Transdisciplinary Research to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance Grant

Programme:Multiple UK

Awards:Up to £3m

Geographical Scope:national

Beneficiaries:public

Key Features:Apply now for up to £3 million in funding for ambitious, transdisciplinary research tackling global antimicrobial resistance across humans, animals, plants, and environments.

Key Information: Antimicrobial Resistance Grant

Funding Amount: Up to £3 million per project (80% FEC + 100% of exceptions)
Total Budget: £15 million
Eligible Applicants: UK-based research institutions (must have submitted a Notification of Intent)
Project Duration: Up to 5 years
Application Deadline: 23 September 2025, 4:00pm UK time
Funders: UKRI and all seven Research Councils; co-funded by NIHR and Defra

Funding Scope and Objectives: Antimicrobial Resistance Grant

This programme addresses AMR as a “slow-moving pandemic”, backing research that aligns with the UK’s 2024–2029 AMR National Action Plan and the One Health Global Action Plan. UKRI seeks to fund a minimum of five projects through the Antimicrobial Resistance Grant that collectively become national and international hubs for AMR research.

In-Scope Topics Include:

AMR emergence and transmission across human, animal, crop, and environmental systems
Modelling, surveillance, and data systems (including AI/ML)
Behavioural, historical, economic, and cultural drivers of AMR
Innovation in non-antibiotic treatments and resistance management strategies
Cross-sectoral policy and systems interventions across health, agriculture, and the environment

Research can cover any microbial resistance, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and helminths

Funding Details

Each project for the antimicrobial resistance grant may request:

Up to £3,000,000 full economic cost (UKRI contributes 80% of FEC + 100% for exceptions)
Support for:
- Researcher salaries
- Equipment and consumables
- Data sharing and analysis
- Travel and community engagement
- Public and policy partnerships
- LMIC capacity-building and equitable partnerships

Project duration: Up to five years, with expected start dates from April 2026

Evaluation Criteria

Applications for the Antimicrobial Resistance Grant will be assessed on:

Vision – potential to address AMR with novel, system-level research
Approach – quality of methodology, co-creation, and stakeholder engagement
Team Capability – depth and breadth of skills, including LMIC partnerships
Responsible Innovation & Ethics – commitment to EDI and public involvement
Value for Money – justified costs and resources proportional to outcomes

Why This Grant Matters

With resistance to antimicrobials rising rapidly and threatening global health and food systems, this programme is uniquely positioned to:

Bridge biomedical and social research to address systemic AMR drivers
Influence UK and global policy, especially in LMICs
Accelerate innovation in detection, intervention, and community engagement
Build long-term research infrastructure and networks for AMR response

As UKRI states, this investment “supports the development of novel, transdisciplinary insights that can reduce, replace, optimise and innovate the use of antimicrobials”

Overview

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has launched Phase Two of its flagship initiative to combat the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). With a £15 million budget, this opportunity is open to invited applicants who previously submitted a Notification of Intent (NoI). It supports large-scale, transdisciplinary projects spanning three or more research councils.

The focus of the Antimicrobial Resistance Grant is clear: fund world-leading research that detects, disrupts, and reduces AMR emergence using One Health and Planetary Health frameworks. Projects must explore novel, integrative approaches across sectors and disciplines to drive systemic change.

Eligibility Criteria: Antimicrobial Resistance Grant

This funding is open only to applicants who submitted a Notification of Intent before the full application stage.

Applicants must:

Be based at a UKRI-eligible research organisation (HEIs, research institutes, etc.)
Build transdisciplinary teams spanning at least three UKRI research council remits
Include a project manager and encourage participation from early career researchers
Demonstrate co-leadership with international and LMIC partners when appropriate

International Collaborators:

Permitted as co-leads where UK expertise is unavailable for the project submitting to the antimicrobial resistance grant
Costs for high-income countries capped at 30% of total; no cap for DAC-listed LMICs

What Is Out of Scope?

UKRI will not fund:

- Single-discipline projects
- Proposals lacking a strong transdisciplinary framework
- Technology/platform development (e.g. vaccines, therapeutics) in late stages
- Basic surveillance delivery or operationalised public health systems
- Product commercialisation or postgraduate studentships

Programme Priorities

Projects submitting to the antimicrobial resistance grant must integrate One Health or Planetary Health thinking, reflecting the real-world complexity of AMR. This includes:

Understanding how ecosystem disruption, trade, or social behaviours fuel resistance
Identifying points of intervention across the AMR transmission chain
Co-producing solutions with governments, civil society, and practitioners
Promoting research relevant to LMIC contexts and equity in leadership

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