We aim to support UK and low and middle-income country scientists to establish partnerships, participate in global health research opportunities and respond to global challenges in biomedical and health research.
MRC has a broad portfolio of global health investments, spanning:
- fundamental discovery science
- intervention development
- clinical trials
- implementation science.
The investments are delivered through the Applied Global Health Research Board, our MRC units in the Gambia and Uganda, as well as granting programmes such as the African Research Leaders scheme and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases.
We will build on our historical portfolio of global infections research whilst strengthening other areas of major health needs such as:
- chronic non-communicable diseases
- mental health
- maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health.
MRC FCDO concordat
For more than 2 decades MRC and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO, previously the Department for International Development) have had a concordat agreement in place to support UK-led biomedical and public health research tackling priority health problems in low and middle-income countries.
The concordat provides support to the MRC units in the Gambia and Uganda, the African Research Leader scheme, and supports global health research projects funded through the Applied Global Health Research Board.
This new board is intended to promote a flexible approach to funding which is responsive to the needs of low and middle-income countries and provides an option for encouraging applications in specific strategic areas of mutual interest, for example:
- infections
- maternal and newborn health
- implementation science
- adolescent health
- early child development.