We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
If the lead research organisation is an NHS organisation, check it is available in the Funding Service. You are encouraged to check this early as there may be additional steps for the organisation to be set up before you can apply.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
- provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
- insert each new image on a new line
- use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application may be rejected if you include:
- sentences or paragraphs of text
- tables (note, embedded tables are permitted)
- excessive quantities of images
A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:
- references are easily identifiable by the assessors
- references are formatted as appropriate to your research
- persistent identifiers are used where possible
General use of hyperlinks
Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.
Deadline
We must receive your application by 19 November 2025 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
MRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email dpfsanddcs@mrc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
- individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
- declaration of interest
- additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
- conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
- the application is an invited resubmission
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
Publication of outcomes
MRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at board and panel outcomes.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the challenge the project addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
Only list one individual as project lead. If you include more than one project lead your application will fail at the checking stage.
UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Related applications
Word limit: 1,200
If this is a resubmission, provide a response to feedback from your previous Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS) application. Please include the feedback itself in this section.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If your application is not a resubmission, enter ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next question.
If your application is a re-submission to DPFS, please provide previous reference number and identify any invitations from us permitting your re-submission.
Ensure you describe:
- how this application differs from the previous application
- how previous feedback has been considered and addressed
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Opportunity and market
Word limit: 800
What is the opportunity or challenge you are seeking to address?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure you describe:
- the health or clinical need you are seeking to address
- how your work could lead to the development of a new or improved prototype, product, service or technology
- how meeting this need could lead to significant health or patient benefit, or alleviate an important translational bottleneck
- the competing solutions and their status, including whether similar or complementary work is being undertaken elsewhere
- the key competitive advantages of your proposed solution
- the potential market for your proposed solution, in terms of the target product profile, patient numbers and financial parameters
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Scientific background and current stage of development
Word limit: 1,000
What is the background to this application and evidence to support the proposed solution?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure that you provide:
- a brief description of the current stage of development
- an overview of the rationale and scientific background of your application
- information about your previous or current funding (if applicable) that has enabled and informed the proposed work, include any previous UKRI grant references. If you will have any funding concurrent to this project, explain any overlap and how that funding will support the proposed work
- in the case of applications involving institutes, units or centres with existing core funding, including those funded by UKRI and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), such as Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), describe how the proposed work and resources requested builds on, but is distinct from, core funded programmes of research
In this section, you must also provide supporting data (including a selection of figures, tables and images where relevant) to demonstrate the current development stage of your project and proof-of-concept to support your application. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
Small molecule supplementary information
Word limit: 1,500
If you are requesting funding for a hit to lead, lead optimisation or candidate selection project, please provide structures.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If your application is not about hit-to-lead and lead optimisation, enter ‘N/A’ in the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next question.
Download and complete the DPFS small molecule supplementary information form (DOCX, 47KB), then paste the table into the text box.
Using the following headings, ensure that you provide: target product profile (TPP) or key target compound parameters of the proposed investigational new drug (IND):
- target name
- mechanism of action, such as agonist, antagonist
- route of administration, such as oral, IV, topical
- duration of treatment, such as acute, chronic
- dosage regimen, such as twice daily
Structure and data
You should provide structures for the most promising chemical series being actively developed. Failure to include chemical structures may negatively impact the ability to assess the suitability or strengths of your proposed chemistry plan.
Use the table as a template, summarise the available data in the same column for each series. Data are requested for any available assays for the lead molecule shown and the range seen within the chemical series, including (but not limited to):
- biological assays
- physicochemical properties
- liabilities and development risks for up to two chemotypes or chemical series
Project traceability
You should:
- summarise the main structure activity or property relationships for each chemical series
- highlight the key challenges to optimisation of the series towards the TPP and outline how these will be addressed
- describe the biological assays and models to be used in the project including their duration and throughput where relevant
- explain how risk associated with the translation between in vivo assays, in models, and activity in humans will be minimised
Development plan and route to patient benefit
Word limit: 500
What is the proposed approach for further development, and how will the project progress the innovation or technology towards achieving market or health or patient benefits?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Using the following headings, outline your current development plan and exit strategy.
