Early Career Development Fellowships 2026 by UKRI Open

The UK Medical Research Council has opened applications for the Early Independence: Career Development Fellowship, offering researchers up to five years of salary and project funding to establish their own research programme at an eligible UK institution.

Applications are open to researchers of all nationalities, including those currently based outside the United Kingdom. The deadline to submit your application for UKRI early career development fellowship is 15 September 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

What Does the MRC Fellowship Offer?

The MRC fellowship is designed for post-PhD researchers ready to move from working under established group leaders towards running their own research niche and building a small team.

MRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost of the fellowship, with 100% support for permitted exception costs. There is no fixed maximum award amount, but all requested costs must be justified.

Funding may cover:

• The fellow’s salary
• Research and technical staff
• Equipment and consumables
• Training and career development
• Research travel and collaboration
• Data management and sharing
• NHS research costs
• Public and patient involvement
• Visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge costs for the fellow and dependent family members

The fellowship can run for up to five years and may be held part-time where personal circumstances require it. Successful applicants may also spend up to 12 months at another UK institution, an overseas research organization or an industry partner.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must have completed a PhD or equivalent before the fellowship starts. Eligible researchers should be able to demonstrate:

• Strong research skills and past productivity
• Evidence of career development across previous appointments
• An original research plan within the MRC remit
• A clear strategy for establishing an independent research niche
• A project that does not substantially overlap with the work of current supervisors or group leaders
• Support from an eligible UK research organisation
• At least one senior departmental sponsor

There is no age limit and no fixed restriction based on the number of years spent in postdoctoral research. International applicants may apply from abroad, but the fellowship must be based at an eligible UK host institution.

Which Research Areas Are Eligible?

The proposed project must aim to improve human health and fall within the MRC research remit. Supported fields include:

• Infections and immunity
• Molecular and cellular medicine
• Neuroscience and mental health
• Population and systems medicine
• Public health
• Global health
• Research methodology
• Translational and developmental research

Global health projects must remain connected to biomedical discovery or early translational research.

Who Should Not Apply?

This fellowship is intended for researchers making their first major move towards independence. It is not suitable for applicants who have already established themselves as independent research leaders.

Applicants may be ineligible if they:

• Already hold a comparable early-independence fellowship
• Have secured major grants as project lead with responsibility for postdoctoral staff
• Have another UKRI fellowship of the same type under assessment
• Have an MRC New Investigator Award under assessment
• Have submitted the same project elsewhere as a grant application
• Have applied for an MRC fellowship within the previous year
• Have already submitted two MRC fellowship applications
• Are clinically active healthcare professionals
• Will not be employed by an eligible UK organisation

Clinically active researchers should consider the separate MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship.

Applicants also cannot normally hold another salaried position alongside the fellowship.

What Makes a Competitive Application?

MRC expects applicants to explain not only what they want to research, but why the fellowship is essential for their transition towards independence.

A strong application should show:

• An ambitious and important research question
• A clear scientific vision
• A feasible methodology and project plan
• Evidence that the applicant owns the intellectual direction
• Plans to develop leadership and management skills
• Strong support from the host institution
• Access to suitable facilities and infrastructure
• Robust data, ethics, reproducibility and risk-management plans

At least one sponsor must be a senior member of the proposed host department. The sponsor supports the application but does not act as a traditional supervisor.

Joint Funding Options

Applicants may request joint funding with one of the following organisations:

• Diabetes UK
• Kidney Research UK
• Parkinson’s UK
• Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Macular Society
• DEBRA
• The Borne Foundation
• Addiction Healthcare Goals

Joint funding does not change the standard MRC assessment process.

Application Deadline

The last date to apply for the MRC Early Independence: Career Development Fellowship is 15 September 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. Interviews are expected on 23 and 24 March 2027, while successful fellowships should begin between June and September 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can international researchers apply?

Yes. Researchers of all nationalities may apply, including those currently living outside the UK.

Does the fellowship cover visa costs?

Yes. Visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge costs may be covered for the fellow and dependent family members.

Is there a fixed funding limit?

No fixed maximum is stated, but all costs must be necessary and justified.

Can I apply before completing my PhD?

The PhD must be completed before the fellowship begins. Applicants awaiting completion should contact MRC before applying.

Can the fellowship fund research staff?

Yes. A small number of research and technical staff may be supported where appropriate.

Can I apply if I already hold a permanent position?

You may apply only in exceptional circumstances where the fellowship would create a clear change in career direction. Applicants who have already achieved research independence are unlikely to be competitive.

Can AI tools be used to prepare the application?

UKRI permits generative AI use, but applicants remain responsible for accuracy, confidentiality and compliance with the application rules.