Discovery Research
Our long-term funding spans all fields and disciplines. Our goal is to generate new knowledge that will improve health. We call this discovery research.
From humanities and social sciences, to genomics and clinical research, we're supporting researchers across their careers and creating opportunities to unlock potential.
Our mission is to generate new knowledge that could transform health in ways we can't always anticipate today.
We fund researchers across fields, disciplines and career stages. And we're changing how research is done, through improved tools, technology, methods and culture.
Funding research
We're generating new knowledge with the potential to improve life, health and wellbeing. We don’t always know where new breakthroughs will come from, so our scope in discovery research is deliberately broad.
We run funding opportunities based on career stage three times a year. Research can involve observational, experimental or theoretical approaches. It can be carried out in the laboratory, office, clinic or field.
We're also creating the conditions for innovation through directed funding for institutions and major initiatives.
For example, we support critical research fields such as bioimaging and genomics.
Creating better research cultures
We are dedicated to improving research environments, ensuring that researchers have the necessary freedom, resources and time to develop their skills. We also work to break down barriers to promote collaboration and interdisciplinary research.
By doing this we encourage different questions to be asked, leading to new ideas and breakthroughs.
Enabling innovation
We are working to improve the wider research ecosystem. We do this by supporting the development of tools, technologies and methodologies for innovation and success, and by bringing together the right expertise in the right environments.
For example, our Discovery Research Platforms are a £73 million investment to overcome practical, technological and methodological barriers in research.
We run recurring Discovery Research awards three times a year. These are for researchers at different career stages across all disciplines as long as the research has the potential to improve life, health and wellbeing.
Find out what we will and won’t fund in our Discovery Research programme
Discovery Research is our programme covering studies across fields and disciplines that lead to new knowledge of life, health and wellbeing.
We don't know where the next breakthrough will come from, so our scope is deliberately broad. We fund projects that range from the fundamentals of biology to the development of new methods, tools and technologies. We also fund population health studies exploring the social, ethical, cultural, political, economic and historical contexts of human health.
We also accept applications related to our strategic programmes: Climate and Health, Infectious Disease and Mental Health.