The Medical Research Council (MRC) promotes health equity through supporting research that enables everyone to achieve their full potential for health and wellbeing. Central to this commitment is promoting an inclusive approach to research design so that the benefits from research extend across all communities and population groups.
MRC has produced guidance on research design that emphasises the importance of inclusive research across the broad spectrum of the MRC remit. It sets out clear requirements and expectations for embedding diversity and inclusion in the design and conduct of all MRC-funded research involving humans (including samples and data) and animals (including cells and tissues).
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Prior to introducing these requirements, we conducted a survey of the research community. This has provided a benchmark against which the impact of implementing our guidance on inclusive research has been evaluated.
Evaluating implementation of MRC’s inclusive research requirements
In 2025, we evaluated the first years of implementing MRC guidance on inclusive research. We asked three fundamental questions:
- Has the new inclusive research guidance changed the practice of applicants and reviewers?
- Did we use the best approach to ensure the new inclusive research guidance was implemented speedily and effectively?
- What additional measures should we take to drive impact?
Reviewing applications for funding
We reviewed a random sample of applications received by MRC since the policy was launched to assess:
- the study design and diversity characteristics of research involving human participants
- the inclusion of females and males in animal studies
Survey of MRC applicants, reviewers and staff
We sent out an online survey to MRC applicants, funding committee members and staff working in MRC-funded centres, units and institutes. This asked about individual and organisational approaches to inclusive research practice.
Our key findings
Our key findings from the review include:
- since the policy was launched, applicants proposing research involving human participants are more likely to analyse diversity, although they note that diverse populations can be more difficult to recruit
- since the policy was launched, applicants proposing animal research are more likely to specify the sex of animal and to include male and female subjects
- there are some gaps in reviewer and funding committee feedback on diversity and inclusion and inconsistent scrutiny of applications against inclusive research requirements.
- higher research costs remain a concern for researchers who are applying the guidance
- applicants would benefit from further clarity about some aspects of the guidance, for example whether they can include costs related to inclusion, or if there is a requirement for a fifty fifty split of female and male subjects
- applicants would welcome resources such as case studies or statistical advice
Next steps
Our next steps are to:
- introduce structured questions within the UKRI Funding Service that require applicants and reviewers to consider inclusion and equity in every application
- develop a checklist that can be used by reviewers and applicants to assess applications against inclusive research requirements
- publish explainers to support researchers in selecting appropriate methods and statistical approaches to analyse data that incorporate sex and gender dimensions
- publish examples of applications that demonstrate inclusive research design
- highlight guidance or examples of best practice for recruiting diverse populations