ECR Fellowships

These post-doctoral fellowships are for individual researchers, who must:

• Have a PhD or equivalent but not yet have made the transition to independence (see UKRI guidance). Applicants who are ready to transition to independence will not be considered.
• Be currently employed or be committed to be employed if successful at a research centre or institution in the UK associated with the MHP (full list under additional information on this page)
• Not have a permanent contract at their host institution.
• Not have held a previous independent fellowship lasting more than 3 years
• Be committed to joining at least two of the MHP Hubs as part of this award
   

Applicants could also be:  

• A clinical, non-clinical or lived-experience ECR  
• A current member of one of the funded MHP Hubs  
• A researcher carrying out research at an institution not currently associated with one of the MHP Hubs. 

Funded projects must:

• Focus on SMI research
• Link together at least two MHP Hubs 

We are interested in new research ideas which align with the aims of the platform and the goals of the Hubs you are proposing to bring together.

We welcome applications from clinical researchers. We also encourage collaborations with Industry where possible, if it is relevant to your proposal.

Your idea could be investigating the mechanistic and biological side of SMI, it could explore the social aspects of these conditions, or something else. We are also keen to hear ideas which have the potential to bring together biological and social research hubs in one project. 

Linking at least two Hubs is an essential part of the ECR Fellowships, but a greater number of Hubs involved in the application is not necessarily an advantage. All Hub involvement must be clearly justified.

Plan your application:

• More information about the aims of the Mental Health Platform
• More information about the goals of the Hubs   
• Project ideas to inspire your applications can be found if you scroll further down on this page

Fellowships funding 

The MHP ECR Fellowships is a £1.5 million programme, aiming to fund 1-3 years fellowships for future SMI leaders. The funding provided by the MHP will be 80% of the full economic costs (FEC) of the proposal. This equates to £300K cost to funder (80% FEC). 

Eligible costs include:  

• Salary of the main applicant
• Costs of the research
• Training and travel expenses
• PPIE expenses
• Conferences attendance
• Indirect costs and estates costs

For more information on which costs to include in the budget plan, see the Additional Information section on this webpage.

Networking 

This fellowship is a unique opportunity to join a network of international researchers at the start of a new initiative, and to bring new ideas to under-researched areas of SMI. The six Hubs across the UK offer world-leading expertise and the potential to collaborate with a range of disciplines. 

During the project, you will be a crucial link between the Hubs and any external partners you work with, building collaboration across the MHP. You will champion the MHP’s collaborative and data sharing efforts, with the goal of accelerating research and improving outcomes for people with SMI. 

Career development 

With this fellowship, you will have the opportunity to access: 

• Academic, PPIE and industry mentorship
• Training and support for PPIE
• Interdisciplinary focused training
• Support to communicate and disseminate your research
• Workshops and networking events hosted by the Hubs and the MHP 

Further funding opportunities 

Successful ECR Fellows will be able to access other sources of funding available to support career development projects or collaborative projects with external partners: 

• MHP Partnership fund (Total fund £250k): This award will support short-term projects between ECRs, industry, third sector, and health and social care partners 

• Cross-Hub Collaboration and Innovation fund (Total fund £1.5 million): As a MHP member, ECR fellows will also be able to apply to the Cross-Hub Collaboration and Innovation fund (£1.5 million) that funds collaborative projects between Hub members or with external partners seeking to collaborate with the platform. 

   

Submitted applications should comprise the following (pages refers to A4, font size 11): 

• ECR Fellowship application form - completed (Download from further down this page)

Additional documents:

• Cover letter: ≤2 pages
• CV (in UKRI format): ≤2 pages
• List of selected publications: ≤1 page
• Letter of support from host Institution: ≤2 pages
• Joint letter or email of support from Hub leads: ≤1 page
• Joint letter or email of support from supervisors: ≤1 page
• Research Plan: ≤4 pages
• Budget plan: ≤1 page  
• PPIE Plan: ≤1 page
• Budget plan: ≤ 1 page

If applicable:

