Apply for Medical Research Council funding to run a scheme at your research organisation (RO) to reimburse public partners who work with researchers to develop Medical Research Council (MRC) research funding applications.
You must be based at a RO eligible for MRC funding.
Your RO scheme must:
- support research applications to MRC
- support researchers to develop, plan and deliver their public partnership activity
The full economic cost (FEC) of your scheme can be up to £20,000 and over a duration of up to 18 months. MRC will fund 100% of the FEC.
You must have completed the mandatory expression of interest stage to be invited to this full stage.
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do so following submission of an expression of interest (EOI). The EOI stage closed 8 April 2025.
To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible.
Who is eligible to apply
To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must:
- be employed by an eligible research organisation
- show that you will lead the project and be actively engaged in the work
- have knowledge of public involvement good practice
- have previous experience of providing public involvement support to researchers and staff
Note: Professional services staff, for example, public involvement and engagement professionals, can be the project lead.
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 six months beyond the end date of the project
- all necessary support for the project and the applicant/s will be provided
A research organisation may lead or partner on more than one application and applications may comprise more than one research organisation.
Individuals may be project lead on only one application. However, individuals can act as project co-leads on any number of applications.
Who is not eligible to apply
You are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity as a 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. Before applying for funding, check the Eligibility of your organisation.
You are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity if you are seeking support for your own planned research application to MRC. This is a devolved model, so research organisations receive awards from MRC and run their own scheme, which their researchers can apply to.
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:
- career breaks
- support for people with caring responsibilities
- flexible working
- alternative working patterns
UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.
Aim
To support researchers to involve the public in developing research funding applications (at pre-application stage).
Scope
You can apply for funding to run a scheme at your research organisation to reimburse public partners who work with researchers to develop MRC research funding applications.
Public partners include a diverse range of communities and people of all ages and backgrounds, who bring different life experiences, knowledge and perspectives.
To be eligible, members of the public must be contributing in a personal capacity and not working in a professional capacity (where their contribution is already covered by existing payment, for example, employed by a charity or support group and contributing on behalf of this organisation).
Research organisations must devise and manage their own scheme.
This can be an existing scheme or a new scheme.
Your research organisation scheme must:
- support research funding applications to MRC
- support researchers to develop, plan and deliver their public partnership activity
As part of a devolved scheme, public involvement support must be provided to researchers including:
- initial review and feedback on each application to the devolved scheme
- tailored support to develop a meaningful public partner activity, with a focus on mutual benefit
- support in planning the delivery and evaluation of the activity
- encouraging researchers to attend relevant public involvement training and to include this in their personal development plans
Researcher and public partner expectations should be aligned. It is essential that public partner expectations are considered and managed with integrity, from receipt of applications to the devolved scheme and throughout the planning and delivery of the activity.
Institutional payment rates for public partners can be used for the devolved scheme. MRC public partner payment guidance may be helpful if no institutional rates exist and to inform MRC research funding applications.
Report back on this scheme
The project lead will be required to report against a set of reporting measures.
Further information on the reporting measures can be found in the ‘additional information’ section.
There will be an online evaluation workshop, which the project lead will be expected to attend and contribute to. Further details will be provided to successful project leads following the funding decision meeting.
For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the Additional information section.
Duration
The duration of this award is up to 18 months.
Funding available
The FEC of your project can be up to £20,000.
MRC will fund 100% of the FEC. All costs should be requested under the exceptions fund heading.
Find out more about full economic costing.
What we will fund
The costs requested to run the devolved scheme should be those specifically related to the public partner activity undertaken to support applications for MRC research funding.
You can request funding for the following costs that the devolved scheme can support:
- compensation for time and reimbursement of expenses for public partners, for example, travel, accommodation, food or internet data fee
- reasonable catering and venue costs
- special requirements, such as care or support workers, interpreters and childcare (which must be agreed before the activity takes place)
- costs to identify suitable public partners (for example, Facebook advertising)
Who can be supported by the devolved scheme:
- public partners, including those from an existing public and patient involvement group or charity, voluntary or community group
- specific experts, such as a professional facilitator, to support public partner activity
- organisations who represent members of the public, for example support and community groups or charities, may be offered payment for public partnership contributions provided by their staff or members in a professional capacity. The level and arrangements for payment should be agreed before the activity takes place
What we will not fund
The devolved scheme cannot support costs for:
- public involvement and engagement staff managing and supporting the scheme
- public involvement and engagement training
- equipment for online sessions and other general IT costs, unless it is to fulfil special requirements (see MRC public partner payment guidance)
- long term funding for public involvement and engagement groups
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)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. 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.
Further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/supporting-researchers-to-involve-public-at-pre-application-stage/)
