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Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme - Success rates

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Published: 25 November 2019

Version: Updated March 2024

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MRC-NIHR funding collaboration

Here are the application success rates for our Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme.

2022/23 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 19 53 72
Considered by advisory group (B) 16 30 46
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A) % 84.2 56.6 63.9
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 13 16 29
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 81.3 53.3 63
Funded applications (D) 9 15 24
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C) % 69.2 93.8 82.8
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B) % 56.3 50 52.2

2021/22 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 41 91 132
Considered by advisory group (B) 24 54 78
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A) % 58.5 59.3 59.1
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 8 26 34
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 33.3 48.1 43.6
Funded applications (D) 2 18 20
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C) % 25 69.2 58.8
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B) % 8.3 33.3 25.6

2020/21 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 68 82 150
Considered by advisory group (B) 36 54 90
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A)% 53% 66% 60%
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 16 30 46
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 44% 56% 51.1%
Funded applications (D) 12 20 32
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C)% 75% 67% 69.6%
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B)% 33% 37% 35.6%

2019/20 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 58 31 89
Considered by advisory group (B) 36 24 60
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A)% 62% 77% 67.4%
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 18 8 26
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 50% 33% 43.3%
Funded applications (D) 12 4 16
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C)% 67% 50% 61.5%
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B)% 33% 17% 26.7%

2018/19 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 38 74 102
Considered by advisory group (B) 25 48 73
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A)% 66% 65% 65.2%
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 6 19 25
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 24% 40% 34.2%
Funded applications (D) 3 12 15
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C)% 50% 63% 60%
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B)% 12% 25% 20.5%

2017/18 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 52 48 100
Considered by advisory group (B) 38 27 65
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A)% 73% 56% 65%
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 10 9 19
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 26% 33% 29.2%
Funded applications (D) 5 5 10
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C)% 50% 56% 52.6%
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B)% 13% 19% 15.4%

2016/17 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 52 56 108
Considered by advisory group (B) 36 34 70
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A)% 69% 61% 64.8%
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 17 11 28
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 47% 32% 40%
Funded applications (D) 8 7 15
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C)% 47% 64% 53.6%
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B)% 22% 21% 21.4%

2015/16 applications

Application stageCommissionedResearch ledEME summary
Submitted applications (A) 88 40 128
Considered by advisory group (B) 69 24 93
Considered as a percentage of those submitted (B/A)% 78% 60% 72.7%
Shortlisted by advisory group (C) 22 8 30
Shortlisted as a percentage of those considered by advisory group (C/B)% 32% 33% 32.3%
Funded applications (D) 14 5 19
Funded as percentage of those shortlisted (D/C)% 64% 63% 63.3%
Funded as percentage of those considered by advisory group (D/B)% 20% 21% 20.4%

Please note:

  • Fast track applications are submitted as a full proposal and undergo a one stage application process.
  • The data presented are for all calls that were completed during the financial year – a call is only considered to have completed when each application submitted has received a final outcome. Data within a financial year may therefore not reflect calls opened in that year which can result in the overall numbers of applications being inconsistent between years.
  • These data include both primary research and evidence synthesis applications.