Getting funding for research projects can be time consuming and difficult. But there are plenty of useful guides and tips to help find the best funding option for your research. We have collated some of these below:
NIHR INSIGHT
| Funder/Programme | Scheme/Call | Closing deadline | link | Stage | Key words | Brief Description | Funds availaible | Timescale | Co-Applicants or Partners | Webminar and virtual workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIHR | Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) researcher-led | 21 January 2026 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/health-and-social-care-delivery-research-hsdr-researcher-led/2025330 | outline | ||||||
| NIHR | Programme Grants for Applied Research - October 2025 | 02-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/programme-grants-applied-research-october-2025/2025350-2025351-2025352 | outline | ||||||
| NIHR - PHR Programme | Evaluation of the national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme for England | 09-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/evaluation-national-targeted-supervised-toothbrushing-programme-england/2025435 | |||||||
| NIHR - Health and Social Care Delivery Research | Early action and prevention within Health and Social Care Services | 21-Jan-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/early-action-and-prevention-within-health-and-social-care-services/2025410 | |||||||
| NIHR | Development Guidance for Better Research Methods | 02-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/development-guidance-better-research-methods/2025395 | fund research into developing guidance on biomedical and health and social care research methodologies | £120,000.00 | |||||
| NIHR | BMBR Programme Researcher-Led | 02-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/bmbr-programme-researcher-led/2025393 | £625,000 | ||||||
| NIHR | HTA researcher-led – primary research | 07-Jan-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/hta-researcher-led-primary-research/2025390 | |||||||
| NIHR | Prehospital blood plasma for isolated severe traumatic brain injury | 7 January 2026 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/prehospital-blood-plasma-isolated-severe-traumatic-brain-injury/2025366 | |||||||
| NIHR | Management of refractory chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis in children and young people | 07-Jan-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/management-refractory-chronic-nonbacterial-osteomyelitis-children-and-young-people/2025365 | |||||||
| NIHR | PHR Programme researcher-led | 9 December 2025 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/phr-programme-researcher-led/2025379 | |||||||
| NIHR | Continuing areas of research interest to the PHR Programme | 9 December 2025 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/continuing-areas-research-interest-phr-programme/2025384 | |||||||
| NIHR | Optimising treatment duration with immunomodulators to reduce overtreatment | 02-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/optimising-treatment-duration-immunomodulators-reduce-overtreatment/2025255 | |||||||
| NIHR | Studies evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of ambulance service led interventions | 07-Jan-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/studies-evaluating-clinical-and-cost-effectiveness-ambulance-service-led-interventions/2025375 | |||||||
| NIHR | Modelling the effects of public policy on e-cigarette use | 09-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/modelling-effects-public-policy-e-cigarette-use/2025360 | |||||||
| NIHR | Post-acute infection syndromes, including long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome | 02-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/post-acute-infection-syndromes-including-long-covid-and-myalgic-encephalomyelitischronic-fatigue-syndrome/2025354 | |||||||
| NIHR | What are the social and mental wellbeing benefits of intergenerational practices in care homes and schools? | 27-Nov-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/what-are-social-and-mental-wellbeing-benefits-intergenerational-practices-care-homes-and-schools/2025318 | outline | ||||||
| UKRI | Regional accounts for clinical researchers | 18-Dec-25 | Regional accounts for clinical researchers – UKRI | Funding for consortium to identify and address gas in support for clinical researchers | Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams | |||||
| UKRI | Experimental Medicine Stage One | 15-Apr-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/experimental-medicine/ | academically led experimental medicine projects | Funding to investigate, the causes, progression and treatment of human disease | No limit on amount of funding, 80% of FEC | No time limit | MRC EM Challenge Grants Webinar | ||
