Submit information about your longitudinal population study (LPS) to help Medical Research Council (MRC) plan for future investments in LPS infrastructure.
This opportunity is part of a strategic prioritisation exercise (SPE) that will not lead directly to funding but will shape MRC plans. The SPE covers 10 years, nominally 2029 to 2039.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for MRC funding. Your LPS must have a primary focus on enabling biomedical research.
This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible.
To be eligible to apply for this opportunity you must:
You are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity as a project lead if you are based at an international research organisation. This does not include project leads from MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) or MRC/UVRI (Uganda Virus Research Institute) and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit.
If you are employed by the following organisations you cannot apply as project lead or project co-lead, but can participate as project partners on an application led by an eligible UK organisation:
Charities and third sector organisations that are approved UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) independent research organisations are eligible to apply as project lead or project co-lead.
International researchers can be included as ‘project co-lead (international)’.
Project co-leads (international) make a major intellectual contribution to the design or conduct of the project. Their contribution and added value to the research should be clearly explained and justified in the application, see Applicant and team capability to deliver.
Read the UKRI project co-lead (international) eligibility for more details. Please contact us if you are uncertain about eligibility. Find contacts in the ‘contact details’ section.
You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.
We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.
Demand management is not being applied to this funding opportunity.
We are running this SPE to gather information on biomedical LPS in order to prioritise options for MRC investment in LPS and to inform the design of future funding opportunities. We intend to support both biomedical LPS and associated services as UK infrastructure(s) that enable research into health and disease by a range of users.
Biomedical LPS are studies that focus on enabling broad biomedical research and that follow a defined population of participants over time and collect longitudinal data and samples. LPS are sometimes referred to as population cohorts. The LPS population may be defined by, for example, life stage, geography or occupation. LPS typically recruit healthy participants. LPS may be focused on the risk of disease but do not include clinical cohorts.
Biomedical LPS based in the UK or supported by UK funding are invited to provide a submission if they wish to be considered for future MRC support. This includes biomedical LPS based overseas if previously supported by MRC. All LPS should explain in their submissions how they enable world-class research that benefits UK science and the UK public, and why MRC support is necessary.
Submissions to the SPE will not result in direct funding. The nature of future funding and support arrangements remains under development and have not yet been finalised. Participation in the SPE will help inform the design of any future support mechanisms.
Existing LPS with a biomedical focus are within scope, when based in the UK.
Existing LPS with biomedical focus based overseas, are also within scope. However, this is only permitted when:
Existing LPS with a biomedical focus in all three phases of the LPS lifecycle (see Additional information) are within scope.
LPS with current MRC funding, irrespective of end date, should still provide a submission as this will inform future planning.
Submissions should cover a ten-year period, nominally from 2029 to 2039. Submissions for Phase 3 studies should have a shorter duration depending on need and the date the LPS has or expects to transition into Phase 3.
Submissions will not directly result in funding, rather they will be used to inform MRC future planning. However, you should ensure that your submission is costed appropriately and indicate in the Indicative costs section where you have used estimates and any major uncertainties in costs. Submissions should be based on MRC funding 80% of the full economic cost (FEC). We expect that:
Submissions will not directly result in funding. However, the following costs will be eligible for future support:
The total of such costs requested for international applicants from high-income countries (those not on the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients), India and China must not exceed 30% of the total resources requested. There is no cap on costs requested for international applicants from DAC (Development Assistance Committee) list countries.
We will not fund costs requested for:
longitudinal studies with recruitment based on a clinical diagnosis or presence, absence or both, of a disease or condition. For example, a cross-sectional study of cases and controls, or a clinical trial of an intervention, treatment or both
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.
As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.
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.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
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 will be rejected if you include:
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 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:
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.
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.
MRC must receive your application by 17 November 2026 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 this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
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.
If you or a core team member needs to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email populationcohorts@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:
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary of your submission.
