The Medical Research Council (MRC) is changing the way we fund long-term research through units and centres, to adopt a new challenge-led, time-limited approach through MRC Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE).
MRC Centres of Research Excellence:
- are challenge-led investments focusing on distinct, disruptive, or multi and interdisciplinary activity
- have the potential to prove transformative to the field within 14 years
Tackling such challenges will be transformational to biomedical and health research, and will enhance approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease, improving health and wellbeing for all.
Funded centres
The MRC CoREs awarded in funding round one and starting in 2025 are:
- MRC/BHF CoRE in Advanced Cardiac Therapies
- MRC CoRE in Therapeutic Genomics
See more information about the two centres.
Benefits of the new model
A review of MRC units and centres in 2020 suggested they could benefit from being more integrated and collaborative.
MRC CoREs will take their place, bringing together the best features of both, alongside the other types of funding we offer.
The CoRE investments will support researchers through team science approaches to tackle the most important complex and interdisciplinary challenges, delivering transformational impact in biomedical and health research.
Challenge-led centres and objectives
We are keen to support a breadth of research within the MRC CoRE portfolio, spanning biomedical and health research from basic discovery science through to translational and more applied research. We also encourage methodological and technological innovation, within MRC’s remit.
This includes research tackling fundamental biological questions that are important for human health, from molecules to populations, providing the focus is on understanding mechanisms and using experimental approaches.
All CoREs should align with MRC’s central ambition: to support research into the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease, improving health and wellbeing for all.
MRC CoRE challenges should:
- be bold, ambitious and innovative, and address a gap or opportunity which is not being adequately addressed elsewhere
- address substantial unmet needs in understanding or modifying human health and disease
- have major strategic objectives achievable within the 14-year timeframe which, if achieved, will transform the research field or area of health research
- be best pursued through coordinated and flexible, major long-term funding
The challenges will be achieved through:
- fostering innovation and engagement to establish the capability and capacity to place the UK at the international forefront of impactful health research
- harnessing and networking the best expertise in the UK, to bring together creative and diverse approaches for cross-sectoral working across multiple research disciplines
- research that drives breakthrough advances and addresses specific bottlenecks through knowledge generation, technological or methodological innovation, with clear relevance to translating discovery research into interventions that reach patients
We expect MRC CoREs to be outward-facing, harnessing the best talent in the UK to deliver upon their proposed vision. They should provide a stimulating environment to train the next generation of researchers and technologists. MRC CoREs can be hosted by a single research organisation or in partnership across multiple organisations.
Funding and governance
There is an annual funding opportunity, and we will make up to two awards each year.
MRC budget provided to an MRC CoRE is typically £3 million for each year, this is equivalent to £3.75 million per year at full economic cost (FEC). The funding opportunity helps MRC strategically fund research in a more flexible way and aim our investment at areas with clear opportunity for impact. .
The MRC CoRE programme will be overseen by the MRC Science Strategy Board, which will ensure we maximise impact as well as providing horizon-scanning and oversight of our wider major investments portfolio.
New collaborations and supporting careers
This new type of funding gives researchers the opportunity to work collectively to identify the research challenges that they feel are most important.
We expect MRC CoREs to be outward-facing, and we encourage researchers to partner up across different organisations, to harness the best capability in the UK and promote interdisciplinary connections and team science.
They should provide a stimulating environment to train the next generation of researchers and technologists. MRC CoREs can be hosted by a single research organisation or in partnership across multiple organisations.
Embedded in the research ecosystem
In line with the terms of our standard research grants, CoREs have 80% of the full economic costs covered by MRC funding support. The additional 20% of costs are covered by host organisations under the dual-support model.
We expect that the mission of each MRC CoRE will be additionally supported through competitive grants and fellowships, and pursuit of external grants will help embed MRC CoREs in the wider research ecosystem. This will promote connections, movement of researchers and encourage additional activity aligned to their overall mission.
Simpler review process and financial model
The funding of MRC CoREs aligns with the financial model used across most of the research system, simplifying interactions with host organisations and stakeholders. A more flexible and portfolio-based approach makes joint funding easier across:
- other parts of UK Research and Innovation
- research charities
- industry
- other funders
These new opportunities for partnership funding will enhance our collective portfolios and help support integration and collaboration with disciplines that sit outside of the biomedical and health sectors.
They also offer a more streamlined review process, replacing the five-yearly review with a review at year six (of the first seven years), to confirm funding for a further seven years.
Promoting positive research culture
MRC CoREs will be beacons of excellence in research culture and equality, diversity and inclusion. They should adopt and maintain the highest standards in the way research is conducted and openly communicated.
They should develop and nurture career paths and a training environment which supports a positive research culture. Building research capacity in their specialist area, they will equip researchers with the tools needed to carry out world-leading research and effectively transition between career stages.
Information for MRC Units
We recognise that replacing MRC’s unit model with the new MRC CoRE model will be challenging for many unit staff. MRC remains committed to working closely with the host universities, who are the employers, to support their staff so that they are best able to manage the transition to other sources of funding, whether from MRC or elsewhere.
Research teams and infrastructures will be fully funded to deliver challenge-led agendas, at a scale that is in line with most existing MRC units. The model offers a flexible mechanism to support infrastructure and facilities (including associated staff), where these are critical to delivering the central challenge.
Existing MRC units can apply to the new model in competition with other applications.
Under the FEC model, MRC CoRE funding will contribute to indirect and estates costs, including the underpinning administration and support needs.
The new model offers enhanced security for staff compared to MRC Unit support. MRC CoRE staff will be employed through regular open-ended academic or research contracts, rather than be dependent on a successful unit review every five years. Longer-term security to both science and staff will be enhanced by establishing a portfolio of aligned external grant funding.
Where unit science does not transition into an MRC CoRE it can be readily supported through MRC grant funding (including fellowships), thereby providing sustainable funding for both science and staff.
MRC has put in place special provisions to support higher than normal project lead salary costs on grants to help the universities during this transition. This aims to help the host university accommodate additional financial commitments and help them retain the excellent scientific leadership embedded within the units they host.
Applying for the new funding model
The funding opportunity involves a two-stage application process. The first stage is an outline application, the second stage is a full application.
Only a small number of applicants will be invited to prepare a full application. Existing MRC units can apply to the new model in competition with other applications.
These changes respond to the 2022 Tickell review of bureaucracy in research, and will maximise time for the scientists to dedicate to their research.
Ask us a question about MRC CoRE
For any queries about the new funding model please contact us.
Email: CoRE@mrc.ukri.org
Last updated: 18 March 2025