Early Independence: Career Development Fellowship is sponsored by Medical Research Council (MRC). Provides fellowships for researchers aiming to establish their own research niche.

Early independence: career development fellowship – UKRI Funding opportunity: Early independence: career development fellowship Medical Research Council (MRC) 15 January 2026 9:00am UK time 21 April 2026 4:00pm UK time Last updated: 21 January 2026 - see all updates Apply for an early independence fellowship to support your career transition within the new Fellowship Investment Framework , if your research focus is within the MRC remit.

show evidence of career consolidation and past productivity show clear plans for establishing your own research niche that enables a step-change towards independence We will fund your salary and project costs (80% of the full economic cost) for up to five years (pro rata for part-time fellowships). You may choose to apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible . Applications are welcomed from applicants of all nationalities, including those not currently located in the UK, however, this is subject to the fellowship being based at an eligible UK research organisation .

To be eligible to apply for an early independence career development fellowship you must: have completed a PhD or equivalent show evidence of skills, experience, career development and productivity across past appointments have your own research plans that do not significantly overlap with those of your current group leaders or proposed sponsors, to establish your own research niche and team have a research focus that is within MRC remit to improve human health and have the support of an eligible UK organisation We support individuals driving intellectual, methodological and technical leadership, valuing these career paths equally.

There are no eligibility rules based on age or years of postdoctoral experience. You must have completed a PhD or equivalent before the fellowship award can start. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you should contact fellows@mrc.

ukri. org to arrange to speak to the relevant programme manager before submitting an application.

Who is not eligible to apply You are not eligible to apply if: you have applied for an MRC fellowship within the last year or twice before you have applied for another UKRI fellowship of the same type or an MRC new investigator award and your application is being assessed you have part of the fellowship project as a grant application with any organisation and your application is being assessed you are the project lead on a UKRI grant application and it is being assessed you have been awarded a comparable fellowship supporting early independence or a new investigator award from any organisation you have secured grants as a project lead, that include support for and leading of research staff such as postdoctoral research associates as this would indicate you have already made the step-change to independence you are clinically active (the early independence: clinician scientist fellowship funding opportunity is the equivalent scheme dedicated for registered healthcare professionals) you will not be employed by an eligible UK organisation for your fellowship You cannot hold a salaried position and a fellowship at the same time.

If you have already achieved independence by securing a permanent position, your application will not be competitive. In exceptional circumstances, if you hold a salaried position and can demonstrate a clear step change in career route (for example, enabling a focus on research when currently holding a teaching role), then you may apply.

However, if awarded a fellowship, you must either give up your current role or change it to a proleptic appointment for the duration of the fellowship. Equality, diversity and inclusion We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity 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: support for people with caring responsibilities alternative working patterns job shares (contact us for further guidance) UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

We are supportive of applicants wishing to combine their research training with caring responsibilities and, in that context, our fellowship awards may be held on a part-time basis or within flexible working arrangements . UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

Further fellowship guidance Further information related to all aspects of the fellowship application process, can be found in the MRC guidance for fellowship applicants . If you’re unsure whether you are eligible to apply, email fellows@mrc. ukri.

org before beginning your application.

The aim of the fellowship is to support talented researchers who have gained a higher research degree and have evidence of career consolidation and productivity across past appointments to: lead their own research plans to establish their own research niche start to build their own research team make the first step-change towards independence We welcome applications from across all areas of our remit to improve human health.

This may range from basic studies with relevance to mechanisms of disease, to translational and developmental clinical research. Our science areas include: molecular and cellular medicine population and systems medicine neurosciences and mental health Explore MRC’s areas of scientific remit.

