FUNDING CALLS
This page details various funding calls that are relevant for child health technology. Funding calls are updated on a monthly basis.
Funding calls are split into:
- Time-limited funding calls, with a set deadline
- Rolling funding calls, which are open all year round
- Fellowships and career development awards
The document below provides an overview of potential opportunities for funding and support that may be relevant. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of all funding opportunities.
CLOSING DATE
MAXIMUM AMOUNT
MAXIMUM DURATION
PRP (44-05) Neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams for children and young people
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
09 June 2026
Not stated
Not stated
The NIHR Policy Research Programme (PRP) invites applications for research to deliver a mixed-methods evaluation of neighbourhood multi-disciplinary teams for children and young people, informing future decisions about service models and investment.
Frontier AI Discovery
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
10 June 2026
£50,000
3 months
The aim of this competition is to advance the development frontier Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and foundation models in the UK. This competition has 2 phases, the second phase will be available to successful applications from Phase 1. Your project must focus on a feasibility study to develop novel AI and ML technologies and help build the delivery consortia for Phase 2.
Better Methods Better Research (BMBR) Programme researcher-led
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) & Medical Research Council (MRC)
23 June 2026
£625,000
Not stated
The Better Methods, Better Research (BMBR) Programme, is accepting applications to this funding opportunity. The BMBR Programme is a collaboration between the MRC and NIHR and it aims to ensure that optimal research methods are used to advance biomedical, health and care research, policy and delivery.
Research for Patient Benefit – March 2026
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
08 July 2026
£500,000
36 months
The NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme is inviting outline applications for research proposals that are concerned with the day-to-day practice of health and care service staff, and that have the potential to have an impact on the health or wellbeing of patients and users of health and care services. This is a two-stage, commissioned funding opportunity.
You can apply for one of these funding opportunities within this scheme:
- RfPB commissioned – Building a health and social care system fit for the future
- RfPB commissioned – NIHR JLA rolling funding opportunity
- RfPB commissioned – NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity
Early intervention programmes for infants with an increased chance of neurodisability (Health Technology Assessment)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
15 July 2026
Not stated
12 months minimum
The NIHR’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is looking to fund research about early intervention programmes for infants (under 12 months) with an increased chance of neurodisability. This is a 2-stage, commissioned funding opportunity.
Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme researcher-led
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
05 August 2026
£500,000
Not stated
The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme supports translational research evaluating a wide range of novel or repurposed interventions and technologies. These may include but are not limited to diagnostic or prognostic tests and decision-making tools, drugs or biological compounds, behavioural therapies, medical devices, and public health initiatives delivered within the NHS.
You can apply for one of these funding opportunities within this scheme:
Public Health Research (PHR) – Researcher-led
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
18 August 2026
Not stated
Not stated
The NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is inviting outline applications to its researcher-led workstream. This is a 2-stage funding opportunity.
School readiness and the home learning environment (Public Health Research Programme)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
18 August 2026
Not stated
Not stated
The NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is looking to fund research into the effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, of interventions seeking to improve the home learning environment and school readiness for children in the UK. This is a 2-stage funding opportunity.
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Researcher-led – Primary Research
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
02 September 2026
Not stated
Not stated
The NIHR’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is looking to fund primary research through their researcher-led workstream. They are interested in receiving proposals addressing any health problem in areas not otherwise well covered in our HTA Programme portfolio. This is a 2-stage, researcher-led funding opportunity.
Purchase mid-range equipment for biomedical research: Medical Research Council (MRC) Equip
Medical Research Council (MRC)
05 November 2026
£1m
7 months
The primary purpose of the equipment must be biomedical research. Medical Research Council (MRC) welcomes applications from all scientific areas within the MRC remit. Relevance to MRC priority areas is particularly encouraged. You can request a contribution of between £200,000 to £1 million.
Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) – October 2026
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
02 December 2026
See below
See below
This funding opportunity seeks to address the most challenging issues in children and young people’s health, care and wellbeing. This is a two-stage, researcher-led funding opportunity.
The NIHR website states: “The amount awarded and length of the funding period will depend on the nature of the proposed work, which should offer value for money. In recent funding opportunities PGfAR awards attract funding of around £2.0 – £3.5 million across 4 – 6 years.”
The link below is to the PGfAR’s main funding opportunity, 2 further funding calls are being advertised concurrently:
- PGfAR commissioned – NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity
- PGfAR commissioned – NIHR James Lind Alliance (JLA) rolling funding opportunity
MAXIMUM AMOUNT
MAXIMUM DURATION
Action Medical Research Grants
Action Medical Research
Not stated
Not stated
Action Medical Research is a charity that aims to prevent and treat disease and disability by funding vital medical research in hospitals or research institutions across the UK.
Their remit focuses on child health to include problems affecting pregnancy, childbirth, babies, children, and young people. Within child health, they support a broad spectrum of research with the objective of preventing and treating disease and disability.
Please visit the ‘Apply for a research grant’ page on the AMR website to view their Project Grant and Research Training Fellowship opportunities.
