Interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic threats

Interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic threats is sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Funding for ambitious interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic diseases of animals, humans, or plants for up to five years.

Interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic threats – UKRI Funding opportunity: Interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic threats UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) , Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) , Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) , Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) , Medical Research Council (MRC) , Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) , Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 27 March 2025 9:00am UK time 19 June 2025 4:00pm UK time Last updated: 12 June 2025 - see all updates Apply for funding to undertake ambitious interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic diseases of animals, humans or plants for a duration of up to five years.

Project leads must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding. Your team and programme of research will bring new perspectives crossing Councils’ remits to understand infectious disease threats. The full economic cost (FEC) of your application can be up to £3,750,000.

UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC and 100% of permitted exceptions, including project co-leads (international). To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible .

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must: focus your application to deliver ambitious interdisciplinary insights to better understand, predict or prevent infectious diseases of animals, humans or plants with epidemic potential Given the interdisciplinary nature of the opportunity, note that: the project lead should be the individual who will act as our main contact and coordinator of the research programme.

The project lead’s research organisation will be responsible for all administration relating to the award the project lead can be from any discipline the intellectual leadership of the project can be shared and is encouraged including with project co-leads (international).

Details of the management structure of your project can be captured in your application the research proposed, and therefore team expertise, must cross the disciplinary remits of at least three UKRI research councils 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: 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 for this funding opportunity as the 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 International researchers, including those from low and middle-income countries (LMICs), can apply as ‘project co-lead (international)’. Project co-leads (international) should make a major intellectual contribution to the design or conduct of the project.

A project co-lead (international) is an individual employed by an international research organisation (including registered higher education institutions, national funder or government-supported research establishments, independent research organisations, for example charitable or non-governmental organisations) who otherwise fits the normal definition of a co-lead. Read UKRI project co-lead (international) eligibility for more details.

Please contact us if you are uncertain about eligibility.

A project partner is defined as a third-party person or organisation that will support your research project through cash or in-kind contributions such as: recruitment of people as research participants providing samples for the project Project partners could include: members of the business community policymakers and others in the public, private and third sectors practitioners such as clinicians, crop breeders, farmers, veterinarians, landowners representatives from civil society, humanitarian and independent non-government organisations people with lived experience Each project partner must provide a statement of support.

If your application involves industry partners, they must provide information if the relationship falls within the industry collaboration framework . Who cannot be included as a team project partner Any individual included in your application core team 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. If you are collaborating with someone in your organisation, consider including them in the core team as project co-lead, or specialist. They cannot be a project partner.

A project subcontractor is defined as a third-party individual who is not employed as staff on the grant, who is subcontracted by a participating organisation to deliver a specific piece of work. Subcontractors will be allowed in line with UKRI terms and conditions for research grants .

Project partner and subcontractor entitlement to project outputs and intellectual property Entitlement to the outputs of a project or intellectual property will be determined between the parties involved, however any access to project outputs or intellectual property must be in line with any relevant Subsidy Control regulation.

Under UKRI terms and conditions for research grants you must ensure at all times that the grant funding awarded to you is compliant with the Subsidy Control Act 2022 . Any entitlements will need to be set out in a formal collaboration agreement if a grant is awarded, as per FEC Grant condition RGC 12. 1.

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 UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process. This funding opportunity is phase two of a flagship investment to better prepare for future epidemics as part of the UKRI Tackling Infections strategic theme.

This flagship initiative is an opportunity to better understand, predict and prevent (re)emergence of infectious animal, human, or plant diseases of epidemic potential.

It aims to improve epidemic preparedness by supporting ambitious interdisciplinary research that will: improve our understanding of factors that influence the risk and severity of infectious disease threats inform new ways to manage and respond to infections disease threats The conducting of such research will enhance our capability to respond to these threats, through stimulating interdisciplinary research capacity and expertise.

