MRC will provide funding for longitudinal population studies (LPS) core infrastructure support, for both new LPS and renewals of existing studies (new data collection or continued access to and use of existing data).
Please note that associated research may only be included with the LPS core application if it is for pilot or proof of concept studies.
All applications for funding for new or existing LPS are required to submit an outline application for joint review by the LPS Strategic Advisory Panel (LPS-SAP) and the research board. A decision on whether a full proposal should be invited will be made, with feedback.
Applicants must speak to the relevant programme manager at least six weeks before the outline submission deadline to confirm the eligibility of their application. If insufficient time is allowed, the application will need to go to the subsequent deadline.
If applicants wish to apply for associated research that will use existing LPS, applications should be submitted directly to the relevant MRC research board or funding opportunity as usual. Outline applications are not required.
For research proposals linked to a new LPS, applicants should delay their application until a funding decision has been made regarding core LPS support.
If the study draws its participants from a group with a specific disease or condition (for instance, it is a clinical cohort), an outline application is not required. Applicants should submit their research proposal directly to the relevant research board or funding opportunity.
LPS applications will need to demonstrate the strategic need and scientific importance of the study in the context of existing national and international LPS.
In addition, applications for renewal of existing studies will need to demonstrate the scientific impact of the study over the previous funding period. In formulating their case for support applicants should refer to the MRC Strategic Review of the Largest UK Population Cohort Studies and the MRC Cohort Directory.
Outlines should be prepared following the MRC LPS outline application template and should be no more than six pages of A4 in length.
Outline applications should be submitted via email to populationcohorts@mrc.ukri.org by 16:00 on the day of the submission deadline. See the LPS-SAP webpage for upcoming deadlines.
Data sharing and preservation
In line with policy on data sharing and preservation (PDF, 108KB), applicants must specify the proposed arrangements for data access, data sharing and curation.
Appropriate costs to support these elements of the work must be included in the funding requested. Applicants should take care to clarify exactly which costs are associated with data sharing, data curation or data access.
Applications should also outline governance arrangements for data sharing and data access by the wider research community.
This should include the process by which third parties apply to use the cohort and how and by whom proposals are assessed where and how the cohort meta-data will be made available the time-frame under which any new data obtained will be added to the cohort resource.
Renewals must also demonstrate that previous funding for data sweeps has enriched the cohort.