Please note that global health research should align with MRC’s core remit spanning from biomedical discovery research to early translational research. Normally fellowships would not be a suitable route to establish longitudinal population studies (LPS). Additionally, until further notice, MRC will only accept applications for core infrastructure support for existing LPS with previous MRC support.

explain why a fellowship is the best way to support your long-term career goals and chosen career path to become an independent researcher in a medical research field show evidence of career development and productivity across past appointments demonstrate clear plans to establish your own independent research niche and research plans and start to build your own research team show ambitious and credible ideas for the fellowship to enable a clear step change in your career towards research independence If your application does not clearly address the requirements, it may be rejected prior to seeking expert reviewer comments.

You also must have at least one sponsor, who: is a senior member of the department where you are applying to host your fellowship acts as a supporter for the application and the fellowship, but does not have a supervisory role has expertise in the research area and acts as guarantor for the quality of the proposed work, suitability of you as a fellowship candidate and the quality of training and development you will receive You can have additional sponsors if necessary to support all areas of the proposed work and they may be from other organisations.

What the fellowship gives you This fellowship provides a competitive salary, giving you the chance to concentrate fully on your research, training and development. You may spend up to six hours a week, pro rata for part-time fellowships, on other commitments such as teaching, demonstrating, or other funded projects. Explore MRC’s guidance on research staff development .

We may allow greater flexibility on the time dedicated to non-fellowship activities (for example, those detailed previously or those obtaining grant support) during the second half of a fellowship. Email the programme manager at fellows@mrc. ukri.

org to discuss your plans. Explore what to expect as an MRC fellow. For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the Additional information section.

The early independence career development fellowship provides support for up to five years (pro rata for part-time fellowships). We expect you to take advantage of the full five years’ funding available. However, we understand that plans for the later stages of a fellowship will not be as defined as the initial years.

If you are intending to apply for a shorter period, you should contact the programme manager at fellows@mrc. ukri. org before applying.

These periods are based on full-time equivalents. You may hold an award on a part-time basis to meet personal commitments, but not because of other professional commitments. We expect you to start your fellowship no earlier than January 2027 and no later than April 2027.

Any start dates outside of this must be discussed with MRC prior to the October 2026 decision meeting. There is no limit to the amount of funding you can request. However, all costs must be fully justified and demonstrate value for money.

Your application must be for an amount that: is appropriate to the project you can justify in order to deliver the objectives of the proposed research We will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC) and 100% of permitted exceptions.

Please note, the inclusion of staff costs should be commensurate with initial establishment of a group and involve the development of those individuals, for example postdoctoral research associate or research associate type roles with the delivery of the project. The inclusion of numerous enabling staff, any senior staff, or both would otherwise constitute a research grant and is not within the expectations of a fellowship.

In addition, costs for consumables should be justified, it is the expectation that the research organisation provides basic space and equipment for the duration of your award. Explore full economic costing . The early independence career development fellowship will cover the cost of your salary.

The fellowship will also provide funding for: support for a small number of research and technical staff as justified by the project and early independence career stage of this fellowship visa fees and international health surcharge costs for fellows and their dependent family members data preservation, data sharing and dissemination costs estates and indirect costs public partnerships and related activities, including payments to public contributors NHS research costs , when they are associated with NHS studies The award will also support a period of research overseas, at a second UK research organisation or in industry, whichever is most appropriate.

We encourage successful applicants to take advantage of these opportunities to establish collaborative networks and cross-sector development. You may spend up to 12 months of your award at a second organisation. Applicants intending to spend longer periods overseas you must contact us at fellows@mrc.

ukri. org before applying. Requests for support beyond research and innovation associate and technical posts can only be included in exceptional circumstances and must be discussed with the office in advance.

costs for PhD studentships funding to use as a ‘bridge’ between grants costs for a large research team costs for senior staff included under any role We collaborate with royal colleges and charity funders to offer jointly-funded career development fellowships.

These awards offer the prestige of having the relevant organisation co-fund your fellowship and may offer additional opportunities to report on your project, present your work at meetings and take part in professional networking.

