Funding opportunity: Applied global health partnership

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must be eligible as an individual.

You must be based at an eligible research organisation. These include:

• universities or higher education institutions based in the UK, and includes the following:
  • UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) approved independent research organisations or NHS bodies
  • public sector research establishments
  • MRC institutes
  • MRC units and partnership institutes (including those in Gambia and Uganda)
  • institutes and units funded by other research councils
• organisations in LMICs with degree-awarding powers recognised by the government in which the organisation is based
• research-focused institutes based in LMICs either funded by the government of the country in which the organisation is based, or by a not-for-profit organisation
• research-focused not-for-profit organisations based in LMICs with dedicated research capacity

MRC particularly encourages applications from:

• overseas researchers based in LMICs
• researchers who are eligible to apply for MRC funding and work in equitable partnership with LMIC researchers

For a list of LMIC countries, read the Development Assistance Committee list of official development assistance recipient countries.

The board recognises that applied global health research requires the involvement of a diverse range of collaborating organisations in order to affect sustainable change. Applications involving a not-for-profit organisation based in an LMIC will be eligible to be named co-investigators. This can include grass-roots organisations and community groups.

Who is not eligible to apply

Principal investigators based in the UK or eligible LMIC research organisations are eligible to apply. If you are based in a high income country, or in India you are not eligible to be principal investigator, but may be eligible to be co-investigator.

If you are unsure regarding eligibility please contact international@mrc.ukri.org

China is no longer eligible for funding.

It is expected that researchers from India and any high-income countries make a significant contribution to their own research costs, including covering their own overheads.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

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:

• career breaks
• support for people with caring responsibilities
• flexible working
• alternative working patterns

Read MRC’s guidance on flexible working and career breaks. You can also find out more about MRC’s current EDI initiatives and EDI at UKRI.

Scope

The applied global health research board funds research to address global health challenges and inequities. Our remit includes applied research of direct practical benefit to LMIC populations.

We’re looking to fund strategically important, original partnerships providing a distinct and important contribution to the research landscape. The partnerships should be driven by the research needs of the LMICs involved.

Partnerships should be linked to high-quality research programmes and should demonstrate how the partnership will facilitate future applied research. The aim is to fund a portfolio of high-quality global partnerships, which will impact current and future applied research, be diverse, promote multidisciplinarity and strengthen global health research capacity.

We welcome cross-sector partnerships combining expertise to meet a global health challenge. You can include a broad range of partners, and non-academic partners are permitted.

You can read our case studies detailing examples of successful partnership grants and why we funded them.

We will fund partnerships between diverse groups of researchers. These partnerships must:

• establish new, high-value collaborative activities or capabilities
• add value to high-quality scientific programmes that are already supported by grants from MRC and other funders

The resources you request should be appropriate for the objectives of your application. We will accept applications of all sizes, including large applications of approximately £1 million and small to medium-scale applications. We will take into account value for money when assessing applications.

You can apply for funding for a partnership to address any health topic of relevance in the context where the research will be conducted.

Examples of topics partnerships may focus on include, but are not limited to, the following:

• maternal and neonatal health
• early childhood development
• adolescent health
• healthy ageing
• sexual and reproductive health
• infectious diseases, including neglected tropical diseases and COVID-19
• non-communicable diseases, including mental health disorders
• multimorbidity
• nutrition and food security
• snakebite
• intentional and unintentional injury
• urban health, including indoor and outdoor air pollution, road traffic accidents and healthy housing
• planetary health
• informal settlements, conflict zones and displaced populations
• primary, secondary and tertiary prevention
• detection and diagnostics
• mobile health
• treatment, including surgery
• pain management and palliative care

The MRC FCDO concordat supports global health research projects funded through the Applied Global Health Research Board in specific strategic areas of mutual interest, for example:

• infections, including epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response
• maternal and newborn health
• implementation science
• adolescent health
• early child development
• sexual and reproductive health and rights
• climate and health

Strengthening research capacity as part of your application

We are committed to strengthening research capacity within LMICs and the UK. All applicants are required to develop plans to strengthen research capacity within their proposal, which will be assessed as part of the peer review process and inform funding decisions.

We encourage you to start discussing capacity strengthening priorities as early as possible, in consultation with key stakeholders, both within and outside of your project team. For example:

• researchers
• laboratory technicians
• data collectors
• field workers
• managers
• practitioners
• policymakers
• research management offices

We take a broad view of where capacity strengthening activities could be targeted, however plans must be directly linked to the proposed project. Activities could target the individual, institutional or contextual level (or span multiple levels), and plans should be proportionate to the scale of the project, with larger proposals expected to be more ambitious.

