External Funding Opportunities
Huo Family Foundation funding opportunities
HFF is establishing a research portfolio on the Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology on Brain Development, Social Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Young People. They are keen to support multi-disciplinary work and helping to train the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field. Applications should attempt to understand mechanisms, causal pathways and directions.
With a total fund of £10 million, they are inviting applications for Huo early-career fellowships, junior faculty research grants and special projects. Awarded grants can be held at colleges, universities and research institutes in the UK and in the US only.
Application deadline: Friday 23 May 2025
JSPS London Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers (Short Term)
- 1 to 12 months' duration
- To start between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is the leading research funding agency in Japan, established by the Japanese Government for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science. Their short term Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers provides the opportunity for UK, European, North American and Canadian researchers ordinarily based in the UK or Ireland to do cooperative research with leading research groups at Japanese Universities and Institutions.
The programme is designed to provide researchers with first-hand experience of the research and living environment in Japan, whilst expanding academic exchanges between Japan and the UK and Ireland. Awards will cover visits of 1 to 12 months.
Further information can be found on the JSPS website.
Deadline for applications: Monday 26 May 2025, 9am
Reminder: Edinburgh Career Development Scheme (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine only)
This fund will support postdoctoral researchers who require bridging funding in order to apply for external fellowships. The aim is to support the careers of researchers who are normally on fixed term contracts or an open ended contract which is reliant on funding, to provide additional time to prepare for and apply to external fellowship schemes.
Support will be for salary only (any additional costs such as consumables will need to be provided by the relevant Centre) for up to 12 months. The fellowship needs to be based in Edinburgh as the purpose is to retain talent and develop future research leaders.
The application should be signed off by the relevant Institute Director and supported by a narrative CV – applications without a CV will be rejected.
Further information and guidance is on SharePoint. Contact: Lorraine.Jackson@ed.ac.uk
Deadline for applications: Thursday 29 May 2025, 12 noon.
IBRO Neuroscience Training Grants
Specialised teaching and hands-on training experiences are crucial for the career development of neuroscience researchers. IBRO Neuroscience Training Grants are designed to support essential opportunities, covering costs directly associated with the attendance of a neuroscience training course, such as course fees, travel and accommodation. Applications are open to PhD students and early-career postdoctoral fellows who are within 5 years of starting their first postdoctoral fellowship.
Deadline for applications: 31 May 2025
Fully Funded iCASE studentships in Precision Medicine
The Precision Medicince DTP are aiming to fill their iCASE studentship quota for September 2025. Given the short turnaround time, they particularly encourage applications from supervisors with an established relationship with the non-academic partner to ensure that necessary contracts can be finalised.
Deadline for applications: Friday 6 June 2025, 5pm
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (GOSH Charity)
The 2025/2026 National Research Project Grant (NRPG) funding call is now open. The NRPG is the UK’s largest regular funding scheme dedicated towards research into rare or complex paediatric disease. This call offers £2.5 million to support eligible child health research project grant applications from researchers across the UK.
Eligible researchers in paediatric rare or complex disease are encouraged to apply for up to £350,000 of funding. The call will support research across the spectrum of medical conditions affecting the foetus, neonates and children directly, as well as pregnancy disorders that affect the child. All projects must aim to improve understanding of the disease or associated conditions, or to improve outcomes for the affected child.
Deadline for applications: Thursday 26 June 2025, 3pm.
The Sir Halley Stewart Trust funds three priority areas: Medical, Social and Religious, with education being a central theme that runs across all grants. Animal research is not eligible. They offer 2 kinds of grants:
Main Grants between £5001 and £60,000 spread across one to three years given as a salary contribution or to fund an entire project. These applications are considered in June, October, and February.
Small Grants up to £5000 which should cover the entire project or be the major funding contribution. This grant is aimed at small scoping or pilot projects. These applications are considered year-round with no deadlines.
Lower Saxony – Scotland Research and Innovation Scheme
This is a newly established, dual-stream funding initiative launched by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK), with the Volkswagen Foundation and developed in strategic partnership with the European Centre for Advanced Studies (ECAS). The programme provides two structured pathways for academic collaboration between Scotland and Lower Saxony (Germany).
Stream II – Excellence Track
Targeted funding to develop research projects with the objective of achieving further funding, particularly Horizon Europe.
- Available to researchers based in Lower Saxony.
- Up to €100k over 2 years
- Deadline: Monday 30 June 2025
NIHR Better Methods Better Research Programme - researcher led
The BMBR Programme is a collaboration between MRC and NIHR. It aims to ensure that optimal research methods are used to advance biomedical, health and care research, policy and delivery.
Project proposals would typically be valued up to £625,000. More information about the programme is available here.
Deadline Tuesday 1 July 2025.
Action Medical Research (AMR) Training Fellowships 2026
Applications are now invited for 2026 Research Training Fellowships from medical graduates, clinicians, bioengineers, research nurses, physiotherapists and allied health professionals, who wish to train in research techniques and methodology applied to subjects relevant to the aims of the charity. AMR’s emphasis is on clinical research or research at the interface between clinical and basic science.
For more information and to apply, visit the AMR website. Outline application deadline: Wednesday 2 July 2025; full applications, Tuesday 21 October 2025, 5pm
Medical Research Scotland Early Career Researcher Grants
Grants are available to help recently appointed Early Career Researchers further develop their own independent programme of research. They can be used for new research projects, critical pilot studies, critical replications, proof-of-concept work or to supplement other research programmes, whether funded by other grants or not.
- Up to £25,000 per award available, must be used within 3 years, cannot be used for salaries
- For further information and to apply, visit the MRS website.
Deadline for applications: Thursday 3 July 2025
There are a number of fellowships available to apply for across UK government departments, devolved governments and What Works Network, linked to policy priority areas.
Deadline for applications: Tuesday 15 July 2025, 4pm
This scheme is designed primarily to assist newly employed university lecturers, researchers (at a level equivalent to lecturer) in research council institutes, and fellows (at a level equivalent to lecturer) to secure their first major element of research support funding.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. Funding is available for up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
Deadline for applications: 24 September 2025
Apply for funding to support excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) scientific remit.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. Funding is available for up to five years. BBSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
Deadline for applications: 24 September 2025
Experimental Medicine Stage One , MRC
Apply for funding to investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease.
Your project must:
- focus on a mechanistic hypothesis
- include an experimental intervention or challenge in humans
If you are taking the next step towards becoming an independent researcher, you may be eligible to apply as a ‘new investigator’.
There is no limit to the amount of funding you can apply for or the length of your project. MRC will fund 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity, open from 17 April to 1 October 2025. It is likely that this call will be demand managed by CMVM College Office so please look out for further announcements in the coming weeks.
Brain Health Alliance for Research Challenges (ARC) – Seed Funding
Brain Health ARC is accepting applications for seed funding projects. They are offering grants of £3-5K to support to research or activities that may lead to larger grants and fellowships.
International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) calendar for funding and training opportunities
IBRO have set up a searchable calendar listing all their funding and training opportunities. Not everything is open to researchers based in Europe, but it's keeping an eye on this page especially if you are interested in international collaboration or exchange opportunities.