We are inviting applications for jointly-funded career development fellowships with the following organisations: Addiction Healthcare Goals, led by the Office for Life Sciences DEBRA (the butterfly skin charity) Multiple Sclerosis Society We will offer all jointly funded fellowships under standard UKRI and MRC terms and conditions, except where the co-funder has specified additional terms and conditions.

See Additional information for further details of the joint funders. A project partner is a collaborating organisation in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU, who will have an integral role in the proposed research.

You may include project partners that will support your fellowship through cash or in-kind contributions, such as: recruitment of people as research participants providing samples, such as human tissue, for the project Each project partner must provide a statement of support.

If your application involves industry partners, they must provide additional information if the team project partner falls within the industry collaboration framework . Find out more about subcontractors and dual roles . Who cannot be included as a project partner Any individual included in your application with a core team role or who is from your host organisation cannot also be a project partner.

Any organisation that employs a member of the application core team cannot be a project partner organisation. This includes other departments within the same organisation. Supporting skills and talent We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment .

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. TR&I is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary.

Our TR&I principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration. As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I , including where applicants can find additional support. We are running this funding opportunity on the new UKRI Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

The fellow is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application. The fellow will need input from their research office for costing the fellowship and submitting the application by the deadline. Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

If the lead research organisation is an NHS organisation check it is available in the Funding Service. You are encouraged to check this early as there may be addition steps for the organisation to be set up before you can apply. Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

Confirm you are the fellow. Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account.

This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers.

If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.

Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

When including images, you must: provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit) insert each new image on a new line use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words.

The following are not permitted, and your application may be rejected if you include: sentences or paragraphs of text excessive quantities of images A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see: how applicants use the Funding Service how research offices use the Funding Service how reviewers use the Funding Service References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application. Hyperlinks can be used in reference information.

When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that: references are easily identifiable by the assessors references are formatted as appropriate to your research persistent identifiers are used where possible General use of hyperlinks Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information.

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.

For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment. MRC must receive your application by 21 April 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. You will not be able to apply after this time.

Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines. Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

MRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications. We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice .

If you apply for a jointly funded fellowship, MRC will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with the joint funder so that they can participate in the assessment process. For more information on how the joint funders use personal information, visit their websites. If you or a core team member needs to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email fellows@mrc.

ukri. org Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include: individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave) additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection the application is an invited resubmission For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Institutional Matched Funding There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations. Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged.

This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff. MRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at board and panel outcomes.

If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research . In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application. We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information.

Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example: the wider research community Guidance for writing a summary Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of: the challenge the project addresses potential applications and benefits List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: professional enabling staff research and innovation associate Only list one individual as fellow.

If you include more than one fellow, your application will fail at the checking stage. Your sponsor(s) should not be listed in the core team. Our previous guidance advised you to include sponsors as professional enabling staff, we no longer require this.

Mentors should not be listed in the core team. We expect the core team to be limited to the key named individuals who will deliver the proposed work. The fellow may be the only core team member.

Resources can be requested and justified for directly incurred salary costs of unnamed and other positions. These do not need to be core team members. UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type.

Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application. Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications. What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how your proposed work: is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s) has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area of its focus is timely, given current trends, context, and needs impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment Within the Vision section we also expect you to: identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be identify potential improvements in human or population health, whether through contributing to relieving disease or disability burden, improving quality of life or providing benefit to the health service or health-related industry outline your plans for engagement, communication and dissemination about your research and its outcomes with the research community and, where appropriate, with potentially interested wider audiences References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how you have designed your work so that it: is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how you will manage them uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable) summarises the previous work and describes how you will build on and progress this work (if applicable) will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts Within the Approach section we also expect you to: demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan, including milestones and timelines in the form of a Gantt chart or diagram explain who you intend to collaborate with at the host organisation and your plans for wider research collaborations (project partner details should be provided only in that section) include details of work that will take place as part of the proposed fellowship at a second UK or overseas organisation (if applicable) explain and justify how you will approach diversity and inclusion in the study population and follow the MRC embedding diversity in research design policy (if applicable) show how you will use male and female animals or tissues and cells from female and male donors (if applicable) in your research.

