FUNDING CALLS
FUNDING CALLS
Information
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 funding opportunities. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of all funding opportunities.
Time-Limited Funding Calls
Yorkshire MedTech Place-Based Impact Accelerator: Round 6
Funder: Yorkshire MedTech
Maximum Amount: See below
Closing Date: 15 July – 31 August 2026
Minimum Duration: Not stated
The Yorkshire MedTech Place-Based Impact Accelerator is designed for progressive development and support the progression of fundamental research throughout crucial stages that will support real-world impact.
This is a staged funding programme that helps you take medical technology research through the early, riskiest stages of translation and commercialisation, with support and de-risking at each step rather than asking you to make the whole leap at once.
Funding and project duration vary depending on stage of research.
Complete your Intention to Submit by 31 July and full application by 31 August.
Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 05 – 12 August 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The NIHR 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.
There are multiple funding opportunities within this programme that are currently inviting applications. Please use the link below to find out more.
Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) – June 2026
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 05 August 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) funds substantial, high-quality, and long-term programmes of applied research focused on priority health and social care needs. PGfAR aims to deliver significant, transformative benefits for the NHS and the public by supporting the full research pathway, from generating new evidence to its implementation into practice.
There are multiple funding opportunities within this programme that are currently inviting applications. Please use the link below to find out more.
Public Health Research (PHR) Programme
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 18 August 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme funds research that aims to improve public health and reduce health inequalities. It aims to help researchers address big issues like climate change to improve health. These findings help public health decision-makers at all levels make informed, evidence-based choices.
There are multiple funding opportunities within this programme that are currently inviting applications. Please use the link below to find out more.
School readiness and the home learning environment
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 18 August 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme funds research that aims to improve public health and reduce health inequalities.
This 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) Programme
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 02 September 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme funds research that assesses the impact of healthcare treatments, tests and other interventions, where there is already some evidence that they can be effective. The aim of this research is to provide additional evidence for these new technologies to potentially become standard care.
There are multiple funding opportunities within this programme that are currently inviting applications. Please use the link below to find out more.
European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) Clinical Trial Call 2026
Funder: European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 10 September 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
This call will support multinational, GCP‑compliant Phase I, Phase I/II and Phase II interventional clinical trials in rare diseases. While applications addressing all eligible rare diseases are welcome, they are particularly interested in proposals targeting:
- paediatric rare diseases
- rapidly progressive rare diseases
- rare diseases lacking approved therapeutic options or with substantial residual unmet medical need despite existing treatments
Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 16 September 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme funds research that has the potential to improve health and social care services for patients, staff and service users. The aim is to improve the quality of care – ensuring it reaches the people who need it, when they need it – and to make services more efficiently organised.
There are multiple funding opportunities within this programme that are currently inviting applications. Please use the link below to find out more.
Improving discharge delivery across Health and Social Care – Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 16 September 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is interested in funding high-quality research studies across the UK, to evaluate potential improvements to discharge delivery in health and social care services, spanning patient-level, service-level and system-level improvements for children and young people (C&YP) and for adults.
The scope includes discharge from acute hospital settings, mental health inpatient services and specialist inpatient services, for example, those for people with learning disabilities and autism. They are particularly interested in receiving applications with a focus on community and integrated discharge pathways that support the broader health and social care ambition of shifting care from hospital to community settings.
Programme Development Grants (PDG) – July 2026
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: £250,000
Closing Date: 16 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 2 years
The NIHR Programme Development Grants (PDG) is inviting applications to undertake preparatory work to develop a future programme of research (stream A). PDGs are also available for researchers to develop and enhance the quality and value of an ongoing or recently completed Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) award (stream B). This is a one-stage, researcher-led funding opportunity.
Research for Patient Benefit – July 2026
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: £500,000
Closing Date: 28 October 2026
Maximum Duration: 3 years
The NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme is inviting stage 1 applications for research proposals that are concerned with the day-to-day practice of health service staff, and that have the potential to have an impact on the health or wellbeing of patients and users of the NHS. As a researcher-led programme, RfPB does not specify topics for research but instead encourages proposals for projects that address a wide range of health service issues and challenges.
