The Medical Research Council (MRC)

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a publicly-funded organisation dedicated to improving human health. We support research across the entire spectrum of medical sciences, in universities and hospitals, in our own units and institutes in the UK and in Africa.

MRC recently joined with the National Institute for Health Research to accelerate the translation of fundamental research into benefits for the person, in health and disease. This initiative was supported by an additional allocation of £132m over three years by the UK Government. The MRC’s plans build on translational activities and schemes that already exist, such as our substantial funding for clinical and pre-clinical research on healthcare innovations, support for clinical trials, new initiatives and programmes within the MRC’s own units, institutes and centres, and research funded through UK universities.

There will be a continued investment in fundamental basic and clinical research which underpins our translational agenda with a new focus on ‘experimental medicine’ – targeted programmes that support early-stage clinical discovery work.

A new Development Pathway Funding Scheme has been launched to help strengthen the translation of fundamental research towards patient benefit.

 To MRC website