Our Work
Mental Health Research Funding
Here at MQ we provide grant funding opportunities for early-career
researchers to help advance mental health research. Our fellowship
program welcomes projects from all disciplines, spanning basic,
clinical, and public mental health research.
Why We Fund Mental Health Research?
Approximately 1-in-4 people in the UK suffer from a mental health problem, and the UK government reported that "mental ill health is the largest single cause of disability in the UK, contributing almost 23%". Yet, despite these alarming numbers, mental health research is severely underfunded with only £9 being spent per person impacted, whilst £228 is spent on cancer research. There is still so much to be learned on how to understand and treat mental illness, plus there is still stigma attached to it. At MQ, we strive to tackle this, and one way we are doing this is by helping to fund early-career researchers.
£40m
invested to date by MQ to support research
What MQ Aims To Do With Funding
Understand Mental Health
We can’t change what we don’t understand. By studying how and why mental health conditions occur, we can speed diagnosis, improve the search for better treatments and even find ways to prevent mental illness.
Improve Treatments
We believe everyone should have access to mental health treatment that works for them. That’s why we’re working to get more people the right treatment, faster.
Prevent Mental Illness
Some 75% of mental health conditions start before the age of 18, and they can have lifelong impacts. Through research, we can understand who is most at risk and find ways to provide better treatments earlier — with the potential to transform lives.
Funding Opportunities
Schizophrenia Fellowship
Closed
We are inviting applications from researchers who are both early in their careers and wish to place a sole focus on conducting schizophrenia research. This fellowship is designed to support projects that can be delivered within a three-year fellowship and act as a springboard for larger-scale research and impact. Click the button below to learn more.
2026 Fellows Award
Closed
Offering up to £250,000 over three years the 2026 Fellows round will help support early-career mental health scientists and help them establish independence. We will support a wide range of mental health disciplines and we accept applicants all over the world. Click the link below to learn more and what the grant will cover.
Postdoctoral Scholarship
Closed
This grant funding opportunity aims to support newly qualified postdoctoral researchers who are within two years of completing their doctoral degrees in consolidating their PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) and will transition to the next stage of their research career. We will fund innovative and bold ideas and approaches that aim to improve our knowledge to better detect, treat, and prevent mental illnesses.
Top Research Projects
Our world-class researchers work across all disciplines to tackle mental illness.
Can Psychiatric Treatment Change The Development Of Emotion-related Brain Circuits In Trauma-exposed Youth?
Principal investigator:Dr. Taylor Keding
This study will look at whether psychiatric treatment can help children that have suffered from traumatic experiences.
Analysing The Risk Of Suicide By Assessing Genetics And Clinical Factors
Principal investigator:Dr Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza
A study to improve the prediction accuracy of individual suicidal risk across different demographics, therefore enhancing screening programmes
Testing a Novel Parent- Based Treatment for Adolescent Anxiety Disorders
Principal investigator:Dr Rebecca Etkin
If successful, this project could offer a new evidence-based treatment approach for adolescent anxiety that empowers parents.
Policies and plans
You can find MQ’s latest reports that help guide us on today’s mental health issues.
Young People's Mental Health Research
Funding for Mental Health Research
5-year Strategy (Updated)