The MHP Partnership Fund supports short-term collaborative projects or activities between MHP researchers from different Hubs, industry, and other sectors to accelerate the translation of mental health research into real-world outcomes.
It can support:
- Partnership building activities, including arranging, hosting and running events or workshops.
- Short-term collaborative projects between MHP researchers across different Hubs, and with external partners.
- Attending capacity-building events such as meetings, workshops or conferences.
- Short secondment opportunities with external partners.
The fund enables researchers to build meaningful partnerships, develop translational skills, and generate future funding opportunities.
Applications are open all year round and should be sent to mhp@ed.ac.uk
Summary
Flexible criteria: events, projects, secondments and more
Budget: £500 - £20,000
Time: Up to 12 months, finished before December 2028
Applications accepted at any time
We encourage early applications, as funding is limited and applications are processed in the order received.
Applying
- MHP researchers (including Early Career Researchers and those with lived experience)
- MHP Associate Members
Applications are expected to involve two or more MHP Hubs. Exceptions may be considered for early-stage or small-scale activities where strong justification is provided.
Project/Activity Examples
Industry challenge - Projects or activities where applicants collaborate with or are embedded within industry or healthcare partners (e.g. biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, digital health, data science, Medicines Discovery Catapult, charities) to solve a real-world problem and support translation.
Cross-Hub projects - Short-term collaborations where applicants bring together expertise from different MHP Hubs to address shared research or translational challenge, including joint activities and events.
Innovation workshop - A creative, workshop for applicants to test new ideas, methods, technologies, or interventions and to build partnerships across academic, industry and lived experience communities.
- Career development - Activities that support skill development, networking and experience, particularly for ECRs, people with lived experience and Associate Members, aligned with partnership building and future funding opportunities.
Eligible Costs
The MHP Partnership Fund supports direct costs associated with partnership-building and capacity development activities. It can be used for:
- Travel to engage with industry partners or external organisations
- Accommodation, subsistence and related costs associated with partnership-building activities
- Event related expenses (e.g. venue hire, catering, workshop materials)
- Attendance at industry-focused conferences, trade meetings, or partnering events
- Registration fees for relevant external events
- Short secondments or exploratory visits, where clearly justified and aligned with fund objectives
- PPIE remuneration in line with the NIHR payment policy
Ineligible Costs
The fund cannot be used for:
- Direct research costs (e.g., consumables, equipment, salaries, including costs of investigators and staff employed on existing funded Hub awards)
- Indirect or estates costs at the host organisation
- Costs related to Intellectual Property protection, including but not limited to registering, maintaining, or legal support
- Retrospective claims for activities already completed
- Attendance at the MHP Research Summit (this fund cannot be used for registration, travel or related costs for this event)
Step 1 – Submit Application
Complete the application form and submit via email to mhp@ed.ac.uk using subject line MHP Partnership Fund Application - <Insert Applicant Name>
Step 2 – Eligibility Check (Week 1–2)
Applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility
Step 3 – Review (Week 2–4)
Applications are assessed by in line with the MHP Partnership Fund assessment criteria. For more information, download the document <here>
Step 4 – Decision (By Week 6)
Applicants receive one of:
- Fund in full
- Fund with conditions/modifications
- Not funded
Applicants are expected to involve 2 or more MHP Hubs.
Exceptions may be made for:
- Early-stage partnership-building activities
- Small-scale requests (e.g. travel, initial meetings)
- Applicants must strongly justify any single-Hub proposal and indicate how it will promote eventual cross-hub collaboration in the longer-term.
External partners could include members of the Industry Alliance, existing charity partners such as McPin Foundation or MQ, but could also include new partners who have never worked with the MHP or the Hubs before.
The application form will ask for the name of a main contact and a brief description of the partner's contribution.
Where appropriate, applicants are responsible for ensuring suitable collaboration arrangements are in place.
After application
Each application will be assessed by:
- Director of the MHP
- 2–3 Hub representatives (Lead, Co-Lead, or researcher level)
- PPIE representatives, where relevant. Expected for proposals with patient/public impact
- Independent representatives (e.g. industry, healthcare partners), where relevant
Applications are assessed on:
- Partnership quality and strategic value
- Translational and real-world impact
- Cross-Hub collaboration
- Capacity building and leadership
Applications are scored using a weighted framework.
For more information download MHP Partnership Fund assessment criteria at the bottom of this page.
If your application is successful
You will receive a formal award letter from the MHP Coordinating Team outlining the funding amount, project duration, and host hub(s). You will be asked to confirm acceptance of the award within four weeks.
Funding will be administered directly by the MHP Coordinating Team, with all expenditure required to align with your approved budget and supported by appropriate documentation. You may be asked to provide financial records during the award period.
Before your project/activity begins, you must ensure that any necessary collaboration agreements with external partners are in place. All funded activities must comply with MHP values and relevant UKRI/MRC policies, including data sharing and intellectual property requirements.
As an award holder, you are responsible for delivering the project/activity as agreed, using funds appropriately, and notifying the Coordinating Team of any significant changes or underspend. You will also be required to acknowledge MHP funding in outputs and submit a short report within three months of project completion.
An outline of this report is available to download at the bottom of this page.
Please note that MHP reserves the right to amend or withdraw funding if award conditions are not met or if there are significant changes to the project.
A template award letter is available to applicants upon request.
If your application is unsuccessful
You will be notified by the MHP Coordinating Team. Due to the competitive and rolling nature of the fund, detailed feedback may not always be provided. Applicants may revise and resubmit their application once, incorporating any feedback provided, subject to the availability of funds.
Applicants may submit up to three applications in total and hold only one active award at a time. One resubmission is permitted per unsuccessful proposal, where it should clearly address prior feedback.