Pre-announcement: UK Obesity Research Institute

Pre-announcement: UK Obesity Research Institute is sponsored by Medical Research Council (MRC). Pre-announcement: UK Obesity Research Institute. Funding opportunity from Medical Research Council (MRC).

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Pre-announcement: UK Obesity Research Institute – UKRI Funding opportunity: Pre-announcement: UK Obesity Research Institute Medical Research Council (MRC) 30 July 2026 9:00am UK time 19 November 2026 4:00pm UK time We are seeking director-led applications to investigate mechanistic biomedical drivers of obesity and related cardiometabolic disease and deliver transformative impact in obesity research.

The director, supported by a leadership team, will lead the design and delivery of a collaborative institute. Applications should focus on the key barriers to unlock understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity to enable targeted prevention and treatment. The funding available is up to £60 million, and for seven years duration, with the potential to renew.

Funding of this opportunity is subject to approval of a full business case. This is a pre-announcement and the information may change. The funding opportunity is expected to open in late July 2026.

More information will be available on this page then. This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible .

The nominated director (project lead) should lead the application, alongside a leadership team, and with the full support of their host research organisations.

To be eligible to apply for UK Obesity Research Institute (UK-ORI) funding, you must: have the relevant expertise and experience to lead or contribute to an internationally leading investment of significant scale show how you will strategically direct the investment, be actively engaged in the work and support a positive research culture focus your application on mechanistic research tackling important multidisciplinary health challenges related to obesity 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 that, 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 An eligible research organisation may lead one application only but is allowed to be a co-lead, or collaborate, on other applications.

Who is not eligible to apply If you are employed by the following organisations, you cannot apply as project lead or project co-lead but can participate as project partners on an application led by an eligible UK organisation: charity and third sector organisations International researchers International organisations cannot lead an application as part of the leadership team or lead one of the UK research sites.

International researchers are permitted as a project co-lead (international) if making an important research contribution to one of the UK sites. We would expect co-leads based outside of the UK to offer expertise, or facilities not available in the UK, and to provide clear indicators of commitment to the UK-ORI.

The contribution and added value of the international participants to the research collaboration should be clearly explained and justified in the application. Read the UKRI project co-lead (international) eligibility for more details. Please contact us if you are uncertain about eligibility.

See the ‘Contact details’ section. You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners. 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 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

The overarching vision is to reduce the impact of obesity on society through a deeper, integrated understanding of the physiological and pathological mechanisms and the downstream health consequences. The new knowledge, insights and innovation generated will accelerate the development of treatments and long-term prevention strategies. This vision will be delivered as an internationally leading UK Obesity Research Institute (UK-ORI).

Your application should be led by a director with an international track record in large-scale research and delivery in a relevant field. The director will play a strategic leadership role regarding the future vision and direction of how the institute, and its partnerships, will grow.

The requested funding should include an allocation for the director’s own research programme, forming part of the overall scientific vision for the institute. Applications should address key biological and pathological questions on the causes, consequences and prevention of obesity, with a strong emphasis on advancing understanding of underlying pathophysiology and mechanistic biomedical drivers.

By bringing together complementary expertise under clear director leadership, the institute should aim to unlock new insights. This will enable the development of effective, targeted prevention and treatment strategies and deliver meaningful, measurable impact in the field.

The research will be distinct in the context of other national and international activities and outward facing, harnessing the best talent to deliver upon the proposed vision. It should be positioned in the context of ongoing investments across the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the broader landscape, synergising with or capitalising upon existing knowledge and national assets where relevant.

Applications should propose plans for a scalable, national UK-ORI, centred on a director-led hub that coordinates and drives the overall scientific vision and programme. It is expected that to achieve the vision of this funding opportunity, applications will need to be collaborative and multi-site.

Partner research sites should add distinct value and expertise and will be expected to play a key role in the coherent and integrated co-development and co-delivery of the institute’s aims. Together, the hub and partner sites should operate in a unified, collaborative manner, ensuring strategic alignment, effective coordination, and the successful realisation of the institute’s objectives.

Funding as a scalable, collaborative and outward-facing institute is intended to position UK biomedical science at the international forefront of obesity research. This approach will support and integrate the critical mass needed to develop and deliver an ambitious vision.

