Infections and immunity research

Apply for funding for research projects focused on infections and immunity.

You must:

• be based at a UK research organisation eligible for MRC funding, this includes MRC units and centres
• have at least a postgraduate degree.

You can involve more than one research group or institution in the project.

There is no limit to the funding you can apply for, but it should be appropriate to the project. We will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.

Projects can last up to five years, but they typically last three to four years.

This is an ongoing scheme. Application rounds open every February, June and October

Any UK-based researcher with an employment contract at an eligible research organisation can apply. You will need to:

• have at least a postgraduate degree, although we usually expect most applicants to have a PhD or medical degree
• show that you will direct the project and be actively engaged in the work.

You can include one or more industry partners as project partners in your application. International co-investigators can be included if they provide expertise not available in the UK.

The focus of this funding opportunity is infections and immunity research. There are similar opportunities across other areas of medical research within the MRC remit, including:

• molecular and cellular medicine
• population and systems medicine
• neurosciences and mental health.

There are also other types of awards, including:

• programmes
• partnerships
• new investigator. You should contact us if you are not sure which opportunity to apply to.

The Infections and Immunity Board funds research into infectious human disease and disorders of the human immune system. The board supports a diverse portfolio of research of relevance to the UK and globally and to address both long-standing questions and support the investigation of emerging higher-risk opportunities.

Research we fund includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

discovery research relating to:

• human pathogens
• pathogenicity
• antimicrobial resistance
• host pathogen responses including inflammation and the development function and disorders of the - immune system where this informs mechanism of disease.
• immune disease including:
• allergy (except asthma and other organ-based disorders)
• transplantation immunology
• systemic immune disorders
• auto-immune disease.

This includes use of in silico systems, relevant animal models and experimental studies in humans throughout the life course:

• population-level research using epidemiological, genetic and omic approaches, and computational modelling, to:
• elucidate disease risks, aetiologies and progression
• understand the evolution of pathogen populations and epidemic preparedness.
• research to inform novel strategies for preventing and controlling infectious and immune disease, including:
• vector control
• predictive modelling
• early development research to inform future intervention strategies including vaccines.