MS Society Catalyst Awards

MS Society Catalyst Awards

Supports high-risk multiple sclerosis proof-of-concept studies through the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United Kingdom.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The MS Society Catalyst Awards are a short-cycle grant mechanism from the Multiple Sclerosis Society UK designed to fund pilot studies, proof-of-concept work, and high-risk, high-reward innovative MS research that would not fit the scope or timeline of a full Project Award. Awards carry an upper limit of GBP 60,000 and a maximum project duration of 12 months; they are not suitable for programmes of work requiring multi-year timelines. All applications must be hypothesis-driven. The scheme is open to both junior and established researchers at UK universities or NHS institutions who hold the principal investigator role on the proposed project. In calendar year 2026, only one Catalyst round was run — the round that opened in October 2025, with a deadline of 12 noon on 10 February 2026 — due to the transition away from the Symplectic Grant Tracker system, which will be discontinued at the end of 2026. The normal cadence of two rounds per year is expected to resume in 2027.

Funding outcomes for the 2026 round will be communicated in August 2026. The 2025 success rate was 13% (3 of 23 applications funded), and the 2024 rate was 39%, illustrating the variability typical of pilot grant schemes where competition volume fluctuates. Eligible costs follow the same pattern as other MS Society schemes: research and technical staff salaries, consumables, equipment, and conference travel; lead applicant and co-applicant salaries cannot be claimed. Researchers from outside the MS field may apply if the proposed project is directly relevant to MS. Applications are submitted through the Symplectic Grant Tracker at research.mssociety.org.uk and are reviewed by both expert researchers and lay reviewers from the MS Society Research Network under AMRC peer-review standards.

The next Catalyst Awards round is expected to open around October 2026 for an approximately February 2027 deadline, with a second round thereafter in the first half of 2027. Teams with a strong proof-of-concept concept should prepare in advance, as the MS Society guidance notes that applicants from outside the MS research field are welcome when relevance to MS is clearly demonstrated. Questions should be directed to research@mssociety.org.uk before submission to confirm project scope alignment with the Society's current research strategy.