• Collaborators CV (in UKRI format): ≤2 pages
• Collaborators list of publications: ≤1 page
• Collaborators letter of support: ≤1 page
• Industry Partner letter of support: ≤2 pages
• Resubmission justification: ≤1 page

Please save completed applications as a single pdf, with documents in the above order with the name: 2025_MHP_ECRFellowship_firstname_surname and send to mhp@ed.ac.uk with the subject line MHP ECR Fellowship + your surname and first initial (e.g. “MHP ECR Fellowship Smith D”) 

For more information:

• Scroll down to Additional Information on this page

Funded projects must:

• Focus on SMI research
• Link together at least two MHP Hubs

Applications must name co-supervisors from at least two Hubs, with one designated as the lead supervisor. You and your lead (primary) supervisor must be based at the same host institution, when you begin your ECR Fellowship. 

Fellows must comply with the Platform’s Data Sharing Policy, and all data generated must be deposited in DATAMIND’s Trusted Research Environment (TRE) as a minimum requirement.

The project must include a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) plan, demonstrating meaningful involvement of people with lived experience (PWLE) of SMI in your work. The application must also provide an overview of the project’s potential impact and outcomes for people with SMI.

Applications must consider Equality, Diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles during the research design phase, ensuring the project reflects the diversity of the population affected by the condition(s). 

Applicants should demonstrate clear evidence of career progression beyond their doctoral or prior research work. Applications will be assessed for indications that the proposed work is not simply a continuation of their PhD or previous projects, but reflects a deliberate step towards research independence.

ECR candidates intending to remain at the same institution are encouraged to articulate how they will establish intellectual independence - this may include identifying a supervisor different from their PhD or most recent advisor. Reviewers will also look for efforts to broaden professional networks, including the identification of new mentors and collaborators beyond the applicant’s existing affiliations.

If you are resubmitting a previous application, you must demonstrate that substantial changes were made.

Applications will be initially reviewed by the Director and the Coordinating Centre team, and those meeting eligibility criteria with be sent for peer review. We will seek written peer review comments from members of the MHP who are not involved in the award under consideration, and we may consult additional experts outside of the MHP membership. 

Then, applications are reviewed by Review Committee composed of the MHP leadership team, independent researchers and PPIE representatives. 

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed online by an Interview Committee, also composed of the MHP leadership team members, independent researchers and PPIE representatives . Applicants will be asked to present a 10-minute summary of their proposal, including why they are the right person for the project proposed, and the strengths of their local institution and environment. This is followed by a 15 minutes of questions from the Committee.

A summary of peer review comments will be sent to successful and unsuccessful applicants after a final decision has been reached. 

Applicants may submit one further application for an ECR award if they were unsuccessful in previous rounds. You should not resubmit the same or only slightly amended versions of the original application. 

The new application must show substantial changes and include a written explanation of how the application is amended, in addition to the other documents. The changes should address any issues raised in feedback provided from the original application and the written explanation should demonstrate how you have made a substantial advance in your thinking and research plans. 

In the application, you will need to indicate if you are resubmitting. If yes, you must also submit a 1-page justification of the changes made to address any feedback received. 

We encourage potential applicants to approach the MHP Coordinating Centre coordinating team (mhp@ed.ac.uk)  in advance of applying, who can advise on eligibility, and help to identify Hub co-supervisors, potential collaborators and partners, if needed. 

The possibility of future award round dates are in discussion at the MHP. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to do so in this round.
 

Your host institution must be associated with the MHP. A full list is below:

• Belfast University
• Brunel University London
• Cardiff University
• King's College London
• Newcastle University
• Plymouth University
• Queen Mary University of London
• Swansea University
• University College London
• University of Bath
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Liverpool
• University of Manchester
• University of Oxford
• University of Sheffield
• University of Warwick

If you are an international applicant, you must have the right to work in the UK at the time of your Fellowship starting.

Your final fellowship application must have the full support of the Hubs involved. Please confirm this with the relevant Hub leads in advance of submitting your proposal.