Phase one provided seed funding to build interdisciplinary teams and develop research ideas to encourage new disciplines and groups into this research and innovation area. Through this second funding opportunity, we want to fund research in a range of key areas where there is a clear epidemic threat. You do not need to be in receipt of phase one funding to apply and we welcome applications from new or established groups.

Funded projects are expected to become national or international focal points for epidemic-relevant interdisciplinary research in their chosen area. They will produce outputs that have positive and tangible impacts to better understand, predict and prevent epidemics in the UK or internationally. As a group of funded projects, they will work collectively to share learning, expertise and interdisciplinary best practice, where appropriate.

Pathogens (for example, bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and oomycetes) within all reservoirs are within scope, providing they have epidemic potential.

This includes, but is not exclusive to: animals (aquaculture, farmed, companion and wild) plants (crops, trees both horticultural and wild) animal-human-environment interface This funding opportunity is aimed at projects focusing on pathogens that are considered a significant threat now or in the future to animal, human or plant health.

You will be expected to justify the epidemic potential of the pathogens or types of pathogens included in your application.

Applications focusing on more fundamental, non-specific (in terms of pathogen, disease or host) or more generalisable activity (such as models, predictive tool development, policy and governance research) are in scope providing the project objectives align with the aim of the funding opportunity in terms of helping us to understand, predict and prevent infectious disease epidemic threats.

These types of projects should be fully justified and demonstrate applicability beyond the study system or setting as appropriate. A social and behavioural research perspective is encouraged. Applications may also explore the role of economic factors and incentives, culture, history, linguistics, and other humanities in understanding, predicting and preventing infectious diseases with epidemic potential.

Areas of research could include, but are not limited to: understanding the context, impacts of and interplay between biological, physiological, cultural, environmental (natural and built), political, historical, linguistic, legal and socioeconomic factors affecting infectious disease (re-)emergence, transmission and epidemiology understanding factors contributing to the spill over of infectious diseases between different species, as well as the different factors affecting these risks and the opportunities for intervening to effect change understanding communities’ concerns, priorities, risks, needs, and capacities in their response to outbreaks, through for example, lessons learned from previous outbreaks to inform prediction and prevention activities developing and evaluating multifaceted evidence-based disease prevention and control interventions to prevent spillover and infection and interrupt transmission in and between animals, humans, or plants, that go beyond pharmacological interventions.

For example, social, ecological and cultural measures (including structural or system interventions) that could be at an individual, community or regional level; biosecurity or environmental strategies; aspects of the built environment novel analytical or modelling methods, for example, the integration of diverse data sets yielding new interdisciplinary insights developing ways of comparing the impact of prevention strategies that factors in the complex and wide-ranging effects these can have.

This might include multiparameter modelling, learning from communities affected by prior outbreak prevention strategies, and assessment of cost effectiveness within low and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, areas of research could also include identifying and demonstrating effects of processes intended to enhance resilience and responsiveness of systems (that is, preparedness) to support populations at high risk of zoonotic spillover or epidemic spread due to ecological, climatic factors, or conflict and migration Approaches including for example ‘One Health’ and ‘Planetary Health’ framing are encouraged where appropriate but not explicitly required.

A place-based approach may be acceptable, for example with a focus on a geographically defined community, which may be characterised by vulnerabilities such as from flooding, water scarcity, drought, population density, economic instability and conflict. Where this approach is taken, potential for wider scale up and applicability should be demonstrated.

The intention is to support a portfolio of research programmes across a range of pathogens, hosts, and contexts. We particularly encourage applications that expect to yield insights applicable to more than one pathogen, host, or context. The research proposed should be ambitiously interdisciplinary and cross the distinct disciplinary remits of at least three UKRI research councils.

We’re looking for novel and ambitious applications that could not be funded through standard, single council-led opportunities, with the goal of integrating knowledge and approaches across a broad range of disciplines and research and innovation areas.

Such applications will bring fresh perspectives and evidence to our understanding of (re-)emerging animal, human, or plant infectious diseases, leading to outputs that will enable better prediction and prevention of future threats.

