submitted to an MRC Research Board or Panel and was not funded?
A: Yes, if a year has passed since the original submission. However, it is expected that the proposal will have been substantially revised, taking into account the feedback/comments received, such that it is more competitive. Similarly, MRC anticipates that applicants would have significantly revised proposals that may have been previously unsuccessful with other funders.
Q: Do I have to submit a MICA form and Heads of Terms with an outline application?
A: No. You are only required to submit a MICA form and Heads of Terms with full applications, unless specified otherwise in the outline application guidance.
Funding
Q: When will funds be available from?
A: We are keen for grants to start as early as possible after the awards are announced. Early planning for any regulatory submissions (for example, use of animals) will help to prevent delays to initiating awarded projects.
Q: Will the application attract full economic costs (FEC)?
A: Applicants need to show the full costs of a research project to the research organisation. The MRC will meet 80 per cent of these costs (unless there are exceptions).
Q: Will awards be pruned?
A: Only under exceptional circumstances will awards be pruned. Therefore, it is important that applications are appropriately costed and represent clear value for money. If you over or under bid, it is likely your application will be rejected.
Preparing an application
Q: My organisation is not registered to use Je-S?
A: All eligible lead research organisations must also be registered with the MRC to apply for funding via Je-S. If you are unsure whether your research organisation is registered or is eligible, email the helpdesk
Email: jeshelp@rcuk.ac.uk
Please note that the registration process can take up to 10 working days. Your organisation will only be registered once all documents have been assessed and your eligibility confirmed.
Q: When preparing an Je-S application, what grant scheme and scientific contact do I select?
A: You should first chose the grant scheme (research grant, programme grant, developmental pathway funding scheme, call, etc) that is most appropriate for your proposed research and then follow the specific guidance of this scheme to determine which Je-S grant scheme and scientific contact you should select.
Q: What evidence do I need to provide to support the proposed academic – industry partnership?
A: We will require a Heads of Terms signed by each collaborator showing that they are willing to collaborate for the duration of the study. The Heads of Terms should also set out the distribution of IP.
Q: How do I submit a MICA application and Heads of Terms?
A: Applications will only be accepted using Je-S and the MICA form. The MICA form and Heads of Terms should be saved as PDFs and uploaded in the ‘attachments’ section of your Je-S application.
Q: When is the deadline for submission of the proposal?
A: If you are applying to a call for proposals, the deadline is that given in the call. For other applications, please check which of the MRC’s Research Boards awards grants in your scientific area and check its application deadlines dates.
Q: How do prepare my case for support?
A: Your case for support (a document including, amongst other things, your scientific proposals, information on past achievements, details of the environment, people involved and references) needs to be attached to your Je-S application as a PDF document within the ‘attachments’ section.
The contents of your case for support will depend on the scheme for which you are applying, specific guidance can be found in the applicants handbook or MRC website.
Q: Do I need to submit a MICA form for each industrial collaborator?
A: Only one MICA form should be submitted, this should list all collaborators
Ethics and governance
Q: Do I need full ethics permission and regulatory approvals for any human studies in the grant proposal? If so, when should I apply for this?
A: MRC does not require ethics permissions and regulatory approvals to be in place when you submit an application. However, given that experimental medicine research proposals may raise various ethical and regulatory issues, applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have adequately considered these. Early discussions with regulatory bodies may be required to ensure that all requirements can be met in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of your host institution to ensure that the appropriate ethics approval(s) have been obtained and that no research requiring such approval is initiated before it has been granted. Please click here for the full MRC terms and conditions.
Communications
Q: How will you let me know if my application has been successful?
A: We will notify the lead applicant of the decision by email communication.
Other
Q: If my query is not answered by the FAQ’s, or I have a scientific query regarding my application, who do I contact?
A: If your query concerns the MICA application form or MICA application process please contact grants@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk. If you have a query about the scientific aspect of your application, please contact the person(s) named in the call or the relevant MRC Programme Manager on the Research Boards contacts page.
Q: Who should I contact for queries concerning preparing my Je-S application form?
A: Please refer to the applicants handbook and Je-S Help for details in preparing your application and the specific scheme applicant guidance on the MRC website.
Je-S Helpdesk
- Je-S help desk: web page
- Je-S help desk: 01793 44 4164
- Je-S help desk: JeSHelp@rcuk.ac.uk
Please note that the Je-S helpdesk voicemail will log calls at all other times and will take messages if the line is already in use.