Current development plan
You should describe:
- how the proposed work will enable its development
- the project’s primary objectives
- the project endpoint that would indicate that there is a reasonable chance of attracting onward investment
- the expertise or any consultancy required to deliver the proposed work
- how the proposed work will inform or deploy the product or technology using the most appropriate route to market or patient benefit
Exit strategy
You should describe:
- what further support you may need, following this funding, to deliver your product or technology, such as access to further funding, networks, partnerships, private investment and skills
- the criteria that would need to be met to access further support
- if you are ultimately seeking to develop a commercial product, the potential market value and how this will be realised, such as business development plans
- any engagement taken place or planned with potential downstream funders, partners or regulators, outlining who they are and the status of discussions
- the plans and strategy for further development, outlining the planned route to achieving patient benefits following the end of the DPFS project
Approach
Word limit: 2,000
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide an outline of your project plan, including your plans related to methodology and experimental design, along with your risk management strategy.
Project plan
Provide a summary of the project plan and an embedded ‘Gantt chart’, which should outline:
- your project specific deliverables
- your project’s starting point and approaches proposed to deliver the planned objectives
- a minimum of two key progression milestones, one being the project end
- for each milestone, the ‘Go or No-go’ criteria that will be used to allow robust decision-making on project progression, and an estimate of costs per milestone
- the overall timeframe of the project
- the resourcing necessary to deliver the proposed work, including access to facilities, infrastructure or equipment
- if applicable, any NHS costs (excess treatment and NHS support costs), exception costs and outsourcing activity that the project will require (a SoECAT is only required for stage two DPFS applications)
- if applicable, the inclusion of patient and public involvement, engagement or partnerships, and the added value these offer
Your project plan should also describe the project management requirements, including the commitment and involvement from your:
- research office
- translational research office, your technology transfer office or both
To support your project plan, you must embed a Gantt chart in the text box, that includes:
- project tasks (these being short, achievable and measurable activities) with, where relevant, the party responsible for delivering the task and dependency between tasks
- milestones which are major specifically-timed ‘Go or No-go’ decision points
Methodology and experimental design
As part of your methodology and experimental design, ensure that you outline:
- the use of animals or patients, including justification for why specific animal models or clinical populations have been chosen, following the MRC embedding diversity in research design policy
- the access you will have to statistical support during the project
- potential sources of bias and describe the strategies that will be adopted to minimise their effects
- for clinical studies, the recruitment and retention approach
Risk management
Outline the key risks to the project and your risk management plan, including:
- how likely the risks are to occur
- what their impact would be on the success and deliverability of the project
- how these risks will be managed, by whom and related escalation or mitigations procedures
You may use a risk table if preferred.
We suggest you structure your response using the following headings, with approximate word counts for each:
- project plan: 1,100 words
- methodology and experimental design: 400 words
- risk management: 500 words
References may be included throughout the approach section. We suggest you include your references under the most relevant heading. Any references you include count towards the approximate word limit indicated for each heading.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Reproducibility and statistical design
Word limit: 250
How will you ensure your proposed work is reliable, robust and reproducible?
What assessors are looking for in your response
You should provide a statistical analysis plan.
We expect you to seek professional statistical or other relevant advice in preparing your response, which should include:
- sample and effect sizes
- planned statistical analyses
Refer to the MRC guidance for applicants, for further information, examples and online tools.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The length of your response will vary depending on the type of project, you may not need to use 250 words.
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 1,650
Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:
- the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
- the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
- the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others
- contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The word limit for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.
Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.
Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:
- contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
- the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
- contributions to the wider research and innovation community
- contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit, including public partnerships
Additions
Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).
Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
References may be included within this section.
The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.