As this flagship is intended to stimulate new and creative ways of defining and then addressing a complex research area, it is a great opportunity for researchers to make new connections with disciplines and institutions outside their usual area.

Working together with communities, people with lived experience, practitioners and policy makers and other stakeholders (which can include government, industry, charities or other non-governmental organisations) is encouraged, and expected where research insights are anticipated to feed directly into policy and practice.

Partnerships should be equitable and sustainable with all parties committed to the co-creation and implementation of ideas. Research undertaken both within and beyond the UK is permitted. Infectious disease emergence and spread does not conform to national boundaries, being controlled by many factors including geography, society, and geo-politics.

As such we expect research to be undertaken internationally as appropriate. Applications with significant input and contribution from researchers based in LMICs are welcome, and LMIC leadership as co-leads (international) is expected where projects have an LMIC focus.

We will provide opportunities for award holders to showcase their research and share insights and best practice to help build an interdisciplinary research community better prepared to address future threats. We anticipate that this will include a one-day launch event and a one to two day end of project workshop to be held in person at a major UK city (to be determined).

Travel and subsistence for up to three attendees per event should be costed into your application, to include representatives from the core team, including international co-lead, if appropriate, and an early career researcher. For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the ‘Additional information’ section. UKRI and our partners are involved in national and international epidemic preparedness fora.

Where discussions are relevant to the subject area of funded projects, we may draw on advice, knowledge and expertise from these projects, including in the event of a relevant outbreak over the course of an award.

We expect that research outputs will be shared as appropriate, for example: ongoing strategic sharing of information between projects findings should be published in a timely way, and in a manner and format accessible to the relevant audience in the event of an outbreak, we expect relevant findings and data to be shared rapidly and openly to inform the response, in line with principles reaffirmed for the Covid-19 outbreak Project leads and co-leads should anticipate this and build in flexibility as relevant.

The duration of this award is up to five years. Projects should start between one to six months after the funding decision date. The FEC of your application can be up to £3.

75 million. We will fund 80% of the FEC and 100% of permitted exceptions. For example: for a project costing the maximum £3.

75 million available, without any exceptions, we will fund £3 million and your research organisation will be expected to fund £750,000 for a project including, say, £1. 875 million of permitted exceptions, the FEC cost of your project can be up to £3. 75 million.

In this example, we will fund £3. 375 million and your research organisation will be expected to fund £375,000 Find out more about full economic costing . We expect to fund a minimum of six applications from core UKRI funds, with final award numbers depending on co-funding agreements.

You can request funding for: interdisciplinary programmes of research that have been co-developed and cross the boundaries of at least three research councils international research collaborations where suitable collaborators in the UK do not exist or where this adds significant value research focusing on LMIC contexts and needs, which also will require local partners, leadership and research inputs You can request funding for costs such as: a contribution to the salary of the project lead and co-leads support for other posts such as research and technical staff travel costs, including for coordination and networking activities across the UKRI Tackling Epidemics portfolio data preservation, data sharing and dissemination costs knowledge synthesis and dissemination estates and indirect costs NHS research costs , when they are associated with NHS studies public partnerships and related activities, including payments to public contributors and people with lived experience professional enabling staff where they are providing project specific support that goes beyond activities included in estates and indirect costs You can also request costs for work to be undertaken at international organisations by international project co-leads.

We will fund 100% of the eligible costs in these organisations. The total of such costs requested for international applicants from high-income countries (those not on the OECD DAC List of ODA Recipients ), India and China must not exceed 30% of the total resources requested.

There is no cap on costs requested for international applicants from DAC list countries and we will additionally pay overhead support and for equipment providing such costs are justified. For more information on international costs and what we will and will not fund see the UKRI project co-lead (international) policy .

single discipline research programmes that lack interdisciplinary integration, perspectives or approaches applications that do not cover the disciplinary remits of at least three UKRI research councils projects that do not embed the research and innovation community in the process development or evaluation of agrochemicals, diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, and vaccine/diagnostic technology platforms projects related to antimicrobial resistance operationalisation of public health and social health measures health systems research where the project objectives are not directly relevant to the understanding, prediction or prevention of infectious disease threats disease surveillance; such work could only be eligible as a minor, facilitating component if critical to enable a wider holistic programme of research.

