NIHR’s Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) funding is a really interesting scheme to build research capacity in areas with significant mental health support needs. The idea is for institutions with low or no mental health research capacity (and close to areas of high mental health need) to partner with HEIs with more experience and expertise in mental health research, and who have a shared interest and vision.
The MHRG scheme will support proposals for up to £11m, for a period of up to 5 years. It is expected that this funding will enable delivery of a five-year research and capacity building programme focused on local applied mental health research needs.
NIHR are looking to establish, in total, up to ten MH. In the first round of funding which took place last year they funded new MHRGs in the universities of Bath and Hull.
Read more about the Bath MHRG: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/university-of-bath-receives-11-million-to-launch-a-mental-health-research-group/
Read more about the Hull MHRG: https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2024/11m-for-new-centre-for-addiction-and-mental-health-research-at-university-of-hull
Read more about the 2025 MHRG competition brief on the NIHR’s website: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/mental-health-research-groups-round-2/97038