MRC CoRE Outline Panel: member vacancies

Closing date: 13 September 2026 at 11:59pm UK time
Number of positions: Five
Length of term: One year, plus additional two years reviewed annually
Time commitment: Two days per month
Remuneration: £160 per day, travel and subsistence as appropriate
Outcome communicated: By mid-December 2026

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is inviting applications from researchers and research technical professionals to become members of the Centres of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) Outline Panel from 1 February 2027.

It is essential you are an experienced researcher and reviewer with appropriate expertise related to the vacancy that you are applying for.

MRC’s panels play a key role in delivering MRC objectives across our portfolio of research. They make funding recommendations and contribute to the development and delivery of MRC strategy.

Find out about MRC board and panel membership.

Who we’re looking for

We are seeking applications from talented and committed non-clinical and clinical researchers and research technical professionals to join the MRC CoRE Outline Panel.

You can be based in research institutes or universities, or in companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life, or digital sciences sectors.

We particularly encourage applications from currently under-represented groups, including women, minority ethnic and disabled researchers, and those with long-term health conditions.

We welcome applications from people based in all regions and nations of the UK.

It is essential you are an experienced researcher and reviewer with appropriate expertise related to the vacancy that you are applying for.

You must also be:

able to commit the time expected (around two days per month on average)
able to exercise judgement across a range of research and policy issues, within and beyond your areas of core expertise
a team player with a commitment to the mission of MRC and supporting objective and fair approaches to funding research, developing careers and positive research culture
able to work effectively within the public sector requirements for accountability and openness, and managing public money

What you’ll be doing

As a panel member you will use your expertise and experience to help MRC invest in high-quality and impactful research, innovation and training.

You will also provide input into our strategy, including through interactions with other panels and MRC’s advisory structures.

It is not possible to provide in-depth expertise across all specialities. Therefore, you will work collectively through open and objective discussions to provide advice across the panel remit, sharing responsibility for judgments and recommendations.

About MRC CoRE

MRC CoRE are challenge-led investments focusing on distinct, disruptive, or multi and interdisciplinary activities that have the potential to transform biomedical research, health research or both.

MRC CoREs will be beacons of excellence in research culture, equality, diversity and inclusion, leadership models and innovation.

MRC CoRE Outline Panel

MRC is seeking to appoint up to five new members for the MRC CoRE Outline Panel, to start on 1 February 2027.

Application assessment

The primary function of the MRC CoRE Outline Panel is to assess outline applications submitted to the annual MRC CoRE funding opportunity.

The panel meets once each year for this activity, with a two-day meeting taking place in March or April.

You may also be asked to assess applications by interview at the full application stage.

Length of term

Tenure for MRC CoRE Outline Panel members is one funding round, renewable for up to two further rounds (reviewed annually).

MRC remit

Applications to the MRC CoRE funding opportunity may address challenges across any part of the MRC remit, from basic discovery science through to translational and more applied research.

We also encourage methodological and technological innovation, within MRC remit.

Panel members

MRC CoRE Outline Panel members are internationally recognised leaders from academia and industry in areas of expertise corresponding to major areas of MRC remit.

Panel members are strategic broad thinkers, with a breadth of knowledge across related fields, and are comfortable commenting on areas outside of their core expertise.

We invite applications from clinical and non-clinical researchers and from industry.

Research area vacancies

We have up to five vacancies across the following areas:

pathogen biology, with expertise in virology
genetics and genomics, with expertise in human genetics and epigenetics, functional genomics in human health and disease or mammalian developmental genetics
physiology and pathophysiology of major organs and systems not currently represented in the panel membership
therapeutic development, with expertise in small molecules and biologics, cellular and gene therapeutics, with a focus on research needs in early translation (we particularly welcome representatives from industry)
computational biology or artificial intelligence (including machine learning), or both, in the context of biomedical research

We are particularly interested in receiving applications from:

clinically active researchers
individuals with expertise across scales: from molecules and cells to tissues, organs and physiological systems
individuals with interest in research culture or training and capacity building, or both

As the panel represents the breadth of research across the UK, we particularly welcome applications from individuals at research organisations not currently represented in the panel membership (excluding the chair).

How to apply

To apply, complete and submit the application form on the UKRI Engagement Hub.

You must submit your application by 13 September 2026, 11:59pm UK time.

There is one form for all our current panel vacancies.

You may indicate your interest in becoming a member of up to three MRC panels that are currently recruiting new members.

College of Experts

We are also recruiting in parallel for our College of Experts (CoE).

