Types of grants
The MS Society will consider any research grant application that is relevant to MS. Applications will be judged on scientific merit and relevance to MS and should be in line with the Society’s Research Strategy. MS Society funded research grants can only be held by recognised NHS or UK academic institutions.
Find out more about our research review process
There are four different grant types available in the MS Society grant rounds:
Innovative award
The essential purpose of an innovative award is to provide support for a short-term, small-scale pilot or proof of concept research project. It is hoped that these awards will encourage established researchers from both within and outside the MS field to explore ideas in MS research that, if merited, may lead to further support through the Society or other funding sources.
Project grant
The essential purpose of a project grant is to provide support for a time-limited research project designed to answer a single question or a small group of related questions. Project grants provide support for a maximum of 3 years.
PhD studentship
PhD studentships are designed to encourage the best graduates to embark on a research career in MS. These awards provide practical research training leading to a doctorate, through a time-limited research project related to MS, under the direct supervision of a senior and experienced researcher.
Application should be made by the prospective supervisor, who should be associated with an established multidisciplinary research group in a UK university department or similar research environment in the UK. The award will provide a competitive tax-free stipend for the candidate student, tuition fees at home/ EU student rates and the running costs of the project over a 3-year period.
Junior fellowship
Junior fellowships are aimed at attracting and retaining talented post-doctoral researcher who are early in their career in MS research. These grants are intended to provide a staged career structure and an opportunity to progress towards higher-level appointments.
They aim to provide training in the principles and practice of academic research, through a time-limited research project related to MS, under the direct supervision of senior and experienced researchers.
Junior fellowships are usually awarded to individuals after the first or second post-doc, but consideration will be given to outstanding candidates who do not fully fill this criteria. Applicants are to demonstrate the ability to establish an independent research career and a group. We also recommend that applicants should have research experience in more than one research group and/or institution.
