The UK’s Medical Research Council has reopened curiosity-driven research funding with a redesigned process aimed at speeding decisions, widening participation and strengthening cross-disciplinary work across biomedical and health science.
A broader route for applicant-led research
In a statement published on 13 March 2026, the MRC said it is unpausing curiosity-driven research funding and improving the way applications are handled. Applicant-led funding opportunities will reopen on 7 April, while experimental medicine opportunities will open on 30 April, according to the council’s update. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
The council said the revised model is intended to support ambitious research that crosses medical disciplines without “artificial boundaries,” and to create quicker decisions for more applicants. It also said the changes are meant to increase opportunities for researchers to take part in panel assessment. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
Single College of Experts to guide decisions
As part of the new structure, the MRC will bring its existing applicant-led research funding boards into a single College of Experts. The council said this will retain the full breadth of its remit, from molecules to cells, tissues, organs, physiological systems and human populations. Funding panels will be drawn flexibly from that College and will review all applications received. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
Following written assessment, shortlisted applicants will be invited to an in-person panel interview. The MRC also said early career researchers will be particularly supported under the new system. In line with the wider UK Research and Innovation approach, applicant-led opportunities will remain open all year. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
Funding decisions set for June and December
The council said recommendations from applicant-led funding panels and the experimental medicine panel will be considered together by panel chairs and MRC executive directors. It added that funding decisions will be made twice a year, in June and December, with the first application shortlisting in 2026 planned for July and decisions expected in December. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
MRC Executive Chair Professor Patrick Chinnery said the reforms were shaped during the funding pause and are designed to reflect the questions faced by today’s research community. He said the council’s mission is to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth by supporting curiosity-driven research that improves understanding of human disease mechanisms and enables precision prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
What opens next in 2026
The MRC also set out a wider calendar of opportunities for 2026, including capacity building: clinical research training fellowship, professional doctorate: clinical research training fellowship and early independence: clinician scientist fellowship, all opening on 10 June 2026. The early independence: career development fellowship is due to open on 23 June 2026. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
Later in the year, the council plans to reopen translation and commercialisation schemes in July 2026 under new names: Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme, renamed MRC Proof of Concept, and MRC Gap Fund, renamed MRC Impact Acceleration Awards. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
The move signals a broader effort by the MRC to keep discovery science moving while reshaping how it funds research teams. For UK scientists, the revised model may prove especially important as the council seeks to back high-risk, high-reward projects with clearer routes from fundamental biology to clinical impact. ([ukri.org](https://www.ukri.org/news/mrc-curiosity-driven-research-reopens-with-new-approach/))
Source: UKRI / MRC announcement
