About

MLSTF supports proof-of-concept projects at the early stages of translation that are of high risk but with potential of high reward. It funds researchers to accelerate the transition from discovery research to translational development projects by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to establish the viability of a translational approach.

This fund does not support exploratory basic science.

MLSTF is a consolidated fund comprising devolved funding from the MRC Impact Acceleration Account (MRC IAA), Wellcome Intellectual Property Revenue Retention Funds, and for this round also includes NIHR BRC Revenue Funds, and Strategic Innovation Funding with some additional aligned funding from Rosetrees. In 2026, the total budget will be in the region of £800-900K to ‘pump-prime’ the translation of novel therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, and other therapeutic interventions (including ‘repurposing of existing therapies’) toward clinical testing.

In addition, we are pleased to confirm facilitated co-funding opportunities with Cancer Research Horizons (CRUK), and the University Challenge Seed Fund (USCF; administered by OUI).

The 2026 round of MLSTF includes a dedicated Translating Biosciences Research strand. This strand will support early-stage, high-potential translational projects from the biosciences community, enabling the advancement of underpinning research towards practical application, commercialisation, follow-on funding, or wider adoption.

New and improved award scheme: Key Highlights

1. Maximum funding volume per project up to £85K. 
2. Translating Biosciences Research - a dedicated funding strand for biosciences research.
3. Opportunities for Early Career Researchers:
   a. “Emerging Translational Innovators (ETI)”: This is a dedicated route which provides an opportunity for early career researchers to use this fund as a stepping stone towards independently pursuing their translational research endeavours.
   b. “Researcher Co-Investigator”: A new option to apply under the mainstream MLSTF route which enables early career researchers to have their salary costed as a directly incurred expense.
4. Maximum number of applications permitted is one per applicant (as PI, or Co-I).

Further details are available in the subsequent sections below.

Remit

MLSTF fund supports goal-oriented translational research projects with a strong scientific rationale and which meet a clear and important translational medical need. Projects should also demonstrate distinct advantages over competing translational approaches that are in development or are already available in the marketplace. Projects can apply for up to a maximum of £85k and should aim to provide sufficient preliminary data to establish proof of concept, strategic merit in a translational context, or the viability of a translational approach (i.e. to provide confidence in the underlying concept, before seeking more substantial funding from other sources), such as MRC Proof of Concept Funding [previously known as Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS)], UKRI Translation: Entrepreneurship or equivalent schemes from other funders, industry or venture capitalists. An explicit intended outcome of the MLSTF awards is that projects should subsequently be strong candidates for external follow-on translational funding.

To be competitive, the project proposal should identify a critical path for generating preliminary proof-of-concept data that supports moving the project to the next stage of translation. The project should be milestone-based with clearly articulated and quantifiable markers, which will form the basis of a rigorous monitoring process that will take place throughout the project's lifetime.

Applications demonstrating academic-industry collaboration are particularly encouraged. In such instances, the principles and policies of the MRC Industry Collaboration Framework (ICF) should be followed, with the heads of terms being agreed with partners prior to application submission. Please contact your local Research Services team who will be able to assist with this.  Where the partner is an existing or prospective spinout, there must be a strong and clear case that the proposed project is a new stream of work and not additional development of the initial technology that was licensed to the spinout. It should also be clear that the spinout is the most appropriate company to support this particular project. A clear statement of how conflict of interest will be managed must be included.

All modalities of therapy and diagnostics including engineering/medical technology, bioinformatics approaches, and research tools that increase the efficiency of developing interventions are welcomed.

MLSTF 2026 also welcomes applications from the biosciences community where projects support the early-stage translation of underpinning bioscience research towards practical application, commercialisation, follow-on funding or wider adoption. The scheme particularly encourages interdisciplinary and cross-divisional projects that combine expertise from the biological sciences with complementary disciplines such as engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, clinical sciences or industry. Further information on the Biosciences strand is provided below.