Examples of capacity building include, but are not limited to:

• building leadership skills amongst early career researchers
• opportunities for mutual learning across the project team, such as through staff exchanges (for example, the context where it is being conducted in the subject of the research, engagement with policymakers and research management)
• building capacity to working collaboratively, across disciplines and across practice-research boundaries (for example, with policymakers, managers and practitioners in the system)
• providing mentoring to improve the capacity of less-experienced researchers to generate new knowledge and achieve policy impact
• team members attending training courses to develop specific expertise or obtain relevant qualifications (excluding masters and PhDs)
• opportunities for staff and associated health managers to author or co-author journal and conference papers and participate in national and international conferences
• building organisational capacity (for example, in management, finance or communications)
• formation of LMICs research networks

Collaborative on Development Research provide further resources, tools and guides on strengthening research capacity.

Although new investigator research grants are not available through the applied global health research board, we are committed to supporting early career researchers in applied global health. The board will consider each applicant’s career stage and proposed mentorship arrangements during funding discussions.

Types of collaboration

Collaborative activities can include:

• networking and partnership activities to:
  • establish multidisciplinary collaborative partnerships or consortia
  • foster and enabling strategy in this area
  • enable knowledge sharing or creation across institutions
• infrastructure support for establishing a unique shared resource or helping to exploit it, for example:
  • staff
  • systems
  • equipment
  • seminars
  • workshops
  • activities such as specialist data and software platforms or resources

We may support small scale, pump-priming projects, but your focus should not be on specific research questions. These should be interdisciplinary, high-risk and high-gain projects that would exemplify your partnership’s novel capability.

Successful partnership grants usually include a combination of these components. We will reject applications for funding only networking activities.

We expect partnership grants to reach maturity by the end of the initial award. You should find alternative ways of funding any follow-on activities.

Areas we will not fund

We will not fund:

• stand-alone hypothesis-driven research projects
• stand-alone capacity strengthening proposals without clear links to high-quality applied research programmes
• discovery research or research that includes an applied component that fits within a current MRC remit, programme or priority. This includes early translation
• partnerships that are focused on observational research
• partnerships where the focus is on surveillance, unless the partnership is based around applied research into novel methods for surveillance
• early phase clinical trials (phase 1 and 2a)

Board opportunities

These opportunities represent areas of specific strategic focus that help to inform discussions at funding meetings, but you can submit partnership proposals that focus on any applied global health topic.

Maternal and neonatal health

The MRC maternal and neonatal health area of investment aims to provide funding for innovative applied research to address the global burden of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Early childhood development

The board supports research in early childhood development, which encompasses the physical, socio emotional, cognitive and motor development of children from birth to 8 years of age.

Early childhood development is the outcome of the nurturing care for early childhood development report. This is a range of education, health, nutrition and social protection inputs and environments. Proposals in this area will be jointly funded by FCDO as part of a coordinated effort to increase and scale up the evidence base for early childhood development interventions.

Read more about the early childhood development area of investment.

Adolescent health

Adolescent health has been a recent focus of investment for MRC, FCDO and the National Institute for Health Research, in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council.

Read more about the adolescent health area of investment.

Implementation science

Maximising impact from research remains a priority for MRC. To ensure that we meet this priority, we are funding research to address the implementation gap and progress interventions towards real-world impact.

This complements existing applied global health schemes addressing late-phase trials and health systems research by providing a regular funding opportunity for research, using robust implementation science approaches.

We expect this research to ensure that evidence-based health interventions are implemented in an accessible and fair way for the most vulnerable populations.

If you are unsure whether your proposal fits the remit described, please send a 1 page summary of your proposal to international@mrc.ukri.org

Duration

We will fund projects lasting up to 5 years, although projects typically last 3 to 4 years.

Funding available

We will accept proposals of all sizes up to approximately £1 million.

What we will fund

You can request funding for costs such as:

• a contribution to the salary of the principal investigator and co-investigators
• support for other posts such as research and technical
• research consumables
• equipment
• travel costs
• data preservation, data sharing and dissemination costs
• estates and indirect costs

Please note: costs attributed to international co-investigators from high income countries (those not on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of official development assistance recipients), or India must not exceed 30% of the full economic cost grant value. There is no cap on eligible funds going to international co-investigators from DAC list countries.

What we will not fund

We will not fund:

• masters and PhD studentships
• UK publication costs (publication costs where all the authors are from LMICs can be included)
• funding to use as a ‘bridge’ between grants

Team project partners

You may include project partners that will support your partnership project through cash or in-kind contributions, such as:

• staff time
• access to equipment
• sites or facilities
• the provision of data
• software or materials

Where there is engagement from individuals based in government agencies, international intergovernmental organisations (for example, the World Health Organization), or other stakeholder organisations (for example, industry collaborators) you should include them as a named project partner.

Each project partner must provide a statement of support.

If your application involves industry partners, you should also read the industry collaboration framework section.

Find out more about subcontractors and dual roles.

Who cannot be included as a team project partner

The individual named as the contact for the project partner organisation cannot also be a named applicant, such as all those with a role of ‘investigator’ and any other named member of staff.