| UKRI | Small molecule high throughput using astrazeneca facilities | 29-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/small-molecule-high-throughput-screen-using-astrazeneca-facilities/ | Small molecule HTA using AstraZeneca facilities, supporting academic researchers, focused on small molecule medicinal drugs | Maximum award £270k, total fund £1m | Small molecule high throughput screen using AstraZeneca facilities webinar - YouTube | ||||
| UKRI | MRC Centre of Research Excellence: round four: outline application | 04-Feb-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/mrc-centre-of-research-excellence-round-four-outline-application/ | funding to tackle complex and interdisciplinary health challenges. | 26.25 million for the first seven years | |||||
| UKRI | BBSRC standard research grant: 2026 round one: applicant-led mode | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/bbsrc-standard-research-grant-2026-round-one-applicant-led-mode/ | upport excellent investigator-led research - humans – including human physiology, cell biology, genetics and genomics if it’s relevant to understanding normal human function | ||||||
| UKRI | BBSRC new investigator award: 2026 round one: applicant-led mode | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/bbsrc-new-investigator-award-2026-round-one-applicant-led-mode/ | upport excellent new investigator-led research across the breadth of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council | £2,000,000 | |||||
| UKRI | Small molecule high throughput screen using AstraZeneca facilities | 29-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/small-molecule-high-throughput-screen-using-astrazeneca-facilities/ | Mental health | The thematic focus of this round is mental health or dementia | £270,000 | ||||
| UKRI | International Travel Award Scheme for the Biological Sciences | Open - no closing date | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/bbsrc-international-travel-award-scheme/ | funding to visit international partners, to initiate collaborations, prepare joint funding proposals, visit overseas facilities or attend European consortia-building events. | £3,000 | |||||
| Action Medical Research | 2026 - Project Grants in Child Health | Open in November | https://action.org.uk/research/apply-research-grant/apply-project-grant | prevent and treat disease and disability by funding vital medical research in hospitals or research institutions across the UK. The remit focuses on child health to include problems affecting pregnancy, childbirth, babies, children and young people. | £200,000 per project | Up to 36 months duration | ||||
| Wellcome Trust | Doctoral Programmes for Healthcare Professionals | 10-Feb-26 | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/doctoral-programmes-healthcare-professionals | fund doctoral programmes for healthcare professionals | 12 programmes with an average award value of £12 million. | |||||
| Wellcome Trust | early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity | 16-Mar-26 | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/genomics-in-context-awards#key-dates-b9fd | |||||||
| Wellcome Trust | Genomics in Context Awards: collaborative research at the intersection of genomics, humanities, social sciences and bioethics | 16-Mar-26 | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/genomics-in-context-awards#key-dates-b9fd | support transdisciplinary teams to catalyse research discoveries at the intersection of genomics, humanities, social sciences and bioethics | Up to £500,000 for each award | |||||
| Academy for medical sciences | Springboard Awards | Opens spring 2026 | https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/grant-schemes/springboard | small grants to support basic biomedical scientists as they develop their independent research careers. | Up to £125,000, with research assistance and expenses |
| Funder/Programme | Scheme/Call | Closing deadline | link | Stage | Key words | Brief Description | Funds availaible | Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIHR | Postdoctoral Award (Cohort 2) | 16-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/postdoctoral-award-cohort-2/2025443 | develop research career but not yet preofessor | 2 and 5 years Full Time Equivalent (FTE). You can also take it up on a full-time or part-time basis between 50% and 100% FTE | |||
| NIHR | Clinical Future Leaders Fellowship | 03-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/clinical-future-leaders-fellowship-cohort-1/2025444 | The 7-year award | ||||
| NIHR | 2026 Academic Clinical Fellowships in medicine | 31-Mar-27 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2026-academic-clinical-fellowships-medicine/97050 | f 3 years (up to 4 years for GPs) | ||||
| NIHR | 2026 Academic Clinical Fellowships in dentistry | 31-Mar-27 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2026-academic-clinical-fellowships-dentistry/97048 | |||||
| NIHR | 2026 Clinical Lectureships in Dentistry | 31-Mar-27 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2026-clinical-lectureships-dentistry/97049 | spend 50% of your time in research or educationalist training | ||||