GOSH BRC Accelerating Novel Therapies: Statistics Support Fund 2025
NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR GOSH BRC)
£3,000
Not stated
This call provides an opportunity for early career researchers to pay for statistical support for paediatric translational projects and is open to any speciality/profession across GOSH, ICH and the PEI partners.
Each applicant can apply for up to £3,000 worth of statistics support to prepare a grant applications, outsource specific Data analysis or attend a highly specialised statistics training course.
This call has a deadline every 4 months: 01 April 2025, 01 July 2025, 01 October 2025, 01 January 2026
Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
£50,000
6 months
The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme funds research to generate evidence to inform the delivery of non-NHS interventions, intended to improve the health of the public, and reduce inequalities in health.
The Rapid Funding Scheme (RFS) was launched in March 2018 and offers researchers the opportunity to apply for funds to conduct rapid baseline data collection, as well as other feasibility work, prior to intervention implementation, for unique, time-limited opportunities such as a natural experiment or similar evaluations of a new public health intervention.
This scheme is not intended to fund studies which provide definitive answers to questions to inform service provision – it is to prepare for such studies.
AHRC responsive mode: Curiosity Award
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
£100,000
5 years
Curiosity awards support early-stage ambitious and novel fundamental research which has the potential to act as a springboard towards new and exciting research agendas.
AHRC responsive mode: Catalyst Award
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
£300,000
5 years
Catalyst awards support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project to accelerate their trajectory as independent researchers, unlocking their potential and building leadership and convenor experience through the delivery of ambitious or complex projects.
BBSRC International Travel Award Scheme
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
£3,000
4 weeks
International travel awards are for BBSRC-supported researchers making visits to initiate or prepare proposals with international partners, visiting overseas facilities for up to one month or attending European consortia-building events.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership
Innovate UK
Not stated
3 years
This call supports partnerships that help businesses to innovate, develop, grow and become more productive by employing academic expertise that they do not have in-house. Your project can focus on any type of innovation in any sector but it must aim to deliver results that your business would not otherwise be able to deliver.
Daphne Jackson Fellowship
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Not stated
Not stated
These fellowships are for those looking to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for family, health or caring reasons. The aim is to give participants the confidence and skills they need to make a successful return to research.
UKRI-SBE Lead Agency Opportunity
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
£1 million
Not stated
This opportunity allows UK and US-based researchers to submit a collaborative proposal that will go through a single review process. The goal is to reduce some of the barriers that researchers and funding agencies encounter when trying to work internationally. This opportunity does not represent a separate research funding scheme – applications will be integrated into existing programmes at the relevant lead agency.
Collaborate with Researchers in Brazil
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Not stated
Not stated
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support collaborative applications. It provides for a lead agency agreement whereby participant UKRI research councils receive and assess joint applications from eligible UK and Brazil-based researchers from the state of São Paulo on behalf of both organisations.
Collaborate with Researchers in Norway
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Not stated
Not stated
Norway co-investigators can be included in UK-led applications and receive funding from participating UKRI councils following a Money Follows Cooperation agreement between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Research Council of Norway (RCN) to reduce barriers to cross-border collaboration.
Collaborate with Researchers in Luxembourg
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Not stated
Not stated
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to welcome and support collaborative applications. UKRI will receive and assess joint applications from eligible UK and Luxembourg applicants on behalf of both organisations.
EPSRC Programme Grant Outline Stage
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
6 years
Programme grants provide flexible funding to world-leading research groups seeking to address significant research challenges across the EPSRC remit. EPSRC expects successful applications to be collaborative and address key challenges across single or multiple disciplines. Programme grants are not solely large grants but are strategic in nature and should meet all of the key features described below.
EPSRC Standard Research Grant, November 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
Not stated
EPSRC fellowships are a prestigious individual award aimed at exceptional, ambitious and talented researchers and technical professionals who wish to develop, expand or establish a programme of research or technical development alongside personal and professional development. EPSRC fellowships present an accelerated pathway to progression and success on your career journey.
EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowships December 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
3 years
EPSRC fellowships are a prestigious individual award aimed at exceptional, ambitious and talented researchers and technical professionals who wish to develop, expand or establish a programme of research or technical development alongside personal and professional development. EPSRC fellowships present an accelerated pathway to progression and success on your career journey.
EPSRC Open Fellowships December 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
5 years
EPSRC fellowships are a prestigious individual award aimed at ambitious and talented researchers, and technical professionals who wish to develop, expand or establish a programme of research. Successful fellowships can include elements of community engagement and advocacy, research leadership, and drive positive change in the research environment.
EPSRC Open Plus Fellowships December 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
5 years
EPSRC fellowships are a prestigious individual award aimed at exceptional, ambitious and talented researchers and technical professionals who wish to develop, expand or establish a programme of research or technical development alongside personal and professional development. The plus component will enable you to allocate 20% to 50% of your time spent on the fellowship to create positive change in the research community by championing a topic aligned to EPSRC aspirations to deliver improvements in research in topics such as equality, diversity and inclusion, responsible research and innovation or public engagement.