You may apply to be a member of the CoE and a panel member, although you will only be offered one role.

You should complete separate applications if you are interested in both CoE and panel membership.

Reasonable adjustments

We want to make our recruitment processes as well as participation on our panels accessible to all.

This includes making reasonable adjustments for individuals who identify as disabled, neurodiverse or as having a long-term condition.

If you have any queries about the application process or if you would like this application in a different format (for example accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille) email: mrc.eventsandcommitteesteam@mrc.ukri.org

If you apply and ‘opt in’ on your application, you will be considered following our disability inclusion assurance process. See the ‘Further information’ section.

If your application is successful, we will work to fulfil your requirements to enable you to fully participate.

Let us know in advance if you would like to discuss in confidence how we can support you, either through providing information in the diversity monitoring section of your application or by contacting mrc.eventsandcommitteesteam@mrc.ukri.org

How we’ll assess your application

Assessment criteria

You will be shortlisted based on the evidence you provide of meeting the following criteria.

Research expertise

You have:

expertise related to a vacancy (essential)
other expertise that could contribute to the activities of MRC panels, such as clinical training and practice, ethics and regulations, experimental design and reproducibility, industry expertise, quantitative skills or technical skills (desirable)

Experience as a researcher

You have:

experience leading or conducting respected research (essential)
a successful track record of applying for research funding (essential, this may be as a co-applicant or key contributor to team science)

Or you have:

leadership positions within a company and other indicators that demonstrate research leadership (essential for people from industry)
other indicators of research recognition, such as prizes or awards (desirable)

Experience as a reviewer

You have:

experience of peer review (essential):
this includes reviewing applications for funding in the UK or internationally and reviewing research publications
experience of funding panels (essential): this includes major funders, charity, philanthropic or government and public sector funding panels, or panels within your organisation. Experience equivalent to membership of a funding panel will also be considered

Panel representation

When making the final selection we aim for between 18 and 24 members on each panel, including representation from a diversity of organisations, backgrounds, characteristics, and perspectives.

Through our recruitment to the panels we strive to:

broaden the diversity of membership
steadily increase the number of women, disabled and minority ethnic members
increase the ratio of mid-career to later-career members
ensure a strong representation for basic research across all panels
include industry researchers, representatives from MRC’s major investments and international members as appropriate
include expertise to evaluate translational research applications, including applications involving early phase clinical trials

We expect the membership to meet MRC policies on equality.

We strive for representation from research organisations across the UK and may limit the number of members from one organisation.

We will also consider applicants from other countries if their full participation is practical and they are able to travel to attend meetings in the UK or participate virtually during UK business hours.

While we will take the preferences indicated in your application into account, you may be offered a role on any MRC panel that is currently recruiting.

Additional membership decisions

In addition to the information provided in the application, we may also use publicly available information, in line with the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), to assist with membership decisions.

Decisions on membership will be made by mid-December 2026.

You will be notified of the recruitment decisions shortly thereafter.

Further information

Disability inclusion assurance process

We are committed to increasing the representation of disabled people on our panels.

In line with this, we offer an enhanced assessment process if you are disabled.

If you opt in to this scheme and meet the criteria for the role, your application will receive an additional layer of consideration to ensure it has been assessed fairly and in line with our inclusion values.

To do this, you will need to select ‘opt in’ under ‘disability’ in the diversity monitoring section of the application survey.

This approach is inspired by the Disability Confident ‘offer to interview’ scheme but adapted for non-employment roles where no formal interview stage exists.

The process does not guarantee appointment or preferential treatment but aims to ensure that all applicants are assessed equitably.

Induction for successful applicants

As part of the preparation for their tenure, all new members will be offered an induction in spring 2027.

Further details will be provided nearer the time.

The induction will be an opportunity for you to meet MRC staff, and your panel colleagues.

The induction enables us to provide guidance on your role and an overview of MRC, its strategic ambitions, functions and methods of operation where these relate to the work of the panels.

New members are expected to attend a panel meeting as an observer prior to starting their new role.

Panel meeting dates

Relevant panel meeting dates are:

MRC Proof of Concept Panel :20 and 21 January 2027
Experimental Medicine Panel: to be confirmed
Equipment Panel: March or April 2027
Clinical Training and Career Development Panel: 17 and 18 March, 30 June and 1 July, 10 and 11 November 2027
Non-Clinical Training and Career Development Panel: 23 and 24 March 2027, 13 and 14 October 2027
Centres of Research Excellence Panel: to be confirmed

Last updated: 16 July 2026