You will be asked to submit letters of support from supervisors and Hub leaders with your application. On receipt of your application, we will check that your application has the support of the Hub leads and your proposed supervisor. If this is not confirmed, your application will not be considered in this round.

You and your lead or primary supervisor must be based at the same host institution, when you begin your ECR Fellowship. This host institution must be associated with the MHP (a full list is above, under the question "Which institution can I be based at?")

If your proposed primary supervisor is not currently a member (named principal investigator, co-investigator or employed staff) of the MHP, they can apply to be part of the MHP by becoming an associate member. You may also have additional named co-supervisors who are not currently a member of the MHP.

Details of how to join the MHP as an associated member is below.

Additional questions on the eligibility of proposed supervisors and host institutions can be addressed to the MHP email at mhp@ed.ac.uk 

The MHP supports the career progression of emerging leaders in mental health research. 

The ECR Fellowships are aligned to the aims of the MHP and will be expected to drive connectivity and networking across the Hubs and platform. Each ECR fellow will become a MHP member and is expected to connect at least two Hubs with their research project.  The ECRs are expected to subscribe to the MHP values and Data Sharing Policy.

The ECRs will act as key bridges between the Hubs and external partners, such as industry, social or healthcare providers. They are expected to enable openness and champion the platform’s collaborative and data sharing efforts, following its Data Sharing Policy, with the goal of accelerating research and improving outcomes for people with severe mental illness (SMI). 
 

You can find information about the Hubs on their individual pages. Some Hubs have their own website, email or social media account where you can find more detailed information about their team and research objectives. 

If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please enter contact the MHP Coordinating Team and we will put you in contact with one of the Hub members. 

You can also learn more about the Hubs, their goals and their outputs, at a glance, at the link below.

Each round is estimated to take less than 6 months to complete.  

You can contact the MHP Coordinating team (mhp@ed.ac.uk ) for general enquiries about the MHP PPIE Groups, and how your project can be integrated in the platform. You can discuss your PPIE plan with each of the Hubs involved in the project. You can find their contact details here

Lived experience should be present at all stages of the research plan and central to all major project decisions. Applicants should choose involvement approaches suitable to their project needs. It is also possible to apply multiple methods across multiple stages.

We encourage the applicant to innovate solutions which connect with the community their project is representing. A few questions that may be useful during the planning stage are:

• What is the problem you aim to address with the ECR fellowship?
• Which communities are affected by this issue and where can they be reached?
• How can you connect with this community in innovative ways and what impact do you expect to make?
• What new technologies, platforms and methods of communication could support your outreach to this community?

We encourage applicants to involve people with lived experience in the design of the application. However, we recognise that this may not be possible for all applicants. Including quotes from people with lived experience who have been consulted during the design process can be helpful, in order to demonstrate relevance to priorities and the impact the project will have in their lives and wellbeing.

People with lived experience should be fairly compensated for their time. The budget submitted during the application process should account for appropriate remuneration for lived experience experts, along with any associated involvement costs. Please ensure your budget adequately reflects the necessary expenses to support meaningful engagement, as outlined in your proposals.

PPIE training will be provided to successful applicants. The costs of this training do not need to be included in the budget submitted. 

For further guidance, please consult:

• Guidance for applicants on working with people and communities | NIHR
• 10 for 10: Public involvement in mental health research | The McPin Foundation
• NIHR Guidance on co-producing a research project
• UK Standards for Public Involvement
• Embedding lived experience in mental health research | Funding Guidance | Wellcome
   

The ECR Fellowship Award budget is £300k cost to funder, (80% full economic costs (FEC)). Funding will be awarded at 80% FEC. 

Eligible costs include the costs of the research, training and travel expenses, PPIE expenses, the salary of the main applicant, conference attendance, indirect costs and estates costs. Provision to cover inflation costs won’t be accepted.   

Research costs are costs that are explicitly identifiable as arising from the conduct of the research project, such as laboratory or office consumables. Research costs, travel expenses, conference attendance and PPIE costs are Directly Incurred costs. 

