You can submit to any one of the available deadlines in the year.
You may only submit to the new investigator scheme twice. You can submit a second application only if your first is not successful. You must wait at least a year after your first submission before submitting a second application.
Applying through Je-S
You must apply through the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.
For more information, please read the Je-S how to apply guidance (PDF, 140KB).
We recommend you start your application early. You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.
When applying, select ‘new document’ then:
- council: MRC
- document type: standard proposal
- scheme: research grant
- call/type/mode: New investigator research grants (NIRG) only research boards Sep 2022.
After completing the application, you must select ‘submit document’. This will send your application to your host organisation’s administration.
You can find advice on completing your application in the Je-S handbook.
Your host organisation’s administration is required to complete the submission process. You should allow sufficient time for this between submitting your proposal to them and the funding opportunity closing date.
You should give your administrative department sufficient notice that you intend to apply.
MRC must receive your application by 20 September at 16:00.
You will not be able to apply after this time. Please leave enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date.
What to include with your application
In addition to the Je-S application, you will also need to include the following mandatory attachments:
- you must use the new investigator research grant CV and salary template (your CV should be no more than two sides of A4)
- a CV is also required for each named researcher and co-investigator. Each CV should be no more than two sides of A4
- publications (up to one side of A4 per named person)
- a case for support. If your application duration is:
- 36 months or less, your case for support must not exceed eight sides of A4
- 37 months or more, your case for support must not exceed 12 sides of A4
- a justification of resources (up to two sides of A4)
- a data management plan (page length can vary). See section 2.2.7 of our attachments guidance. You must use the available data management template.
If your research includes excess treatment costs of studies involving human participants you will need to include a Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Template (SoECAT). For details and access to the SoECAT form see the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s information on excess treatment costs.
If there will be a researcher co-investigator on your project you will need to include a statement of support for researcher co-investigators. This should be no more than two sides of A4 or equivalent on headed paper or a PDF of an email.
Optional attachments include:
- covering letter: this can be up to two sides of A4 using a sans-serif typeface (Arial or equivalent) and font size of 11pt
- letters of support: each letter can be up to two sides of A4 or equivalent on headed paper or a PDF of an email.
You can find full details of what to include in mandatory and optional attachments in section 2.2 attachments guidance.
Guidance for applicants
The MRC guidance for applicants:
- helps you check your eligibility
- guides you through preparing a proposal
- shows you how to prepare a case for support
- provides details of any ethical and regulatory requirements that may apply.
Industrial partner information
If you want to include one or more industry partners as a project partner, you must also complete the project partner section in Je-S.
Each project partner must provide a project partner letter of support, a maximum of two pages on headed paper or a PDF of an email. The letter must:
- be an integral part of the application
- focus on the proposal it accompanies which includes the requirement to include a project partner letter of support.
Full details of the content the project partner should include in their letter of support, are provided in section 2.2.6 of the MRC guidance for applicants.
Declaration
Your new investigator research grant application must include a declaration confirming that you have originated the research question and written the research application. The declaration is limited to one page.
Attach your declaration to the Je-S form using the ‘letter of support’ attachment type.
Host organisation statement of support
Research organisations must also attach to all applications a statement of support signed by a senior authority. It should:
- support the application including through long-term financial commitment
- describe why the organisation considers you to be a suitable candidate for a new investigator grant
- lay out plans for how the organisation will mentor, guide and support your career development
- detail how they will financially support non-project time
- confirm that you are a recognised and valued part of their team, integrated into the research organisation, and able to develop your independence and the focus of your research
- detail the internal process the application has gone through before submission
- describe how the research organisation will support you following the end of the award
- provide details of a named senior academic who has supported you during the development of your application and who will continue to do so.
This statement of support should also describe how the host organisation will support you, for instance:
- guidance and training on setting up a research group, building partnerships and collaborations, or with public engagement
- rapid access to resources at the research organisation through knowledge of appropriate processes and systems
- access to career development support and advice to enable future career transitions
- support for any proposed leadership activities
- access to laboratory space or investment in equipment to establish the applicant’s laboratory, access to communal departmental resources.
The host organisation statement of support document has a page limit of two pages.
When uploading the attachment to your Je-S form, please select the attachment type ‘host organisation statement’ and describe the uploaded document as ‘Host organisation statement of support’.
MRC industry collaboration framework
If your proposal will include industry collaboration, you will need to include an:
The completed ICF form should be uploaded to the Je-S attachments section using the ‘MICA form’ document type. Please type ‘Industry Collaboration Framework form’ in the description box.
The heads of terms is a document which must be signed by each collaborator showing that they are willing to collaborate for the duration of the study. When uploading this document to Je-S, if the ‘heads of terms’ option is not available under ‘attachments’, please upload it under the ‘MICA form’ Je-S document type and specify ‘heads of terms’ in the description field.
You should indicate in your project title that the proposal is ‘ICF:’. Failure to do so may lead to the proposal not being correctly processed.
Research disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic
You have the option to include a one page annex to the case for support. You can use it to provide additional information explaining any disruptions you have encountered to previous or current research, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (where relevant to your pending application).
For further information relating to the annex, please see the MRC guidance for applicants (section 2.2.3.6).
Frequently asked questions
View frequently asked questions from new investigator applicants.