The director should plan to work with a leadership and administrative team on a day-to-day basis and will be responsible for overarching management of UK-ORI, coherence across its sites, and demonstration of its overall strategic impact. UK-ORI will undertake research into the biological origins, prevention, treatment, and health consequences of obesity, with a strong focus on elucidating underlying mechanistic pathways.

Its scientific scope will integrate fundamental biomedical science, medicine, and technological innovation to enable the development of effective, targeted interventions and improved health outcomes. The institute will prioritise integrated, biologically and data-driven discovery across molecular, cellular, and physiological systems, with a strong emphasis on dynamic human physiology and related cardiometabolic processes.

Research themes should address the mechanistic links between obesity and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. This will be supported by agile proof-of-concept target validation in humans and experimental medicine to test mechanisms in vivo and de-risk novel therapeutic targets.

UK-ORI will also accelerate the translation of discovery into real-world impact, strengthening links between academia, industry and public benefit, while aligning with national priorities for innovation-led growth. UK-ORI will deliberately not address all the challenges associated with obesity, which are broad and complex, and intersect across the whole of society.

Our aim is to support the transformative underpinning biomedical mechanistic science that is needed to link into the broader obesity research landscape.

Areas outside this funding opportunity include: the broad, underlying societal and environmental factors that contribute to obesity behavioural science alone without integration with basic biological mechanisms basic science or observational research which does not provide mechanistic insights into the pathophysiology of obesity and related conditions, or a pathway to prevention or treatment longitudinal population studies proposals where the focus is predominantly on networking activities UK-ORI is expected to play a significant national role in training and career development.

It will develop and enhance UK research capacity by providing strong multidisciplinary skills and training environments, particularly for early career researchers, and expanding research infrastructure to maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in obesity research.

UK-ORI will provide an internationally leading investment capable of attracting global talent and further ‘bolt-on’ investment from across the health and life sciences sector to address areas strategically important for other public and private funders. Leveraging partnerships with other funders, industry and technology company investment is strongly encouraged.

This will ensure that the knowledge generated by this national endeavour will be accelerated into impactful translation to support effective ‘real world’ interventions to prevent and treat obesity. The institute will be a beacon of excellence in research culture, equality, diversity and inclusion, leadership models, and innovation. The duration of this initial award will be seven years in the first instance, with the potential to renew.

Funding available up to £60 million (80% full economic cost) for up to seven years. We expect to make one award. Applications will be from a single eligible research organisation in a partnership with other research sites.

We will provide all the awarded funding to the lead organisation, to manage and distribute accordingly. Awards spanning multiple organisations will require a clear plan addressing award governance and management to ensure funds can be used flexibly to support changes in research delivery and opportunity across the duration of the award. Funding of this opportunity is subject to approval of a full business case.

Discussion with the Medical Research Council If you are intending to submit to this funding opportunity as your organisation’s lead applicant, you are strongly encouraged to contact us before submitting a full application. Please contact us at obesityresearchopp@mrc. ukri.

org In view of the scale, scope, and collaborative nature of this investment we expect only a small number of applications, and the final outcome will be one award. We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

We will publish full details on how to apply when the funding opportunity opens. How we will assess your application We will assess your application using the following process. Applications will go to a panel of independent, international experts who will review your application against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity.

The full criteria for assessment will be published when the full application funding opportunity opens. Applicants will be interviewed after which the panel will make a funding recommendation. Participating funders will make the final funding decision.

We will provide feedback with the outcome of your application. We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed. Full details of the assessment process will be given when the full funding opportunity is launched.

Get help with your application If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page The helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue.

Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility, content, or remit of a funding opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

For help and advice on costings and writing your application please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process. For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact obesityresearchopp@mrc. ukri.

org Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk. Email: support@funding-service. ukri.

org Our phone lines are open: Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm To help us process queries more efficiently, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time. For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service .

This funding will be awarded based on additional terms and conditions which will include the responsibilities of the director and leadership team. Applications should be positioned in the context of relevant ongoing investments across the Medical Research Council and the broader research and innovation landscape.

Research and innovation impact Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population. Webinar for potential applicants We will hold a webinar on Wednesday 2 September 2026 2:00 to 3:00pm UK time. This will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

Research disruption due to COVID-19 We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities.

We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as: disruptive working patterns and conditions role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application.

They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing. Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption. This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK.

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