In such instances we would expect evidence of sustainability through relevant government agency or ministry support pests and parasites that affect humans, animals or plants but do not transmit or cause disease You cannot request funding for costs such as: product development costs fees or stipends for postgraduate studentships publication costs, except towards LMIC-led publications funding to use as a ‘bridge’ between grants 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.

Trusted Research and Innovation (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.

Equitable partnership principles When undertaking research and innovation activities outside the UK, you must recognise and address the possible impact contextual, societal and cultural difference on the ethical conduct of those activities. Researchers should also follow principles of equitable partnerships to address inherent power imbalances when working with partners in resource-poor settings.

Applying the principles will encourage equitable access, especially in LMICs, while maintaining incentive for innovation. You should consider the principles from the start of the research and development cycle. Read UKRI’s guidance on research in a global setting .

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 project lead 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.

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 additional steps for the organisation to be set up before you can apply. Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page. This will be available to select from 27 March 2025 9:00am UK time. Confirm you are the project lead.

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 counts towards your word limit) insert each new image onto 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. Watch our research office webinars about the Funding Service .

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 . We must receive your application by 19 June 2025 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 the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

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 .

UKRI will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with our co-funders, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) so that they can participate in the assessment process. For more information on how Defra uses personal information visit Defra’s Personal information charter .

For more information on how FCDO uses personal information, visit FCDO’s data protection information . If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email tacklingepidemics@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 .

UKRI will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on the Tackling infections web page. 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 the team and approach to interdisciplinary working List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: project co-lead (UK) (PcL) project co-lead (international) (PcL (I)) professional enabling staff research and innovation associate Only list one individual as project lead.

If you include more than one project lead your application will fail at the checking stage. We expect all applications to this funding opportunity that intend to conduct research in an LMIC to include project co-lead (international), based at an LMIC research organisation. 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 . Select which research councils’ disciplinary remits your application meets.

What we are looking for in your response In the text box, list the name of each applicable research council from the following list, where their disciplinary remit is relevant to your application: Within this section we also expect you to explain: how your application is relevant to the disciplinary remits of three or more research councils why the proposed work would not be suitable for single research council led funding This is for administrative purposes and to aid initial application checking.

Applications not meeting the distinct disciplinary remits of three research councils will be rejected. 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 fields or areas has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area is timely given current trends, context, and needs impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment is driven by the needs of populations where the research is taking place (where appropriate) will purposefully seek to translate and maximise the impact of your research on policy, programmes and practice (where research is positioned at the more translational or applied end of the spectrum) Within the Vision section we also expect you to: justify the epidemic potential of the pathogens or disease type chosen identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be explain how the proposal is ambitious, novel and adds value to the current research landscape identify potential impacts of your research on animal, plant or human health explain how your work has potential to bring benefit to the LMICs involved (where appropriate) provide evidence that the answer to your research questions is needed and wanted by relevant users, policy makers or both describing the changes that might be implemented as a result of the project, and by whom (where research is positioned at the more translational or applied end of the spectrum) 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 approach so that it: is innovative, effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed uses a clearly written and transparent methodology embeds interdisciplinary approaches, including identifying potential challenges in delivering interdisciplinary research and how these will be overcome takes into account previous work and identifies limitations of current approaches will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts describes how your team’s research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work if applicable, ensures an equitable role for the LMIC co-leads and researchers in the intellectual design and the setting of the research agenda and its ongoing strategic direction.

This includes arrangements for equitable sharing of intellectual property Within the Approach section we also expect you to: show how the work will enable new research opportunities, approaches and methods through the integration of distinct disciplinary perspectives demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the project provide a project plan including deliverables and timelines, in the form of an embedded Gantt chart or similar 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 male and female donors (and follow the MRC sex in experimental design policy (if applicable).

If you are not proposing to do this you must 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