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:
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
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.
Word limit: 750
What does your LPS deliver and what are your plans for the next ten years?
Explain how your LPS infrastructure:
Within the Vision section we expect you to briefly describe:
You must state which LPS lifecycle phase (Phase 1, Phase 2, or Phase 3) you consider your LPS to be in and state when you expect to transition to the next phase. See Additional information for definitions of the phases. Phase classifications can be discussed with the office in advance of submission. The expert panel will review and confirm classifications.
References may be included within this section.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Word limit: 3,300
How are you going to deliver your LPS infrastructure?
Provide a summary of your LPS and an explanation of how your approach:
You must structure this section with the following numbered headings.
Please include:
Please complete the table that is provided in the funding service application, to provide information on the data and sample assets of your LPS.
Please describe and explain the follow up rates and attrition from initiation to the most recent data collection. Include if and how this varies by the type of data being collected, for example, questionnaire completion versus clinic attendance.
Please include:
Please describe any governance or technical restrictions, such as:
Please include:
Please also include catalogues, where the LPS is listed. For example:
Please include:
Please include:
Please include:
Please explain and justify how you approach diversity and inclusion in the study population and follow the MRC embedding diversity in research design policy.
In describing your approach, you may need to refer to details in other sections. You should not duplicate information provided in these sections.
References may be included within this section.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Word limit: 1,500
How will you manage and share data and samples collected by the LPS?
Provide a data management plan which should clearly detail how you will comply with MRC’s published data management and sharing policies, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Provide your response in the text box following the headings in the MRC data management plan template. You are not required to upload the document to your submission.
MRC-funded LPS are expected to function as infrastructures that enable world-class research. It is therefore essential that you demonstrate how your data and samples will be held securely but made widely available to ‘bona fide’ researchers to support wide use and to maximise value.
Within your response, you should ensure you:
In describing your plans for data management and sharing you may need to refer to details in other sections. You should not duplicate information provided in these sections.
Word limit: 1500
What is the impact of your LPS?
To demonstrate the impact of your LPS, provide:
Please structure this section with the following numbered headings.
Explain with evidence, how your LPS generates valuable data for use within or beyond the field.
Please complete the table that is provided in the funding service application, to provide information about data usage over the last five years.
If available, provide a link to the webpage where approved studies, and outputs such as publications, are listed.
Describe the national and international reach of the resource, including:
Provide a brief commentary on trends in usage of the LPS data and any changes that you expect to this.
Explain with evidence, how your LPS infrastructure improves research practices, or streamlines usage, including:
Explain with evidence, how your LPS improves lives in the following areas, if applicable to the LPS:
Provide up to three examples of recent significant outcomes in these areas that were underpinned by your LPS.
Describe your approach to communication and dissemination for the LPS infrastructure and the research that it enabled, which includes:
If your LPS has specifical impact due to its location, please explain how you:
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant, for example, a logic model or theory of change diagram. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
In describing your impact, you may need to refer to details in other sections. You should not duplicate information provided in these sections.
Word limit: 500
What are the main types of impactful and innovative research that the LPS does or will enable? Which biomedical fields and research priorities are likely to be addressed?
You should:
Delivery of research projects, and the costs for these should not be included in your submission.
References may be included within this section.
Word limit: 500
Please identify up to five services or functions that would provide high impact and efficiencies if delivered centrally, rather than by individual LPS. This will inform MRC planning in areas complementary to the delivery of individual LPS.
Services could include, for example, support for:
Word limit: 500
Provide a high-level indication of the expected cost of your LPS.
A high-level indication of the expected costs of your LPS, per year over a 10-year period (nominally from 2029-2039). Estimate your costs on the basis of FEC. Break down the annual costs as either ‘backbone’ or ‘waves’ costs (see definitions in Additional information).
If more detailed costings are required during this strategic exercise we reserve the right to approach LPS at a later date to request this.