Examples of activities supported by the MLSTF include:

• Developing candidate small molecule therapeutics. (Mechanism of action (MoA) can be included as part of the critical path to translation, but a standalone proposal on MoA will not be considered in remit)
• Vaccines for infectious & non-infectious diseases
• Biologics (antibodies, peptides, proteins)
• Advanced therapy medicinal products (gene therapy, T cell therapy, a tissue-engineered product)
• Repurposing existing therapies for a new indication
• Medical devices
• Digital healthcare, app development, Artificial Intelligence-enabled diagnosis
• Diagnostics (including biomarker validation)
• Medical imaging technology
• Behavioural and psychological interventions
• Radiotherapy & radiation protocols
• Interventions of benefit to the health of the low and middle-income countries

Examples of activities not supported by MLSTF:

• Identification or discovery of targets
• Exploratory science without pre-existing background data
• Candidate screening stage
• Mechanisms of action as a standalone project
• Fundamental sciences work

Read an example of an outstanding proposal which has been recently awarded by the MLSTF committee panel. The proposal entitled: “Evaluation of the efficacy of an mRNA-based multi-antigen vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) disease in guinea pigs" received MLSTF funding in March 2024 to Dr Elena Stylianou and Professor Helen McShane.

Translating Biosciences research

MLSTF 2026 includes a dedicated strand for applications from the biosciences community. This strand supports the early-stage translation of underpinning bioscience research towards practical application, commercialisation, follow-on funding or wider adoption. It is intended to encourage interdisciplinary and cross-divisional translational projects that bring together expertise from the biological sciences with complementary disciplines such as engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, clinical expertise or industry. Applications are particularly encouraged where such collaborations can accelerate the development of bioscience discoveries into new technologies, tools, platforms, products, processes or services with translational or commercial potential.

Projects may include the development of materials, processes, platform technologies, research tools, biological resources, data-intensive or AI-enabled bioscience approaches, engineering biology or bioimaging technologies that support biological research, enable practical application, or have potential benefit for health, agriculture, industry or society. Projects may also include therapeutics or diagnostics for livestock and companion animals where these fall within BBSRC remit. Applicants should demonstrate a credible pathway towards practical application, user or industry adoption, commercialisation, licensing, spinout formation, follow-on investment or further translational funding. Applicants are encouraged to select the relevant aligned research area, or complete the relevant section of the Case for Support form for biosciences projects.

Activities supported within the Translating Bioscience Research strand:

• Research within the biosciences remit
• Work on plants, microbes and animals
• Tools and technologies underpinning biological research
• Research involving humans where it advances understanding of normal human function
• Human physiology, cell biology, genetics and genomics, where focused on normal function
• Animal disease research relating to livestock, companion animals or other relevant species
• Research on wild species where they are agricultural pests
• Research on wild species as pollinators of agricultural crops
• Research on wild species as model systems providing broader insight into biological processes
• Research on managed land relating to agriculture
• Research on crop production, agricultural land use and land management practices

Activities not supported within the Translating Bioscience Research strand or normally out of scope:

• Research focused primarily on specific diseases, disorders or abnormal conditions
• Animal models of human disease
• Research focused on human toxicology or drug toxicity
• Research on humans where the main focus is disease, disorder or abnormal conditions
• Animal disease research primarily linked to human disease models

Projects focused primarily on the development of therapeutics or diagnostics for a specific human disease or condition would normally be considered under the standard MLSTF medical translation route. Applications should be submitted through the standard MLSTF process and do not require a separate application route.

Applicants seeking consideration under the Biosciences Translational Research strand should:

• Select the relevant Biosciences sector or area of application,
• Complete the Translating Biosciences Research section of the Case for Support form, indicate BBSRC alignment, and
• Contact the Translational Research Office at translationalresearchoffice@medsci.ox.ac.uk at least two weeks before the application deadline to confirm eligibility and fit with BBSRC remit.

Format

It is envisaged that the available funds will finance in the region of 10-12 projects, with the Translational Research Office (TRO) providing project management support for the scheme and projects where appropriate.

Funding available from MLSTF will be up to £85k per project (for non-ETI applicants) and up to £50k (for ETI applicants); awards will be made from MLSTF for direct costs only. Whilst a ‘match’ contribution is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. If your research scope falls within the interest areas of Cancer Research UK, an expression of interest form (EOI) will be required. Applicants whose research falls within the Translating Biosciences remit, will be required to complete dedicated sections within the Case for Support form.

Projects duration should be 6-12 months (for non-ETI applicants) and 6-8 months (for ETI applicants), with funding for 12-month projects requiring full justification. Awards must commence within 1 month of the award being issued or unless agreed otherwise by the TRO. All projects must be completed within 1 year of the start date and/or in line with overarching MRC grant conditions. Please ensure that your project is scheduled accordingly, and that the timeline is appropriate for the defined objectives and milestones.

