Infections and immunity : programme

Opportunity status : Open

Funders : Funding type :

Grant

Publication date : 6 May 2025

Opening date :

6 May 2025 9 : 00am UK time

Closing date :

4 September 2025 4 : 00pm UK time

Apply for funding to support a programme of research focused on Infections and immunity.

You must :

• be employed at a research organisation eligible to apply for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding
• have a record of securing funding and delivering research

There is no limit to the funding you can apply for. Applicants typically apply for £1 million or more.

We will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.

Your programme can last up to five years.

You must complete the pre-application stage and be invited to the full stage.

This is an ongoing funding opportunity.

You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do so following a successful pre-application. See ‘How to apply’ for more information.

To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. .

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must :

For applicants who do not have a contract of employment for the duration of the proposed project, by submitting an application the research organisation is confirming, if it is successful :

Who is not eligible to apply

You are not eligible to apply for a programme grant if you lead a programme at an :

You are not usually able to apply for another programme grant if you already hold a programme grant. We expect you to focus on leading only one MRC programme. Contact us at  if there are exceptional reasons for you to have multiple programmes.

You are also not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity as a project lead if you are based at an international research organisation. This does not include project leads from MRC Unit The Gambia or MRC / UVRI Uganda Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

International researchers

As MRC is a lead funder for this funding opportunity, international researchers can apply as project co-lead (international).

Project co-leads (international) make a major intellectual contribution to the design or conduct of the project. Their contribution and added value to the research should be clearly explained and justified in the application, see ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’.

Read the for more details.