Current opportunities
The opportunities listed below are in order of closing date. If you are looking to apply for one of the opportunities listed below, we can assist with grant applications. Visit our grant writing page to find out more.
AI-Enabled Consumer Engagement to Advance Family Planning
Closing: Aug 25, 2026, 11:30 am PDT
Funding: Up to $500,000 per project
Project length: Up to 12 months
The AI-Enabled Consumer Engagement to Advance Family Planning opportunity, funded through Grand Challenges and supported by the Gates Foundation, seeks to generate evidence on whether AI-powered consumer engagement tools can improve contraceptive uptake, continuation, and informed method choice among women and girls of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative focuses on leveraging advances in large language models to deliver personalised, interactive family planning information at scale through public, private, or hybrid platforms. While AI technologies have the potential to provide tailored counselling in local languages and overcome barriers associated with traditional clinic-based services, the field currently lacks evidence on which AI-enabled approaches are most effective and how they influence family planning behaviours.
The challenge will fund projects that deploy and evaluate existing consumer engagement platforms with established user bases, particularly in countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Senegal, Niger, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Côte d’Ivoire. Applicants may request up to $500,000 USD for projects lasting up to 12 months and must demonstrate a rigorous evaluation approach that measures not only user outcomes but also the quality, safety, and effectiveness of AI-driven interactions. This initiative is open globally to non-profit organisations, for-profit companies, international organisations, government agencies and academic institutions. Multi stakeholder collaborations are encouraged.
Find out more via the Gates Foundation website.
NIHR NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity
Closing: 2 September 2026 (next outline deadline) at 1:00 PM
This NIHR and NICE partnership call funds research that addresses priority evidence gaps identified in NICE guidance published within the last five years. Delivered through the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme and related NIHR streams, it supports a wide range of study designs including clinical trials, diagnostic evaluations, systematic reviews, and real‑world evidence studies. Funding is not capped, with budgets expected to reflect the scale and design of the proposed research.
The scheme is particularly valuable for generating evidence that can directly inform NICE recommendations and support NHS adoption of new interventions. Applications follow a two‑stage process from outline to full proposal and must demonstrate strong health‑related outcomes and methodological rigour. It is well suited to multidisciplinary UK research teams and organisations seeking to align research activity with policy and clinical decision‑making priorities.
NIHR – Improving discharge delivery across Health and Social Care
Phase I (outline) application closes: 14 September 2026 at 1:00 PM
Full application (invited stage): expected invitations in February 2027
Funding decision: March/April 2027
This NIHR funding opportunity invites applications for research to improve how patients are discharged across health and social care settings, including acute hospitals, mental health services, and specialist inpatient care. The call prioritises projects that evaluate practical, system-wide improvements, spanning patient pathways, service coordination, and integrated care models with a strong emphasis on community-based solutions that reduce reliance on hospital stays. Proposals should generate clear, actionable evidence on what works to enable safe, timely, and effective discharge, supporting better outcomes for both children and adults while easing pressure across the wider care system.
The programme supports high-quality, evaluative research that can inform real-world service delivery, with scope to explore innovations in care coordination, workforce practices, and cross-sector collaboration. A two-stage application process is used, beginning with an outline proposal and progressing to a full submission for shortlisted teams. This structure encourages focused initial concepts with the potential to scale into comprehensive studies that demonstrate measurable impact, making it well suited to organisations with strong applied research ideas and the capability to deliver practical improvements within existing health and care infrastructures. Projects are typically large, multi-site studies; awards often reach £1M+ depending on scope.
Contact Stefania Schino if you are interested in a collaborative project: [email protected]
For more information, visit the NIHR website.
Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Call 13
Closing: 8 October 2026
IHI Call 13 is a two-stage funding opportunity from the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) designed to accelerate healthcare innovation through collaborative public-private research partnerships across Europe and associated countries. The call focuses on three priority areas: establishing a network to support the next generation of European healthcare innovations; developing an AI-based toxicology framework that could reduce the need for animal testing in drug safety studies by supporting the waiver of a second animal species; and advancing understanding of the immunological mechanisms underlying age-related immune-mediated diseases. The call is open to organizations from all Horizon Europe-associated countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Canada, and South Korea
IHI is seeking large, multidisciplinary consortia capable of delivering innovative solutions that strengthen Europe’s health research ecosystem, improve drug development processes, and generate new scientific insights into complex diseases. The maximum financial contribution from IHI JU for these topics is: €53.2 million
Applicants must first submit a short proposal by 8 October 2026, with successful candidates invited to submit full proposals by 21 April 2027.
For more information, visit the IHI website.
EIC Pathfinder Challenges
Closing: 28 October 2026
The EIC Pathfinder Challenge supports early‑stage, high‑risk research aimed at developing breakthrough biotechnologies to address healthy ageing. With funding of up to €4M per project and a 100% funding rate, it focuses on proof‑of‑concept work in areas such as novel therapeutics, biomarkers, and advanced research methodologies. Projects typically start at low technology readiness levels and aim to establish feasibility for future development.
The programme encourages innovative approaches, including alternatives to animal testing and human‑relevant experimental models, and is managed as part of a portfolio approach by the EIC. Successful projects benefit not only from funding but also from additional support such as booster grants and pathways into later‑stage EIC programmes. It is ideal for academic and early‑stage collaborative research teams pursuing transformative scientific ideas.
Longstanding opportunities:
BBSRC Standard Research Grant: applicant-led mode
The BBSRC Applicant‑Led Grants scheme provides flexible, ongoing funding for investigator‑led research across the biological and biotechnological sciences. Following a move to an always‑open model, researchers can submit proposals at any time for Standard Research Grants or New Investigator Awards, with funding available up to £2 million full economic cost for projects lasting up to five years. SMEs can be included as project partners.
This scheme supports a wide range of fundamental and applied research, including multidisciplinary projects and industry collaborations through defined partnership routes. It is particularly suited to academic researchers seeking to develop independent research programmes or establish new lines of inquiry. The emphasis is on scientific excellence and innovation, with flexibility to respond to emerging research priorities without the constraints of fixed funding rounds.
Visit the UKRI website for more information.
EIC Accelerator
Opening: Rolling (short proposals)
Closing: Multiple cut‑offs; next full deadline 2 September 2026
The EIC Accelerator provides substantial funding for high‑risk, high‑potential deep tech innovations led by SMEs and startups. UK-based SMEs can apply for grants of up to €2.5M, supporting technologies from late development stages through to market deployment. The programme operates on a rolling basis for short applications, with several full proposal deadlines throughout the year.
Beyond funding, successful applicants gain access to extensive business acceleration services including coaching, mentoring, and investor engagement. The scheme targets innovations with strong commercial potential in areas such as AI, advanced materials, and clean technologies. It is particularly competitive and suited to companies aiming for rapid scale‑up and international market entry.
For more information, visit the EIC website.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF)
EIC STEP Scale-Up
The EIC STEP Scale Up scheme, part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), provides equity-only investments of €10–30 million to startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps aiming to scale breakthrough innovations in strategic sectors like digital, deep tech, clean tech, and biotech. With a 2025 budget of €300 million, the scheme targets high-risk, high-potential companies that have already secured at least 20% of their funding round from a qualified investor. The programme supports innovations in areas such as AI and advanced biotechnologies, including critical medicines, DNA/RNA, proteins, cell engineering, gene vectors, bioinformatics, and nanobiotechnology. Successful applicants gain access to Business Acceleration Services and may receive a STEP Seal, enhancing visibility and access to further funding opportunities.
TheHill is always open to collaborations and keen to partner with other organisations as consortium member on collaborative projects, if you are interested please complete our triage form.