Pre-announcement: Purchase mid-range equipment for biomedical research: Medical Research Council (MRC) Equip
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: £1 million
Closing Date: 05 November 2026
Maximum Duration: 7 months
Funding opportunity for mid-range capital equipment will enable and enhance research across Medical Research Council’s (MRC’s) scientific areas.
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Application Development Awards
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: £150,000
Closing Date: 12 November 2026
Maximum Duration: 8 months
The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is looking to fund Application Development Awards. These are expected to support and inform a subsequent outline application to the HTA Programme.
The aim of the HTA Programme is to ensure that high quality research information on the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests are produced in the most efficient way for those who plan, provide or receive care from NHS and social care services. In this researcher-led workstream, separate grants are available for primary research and evidence synthesis on topics proposed by the researchers.
UKRI Translation: Medical Research Council (MRC) Proof of Concept: stage one
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 18 November 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
This funding opportunity was previously titled ‘Developmental pathway funding scheme: stage one’. Apply for funding for an academically-led translational project that aims to either improve prevention, diagnosis or treatment of significant health needs or develop research tools that increase the efficiency of developing interventions.
You can apply for funding for work to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions across any stage of the developmental pathway, from prototype development, through pre-clinical refinement, to early-phase clinical studies (up to phase 2a).
The use of synthetic data in health and social care research – Better Methods Better Research (BMBR) Programme
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC) – National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: £625,000
Closing Date: 01 December 2026
Maximum Duration: 6 months
The Better Methods, Better Research (BMBR) Programme (co-funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the NIHR) invites applications in response to specific research questions. To develop new methodology, using synthetic health data that leverages its opportunities while addressing associated concerns. Synthetic data refers to data created to mimic the properties and patterns of real-world data.
Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) – October 2026
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: £3.5 million
Closing Date: 02 December 2026
Maximum Duration: 6 years
NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) funds substantial, high-quality, and long-term programmes of applied research focused on priority health and social care needs.
The PGfAR Programme is partnering with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to invite programmes of research which can make a transformative stepped change in CYP’s health, care and wellbeing. This funding opportunity builds on the success of previous NIHR-RCPCH-Programme Development Grants (PDG) competitions and is seeking to support sustainable research partnerships that bring together knowledge and expertise from across multiple sectors.
This is a two-stage, researcher-led funding opportunity and will open 07 October 2026. The amount awarded and length of the funding period will depend on the nature of the proposed work.
Rolling Funding Calls
Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity Small Grant Funding
Funder: Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity
Maximum Amount: £10,000
Maximum Duration: Not stated
Sheffield Children’s is inviting applications for Small Research Grants (providing funds ranging from £500 – £10,000) to support the pump-priming and advancement of research activity at Sheffield Children’s with a particular focus on supporting Early Career Researchers and Nursing and AHP staff. This funding is supported by the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.
This is a rolling, annual call and aims to provide funding for:
- Grant development support (e.g., dedicated time, expert advice from statisticians/health economists).
- Pilot data collection for future larger research projects.
- Patient and Public Involvement (PPIE) activities to support research.
- Small-scale research projects within a limited budget.
Please contact scn-tr.research.governance@nhs.net with the subject “SCHC Small Grant Application Submission” for more information
Medical Research Council (MRC): research grant: applicant-led
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 5 years
This funding opportunity is to drive important insights into causes and mechanisms of disease and help accelerate diagnosis, advance treatment and prevent human illness. You must be employed by an eligible research organisation and the project must involve more than one research group or organisation.
Action Medical Research Grants
Funder: Action Medical Research
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 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 2026
Funder: NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR GOSH BRC)
Maximum Amount: £3,000
Maximum Duration: 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 3 months: 01 July 2026, 01 October 2026, 05 January 2027.
Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: £50,000
Maximum Duration: 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.
