Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Co-funders:
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Funding type:
Grant
Award range:
£150,000 - £1,000,000
Publication date:
3 April 2025
Opening date:
30 April 2025 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
16 July 2025 4:00pm UK time
Apply for funding to support a new research partnership to enable the development and delivery of novel applied research that will address global health challenges and inequities.
We are looking to develop a portfolio of high-quality partnerships, which will be diverse, promote multidisciplinarity and strengthen global health research capacity.
We encourage applications from project leads based in:
* low and middle-income countries (LMICs)
* the UK, working in partnership with LMIC researchers
You must be invited to apply for stage two of this applied global health research funding opportunity.
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do so, following a successful stage one application.
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 be eligible as an individual who is based at either an eligible UK research organisation, or based in a:
* research organisation in a LMIC, with degree-awarding powers recognised by the government in which the organisation is based
* research-focused institute based in a LMIC either funded by the government of the country in which the organisation is based, or by a not-for-profit organisation
* research-focused not-for-profit organisation based in an LMIC with dedicated research capacity
If you 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:
* contracts will be extended beyond the end date of the project
* all necessary support for the project and the applicants will be provided, including mentorship and career development for early career researchers
Who is not eligible to apply
You are not eligible to apply if you are based in a high-income country (does not include UK project leads, who are eligible), or in India. You are not eligible to be project lead but may be eligible to be project co-lead (international).
It is expected that researchers from India and any high-income countries make a significant contribution to their own research costs, including covering their own overheads. Where India is included in a project there must be at least two other LMICs involved in the project.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is unable to support Official Development Assistance (ODA) research and innovation activities taking place in China, or where China is the direct beneficiary. This means the ODA compliance statement submitted by applicants should not identify China as part of the project’s rationale or justification. Providing no UK funding flows to China, it is permissible for China-based researchers to be involved in UKRI funded activities when part of a consortia of internationally based researchers. China-based researchers are not eligible to lead applications.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
* career breaks
* support for people with caring responsibilities
* flexible working
* alternative working patterns
UKRI can during the application and assessment process.
Scope
The Applied Global Health Research Board (AGHRB) funds research to address global health challenges and inequities. Our remit includes applied research that will lead to tangible change in health policy and practice in the near future by developing practical, impact focused research.
We’re looking to fund strategically important, original providing a distinct and important contribution to the research landscape. The partnerships should be driven by the research needs of the LMICs involved, and should be multi-country, ideally demonstrating that the partnership will generate generalisable benefits for the research community.
Partnerships should be linked to high-quality research programmes and should demonstrate how the partnership will facilitate the development and delivery of future novel applied research. Partnerships should clearly demonstrate how the research field will benefit from the bringing together of the research teams involved.
We welcome cross-sector partnerships combining expertise to meet a global health challenge. You can include a broad range of partners, and non-academic partners are permitted. We particularly encourage engagement with civic society and policymakers. You can read our detailing examples of successful partnership grants and why we funded them.
We will fund partnerships between diverse groups of researchers. These partnerships must:
* establish new, high-value collaborative activities or capabilities in several LMICs
* add value to high-quality scientific programmes of applied research that are already supported by grants from MRC and other funders
* present a cohesive set of activities underpinned by a robust governance structure
* include stakeholder engagement with a broad range of partners
* demonstrate how the partnership will enable future applied research to be conducted
You can apply for funding for a partnership to address any health topic of relevance in the context where the research will be conducted.
If you are unsure whether your application fits the remit described, please send a one-page summary of your application to
The MRC partners with the FCDO to support global health projects. Some of the projects funded through the AGHRB in specific strategic areas of mutual interest such as climate and health, women and girls’ reproductive health, early childhood development and epidemic preparedness will be funded under this partnership.
Types of collaboration
Collaborative activities can include:
* networking and partnership activities: establishing multidisciplinary, multi-country collaborative partnerships or consortia, fostering or enabling a national or international strategy across the field, enabling knowledge sharing or creation across institutions
* situational analyses or evaluation of the policy landscape to facilitate priority setting in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders
* infrastructure support for establishing a unique shared resource or helping to exploit it, for example staff, systems, equipment, seminars, workshops: this could include a coordinated set of needs-led and complementary networking activities, including outreach work and travel, with a defined output
* platform activities such as specialist data and software platforms or resources
* training, career development and capacity building in strategically important areas
* support of small scale, pump-priming projects may be considered, but specific research questions should not be the focus of the partnership. These projects should be interdisciplinary, high risk or gain projects which will demonstrate the novel capability of a new partnership
Successful partnership grants usually include a combination of these components. We will reject applications for funding only networking activities.
We expect partnership grants to reach maturity by the end of the initial award.
You should find alternative ways of funding any follow-on activities.
Through our investments in global health research, we aim to support a portfolio of high quality, high priority, diverse investments to improve health, encouraging:
* innovation in study design
* multidisciplinarity to address global challenges
* diverse health topics: prioritise local relevance with potential for global impact
Through our investments in global health research, we also aim to:
* prioritise equitable partnerships
* invest in research capacity strengthening
* promote co-design and co-production with communities, policymakers and health practitioners
Gender equity
All projects funded by the AGHRB must adhere to principles of gender equity. Part of the assessment criteria will include the gender balance of the team, and also the potential for the research to promote gender equity. Projects with a poor gender balance or where the research project implementation or outcomes may exacerbate gender inequalities, will be rejected.
