Antimicrobial Resistance Research

We are inviting applications from early or mid-career researchers in the field of Antimicrobial Resistance research.

All areas of research relevant to Antimicrobial Resistance will be considered. However, we particularly encourage proposals which include the following human-health research themes:

• Climate change or the environment and AMR
• The impact of AMR on children and young people
• Social sciences, community and policy
• Large scale data and genomics
• Infection prevention and control
• Global studies

Research that focuses only on developing new drugs - including both early- and late-stage trials - isn’t covered by this scheme.

Mid-career applicants need to complete a substantial interdisciplinary secondment in an area outside their usual field of work. This could involve working with people in different sectors, such as policy makers, economics experts, or government organisations.

Applicants are also invited to look for opportunities to collaborate across different disciplines and to meaningfully include Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) activities.

How much funding is available?

For early-career researchers, applicants may apply for a Fellowship over a maximum of a 2-year period (pro-rata for part-time positions). Costs to be requested should include the following:

• The applicant’s personal salary for time committed to the Fellowship (see below for expected time commitments).

• A budget of an average of £30,000 per year for research costs (which may include research staff costs, but not applicant’s personal salary) up to a maximum of £60,000 over 2 years.

For mid-career researchers, applicants may apply for a Fellowship over a maximum of a 3-year period (pro-rata for part-time positions). Costs to be requested should include the following:

• The applicant’s personal salary for time committed to the Fellowship (see below for expected time commitments).
• A budget of up to £60,000 per year for research costs (which may include research staff costs, but not applicant’s personal salary).
• An additional budget of up to £30,000 for secondment costs (which may include costs related to the applicant’s travel and subsistence costs if the secondment is not local to the applicant).

There will be up to £2,500,000 available in this competition which will be split flexibly between the Antimicrobial Resistance Early-Career Fellowships and the Antimicrobial Resistance Mid-Career Fellowships.

Who can apply?

This competition is open to all UK‑based researchers and clinical academics working at eligible institutions, including UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), UKRI research institutes, hospitals, and other independent research organisations. Applicants must hold a relevant doctoral-level qualification (PhD, DPhil, MD or equivalent postgraduate degree) and be conducting their research at an eligible institution.

Partnerships with organisations outside academia are permitted where the collaboration will strengthen and advance the proposed research in line with the aims of the funding competition. Clinical academics and applicants with clinical duties are welcome to apply.

Applicants cannot hold a salaried position and a Fellowship at the same time. If awarded a Fellowship, the award holder would need to give up their permanent position for the duration of the Fellowship or change to a proleptic appointment. Applicants with a permanent, funded position may also be eligible if they choose to use the Fellowship to join a new research organisation. In this case, the new research organisation will be required to provide a letter confirming their willingness to support the Fellow for the duration of their Fellowship. Any applicant wishing to apply who currently holds a salaried position should contact the Research Team.

As this is a Fellowship, we expect that that the grant will cover 80-100% of the applicant’s academic salary, and the majority of their research time will be spent on the Fellowship (at least 80%).

Early-career:

Early‑career applicants are those who are beginning to build their research independence and are seeking their first substantial grant income as a Principal Investigator.

Mid-career:

Mid-career researchers are those with extensive postdoctoral experience and in the process of, or ready for, transition to research independence. Applicants should be taking steps to start their own research group.

This fellowship is not intended to support those who have already secured substantial research funds and/or have already established their own research group (e.g. Senior Lecturers, Professors, MRC and other funders’ Senior Fellows).

Applicants will need to demonstrate productivity across past appointments relevant to their current career stage, an upward career trajectory and clear plans to establish their own research niche. The attributes needed to win support in this scheme are detailed at the MRC webpages on skills needed to win support.

• For early-career applicants, please see the relevant pages for 'exploration'.
• For mid-career applicants, please see the relevant pages for ‘transition to independence’.
  

If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact the research team to discuss: research@medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk

Timeline

Deadline for submission: 12:00 Thursday 2 July 2026

Shortlisting notification: November 2026

Interview: December 2026

Funding decision and feedback: January 2027

How to apply

Applicants should apply via our online grants management system. The guidelines for applicants can be viewed below:

• Early-career applicant Guidance Document
• Mid-career applicant Guidance Document

Please note that applicants must use our Resume for Researchers template in their application.

Queries

The Medical Research Foundation is committed to making this application accessible to all by offering assistance where needed.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Research Team if you have any questions or concerns:

Email: research@medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk

Tel: 020 4581 2403

Terms and Conditions of Award

Awards funded through this competition will follow standard Medical Research Foundation terms and conditions. The terms and conditions spell out the responsibilities of the Principal Investigator and the Lead Research Organisation. The Principal Investigator and the Lead Research Organisation are required to indicate their formal acceptance of the proposal, their acceptance of the terms and conditions of an award, and the approval of the salaries and resources sought in the application.

The Medical Research Foundation may add additional conditions to a grant award to reflect the particular circumstances and requirements of the funding, or the nature of a particular award. Acceptance of an award constitutes acceptance of both the core conditions and any additional conditions. The Medical Research Foundation reserves the right to vary these terms and conditions.

Expert Review Process

Following applicant eligibility checks, applications will undergo external peer review, then be shortlisted by an Expert Review Panel of independent scientific and lived experience experts. The shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with the Expert Review Panel.

Expert Review Panel

The Panel consists of experts in research and lived experience areas relevant to Antimicrobial Resistance.

Scoring Criteria for Expert Review Panel