PPIE members involved in ECR projects should be offered payment for their contributions and these costs accounted in the budget plan. Host institutions are expected to issue the payments to PPIE members involved in the applicant’s project. Applicants should consult with their institution prior to submission, if there is a system in place to accomplish this. 

Please consult the two links below for support information on how to cost public involvement activities: 

• Guidance on payment for public partners – UKRI
• Payment guidance for researchers and professionals | NIHR

Estates and Indirect Costs are a single value and do not require justification in the case for support. These costs are calculated and provided by your Research Organisation and should follow MRC specific funding requirements.

Estates: These costs may include building and premises costs, basic services and utilities, and any clerical staff and equipment maintenance or operational costs not already included under other cost headings.

Indirect Costs: These include non-specific costs charged across all projects based on estimates that are not otherwise included as Directly Allocated costs. They include the costs of the Research Organisation's administration such as personnel, finance, library and some departmental services.

The standard UKRI Terms and Conditions of Research Council FEC Grants and MRC’s Additional Terms and Conditions will apply to this funding.

The following headings should be included in the research plan :

1. Background to your proposal
2. Key aims
3. Research plan
4. Timeline
5. Key outputs or deliverables

The applicant must submit an achievable plan that supports the applicant’s career progression, outlining research and training opportunities both within and outside the MHP.  

The plan should detail how the applicant will gain specific skills to deliver their work, pursue new opportunities, and develop their career (e.g. short-term secondments, participating in the mentorship programme and collaborative projects with MHP members, Industry, or external partners). 

The letter of support should be written by someone with executive responsibility at the host institution and should confirm that accommodation and support will be provided to the applicant, including the necessary time to carry out their research and personal development plan.

Please include:

•  Evidence detailing how the host will support you, as appropriate for your career development and the vision and approach of the fellowship    
• Who you have engaged with in your host organisation (name and role)
• How your research environment will contribute to the success of the work, in terms of suitability of the host organisation and strategic relevance to the project  
• How the host organisation will ensure your time commitment to the fellowship is protected  
• What development and training opportunities will be provided and how they form a cohesive career development package tailored to your aims and aspirations    
• What financial or practical support, such as access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment, is being provided and how this strengthens your application  
• The host institution should confirm its commitment to supporting the applicant beyond the funding period. For 3-year fellowships, the institution should also outline the arrangements in place to facilitate the applicant’s progression to an open-ended or tenured position 
   

Fellowships should start within two months of receiving the award letter, pending contract completion. Fellows are expected to work with their contracts teams to expedite the process. However, we understand delays may occur for unforeseeable reasons and cases may be reviewed individually to postpone the planned start date. 

Successful applicants of Round 2 are expected to start their project by the end of April 2026. All projects must be completed by January 2029 due to restrictions on the MHP own programme.

If you plan to apply to the current round with an intentional delayed start date, your application may not be considered.

We expect ECRs to spend the majority of their time working on the project.

Applicants will need to clearly demonstrate that the allocated percentage of time they choose is sufficient to achieve their goals within the project timeline. If you have specific questions, please contact the Co-ordinating Team at mhp@ed.ac.uk 

You can submit only one Fellowship application per round due to the time commitment required. 

Applicants are not required to have collaborators in their application. However, applicants can include collaborators if relevant and beneficial for their project.   

If included, applicants are required to provide their collaborators details, CV and list of publications. They are also required to provide a letter detailing their support and understanding of their involvement in the project. The letter should contain confirmation they read the MHP Privacy Policy and consent for their data to be processed by the MHP Coordinating Team.  

Service providers do not fall under the classification of collaborator and therefore do not need letters of support or CVs provided. 

All applications with one or more industrial partners should follow the MRC Industry Framework (ICF)  guidance and decision tree, to decide if they should submit their proposal under the ICF. If the industry partner is also co-funding (either directly or through in-kind contributions) and they are expecting to access the outputs of the research, prior to publication,  then the application should be submitted under the ICF.