Intellectual Property (IP) management and dissemination of project outcomes
Word limit: 800
What IP will be generated and how would it be managed during the project?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If your project will not generate any new IP, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box. A detailed definition of what DPFS considers to be IP is below.
IP is a collective term for all intangible assets such as data, clinical trial results, software, know-how, materials, inventions, methods, designs and the associated intellectual property rights (including patents, copyright and trademarks).
The generation of protectable IP is not an essential requirement for DPFS. Projects that will not generate patentable materials but that will nevertheless have the potential to provide health benefits are accepted on an equal basis.
However, ownership and management of IP must be consistent with our funding requirements. Projects with no plausible route to exploitation and ultimate health benefit or impact are extremely unlikely to be supportable.
You should:
- describe any new IP or knowledge that the project is expected to generate
- outline how any intellectual assets generated will be managed throughout the project to enable further development and maximise the opportunity for patient benefit
- confirm the organisations or individuals who will own any arising IP and any live, pending or envisioned agreements governing ownership or exploitation of that IP
- outline if the applicants have freedom to operate for this project, for future development work, or for clinical use
- if access to background IP is required, explain this including the organisations or individuals that hold the relevant background IP rights. If this background IP is held by a third party (or a non-academic applicant), has access been agreed? If not, why do you believe you will be able to access the required IP on reasonable terms?
Project partners
Add details about any project partners contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating person or organisation who will have an integral role in your proposed research. Their involvement may include direct (cash) and or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time, use of facilities or recruitment of research participants. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.
A project partner is not anyone in your core team or anyone from your organisation or any of the other organisations represented by core team members.
Add the following project partner details:
- the organisation name (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
- the project partner contact name and email address
- the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
If there are specific circumstances where project partners do require funding for minor costs such as travel and subsistence, these project partner costs should be claimed and justified within the resources and costs section of your application.
Important information
If you are adding a project partner(s) to this section, you must ensure they provide you with a letter or email of support and you upload it to ‘Project partners: letters or emails of support’.
If your project partners are from industry or a company, you must also complete the ‘Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF)’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Project partners: letters (or emails) of support
Word limit: 10
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the ‘Project partners’ section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
What supporting statements we are looking for
We are looking for you to provide letters or emails of support from all your identified project partner(s).
What supporting statements we are not looking for
We don’t want any other letters (or emails) of support, from people who are not your identified project partner(s), such as those simply expressing general support for your project. If these are included by you, they will be ignored by us and will not be used in the assessment process.
Important information
You should only provide letters or emails of support from people you have identified in the project partner section of your application, who will have an integral role in your proposed research.
What each project partner letter or email of support must include
Each project partner letter or email you provide should:
- include the name of the project partner organisation and contact information
- explain the project partner(s) commitment to the project
- explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the proposed work, to them
- describe any additional value they will bring to the project
- not exceed two sides of A4 per project partner
Project partner(s) letters and emails of support are not required to be on headed paper or include handwritten signatures (electronic signatures are acceptable).
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Project partner(s) from industry or a company
Industry or company project partners are required to download and complete the industry or company letter of support template. You must also complete the ‘Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF)’ section. Find out more about ICF.
Project partner(s) responsible for recruiting research participants or providing human tissues or samples
If the project partner is responsible for the recruitment of people, as research participants or providing human tissue, their letter or email of support should include:
- agreement that the project partner will recruit the participants or provide tissue
- confirmation that what is being supplied is suitable for the proposed work
- confirmation that the quantity of tissue being supplied is suitable, but not excessive for achieving meaningful results (if applicable)
Agreement with your project partner(s)
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the ‘Project partners’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
Word limit: 500
What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
- the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
- how you will manage these considerations
Consider the MRC guidance on ethics and approvals.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Outline costs
What are the expected costs of the proposed work?
Provide the approximate total values in GBP (£) for the expected directly incurred, directly allocated, indirect costs and exceptions. View the guidance on the costs you can apply for.