EPSRC New Investigator Award: November 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
3 years
New investigator awards should have a single research vision with clearly defined objectives and outcomes. Complex, multi-faceted research projects with many objectives are not appropriate to the new investigator award. You can apply for a new investigator award in any field of research relevant to the EPSRC remit, for example, artificial intelligence, engineering and healthcare technologies.
EPSRC Overseas Travel Grant: November 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
12 months
Overseas travel grants (OTGs) provide funding for visits overseas to learn new techniques, or form and develop collaborations in any field of research relevant to the EPSRC’s remit, for example, artificial intelligence, engineering and healthcare technologies.
EPSRC Discipline Hopping in ICT: November 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
24 months
This is an opportunity for ICT researchers to use their expertise in other disciplines, or for researchers from other fields to apply their expertise to ICT. You can apply for a discipline-hopping in ICT grant in any field of research relevant to the UKRI remit.
EPSRC Network Grant: November 2023: Responsive Mode
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Not stated
3 years
Network grants aim to develop new interdisciplinary research communities and topics by supporting interaction between researchers and relevant science, technology and industrial groups. EPSRC supports high quality research in any field of research relevant to their remit including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, engineering and healthcare technologies. EPSRC expects networks to lead to new collaborative multidisciplinary research applications in areas they support. Some may develop into virtual centres of excellence.
Knowledge Asset Grant Fund: Explore
Innovate UK
£250,000
18 months
The Knowledge Asset Grant Fund (KAGF) is run by the Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) and funded by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The aim of this competition is to support the identification and development of public sector knowledge assets, including repurposing, commercialisation or expanded use. There are 3 strands within this funding competition: Explore, Expand, Extend.
BBC Children In Need
BBC Children In Need
Not stated
Not stated
BBC Children In Need offer a range of funding opportunities to support the wellbeing of children and young people.
The Evie Dove Foundation
The Evie Dove Foundation
Not stated
Not stated
The Foundation will accept applications from existing paediatric professionals at any level (or those returning to paediatrics), who need help in funding education that allows them to progress their Paediatric Career.
CLOSING DATE
MAXIMUM AMOUNT
MAXIMUM DURATION
Future Leaders Fellowships: round 11
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
16 June 2026
No limit
7 years
You must be a researcher or innovator who is either looking to establish or transition to independence. Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF)’s are personal awards to support fellows to develop as impactful and influential research or innovation leaders.
Future Focused Leadership Programme – Emerging Research Leaders (Cohort 6)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
18 June 2026
n/a
n/a
The ‘Future Focused Leadership Programme’ is a career development opportunity which supports NIHR Academy Members to develop their leadership capabilities. During this free, immersive programme, you will be encouraged to identify and reflect on your strengths and areas for development.
Doctoral Award (Cohort 3)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
23 June 2026
See below
3 years
This is a single-stage, doctoral-level funding opportunity. It supports early career researchers to undertake a PhD by research. The funding covers: the full salary of the award holder, costs of the research project, conference fees (£3k), training costs and computer costs (£1k).
Global Advanced Fellowships (Cohort 2)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
30 June 2026
£750,000
Not stated
You can apply to this funding opportunity if you are a postdoctoral researcher at any level. They welcome applications from different professional backgrounds, both clinical and non-clinical.
Global Health Research Professorships (Cohort 9)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
30 June 2026
£2,000,000
5 years
The Global Health Research Professorships award is a professorial-level funding opportunity. This award is for researchers close to professorial level or who have recently been appointed as a full professor (for less than 5 years as of September 2025). They welcome applications from different professional backgrounds, clinical and non-clinical.
Research Training Fellowship Applications
Action Medical Research
07 July 2026
£300,000
2-3 years
The Research Training Fellowship (RTF) scheme aims to train research leaders of the future in child health. The fellowship provides the opportunity to undertake a period of research training which will be relevant to applicants’ future careers, developing their skills in research techniques and methodology in subjects relevant to Action’s remit.
Applications are invited from medical graduates, clinicians, bioengineers, research nurses, physiotherapists and allied health professionals who wish to develop a long-term career in academic medicine in the UK in areas relevant to child health.
Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) award (Cohort 10)
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
15 July 2026
See below
1-2 years
The DSE award is a post-doctoral level funding opportunity aimed at supporting early to mid-career researchers in gaining specific skills and experience to underpin the next phase of their research career. DSE provides funding for salary of the award holder for up to 2 years, training and development costs, conference costs and mentorship costs.
2025 Clinical Lectureships in Medicine
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
01 September 2026
n/a
4 years
NIHR has allocated funding for 120 Clinical Lectureships (CLs) for recruitment in 2025/26 through the Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Programme. CLs are postdoctoral, higher specialty training (ST3+ entry) awards of up to 4 years duration that provide 50% protected academic time for doctors in specialist training, or GPs that have completed their vocational training, that have completed a higher research degree (PhD or MD).