The Medical Research Council (MRC) is offering the opportunity to observe a board or panel funding meeting, providing valuable insight into the decision-making processes at the MRC.
The opportunity is aimed at early to mid-career researchers who are transitioning to independence as defined in Skills and experience to win support.
This forms part of MRC’s commitment to the development of people and skills and will prioritise places for underrepresented groups.
What the scheme offers
We hope the opportunity to observe an MRC funding meeting:
- enhances transparency and provides insight into the work our research boards and panels do to ensure we fund the best quality science
- allows observers to better understand how complex elements (for example research questions, methodological approach, expected value or impact and cost effectiveness) come together to reach funding decisions
- is informative for observers to help in developing their own successful research applications
- assists observers in providing high-quality reviews
- gives observers the opportunity to provide their views on the assessment process and suggestions for improvements
All observers will:
- receive a briefing on the MRC grant assessment process specific to the funding meeting they are attending
- attend a debriefing session to discuss what they observed at the funding meeting
We encourage observers to use this information for further dissemination and to share their experience with colleagues.
Meetings you can observe
You can apply to observe any of the funding meetings taking place in 2025 for the following funding opportunities:
- Applied global health research (meetings in May and November)
- Developmental pathway funding scheme (meetings in May and September)
- Experimental medicine (meetings in June and December)
- Infections and immunity (meetings in July and November)
- Molecular and cellular medicine (meetings in June and November)
- Neurosciences and mental health (meetings in June and November)
- Populations and systems medicine (meetings in June and November)
- MRC equipment panel (meeting in April or May)
Most funding meetings take place over the course of two days. Successful applicants to the scheme will be invited to observe the discussion of a subset of applications on one of the days. Observers will not attend for the entire meeting.
Allocating funding meetings
We anticipate that demand to observe a meeting of an MRC board or panel will far exceed the number of available opportunities.
To manage this, we ask applicants to identify two board or panel meetings they would be happy to observe. Please note that while we will make every effort to accommodate first choices, this may not always be possible due to high demand.
Who can apply
We welcome applications from researchers who are potential applicants to one of the MRC funding opportunities (or equivalent schemes from other funders).
To be eligible to apply, you must be based at an eligible research organisation and fulfil one of the following criteria:
- at a stage in your career where you are transitioning to independence (see ‘Skills and experience’ career stage ‘Transition to independence’)
- a research technical professional, if you are applying to the Equipment panel (see ‘Equipment panel applications’)
Eligible career roles
Applicants to the scheme could include those in the following roles:
- junior career fellowships
- intermediate career fellowships
- tenure track
- lectureship
- senior postdoc or staff scientists who are actively developing their independence (for example, project co-leads)
- senior career fellowships
- equivalent roles in industry
- research or technology specialist (for Equipment panel applicants only)
- senior research or technology specialist (for Equipment panel applicants only)
- research technician (for Equipment panel applicants only)
- laboratory or facility manager (for Equipment panel applicants only)
- relevant scientific disciplines working in clinical or preclinical translation within the MRC remit (for Developmental Pathways Funding Scheme panel applicants only)
See Biomedical research roles and career pathways for further information.
Equipment panel applications
For the Equipment panel, as well as those transitioning to independence, this opportunity encourages research technical professionals who are seeking to enhance their career development or are beginning to think about applying for grants.
Developmental Pathways Funding Scheme (DPFS) applications
We recognise that DPFS applications can start and finish at any stage on the developmental pathway. This includes stages from early development, through pre-clinical refinement and testing to early-phase clinical studies and trials (up to Phase 2a trials), including research that is highly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.
Therefore, under the observer scheme we welcome applications from all relevant scientific disciplines working in clinical or preclinical translation within the MRC remit.
Who can not apply
You are not eligible to apply if:
- you have been awarded an MRC grant as project lead (previously principal investigator) or a comparable award from any organisation, unless the award was a fellowship or new investigator grant
- you currently have an application for review by the requested board or panel (for example, as project lead, project co-lead, researcher co-lead, staff or project partner)
- you have participated in an equivalent board or panel with another funder
- you have previously observed an MRC board or panel meeting
How to apply
Apply through MRC board and panel observers scheme (UKRI Engagement Hub)
Key dates are:
- opening date: 15 January 2025
- webinar for applicants: 3 February 2025
- closing date: 26 February 2025
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes and is largely made up of multiple-choice questions. To see the questions before applying, view the MRC board and panel observers form.
UKRI is Disability Confident Committed. We will do our best to support any particular requirements to enable you to apply, and participate fully as an observer if you are successful.
We do not accept submissions by email. A webinar for applicants took place on 3 February 2025 to support applicants with their online submissions.
Read the questions and answers from the webinar.
Email rfpd@mrc.ukri.org if you require further support completing the online survey or have any accessibility needs.
Applicant selection process
Interventions are needed to address the loss of individuals from underrepresented groups across the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) academic pipeline. This is further outlined in the University of Oxford’s Equity and inclusivity in research funding report.
Where a large number of applications are received and applicants have met the eligibility criteria, those from underrepresented groups may lawfully be prioritised. This is to:
- mitigate disadvantage linked to certain characteristics in the wider research and innovation sector
- address disproportionate levels of participation and disparities in award rates identified in our diversity data
This includes people identified within the government’s Diversity and inclusion in STEM Inquiry and our diversity data who are:
- disabled or have a long-term condition as defined by the Equality Act 2010
- from a lower socio-economic background
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning or identify with another gender identity (LGBTQ+)
- a woman
- from certain minority ethnic backgrounds such as listed in the following
Minority ethnic backgrounds include:
- Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese or any other Asian background
- African, Caribbean or any other Black background
- White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or any other mixed ethnic background
- Gypsy, Irish Traveller, Traveller or Roma
- other ethnic backgrounds such as Arab or Arab British
We will also take into account geographical location and organisation type to ensure a wide mix of participants are able to benefit from the experience.
MRC will monitor the impact of the scheme and make any necessary changes to ensure that we remain responsive to both our diversity data and the needs of our research community.
Allocation process
Places will be offered to individuals who fall within our identified priority groups.
We will consider geographical spread, organisation type and the boards and panels you have applied to observe. For the applied global health research board, we will seek half international and half UK-based applicants
If needed, places will then be allocated randomly via a lottery system.
Re-applying
If you’re not invited to be an observer, you can re-apply to the scheme the following year. However, no placement can be guaranteed.
Contacting applicants
Successful individuals will be contacted in two batches to observe funding meetings:
- first batch: observers for meetings between April and June 2025 will be contacted in March or April 2025
- second batch: observers for meetings between September and December 2025 will be contacted in July or August 2025
Unsuccessful applicants will be informed following the final batch of selections.
Feedback
MRC will not provide feedback on why you were or were not selected due to anticipated high volume of applicants.
Ask a question about the observer scheme
Email: rfpd@mrc.ukri.org
Last updated: 21 February 2025