One grant of up to £2,000,000 is offered to support a five-year programme of translational biomedical research led by an outstanding researcher in the early years of an established research and academic career. Applications for this award are open to UK universities and NHS organisations. The funder requires that where a University and affiliated NHS organisation both have a prospective proposal, they must coordinate the selection process to decide which one should be submitted. Therefore, the process outlined in this email covers both the University of Cambridge and NHS organisations affiliated to the University. The proposed work must include research on patients with a hypothesis based on pre-clinical experimental data. The application must set out a clear strategy defining how the research will translate into benefit for patients and the timescale within which this will take place.
Please note a few points about eligibility, including updates obtained through communication with the funder:
The work set out in the proposal must be a major commitment for the Principal Applicant, comprising at least 50% of their research time. Where the Principal Applicant holds an existing award from another funder, the institution/organisation will need to verify in its letter of support that the terms of that other funding are consistent with the 50%-time commitment required by the Award.
Grants must be led by a single Principal Applicant in the early years of an established research and academic career. Typically, shortlisted candidates have an established a strong track record of independent research, previously supported by competitive, peer-reviewed fellowships such as those offered by Wellcome, MRC or NIHR. However, the Trust is not prescriptive about how the early years of an established research and academic career is defined and recognises that outstanding researchers may not follow a conventional career path, and/or may have had periods away from research for professional or personal reasons.
The award may not be used to meet the salary costs of the applicant, who should be in an institutionally funded post for the duration of the grant.
The Trust will not use the Award to support senior researchers who are already well-established in a professorial post or candidates whose research programme has already secured substantial ongoing funding.
Please note that the funder has communicated with us that it will accept applications from any eligible applicant so long as the project involves patients and is translational. Therefore, applicants need not be affiliated with the University’s School of Clinical Medicine to apply.
The University and affiliated NHS organisations can only submit one application. Therefore, this call will be managed according to the University’s restricted calls procedure. Please note that applications for this award are open to UK universities and NHS organisations. The funder requires that where a University and affiliated NHS organisation both have a prospective proposal, they must coordinate the selection process to decide which one should be submitted. Therefore, this process covers both the University of Cambridge and NHS organisations affiliated to the University. If applications from researchers based at any NHS organisation affiliated to the University of Cambridge are not submitted to this process, they will not be considered for submission to the funder.
To take part in the internal selection process, please submit your application via our online submission formby 4 November, 2026 (if asked to log-in use your CRSID details; if you do not have a Cambridge email, please contact us at researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk; please note that the Form cannot be saved). A PDF of the Microsoft form is also attached.
You will need the following documents and information to complete the Form:
Confirmation of whether you are applying as an employee of the University of Cambridge or as an employee of an NHS organisation affiliated to the University.
Confirmation of the applicant’s eligibility
CV(3 pages maximum). Applicants are advised to consider DORA principles when presenting research outputs.
Summary of the proposed research, focusing in particular on the following (750 words maximum): Why your project would be suitable for translational study; the unmet need which is to be investigated and how the research will meet that need; a clear strategy defining how the research will translate into benefit for patients and the timescale within which this will take place.
A support letter from the Head of the Department/Centre/Institutethat will hold the grant, confirming their support for the project and agreement to host the grant
Internal Assessment Criteria:
Please note that the assessment of internal applications will focus on the following core funder criteria:
Candidate: the research must be led by a clearly identified Principal Applicant of outstanding quality in the early years of an established research and academic career.
Quality of the Research Programme: the proposed research must have a justifiable claim to be at the leading edge of international science
Benefit to Patients: the application must set out a clear strategy defining how the research will translate into benefit for patients and the timescale within which this will take place
