Funding opportunity

Funding opportunity: Pilot projects with the UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative

Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Co-funders:
UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative
Funding type:
Grant
Award range:
£15,000 - £100,000
Publication date:
24 July 2025
Opening date:
Closing date:

You can apply for pilot project funding to collaborate with the UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative by one of two routes:

Projects can be either:

  • academic only
  • academic with an industrial partner. For industrial partners matched funding is expected

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for MRC funding.

Projects are expected to be between three and 12 months in duration.

Who can apply

To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible.

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must be eligible for MRC funding.

You can apply as an independent researcher or in collaboration with an industrial partner.

You do not need to be MRC funded to apply.

Who is not eligible to apply

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 or MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

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:

  • career breaks
  • support for people with caring responsibilities
  • flexible working
  • alternative working patterns

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

What we're looking for

Scope

The projects should build and strengthen collaborations across the UK Human Functional Genomics (FGx) Initiative and wider UK FGx community through feasibility, pilot or initial studies to provide preliminary experiments to explore ideas and generate initial data which could support the development of competitive collaborative grant proposals for longer term projects.

Areas of potential interest include (but are not limited to):

  • generation of novel functional genomic annotations in disease-relevant cell types
  • development of novel methods
  • functional perturbation of disease systems
  • development of models for functional genomics
  • data science and computational approaches for functional genomics

Technology priming projects that support the FGx initiative, functional genomics screening lab (FGSL) or a specific research cluster are welcome.

Projects that offer to bring in specific knowledge or contributions to the initiative are encouraged.

Duration

Projects are expected to be between three and 12 months in duration.

Projects should start within three months of being awarded.

Funding available

Your project can be up to a maximum of £100,000. Funded projects will receive 100% of the agreed costs.

What we will fund

This grant may be used to support the following:

  • direct project costs: 100% directly incurred and directly allocated project costs can be claimed, including staff time, travel and subsistence on the individual feasibility or pilot projects
  • costs of networking activities, including travel and subsistence

What we will not fund

This grant may not be used to support:

  • duplication of other sources of funding that would be more appropriate for the activity to be funded
  • indirect or estates costs at the research organisation
  • any costs relating to Intellectual Property protection including but not limited to registering, maintaining, or supporting patents or property rights
  • equipment with a value of £10,000 or more
  • undergraduate or postgraduate activities or training, or core PhD training including tuition or bench fees
  • contributions to existing knowledge transfer partnerships

How to apply

Applications will be collected through a form hosted on the FGx initiative website and emailed to fgxfunding@exeter.ac.uk

There will be an option to attach additional information (for example, images relating to scientific proposal, budget details, letters of support or collaboration) in an appropriate file format.

Applications can be submitted from 9 July until 29 September 2025 11:59pm UK time.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

We will assess your proposal on the:

  • importance of the scientific question or the applicability of the technology that will be developed
  • alignment with the mission of the UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative and the benefits the project will bring to the initiative
  • track record of the applicant and the strength of the support, facilities or both
  • value for money
  • potential impact on the wider functional genomics field

Contact details

Get help with your application

Please contact fgxfunding@exeter.ac.uk with any questions.

We aim to respond within three working days.

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