If you are not proposing to do this, justify why explain and justify the inclusion of public partnerships (if applicable) and the added value these offer References may be included within this section. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Reproducibility and statistical design How will you ensure your proposed work is reliable, robust and reproducible? What assessors are looking for in your response Information about reproducibility and how you will ensure reliability and robustness of your proposed work, such as further details of statistical analyses, methodology and experimental design, not provided in your approach.

We expect you to seek professional statistical or other relevant advice in preparing your response, which should include, as appropriate: planned statistical analyses models chosen (for example animal model, cell line) potential sources of bias and how these will be mitigated during analysis how your approach to addressing diversity is reflected in the experimental design and analyses Refer to the MRC guidance for applicants, for further information, examples and online tools.

If your proposed work involves animals, and you provide information on animal sample sizes and statistical analyses here, you should not duplicate it in the research involving the use of animals section. Use the ‘Research involving the use of animals’ section to provide information on the rationale for using animals, choice of species, welfare and procedure severity.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. The length of your response will vary depending on the type of project, you may not need to use 500 words.

PhD award and research organisation (or equivalent) When was your PhD awarded? What the assessors are looking for in your response You must provide the following: the year your PhD was awarded the research organisation that awarded it details of your equivalent research experience (if applicable) If you have not yet been awarded your PhD, you must contact fellows@mrc. ukri.

org before submission for advice. Provide details of your career history, since your PhD. What the assessors are looking for in your response Complete the career history template and copy and paste into the text box.

Demonstrate how the positions you have held, organisations you have worked at and funding you have been awarded are relevant to this fellowship application and the career stage it aims to support, including: your current position and your relevant employment history your research funding history, including the award type, awarded amount and the role you held Why is this fellowship the right way to develop your career and how will you use it to benefit others?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Ensure that you have identified: career development goals appropriate to the fellowship funding opportunity how the fellowship will provide a feasible and appropriate trajectory for your personal development and to achieve your stated career development goals how you will instigate positive change in the wider research and innovation community, for example through Equality Diversity and Inclusion, advocacy or advisory roles, stakeholder engagement, participation in expert review, influencing policy, public engagement, or outreach Within the Career development section, we also expect you to describe: how you will ensure continued research and professional development in those you will be managing on the project, to have a positive research and innovation experience, with opportunities or support to progress their own careers (useful links Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and Technician Commitment ) how the proposed work will provide a feasible and appropriate trajectory for you to acquire additional skills, like research, leadership, communication and management Applicant capability to deliver Why are you the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Evidence of how you have: the relevant experience to make best use of the benefits presented by this funding opportunity to develop your career the right balance of skills and aptitude to deliver the proposed work contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community the appropriate team working or leadership skills (appropriate to career stage) You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. The word limit for this section is 2,000 words, 1,500 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for additions. Use the R4RI format to showcase the range of relevant skills you have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work.

You can include specific achievements and choose past contributions that best evidence your ability to deliver this work. You are encouraged to include ORCID IDs for individuals where relevant, as this can help to demonstrate and verify their achievements. Complete this section using the following R4RI module headings.

You should use each heading once, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI .

You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills you bring: contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships contributions to the wider research and innovation community contributions to broader research or innovation, users and audiences, and towards wider societal benefit, including public partnerships Provide any further details relevant to your application.

This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them). You should complete this section as a narrative.

Do not format it like a CV. References may be included within this section. The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

Host organisation support How will the host organisation support your fellowship?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Ensure the head of department (of the host organisation) provides you with a supporting statement (which they have written), that includes: the name and title of the head of department providing the written support statement evidence detailing how the host will support you, as appropriate for your career development and the vision and approach of the fellowship how your research environment will contribute to the success of the work, in terms of suitability of the host organisation and strategic relevance to the project how the host organisation will ensure your time commitment to the fellowship is protected what development