Briefly explain how the costs match to:
LPS in Phase 3 should limit their requests to the essential costs for moving to a local or national archive and secure data and sample sharing platforms. Use of specific archives or services should be identified where possible along with estimated costs. Requests should be limited to one to two years of activity. MRC expectations for Phase 3 LPS can be discussed with the office before submitting.
If you have current funding for your LPS from MRC, explain briefly how this overlaps with the submission period (2029 to 2039).
Clearly indicate how cost recovery, such as data and sample access fees, is currently implemented. What amount does this generate annually? How could you increase cost recovery rates and what level of cost recovery would be reached?
Describe the direct and in-kind support from your host organisation as well as any support from other funders (public or private) for the core cost of the LPS. Do not include support for research projects that use the LPS data or samples.
Trusted Research and Innovation is the protection of the UK’s intellectual property, sensitive research, people, and infrastructure from potential theft, misuse, and exploitation.
Organisations receiving UKRI funding are obliged to act in line with UK government legislation. They are also expected to undertake appropriate due diligence assessments of organisations involved in research partnerships, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts.
You will be asked about:
Your answers may affect the T&Cs of your funding agreement if you are successful. We may use your answers to determine that our current T&Cs are sufficient or if additional T&Cs are required.
We will evaluate your submission using the following process.
The office will check submissions and will reject those that are out of scope for this exercise.
An expert panel will evaluate submissions and prioritise LPS for inclusion in a set of options for investment, to inform MRC planning and development of future funding routes. The proposed options are expected to vary by scale and intended outcomes.
The panel will apply the high-level prioritisation criteria listed below and will and consider all the information provided in the submissions.
We will use information provided in the submissions to summarise the LPS landscape, and share it with relevant stakeholders, including other funders, so that they can participate in designing future funding opportunities.
The prioritisation criteria for this exercise are a past track record in, and the future potential to:
These criteria are mutually reinforcing and will be considered collectively.
If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page
The helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process, for example, regarding eligibility, content or remit of a funding opportunity, will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.
For help and advice on costings and writing your application please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.
For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact populationcohorts@mrc.ukri.org
Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.
Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490
Our phone lines are open:
To help us process queries more efficiently, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.
For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.
Biomedical LPS are studies that focus on enabling broad biomedical research and that follow a defined population of participants over time and collect longitudinal data and samples.
LPS typically recruit healthy participants, and the LPS population may be defined by different features. These can include:
LPS are sometimes referred to as population cohorts.
LPS may be focused on the risk of disease but, for MRC purposes, do not include clinical cohorts. We define clinical cohorts to include:
Studies are actively recruiting participants or collecting data and biological samples or both. The focus is on participant engagement, retention, and ongoing longitudinal follow-up.
The focus shifts from collecting new data to maximising the value of existing data and samples through data linkage and reuse. There is no new data or sample collection but where recontact remains feasible, studies may retain the ability to resume data collection.
Later in this phase, the focus shifts to planning for long-term preservation, accessibility, and archiving.
The point at which a study reaches its natural conclusion with little or no opportunity for further participant follow-up or data accrual, or when linked datasets are unlikely to be updated further. The focus is on securing the full and ongoing potential of the study by depositing scientifically valuable data and samples in trusted repositories, ensuring data and samples remain discoverable and usable. When appropriate, support for data and sample management and sharing may transition from the original research team to centralised repositories or services.
When requested, the following definitions should be used for summarising LPS costs.
Core infrastructure costs should be broken down as:
Costs for ‘enhancements’ or ‘research projects’ are defined as follows but should not be costed into your submission:
RC currently supports:
Many UK LPS are also supported by CLOSER, and by other services or infrastructures.
Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.
We will hold a webinar after the opportunity opens on the 23 September 2026 at 1:30pm to 2.30pm UK time. This will provide more information about the strategic prioritisation exercise and a chance to ask questions.
We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:
Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.
Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.