Strengthening research capacity as part of your application
We are committed to strengthening research capacity within LMICs and the UK. All applicants are required to develop plans to strengthen research capacity within their application, which will be assessed by expert reviewers and inform funding decisions.
We encourage you to start discussing capacity strengthening priorities as early as possible, in consultation with key stakeholders, both within and outside of your project team. For example:
* researchers
* laboratory technicians
* data collectors
* field workers
* managers
* practitioners
* policymakers
* research management offices
We take a broad view of where capacity strengthening activities could be targeted, however plans must be directly linked to the proposed project. Activities could target the individual, institutional or contextual level, or span multiple levels, and plans should be proportionate to the scale of the project, with larger projects expected to be more ambitious.
Examples of capacity building include, but are not limited to:
* building leadership skills amongst early career researchers
* opportunities for mutual learning across the project team, such as through staff exchanges (for example, the wider health context, engagement with policymakers and research management)
* building capacity to work collaboratively, across disciplines and across practice-research boundaries (for example, with policymakers, managers, and practitioners in the system)
* providing mentoring to improve the capacity of less-experienced researchers to generate new knowledge and achieve policy impact
* team members attending training courses to develop specific expertise or obtain relevant qualifications (excluding master’s and PhDs)
* opportunities for staff and associated health managers to author or co-author journal and conference papers and participate in national and international conferences
* building organisational capacity (for example, in management, finance or communications)
* the formation of LMICs research networks
Find further .
Although new investigator research grants are not available through the AGHRB, we are committed to supporting early career researchers in applied global health. The board will consider each applicant’s career stage and proposed mentorship arrangements during funding discussions.
Areas we will not fund
We will not fund:
* stand-alone hypothesis-driven research projects suitable for the
* stand-alone capacity strengthening applications without clear links to high-quality applied research programmes
* discovery research or research that includes an applied component that fits within a current, programme or priority. This includes early translation and feasibility studies in the remit of the. Applicants wishing to do early translational or pilot studies should carefully consider whether the proposed work fits the remit of these other panels first before submitting to AGHRB
* observational or prevalence studies
* studies where the focus is on surveillance, unless the proposed work is applied research into novel methods for surveillance research
* stand-alone capacity strengthening applications without clear links to high-quality applied research programmes
* early phase clinical trials (phase 1 and 2a)
Board opportunities
These opportunities represent areas of specific strategic focus that help to inform discussions at funding meetings, but you can submit research applications that focus on any applied global health topic.
Maternal and neonatal health
The aims to provide funding for innovative applied research to address the global burden of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.
Early childhood development
The board supports research in early childhood development, which encompasses the physical, socio emotional, cognitive, and motor development of children from birth to eight years of age.
Early childhood development is the outcome of the. This is a range of education, health, nutrition and social protection inputs and environments. Applications in this area will be jointly funded by the FCDO as part of a coordinated effort to increase and scale up the evidence base for early childhood development interventions.
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Adolescent health
The aims to fund innovative applied research to improve adolescent health in LMICs.
Implementation science
Maximising impact from research remains a priority for MRC. To ensure that we meet this priority, we are funding research to address the implementation gap and progress interventions towards real-world impact.
We expect this research to ensure that evidence-based health interventions are implemented in an accessible and fair way for the most vulnerable populations.
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If you are unsure whether your application fits the remit described, please send a one-page summary of your plans to
Duration
We will fund projects lasting up to five years, although projects typically last three to four years.
Funding available
The resources you request should be appropriate for the objectives of your application. We will accept applications of all sizes from £150,000 up to approximately £1 million MRC contribution. MRC typically fund 80% of the full economic cost, excluding eligible international costs, which are funded as exceptions (100%). We will take value for money into account when assessing applications.
Equitable partnerships, including financial equity, are a key principle of the board. Applications in which the majority of the funding is allocated to the UK, plus any high-income countries (or India), will be rejected.
What we will fund
You can request funding for costs such as:
* a contribution to the salary of the project lead and project co-leads (UK)
* 100% salary costs for project leads and project co-leads (international), based within a LMIC
* support for other posts such as research and technical
* research consumables as part of small scale or pump priming research activities (note, research activities should be minimal)
* equipment
* travel costs
* data preservation, data sharing and dissemination costs
* estates and indirect costs
* research capacity strengthening activities (excluding Masters and PhD fees and stipends)
* LMIC publication costs can be requested, where all the authors are from LMICs
* public partnerships and related activities, including
Please note: total costs attributed to international high income countries (those not on the ), or India, must not exceed 30% of the full economic cost grant value. There is no cap on eligible funds attributed to international project co-leads from DAC list countries.
What we will not fund
We will not fund:
* master’s and PhD studentships
* UK publication costs (publication costs where all the authors are from LMICs can be included)
* funding to use as a ‘bridge’ between grants
Team project partners
You may include project partners that will support your research project through cash or in-kind contributions, such as:
* staff time
* access to equipment
* sites or facilities
* the provision of data
* software or materials
Where there is engagement from individuals based in government agencies, international intergovernmental organisations (for example, the World Health Organization), or other stakeholder organisations (for example, industry collaborators), applicants should include them as a named project partner.
You are not required to provide project partner letters (or emails) of support for stage one of the application process (they will need to be provided at stage two).
Each project partner must provide a statement of support. If your application involves industry partners, they must provide additional information if the relationship falls within the .