This funding opportunity allows UK based eligible individuals (who are employed by eligible research organisations) and eligible individuals based in the state of São Paulo, Brazil to jointly apply for funding to support research projects addressing artificial intelligence (AI) for biomedical and health applications that are relevant to Brazil.
You must have submitted to FAPESP by 28 June 2024 and be invited to apply to this funding opportunity.
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if you have been invited by Medical Research Council (MRC), following submission of your funding application to FAPESP by the advertised closing date 28 June 2024.
Before applying for funding, check the Eligibility of your organisation.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.
For full details, visit Eligibility as an individual.
To be eligible to apply for this opportunity you must:
If you 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:
We recognise the diversity of skills necessary for a successful research team and encourage applications to recognise the contribution of technical professionals.
São Paulo based applicants (including the São Paulo project lead and any co-leads), should be added to your Funding Service application as a member of your ‘Core team’ (salary costs should not be claimed). You should assign the São Paulo lead and any co-leads, the role of ‘Project co-lead (international).
You can include other (non- São Paulo), international applicants as project co-leads (international), where they will make a major intellectual contribution to the design or conduct of the project.
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:
Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.
Explore the closed FAPESP funding opportunity information to see the aims, objectives and scope.
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if you have successfully applied to FAPESP, by the advertised closing date 28 June 2024 and received an email invitation to apply from Medical Research Council (MRC).
MRC aim to send email invitations week commencing 1 July 2024. The invitation will include a start application link, allowing invited applicants to apply through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service.
MRC must receive a copy of your FAPESP application (via the Funding Service), to enable us to assess your application.
We are running this funding opportunity on the new Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The UK project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
If the lead research organisation is an NHS organisation, check it is available in the Funding Service. You are encouraged to check this early as there may be additional steps for the organisation to be set up before you can apply.
Select the ‘Start application’ link provided to you within the invitation email.
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
MRC must receive your application by 30 July 2024 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
MRC as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
We will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with FAPESP to facilitate the assessment process.
MRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at board and panel outcomes.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary of your project.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
Only list one UK based individual as project lead
All applicants (including the São Paulo project lead and any co-leads), should be added to your Funding Service application as a member of your ‘Core team’. You should assign the São Paulo lead and any co-leads, the role of ‘Project co-lead (international)’.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Word limit: 10
Upload a single PDF containing a copy of your FAPESP application. The content of the PDF should be in English.
We require you to download a copy of your submitted FAPESP application from the FAPESP website and upload a PDF of your application to this section (ensure the PDF does not exceed the maximum file size of 8MB).
For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘FAPESP application’.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating third party organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.
Important note: If your application includes industry project partners, you will also need to complete the Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF) section. Find out more about ICF.
You must ensure that any third party individual or organisation you include within the Funding Service as a project partner, also provides you with a supporting email or letter of support (see next section ‘Project partners: letters or emails of support’).
The individual named as the project partner contact, cannot be included in your application as a member of the core team, in any core team role.
The project partner organisation cannot be an applicant organisation, where any member of the core team is based. For example, you cannot include a different department based within the applicant organisation as a project partner.
If an individual or organisation outside the core team is responsible for recruitment of people as research participants or providing human tissue for this project, list them as a project partner.
Add the following project partner details:
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
If there are specific circumstances where project partners do require funding for minor costs such as travel and subsistence, these project partner costs should be claimed and justified within the resources and costs section of your application.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Word limit: 10
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the ‘Project partners’ section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’.
Important note: We are only looking for you to provide project partner letters or emails of support from the following:
Third party means the individual and organisation must not be involved in the application core team. You must ensure that any project partners providing a supporting document, are also added to the ‘project partners’ section within the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the ‘Project partners’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
We are not looking for you to provide any letters or emails of support from individuals or organisations included in your application core team (this includes other departments within the same organisation). Any individual or organisation included in your application with a core team role cannot also be a project partner.
Do not include any other statements or any other type of information we have not requested, including letter or emails of support from colleagues simply expressing supportive opinions. We only expect letters or emails of support from your third party project partners uploaded to this section.
If you include any information not requested by MRC, your application will be rejected.
Each project partner supporting letter or email you provide, should:
Project partners letters and emails of support are not required to be on headed paper or include handwritten signatures (electronic signatures are acceptable from the nominated partner contact).
