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Springboard Awards

Academy of Medical Sciences

Springboard offers a bespoke package of support to biomedical researchers at the start of their first independent post to help launch their research careers. This includes funding of up to £125,000 over two years and access to the Academy’s acclaimed mentoring and career development programme.

Key dates

Round 12 is now open, applicants nominated by their HEI may now complete their application. Access details have been sent by email.
Deadline: 3 June at 16:00

How to apply

There is one funding round each year with a Selection Panel meeting usually in November/December. Applications are invited from selected research-active higher education institutions (HEIs), which may put forward up to four applications per round.

View our list of eligible HEIs and their points of contact

If your organisation would like to become an eligible Springboard institution, please submit an Expression of Interest form and return to the team at springboard@acmedsci.ac.uk by 11 December 2026 for consideration in the next round opening in Spring 2027.

Prospective applicants should first contact the Springboard Champion within their HEI when a new round opens, expressing their interest in the scheme and to find out how their internal selection will operate.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Strong prior research track record
- Publications in high-impact journals
- Consistent citation history
- First/senior author papers
- Previous successful grants
  Past PI performance is one of the strongest predictors of future funding success.
Clear translational or clinical relevance
AMS schemes strongly favor projects that:
- improve patient outcomes,
- address unmet medical needs,
- bridge bench-to-bedside research,
- demonstrate healthcare impact potential.
High-quality interdisciplinary collaboration
Applications involving:
- clinicians + basic scientists,
- international collaborators,
- cross-disciplinary teams
  tend to perform better, especially in networking and innovation-oriented schemes.
Strong peer-review scores
Reviewer evaluations remain highly influential. Strong methodological rigor, innovation, and feasibility correlate with better outcomes.
Well-defined research question
Successful applications usually have:
- a focused hypothesis,
- measurable objectives,
- realistic timelines,
- clear deliverables.
Demonstrated feasibility
Reviewers look for:
- preliminary/pilot data,
- access to cohorts or infrastructure,
- institutional support,
- realistic budgeting.
Networking and leadership potential
Especially for early/mid-career schemes:
- evidence of independence,
- mentoring capacity,
- collaboration-building ability,
- future leadership trajectory
  are major advantages.
Alignment with Academy priorities
AMS programs often prioritize:
- capacity building,
- global health,
- equity/diversity,
- innovation,
- early career development,
- international partnerships.
Institutional reputation and collaborators
Evidence suggests applicants from strong research environments and with influential co-applicants may have higher success probabilities.
Resubmission quality
Improved revised submissions with clear responses to reviewer criticism show substantially higher success probabilities in biomedical funding systems.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Overly ambitious aims
Weak statistical plan
Insufficient preliminary data
Poorly justified budget
Lack of novelty
Weak translational impact
Unclear applicant role in collaborations
Generic “copy-paste” methodology sections

Practical AMS-Specific Strategy

For a stronger AMS application, reviewers typically expect:

concise writing,
strong clinical significance,
interdisciplinary integration,
credible mentorship/network,
measurable outcomes within grant duration,
evidence the grant will lead to larger future funding.

Specialties

Data Science

Medical Devices

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply you must:

Hold an academic post that incorporates research
Be in their first independent (salaried) position (i.e. group-leader level, line managed not supervised)
Be within 5 years (FTE) of appointment to this position
Have sufficient time remaining in their current post to complete the proposed Springboard project
Be based within one of the eligible higher education institutions

And you must not:

Hold a clinical contract
Be in receipt of substantial research funding as the Principal or Co- Investigator exceeding £150,000 for the two year Springboard award (excluding your personal salary, overhead and indirect costs)

Springboard is targeted at those who are in the early stages of their first independent post and have limited funding. Candidates who have already secured significant fellowships are not considered to be in the spirit of the scheme. Therefore, if you hold the following fellowships/awards or equivalent you will be deemed ineligible:

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Career Development Fellowship
CRUK Career Establishment Award
Medical Research Council (MRC) - Career Development Award
MRC New Investigator Research Grant
The Royal Society University Research Fellowship
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship
Wellcome Trust Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship
Wellcome Trust Seed Award

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Academy of Medical Sciences

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 41 Portland Place London W1B 1QH Tel: 020 3141 3200 E-mail: info@acmedsci.ac.uk

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