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Funding callMedicine and clinical research · United Kingdom

MRC Centre of Research Excellence: round five – outline application

The MRC Centre of Research Excellence round five invites outline proposals from UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding for a long-term MRC Centre of Research Excellence, with an outline deadline of 3 February 2027. This guide covers research areas consistent with the scheme, readiness checks, centre ideas and points to confirm on the UKRI opportunity page.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
3 February 2027
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
Medical Research Council (UKRI)
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
3 February 2027
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
Medical Research Council (UKRI)
Country
United Kingdom
Scheme type
Programme
Funding
As stated in the call documents
Eligibility
UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding may submit outline proposals for a long-term MRC Centre of Research Excellence.
Scope
Medicine and clinical research

Topics consistent with the call

  • Long-term programmes addressing major challenges in human health
  • Interdisciplinary research combining biomedical, clinical and data sciences
  • Mechanisms of disease across the life course
  • Translational and experimental medicine programmes in patient populations
  • Population health research and health inequalities
  • Research capacity building and training within a centre structure

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. The lead organisation is a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.
  2. The proposed centre addresses a long-term research challenge within MRC’s remit.
  3. Leadership, partnerships and institutional commitment are in place.
  4. The outline sets out a clear vision, scientific strategy and rationale for a centre model.
  5. A complete, institutionally approved outline application is submitted before 3 February 2027.

Why This Funding Call Matters

Some health research challenges need sustained effort over many years, bringing together expertise that no single project grant can support. MRC Centres of Research Excellence are intended to provide this long-term base, enabling ambitious, interdisciplinary work and the development of research talent. The outline stage gives organisations the opportunity to set out a centre vision before developing a full proposal.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Biomedical sciences
  • Clinical research
  • Data science and digital health
  • Population health
  • Research leadership and management

Institutions and sectors

  • UK universities
  • Research institutes
  • NHS organisations as partners
  • Industry and charity partners

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. A bold, long-term scientific vision that justifies a centre rather than a project.
  2. Interdisciplinary approaches that bring together complementary expertise.
  3. Strong leadership and a credible plan for developing people and capability.
  4. Clear potential for substantial impact on health and on the research field.

Ideas You Could Develop

Centre for multimorbidity researchA centre integrating data science, clinical research and mechanistic biology to understand and address multiple long-term conditions.
Centre for immune ageingA centre studying how immune function changes with age and the implications for infection, vaccination and disease.
Centre for early-life healthA centre investigating how early-life exposures shape lifelong health using cohorts and experimental models.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 3 February 2027. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 9 Dec 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 23 Dec 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 6 Jan 2027

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 20 Jan 2027

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 29 Jan 2027

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 3 Feb 2027

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The Medical Research Council is looking for outline proposals for long-term Centres of Research Excellence that tackle major research challenges through ambitious, interdisciplinary programmes. Outlines are likely to be assessed on scientific vision, leadership, the case for a centre model and institutional commitment. Applicants should confirm eligibility, scope, funding levels and the subsequent stages of the process on the official UKRI opportunity page.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 3 February 2027. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

Outline stages usually require less detail than full proposals, but specific requirements are set by MRC. Applicants should check the official UKRI opportunity page and guidance for what the outline must include.

UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding may submit outline proposals for a long-term MRC Centre of Research Excellence. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. Medical Research Council (UKRI). (2026). MRC Centre of Research Excellence: round five – outline application. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/mrc-centre-of-research-excellence-round-five/

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). MRC Centre of Research Excellence: round five – outline application. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/mrc-centre-of-research-excellence-round-five-outline-application/

  • MRC
  • UKRI
  • Research centre
  • Long-term funding
  • Interdisciplinary research

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MRC Centre of Research Excellence: round five – outline applicationNext deadline 3 February 2027

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