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.

Applying using Je-S

You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system and follow the below guidance before accessing Je-S.

We recommend you start your application as soon as possible after the funding opportunity opens on 24 May 2023.

If you are a UK lead applicant, follow the UK researchers Je-S guidance section.

If you are a LMIC researcher who is leading an outline application, follow the process outlined in the ‘LMIC based lead overseas researchers’ section.

If you are an investigator or researcher based within an LMIC research organisation not currently registered on Je-S, follow the ‘self registration process’ section.

LMIC based lead overseas researchers

Overseas researchers that are based at an LMIC and leading an application, should firstly visit Je-S to download a list of Je-S registered organisations and check if their lead LMIC organisation has previously been awarded UKRI funding.

If you find your lead LMIC organisation within the list of Je-S registered organisations, it is important to contact the submitter pool members of your organisation as soon as possible. This is to discuss arrangements to ensure the timely Je-S submission of your application.

The final submission must be completed before 1 August 2023 at 4:00pm UK time when this funding opportunity closes.

Further information on how to view submitter pool members details within Je-S is available within the supplementary guidance for outline submissions to the applied global health research board  in the ‘additional info’ section.

Self registration process

If your LMIC research organisation has not previously received UKRI funding, whether you are a principal or co-investigator within an application, you are required to submit directly to MRC through Je-S.

You must navigate to the Je-S login page and select the option ‘self-registration for organisations’ to add your LMIC organisation to the Je-S database.

Je-S account process for overseas researchers

Following the completion of the self-registration process, any overseas researchers without Je-S accounts should follow the create Je-S account application process as soon as possible. You should do this by navigating to the Je-S home page or by selecting ‘create an account’.

Each researcher should ensure they create the correct Je-S account type, by selecting the option (check box) adjacent to the description ‘an Applicant on a Standard or Outline Proposal (Principal/Co/Researcher Co–Investigator)’.

Once completed, create the Je-S application.

UK researcher Je-S guidance

You are advised to liaise with your organisation’s research office as soon as possible, to discuss your intended application.

This early discussion will allow your host organisation to plan your application submission and ensure you complete your application in a timely fashion. This allows your organisation adequate time to complete necessary application checks before they complete the final submission to MRC through Je-S.

If you are a researcher based in the UK or at an overseas MRC unit who has not created a Je-S account, navigate to the Je-S home page and select ‘create an account’.

If you have already created a Je-S account, but have forgotten your account username or password, you can retrieve a hint to your password and confirmation of your Je-S account username.

If you already have a Je-S account, ensure you have the correct level of Je-S account required to be included as an investigator (within the Je-S proposal).

If your organisation is eligible to apply for UKRI funding (for example, NHS Trust), but the organisation has not yet completed the UKRI eligibility process, you can still apply for this funding opportunity. You must follow the self-registration process as indicated above.

Submitting your application

You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.

This funding opportunity will not be available in Je-S, until it opens on 24 May 2023.

You can find advice on completing your application in the ‘supplementary guidance for outline submissions to the applied global health research board’ in the ‘Additional info’ section.

We recommend you start your application early.

Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and guidance.

Before starting an application, you will need to log in or create an account in Je-S using the correct process for you, based on the information at the start of this section.

When applying:

1. Select ‘documents’, then ‘new document’.
2. Select ‘call search’.
3. To find the opportunity, search for: Applied Global Health Research Board Outline Round 5 2023.

This will populate:

• council: MRC
• document type: outline proposal
• scheme: standard outline
• call/type/mode: Applied Global Health Research Board Outline Round 5 2023

Once you have completed your application, make sure you ‘submit document’.

You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application anytime during the opportunity opening period.

As stated in the MRC guidance for applicants, it is your responsibility to ensure:

• you apply to the correct funding opportunity
• you select the correct type of grant you are applying for (partnership or research grant)
• your application is submitted before the published funding opportunity closing date and time.

Attachments

Mandatory attachments to include with your Je-S outline proposal are:

• case for support (up to five sides of A4, plus one side of A4 for references)
• CVs (up to two sides of A4 per person)
• publications (no more than one side of A4 per person)
• resubmissions only: other attachment (up to two sides of A4)

Letters of support are optional (up to two sides of A4 per letter).

Indicating your application is a partnership grant

Select the ‘grant type’ option from the application document menu, within the Je-S application form. Within the section, select the radio button adjacent to the ‘Partnership grant’ option and select the ‘save’ button.

Deadline

MRC must receive your application by 1 August 2023 at 4:00pm UK time.

You will not be able to apply after this time. If your lead organisation is currently eligible to receive MRC funding, please liaise with your research office as soon as possible in the application process, leaving enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission path before the advertised deadline.

You should ensure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.

If your lead research organisation is not currently eligible on Je-S and you have completed the self-registration of your organisation, when you submit your completed proposal through Je-S, this process will submit the document directly through Je-S to MRC.