| NIHR | Research Professorships (Cohort 16) | 10-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/research-professorships-cohort-16/2025263 | 5-year award | ||||
| NIHR | Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award (Cohort 3) | 25-Nov-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/senior-clinical-and-practitioner-research-award-cohort-3/2025414 | |||||
| NIHR | Pre-Application Support Fund (Cohort 7) | 04-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/pre-application-support-fund-cohort-7/2025431 | extra support to prepare a competitive application for an NIHR career development award. | ||||
| NIHR | Application Development Award for Health and Care Professionals | 04-Feb-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/application-development-award-health-and-care-professionals/2025415 | more opportunities for HCPs to develop as highly skilled researchers and research leaders | ||||
| NIHR | 2025 Clinical Lectureships in Medicine | 01-Sep-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-clinical-lectureships-medicine/97046 | |||||
| NIHR | 2025 Academic Clinical Fellowships in Medicine | 31-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-academic-clinical-fellowships-medicine/97020 | |||||
| NIHR | 2025 NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships in Dentistry | 31-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-nihr-academic-clinical-fellowships-dentistry/97019 | |||||
| NIHR | 2025 Clinical Lectureships in Dentistry | 31-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-clinical-lectureships-dentistry/97040 | |||||
| NIHR | Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme | 27-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/public-health-research-programme-rapid-funding-scheme/20247 | |||||
| UKRI | Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Fellowship | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/pre-doctoral-clinical-research-training-fellowship/ | Apply for funding to undertake a PhD | Funding for salary and project costs (100% of justified costs) | Three year award | ||
| UKRI | Postdoctoral Clinical Research Training Fellowship | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/post-doctoral-clinical-research-training-fellowship/ | apply for funding to reacquire research skills in PhD graduates wanting to pursue a career in research | Fund salary and project costs, 80% of full economic costs (fec) | Three year award | ||
| UKRI | Clinician Scientist Fellowship | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/clinician-scientist-fellowship/ | Apply for support to become an independent medical researcher. Research focused on any area of MCR remit to improve human health | Fund salary and project costs, 80% of full economic costs (fec) | Five year award | ||
| UKRI | Daphne Jackson fellowship | Open - no closing date | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/daphne-jackson-fellowship/ | looking to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for family, health or caring reasons | ||||
| Action Medical Research | 2027 Research Training Fellowships | Open in March 2026 | https://action.org.uk/research/apply-research-grant/apply-research-training-fellowship | |||||
| Wellcome Trust | Wellcome Early-Career Awards | 17-Feb-26 | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-early-career-awards | early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity | up to £400,000 for research expenses. | |||
| Wellcome Trust | PhD Fellowships for Health Professionals | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/phd-fellowships-health-professionals | PhD Programmes for Health Professionals offer health professionals outstanding research training | 3 years (full-time equivalent) | ||||
| Wellcome Trust | Programme in Mental Health Research for Health Professionals | 17-Nov-25 | https://kclmentalhealthphd.co.uk/apply | |||||
| Academy for medical sciences | Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers | Opens in Jan 2026 | https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/grant-schemes/starter-grants | small grants to enable clinical lecturers to pursue their research work, gather preliminary data and strengthen their applications for longer-term fellowships and funding. | Up to £30,000 |
| Funder/Programme | Scheme/Call | Closing deadline | link | Stage | Key words | Brief Description | Funds availaible | Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIHR | Postdoctoral Award (Cohort 2) | 16-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/postdoctoral-award-cohort-2/2025443 | develop research career but not yet preofessor | 2 and 5 years Full Time Equivalent (FTE). You can also take it up on a full-time or part-time basis between 50% and 100% FTE | |||
| NIHR | Clinical Future Leaders Fellowship | 03-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/clinical-future-leaders-fellowship-cohort-1/2025444 | The 7-year award | ||||