Using the ‘Our Future Health’ data resource for research
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: £1 million
Maximum Duration: 2 years
The scheme aims to encourage MRC-supported researchers to discover and test more effective ways to predict, detect and treat major diseases using the Our Future Health dataset, which reflects the diversity of the UK population. The proposed research should be within the MRC remit to improve human health.
AHRC responsive mode: Curiosity Award
Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Maximum Amount: £100,000
Maximum Duration: 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
Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Maximum Amount: £300,000
Maximum Duration: 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
Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Maximum Amount: £3,000
Maximum Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership
Funder: Innovate UK
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 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.
UKRI-SBE Lead Agency Opportunity
Funder: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Maximum Amount: £1 million
Maximum Duration: 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, Norway or Luxemburg
Funder: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: Not stated
Brazil
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.
Norway
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.
Luxemburg
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
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 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
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 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 Overseas Travel Grant: November 2023: Responsive Mode
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 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
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 2 years
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: Nov 2023: responsive mode
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: 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.
BBC Children In Need
Funder: BBC Children In Need
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Maximum Duration: Not stated
BBC Children In Need offer a range of funding opportunities to support the wellbeing of children and young people.
Fellowships & Career Development
EME/HTA-Postdoctoral Award: Building clinical trials experience funding opportunity
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 12 August 2026
Maximum Duration: Not stated
The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme are accepting outline applications to the joint Postdoctoral Award.
This funding opportunity is aimed at supporting capacity building to support future leaders in efficacy and effectiveness clinical trials research.
Wellcome Accelerator Award
Funder: Wellcome
Maximum Amount: See below
Closing Date: 25 August 2026
Maximum Duration: 2 years
Wellcome supports UK-based researchers who self-identify as being from Black, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani heritage. Funding of up to £200,000 is available for project expenses, plus the applicants salary if required, is available for a period of up to two years.
Applicants must have a PhD and spend at least 80% of their research time on the grant; those requesting salary support should limit non-research duties such as clinical work or teaching to more than 20% of their time.
2025 Clinical Lectureships in Medicine
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: N/A
Closing Date: 01 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 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).
Early independence: clinician scientist fellowship
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: See below
Closing Date: 02 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 5 years
This funding opportunity will fund your salary and project costs (80% of the full economic cost) for up to 5 years. You must be a registered healthcare professional and have a PhD or equivalent.
Capacity building: clinical research training fellowship
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: See below
Closing Date: 02 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 3 years
The Medical Research Council (MRC) welcomes applications from across all areas of our remit to improve human health. This may range from basic studies with relevance to mechanisms of disease, to translational and developmental clinical research. They fund 80% of the full economic cost.
Professional doctorate: clinical research training fellowship
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: See below
Closing Date: 02 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 4 years
The Medical Research Council (MRC) welcomes applications for funding to undertake a PhD. The focus can be on any area of the MRC’s remit to improve human health. You can apply if you’re a registered healthcare professional. The funding will cover a salary appropriate to your level of training, tuition fees at standard home student rate and up to £25,000 each year to cover consumables, equipment and travel.
Senior Investigators (Cohort 20)
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Maximum Amount: See below
Closing Date: 14 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 4 years
The Senior Investigator award recognises prominent and prestigious researchers of applied health and social care. Eligible individuals must: have made a substantial contribution to the NIHR with an ongoing contribution planned, be employed by an organisation based in England or Northern Ireland and be leading high-quality applied health, public health or social care research funded by NIHR, or have done so within the last 2 years.
Senior Investigators will receive a discretionary award of £15,000 per year for 4 years to fund activities that support their research.
Early independence: career development fellowship
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: 15 September 2026
Maximum Duration: 5 years
This career development fellowship aims to support talented researchers who have gained a higher research degree and have evidence of career consolidation and productivity across past appointments to: lead their own research plans to establish their own research niche, start to build their own research team and
make the first step-change towards independence. They welcome applications from across all areas that improve human health, ranging from basic studies with relevance to mechanisms of disease, to translational and developmental clinical research.
Daphne Jackson Fellowship
Funder: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Maximum Amount: Not stated
Closing Date: Open
Maximum Duration: 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.