Should your application be successfully awarded, it is your responsibility as a PI to monitor the award to ensure all funds are spent accordingly by the project end date. Please work with your finance team to ensure this is kept on track as a no-cost extension is not granted by default if there are underspent funds. Any extension requests must be submitted by the PI or a designated IRAMS editor in IRAMS for processing and approval. The TRO reserves the right to reclaim funds once a project ends if an extension is not requested or if the TRO is not contacted regarding the underspend when a project ends. The MLSTF is a consolidated fund containing multiple funding strands that may have varying overall end dates therefore, it is the responsibility of the PI and their financial team to be aware of this when notified at award set up.

Additional information

Please note MLSTF funding will not support: entire translational projects; bridging funding or PhD studentships; continuation of normal research grants; and costs relating to protection of intellectual property.

Please also note that PI or co-applicant salary is not an eligible cost (except under the Researcher Co-Investigator route). DPhil students and Postdoctoral researchers can be named as Co-Investigators on an MLSTF application. However, their contract with the university or studentship must last longer than the end date of the MLSTF award.

Awards will be managed from the Translational Research Office (TRO) on behalf of the University.  Applications, scores, and reviewer comments may be shared with other internal University panels to ensure maximum value for money.

Award conditions apply, including acceptance of a ‘mid-term’ review meeting with the TRO and a panel of experts to discuss progress made towards milestones, as well as a commitment to providing yearly progress report forms post-MLSTF for up to five years post-award to support the TRO in capturing key metrics and the impact achieved by the funded proposal. Failing to do so can result in jeopardising your chances of receiving future funding through schemes managed by the TRO.

Additionally, applicants who have been awarded three successful MLSTF applications are required to present their innovation at the Translational Research Symposium as an example and valuable resource for other applicants to reach their value of inflection points.

Innovation Co-funding Strands

Co-funding with Cancer Research Horizons Innovation Fund (CRHIF)

The TRO is pleased to announce the continuation of the Cancer Research Horizons Innovation Fund (CRHIF) funding stream within MLSTF 2026. Cancer Research Horizons, Cancer Research UK's drug discovery, development and commercialisation company, is expected to co-fund one project through a 50% contribution.

This funding strand is available only to projects arising from research previously funded by Cancer Research UK, Blood Cancer UK or Breast Cancer Now. The funding is intended to support key go/no-go experiments that generate data required to reach a significant translational inflection point and enable the next stage of technology development, validation or commercialisation.

To facilitate co-development with Cancer Research Horizons, eligible researchers should submit a non-confidential Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Translational Research Office by 5:00pm on Monday 20 July 2026.

This EOI should provide a summary of the proposed project, including a summary of supporting background data, objectives and proposed outcomes of the project and a justification for support. EOIs will be reviewed by Cancer Research Horizons and shortlisted applicants will be invited to work with Cancer Research Horizons to further develop their translational strategy and full MLSTF application ahead of the final submission deadline.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to access Cancer Research Horizons' Early Validation Fund, subject to endorsement by Cancer Research Horizons and subsequent award recommendation by the MLSTF Committee. Successful applicants will also be expected to work closely with Cancer Research Horizons to develop the intellectual property strategy and translational development pathway for the proposed technology.

MLSTF 2026 also includes an NIHR funding stream which provides an opportunity for clinical academic researchers working within the Trust with honorary contracts with an Oxford University department to execute translational research with a direct focus on clinical translation and human specimen-based studies. Animal work is not permitted within these proposals. Applications that fall under this remit must select the NIHR research area option in the main case for support application form. It is anticipated that the NIHR BRC will be co-funding (50% contribution) up to two projects.

Eligibility

Any researcher from the University holding a contract extending to at least the end of the proposed project may apply, assuming they have host departmental approval. Applicants should clarify their eligibility with departments, and departmental approvers are required to check eligibility of their applicants before advancing any applications. The Committee welcomes applications from Early Career Researchers and applicants seeking to establish individual research careers should they fit this criterion – such applicants are encouraged to select the ETI option and complete relevant sections within the case for support application form.

Researchers based in Oxford University’s overseas research programmes namely Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), and KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, and their sister sites are welcome to apply to MLSTF as Principal Investigators (PI) or Co-Investigators (Co-I). To be eligible to apply to MLSTF as a PI, researchers must meet any one of the following conditions:

• Hold an Oxford University employment contract
• Hold the status of Associate Research Fellow (ARF)