MRC Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is changing the way they 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 CoREs will be funded for up to 14 years. An award will initially last for 7 years, with a further 7 years based on successful review. You can request up to £21 million at 80% FEC for the first 7 years.
This is an annual opportunity, initially focused on specified themes. In this first call for new centres, the themes are mental health, multimorbidity, and advanced therapeutics. MRC expect to make up to 2 awards nationally and exceptionally, a third award may be made in partnership with BHF in this first round.
Full details can be found on the MRC website.
Demand management from MRC
The University of Oxford may lead up to 3 outline applications in this round, one in each theme. An additional application is possible for a BHF-MRC CoRE in advanced cardiovascular therapeutics.
In the exceptional situation where an ‘outside theme’ application is approved for submission based on a time-limited and strategic opportunity, it would be at the expense of 1 permitted theme application. Please contact leila.whitworth@medsci.ox.ac.uk asap if you are considering this route.
Internal triage
As the MRC will be limiting the number of applications from each host institution, the Medical Sciences Division will be running an internal selection process to identify the Oxford submissions. All bids led by the University of Oxford are required to first submit an internal expression of interest (EOI) on IRAMS by Thursday 8th December at 12 noon. EOIs will be reviewed by the Medical Sciences Division leadership team, with appropriate input for any cross-divisional bids. Only a small number of bids will be selected and supported to go forward to MRC’s outline stage. The outcome of this selection process will be communicated by 23rd December, to allow selected bids time to develop their case before MRC’s February deadline.
You do not need to submit an internal EOI where the University of Oxford will be a partner in applications led from other organisations. However, please contact research@medsci.ox.ac.uk to flag the application as a letter of support will be required.
Please attach to your IRAMS submission as a single collated PDF document
• The internal EOI form, which can be found on IRAMS
• A CV of the lead applicant (any format)