If the project partner is responsible for the recruitment of people as research participants or providing human tissue their letter or email of support should include:
If you have multiple project partners, you should:
For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Project partner’.
Word limit: 1,500
Does your application include industry project partners?
If industry collaboration does not apply to any of your project partners, or you don’t have any project partners, simply add ‘N/A’ into the text box.
If your research project involves collaboration between an academic organisation and an industry or company, you are likely to need to follow the industry collaboration framework and answer this question, check using the ICF decision tree.
The assessors are looking for information relating to the nature, goals and conditions of the collaboration and any restrictions or rights to the project results that could be claimed by the project partner.
By ‘industry or company’ we mean an enterprise that puts goods or services on a market and whose commercial activities are greater than 20% of their overall annual capacity.
Find out more about ICF, including:
In addition to the project partner information completed in the previous section, confirm your answers to the ICF questions in the text box, repeat this process for each ICF project partner:
Failure to provide the information requested for industry partners under ICF could result in your application being rejected.
You are recommended to discuss the goals and conditions of any collaboration with an industry or company project partner with your university technology transfer or contracts office before applying.
Word limit: 100
Does the proposed work involve international collaboration in a sensitive research or technology area?
Demonstrate how your proposed international collaboration relates to TR&I, including:
Enter N/A in the text box if not applicable to your proposed work.
We may ask you to provide additional information about how your proposed project will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help manage these risks
Word limit: 10
What resources will you need to deliver the UK element of your proposed work and how much will it cost? Do not include any costs which will be funded by FAPESP.
Add your UK costs to the Funding Service, Ensure the cost entered reflect the cost indicated in your submission to FAPESP. This should include:
Should you require any further guidance adding your costs to the Funding Service, explore the Funding Service: Resources and Costs information for grant applications.
Do not include any costs which will be funded by FAPESP.
A justification of your costs is not required, you should therefore enter the words ‘UK costs supplied’ in the text box and complete the section, after adding all of your UK based costs.
Word limit: 250
Will your research involve participants from the NHS or health and social care duty of care?
If not, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box
Researchers applying for clinical research in the NHS, public health or social care need to complete a Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool (SoECAT) to be eligible for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) portfolio. This is the route through which support and excess treatment costs are provided in England.
You must answer ‘Yes’ and complete and upload a SoECAT if you are applying for clinical research funding, and confirm that:
You must complete a SoECAT even if you don’t think your clinical research will involve excess treatment costs (ETCs).
See MRC guidance on who needs to complete a SoECAT.
If you are applying for clinical research in the NHS, public health or social care and don’t think you need to complete a SoECAT, answer ‘Yes’ and explain why a SoECAT is not necessary.
We want to know that you have taken the appropriate steps for the full costs of your research to be attributed, calculated and paid.
We want to see the expected total resources required for your project, such as ETCs, to consider if these are appropriate.
SoECAT guidance can be found on the NIHR website.
These are the steps you need to take:
Applications that require a SoECAT but have not attached the SoECAT funder export study information and summary may be rejected.
Ensure the AcoRD specialists name and date are include within the uploaded summary page. The SoECAT is invalid without this information.
Contact international@mrc.ukri.org if you have questions about the UKRI aspects of this process or have concerns that your SoECAT may not be authorised in time for the application deadline.
FAPESP will be leading the administration of this funding opportunity, for full details please consult the FAPESP funding opportunity page.
FAPESP will act as lead agency in this funding opportunity and applications will be remote peer-reviewed and the peer review process will include reviewers nominated by FAPESP and MRC. Key assessment criteria of the peer review analysis are described below.
A Joint Evaluation Panel comprising of experts designated by FAPESP and MRC will evaluate all eligible proposals providing FAPESP and MRC with a ranked list of funding recommendations.
The boards of FAPESP and MRC will thereafter ratify the results. The Brazilian part will be funded by FAPESP according to its own rules and procedures and the UK part by MRC according to its rules and procedures. In due time, the researchers will also receive the necessary feedback about the decision taken.
To be funded, applications must be internationally competitive and at a standard equivalent to that normally expected to be supported by FAPESP and MRC.
Key assessment criteria for the submissions will be:
If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page
Important note: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.
For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.
For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact international@mrc.ukri.org
For general questions related to MRC funding including our funding opportunities and policy please contact rfpd@mrc.ukri.org
Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.
Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490
Our phone lines are open:
To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.
See further information on submitting an application.
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email international@mrc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