| NIHR | 2026 Academic Clinical Fellowships in medicine | 31-Mar-27 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2026-academic-clinical-fellowships-medicine/97050 | f 3 years (up to 4 years for GPs) | ||||
| NIHR | 2026 Academic Clinical Fellowships in dentistry | 31-Mar-27 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2026-academic-clinical-fellowships-dentistry/97048 | |||||
| NIHR | 2026 Clinical Lectureships in Dentistry | 31-Mar-27 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2026-clinical-lectureships-dentistry/97049 | spend 50% of your time in research or educationalist training | ||||
| NIHR | Research Professorships (Cohort 16) | 10-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/research-professorships-cohort-16/2025263 | 5-year award | ||||
| NIHR | Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award (Cohort 3) | 25-Nov-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/senior-clinical-and-practitioner-research-award-cohort-3/2025414 | |||||
| NIHR | Pre-Application Support Fund (Cohort 7) | 04-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/pre-application-support-fund-cohort-7/2025431 | extra support to prepare a competitive application for an NIHR career development award. | ||||
| NIHR | Application Development Award for Health and Care Professionals | 04-Feb-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/application-development-award-health-and-care-professionals/2025415 | more opportunities for HCPs to develop as highly skilled researchers and research leaders | ||||
| NIHR | 2025 Clinical Lectureships in Medicine | 01-Sep-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-clinical-lectureships-medicine/97046 | |||||
| NIHR | 2025 Academic Clinical Fellowships in Medicine | 31-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-academic-clinical-fellowships-medicine/97020 | |||||
| NIHR | 2025 NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowships in Dentistry | 31-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-nihr-academic-clinical-fellowships-dentistry/97019 | |||||
| NIHR | 2025 Clinical Lectureships in Dentistry | 31-Mar-26 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/2025-clinical-lectureships-dentistry/97040 | |||||
| NIHR | Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme | 27-Dec-25 | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/public-health-research-programme-rapid-funding-scheme/20247 | |||||
| UKRI | Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Fellowship | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/pre-doctoral-clinical-research-training-fellowship/ | Apply for funding to undertake a PhD | Funding for salary and project costs (100% of justified costs) | Three year award | ||
| UKRI | Postdoctoral Clinical Research Training Fellowship | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/post-doctoral-clinical-research-training-fellowship/ | apply for funding to reacquire research skills in PhD graduates wanting to pursue a career in research | Fund salary and project costs, 80% of full economic costs (fec) | Three year award | ||
| UKRI | Clinician Scientist Fellowship | 14-Jan-26 | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/clinician-scientist-fellowship/ | Apply for support to become an independent medical researcher. Research focused on any area of MCR remit to improve human health | Fund salary and project costs, 80% of full economic costs (fec) | Five year award | ||
| UKRI | Daphne Jackson fellowship | Open - no closing date | https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/daphne-jackson-fellowship/ | looking to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for family, health or caring reasons | ||||
| Action Medical Research | 2027 Research Training Fellowships | Open in March 2026 | https://action.org.uk/research/apply-research-grant/apply-research-training-fellowship | |||||
| Wellcome Trust | Wellcome Early-Career Awards | 17-Feb-26 | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-early-career-awards | early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity | up to £400,000 for research expenses. | |||
| Wellcome Trust | PhD Fellowships for Health Professionals | https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/phd-fellowships-health-professionals | PhD Programmes for Health Professionals offer health professionals outstanding research training | 3 years (full-time equivalent) | ||||
| Wellcome Trust | Programme in Mental Health Research for Health Professionals | 17-Nov-25 | https://kclmentalhealthphd.co.uk/apply | |||||
| Academy for medical sciences | Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers | Opens in Jan 2026 | https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/grant-schemes/starter-grants | small grants to enable clinical lecturers to pursue their research work, gather preliminary data and strengthen their applications for longer-term fellowships and funding. | Up to £30,000 |