MRC International Funding Opportunities
Accelerating progress in international health research is a major part the MRC Strategic Plan 2009-2014. Strategic Aim 3: Going Global includes our aim to provide leadership in international partnerships and to support global health research. International collaborations play an essential role in maintaining the high standards of research that the MRC funds and we strive to ensure that UK researchers have opportunities to engage and form partnerships with the best researchers in the world.
This page highlights funding opportunities for international partnerships and global health research. For information on how we contribute to and engage with organisations providing other international funding opportunities, please see our International Subscriptions and EU funding pages.
- Overseas co-applicants and collaborators on MRC grants
- Working at an overseas research organisation as part of an MRC fellowship
- ‘Money Follows Researchers’ scheme
- Bilateral agreements with overseas research funding agencies
- UK Israel Fellowship Scheme in Regenerative Medicine
Overseas co-applicants and collaborators on MRC grants
Applications for MRC grant schemes can include overseas co-applicants and collaborators, where the nature of the research makes this necessary. If applicants wish to request funding for the overseas partners, they must first discuss their request with the relevant Research Board scientific contact. All funding for overseas partners is paid by MRC to the grant Host Institution (usually the Principal Investigator’s host organisation), who take responsibility for paying costs out to their overseas research partners.
For further information see the Applicant Handbook and the Je-S System help pages.
Working at an overseas research organisation as part of an MRC fellowship
The MRC will support the costs of up to one year of an MRC fellowship spent overseas for the purpose of research training (up to two years in the case of career development awards).
For further information about how to include an overseas period in your fellowship application, please contact the MRC Fellowships team:
E-mail: fellows@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Web: Open Medical Research Council Fellowships
‘Money Follows Researchers’ scheme
The MRC recognises the importance of increasing UK researchers’ knowledge and experience by working in other European countries and the importance of promoting the UK as partner of choice.
The Money Follows Researchers scheme allows researchers funded by an MRC grant to continue their funded research upon moving to another participating European country. The grant can then be continued at the new research institution within the original terms and objectives.
Since the demise of the EuroHORCs agreements, there is no formal arrangement in place between the countries of the EU and/or the EEA covering the Money Follows Researcher scheme. The MRC will consider any requests for transfer on a case-by-case basis as there are some countries in Europe to which transfers may not be possible.
The following criteria have been agreed by the UK Research Councils and must all be met before any decision to transfer the grant can be made:
- The request to transfer a grant must state the date of the transfer which must be a minimum of 6 months before the grant end date;
- Councils should be assured that the science will not be impaired by the transfer;
- The PI will have to make a scientific case for it and will have to explain the effects of the transfer, if any, on the aims and objectives of the proposal;
- Research Grants will only be transferred under these arrangements when the PI moves. The move of a Co-Investigator will not trigger a transfer.
- Research Grants can only be transferred to an organisation equivalent to a UK HEI;
- Information will have to be given on the impact on any staff supported by the grant whether they intend to move with the grant or not;
- The normal requirement for the agreement of both the RO being left and the RO to which the grant is being moved must be provided;
- Only research grants can be transferred – fellowships are excluded from this arrangement;
- Only Directly Incurred Costs (excluding Equipment) may be transferred. All other costs under the Directly Allocated, Estates Costs and Indirect Costs expenditure types are excluded from any transfer value;
- The transfer will be made to the new home organisation of the PI;
- The new home organisation must be fully JeS registered before any transfer can take place;
- Payments will be made to the new home organisation on the same basis as UK-based grants, normally quarterly and payments will be made in sterling.
If you wish to use the scheme to transfer your grant to a European Institution, please contact the relevant Programme Manager in the first instance or for more information:
Contact: Kate Sheedy
Senior International Strategy Officer
Email: kate.sheedy@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk.
Bilateral agreements with overseas research funding agencies
RCUK/FAPESP Memorandum of Understanding
Research Councils UK has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FAPESP, the Research Council for the State of São Paulo to help encourage and support proposals that involve UK and Brazil collaborative teams. The MoU enables Brazilian and UK researchers to apply for funding through a single application and peer review process. The agreement not only strengthens the existing valuable research links between the UK and Brazil but removes some of the barriers facing international research collaboration. For further information on the agreement please see the implementation guidance.
MRC applications
The MRC will accept applications under the terms of this agreement to its Partnership, Programme and Research Grant Schemes.
Prior to submitting an application to the MRC applicants should email kate.sheedy@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk with details of:
- UK investigator and institution
- Brazilian investigator and institution
- Project title
- Board and deadline applicant is submitting to
How to apply
The Brazil and UK team should prepare a single application which must be submitted electronically by the UK-based Principal Investigator’s Research Organisation to the MRC grant scheme via the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) System.
If you need any assistance to use the system, please contact the JE-S helpdesk:
Tel: 01793 444164
Email: JesHelp@rcuk.ac.uk
Project title
Each application should be identified as a collaborative proposal under the MRC-FAPESP MoU by indicating this in the project title field. The text “MRC-FAPESP” should precede the project title.
Brazilian investigator details
The details of the lead Brazilian investigator should be entered in the ‘Project Partners’ section of the Je-S form. Institution, contact details and the FAPESP contribution should be submitted.
Costing
The UK applicant must detail the funding request from the MRC in the finance fields of the Je-S form.
The Brazilian funding request must be detailed in the FAPESP Consolidated Budget Form. This budget form must be attached to the application using the attachment type: Letter of Support
Applicants must also complete the FAPESP Proposal Form. This document should be attached to the application using the attachment type: Letter of Support
Closing date
This is an open funding opportunity and applications can be submitted to the standard board deadlines.
Assessment procedure
All proposals for MRC grant funding are assessed through a two-stage process involving independent expert reviewers and the MRC research boards/panels.
For each application, FAPESP will nominate at least one peer reviewer to provide a written assessment. Peer reviewers will use the criteria and procedures applicable to MRC. These comments will be formally incorporated in the MRC’s peer review processes. If applications are shortlisted to be assessed by the Research Board, FAPESP are invited to participate in the decision-making process either via correspondence or in person.
Please note that the involvement of FAPESP in the review process requires that each application is shared with FAPESP officers.
For enquiries regarding the MRC implementation of this Agreement please contact:
Kate Sheedy
Email: kate.sheedy@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Future international opportunities
Recent international initiatives
- UK-China Stem Cell Partnership Development Initiative
- ICMR-MRC Joint Initiative: Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases Research Funding
- A*STAR/MRC joint initiative to fund infectious disease research
UK Israel Fellowship Scheme in Regenerative Medicine
A joint UK Israel fellowship scheme has been launched under the umbrella of BIRAX, the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership in Regenerative Medicine, to further enhance collaborations between the countries in this area. The scheme will support research visits by UK / Israel researchers for up to six months to laboratories in the UK / Israel.
Deadline for applications is 17 May 2013 at 22:00 GMT.
Application forms and further information can be found on the BIRAX website (http://www.biraxrmi.org/fellowships)