Applications are currently being accepted for the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) MRC Career Development Fellowship 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
About UKRI MRC Career Development Fellowship
The MRC Career Development Fellowship is a fully funded opportunity for talented researchers to transition to independence. This fellowship supports individuals with a PhD who have evidence of career consolidation and productivity, enabling them to lead their own research plans and build their own team within the Medical Research Council’s remit.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a UK public body that funds high-quality research to improve human health. As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the MRC supports a wide range of medical research from basic studies to translational and clinical research, aiming to drive scientific discovery and train the next generation of research leaders.
Benefits of UKRI MRC Career Development Fellowship
- Competitive salary for the fellow
- Funding for research consumables, equipment, and travel costs
- Support for a small number of research and technical staff
- Visa fees and international health surcharge costs for fellow and dependent family members
- Training activities and data preservation costs
- Estates and indirect costs
- Public partnerships and related activities
- NHS research costs when associated with NHS studies
- Support for a period of research overseas, at a second UK research organisation or in industry
UKRI MRC Career Development Fellowship Requirements
- 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
- Have a research focus within MRC remit to improve human health
- Must have the support of an eligible UK organisation
- Cannot have applied for an MRC fellowship within the last year or twice before
- Cannot have been awarded a comparable fellowship supporting early independence or a new investigator award from any organisation
- Cannot be clinically active (clinicians should apply to the clinician scientist fellowship)
- Cannot hold a salaried position and a fellowship at the same time
Application Date and Process
- Select ‘Start application’ on the UKRI Funding Service page
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes provided
- 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
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI
Application Deadline
15 September, 2026
Opportunity Application
View details of
UKRI MRC Career Development Fellowship
Apply for UKRI MRC Career Development Fellowship
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