Armed forces could benefit from £50 million novel blood products research
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-13)

£50 million of funding available to research novel blood products to improve treatment in emergency and trauma care.

A £50 million funding opportunity is available for the development of a 14-year novel blood products research centre, set to benefit armed forces on the frontline.

Novel blood products research aims to improve treatment in emergency and trauma care and address current critical blood product challenges nationally.

The funding opportunity is being delivered by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in partnership with MOD’s Defence Medical Services and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Research applications are invited to advance the development of novel blood products which include a focus on current and future challenges such as:

Improving traditional blood products, by reducing the requirement for cold storage and developing products that can be administered universally rather than to a specific blood group.

Accelerating the development of laboratory-derived blood, whether synthetic or from cell-lines, which will reduce the reliance on donors.

Develop novel products with characteristics that natural blood cannot achieve.

Blood transfusions are critically important, including in emergency situations such as trauma-related haemorrhage, blood disorders such as anaemia, and treatment-related complications including cancer.

The existing supply chain is fragile due to a shortage of blood donors. Each of the UK’s four nations relies on a single provider to meet demand, while successful transfusions require blood from compatible, cross-matched donors to avoid reactions.

Global challenges including blood products that have specific requirements for storage, handling and shelf-life are exacerbated in a warfighting at scale scenario, where access to specialist biomedical support, state-of-the-art facilities and cold-chain storage may be limited, and geography may prevent blood provision close to the point of need.

Dr Paul Hollinshead, Dstl Chief Executive, said:

Protecting the lives of our armed forces is our highest priority.

Battlefield injuries involving severe trauma and blood loss often occur in austere conditions, many miles from hospitals.

Our scientists have worked seamlessly with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy for research in novel blood technology. This MRC CoRE funding opportunity offers applicants the ability to work closely with industrial partners and other initiatives to ensure provision of blood when and where it is needed.

Director General of the Defence Medical Services, Air Marshal Clare Walton, said:

Ensuring adequate blood supply on operations is critical part of the work of the Defence Medical Services, and it is crucial that we continue to invest in this area.

This collaborative effort between different parts of Defence, UK Research and Innovation, and civilian academia is a prime example of the whole-of-society approach required to meet national challenges emphasised within the Government’s recent Strategic Defence Review.

Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of MRC, said:

MRC Centres of Research Excellence bring together ambitious, multidisciplinary teams to tackle complex health challenges with the potential for transformative impact.

This targeted funding opportunity, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, invites applications to develop clinically effective, scalable blood products for use in emergency and trauma medicine, including in military and low-resource settings.

Our aim is to accelerate progress from mechanistic understanding to clinical testing, overcoming key barriers to translation and adoption, and delivering solutions that can be applied across diverse healthcare environments.

How to apply

Outline proposals must be submitted by 4 February 2026. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal in autumn 2026, with the outcome of the funding opportunity expected in spring 2027.

Interested parties are invited to attend a webinar on 25 November. Further information and details on how to apply are available at: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/mrc-centre-of-research-excellence-round-four-outline-application/ (https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ukri.org%2Fopportunity%2Fmrc-centre-of-research-excellence-round-four-outline-application%2F&data=05%7C02%7CSteven.DeWaal100%40mod.gov.uk%7C4c1ca569abd549dbd5e108de21e8936d%7Cbe7760ed5953484bae95d0a16dfa09e5%7C0%7C0%7C638985479953196247%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=YSGBJzbxjjLKvDk6IVTHdKAa1%2F1i3Sv3g88ikzgvivw%3D&reserved=0)