At a glance
This Research Appreciation Day celebrates the diverse career paths in mental health research and highlights MQ’s commitment to supporting researchers at every stage. From newly qualified Post-Docs through to our Scholarships programme, to the prestigious MQ Fellowship awards and beyond, we provide more than just funding, we offer opportunities for growth, training, and connection to help early career researchers thrive.
- Funding Opportunities: From scholarships to fellowships, MQ provides financial support tailored to different career stages.
- Professional Development: Access to training, mentorship, and resources to help researchers grow and thrive.
- Networking & Collaboration: Opportunities to connect with peers, experts, and institutions to foster meaningful research partnerships.
This Research Appreciation Day is focused on careers in research. MQ is committed to supporting researchers in order to grow the mental health research workforce and get us nearer to the next breakthrough in mental health.
For too long, mental health research has been underfunded. However, that hasn’t stopped people from wanting to dedicate their time and careers to learning about mental illnesses and developing effective solutions.
But without funding to support these talented researchers, too many have been forced out of the field because there simply are not enough research grants to go around.
For the last 12 years, MQ has worked to support and grow the research workforce through our Fellowship programme. We have funded 68 incredible researchers across 14 countries and helped to retain their talent and skills within mental health science, and support them to accelerate our understanding of different mental health conditions.
In 2024, MQ launched our Scholarships programme for early career researchers to further develop the research workforce.
Whilst MQ’s flagship Fellowships are aimed at researchers who already have 5-7 years of experience, the new MQ Scholarships support researchers who have recently gained their Doctorates or PhDs.
In addition to this, The MQ Transdisciplinary Grants programme, funded by Wellcome, are for researchers working in fields outside of the traditional mental health science disciplines to encourage them to use their unique insights to further mental health research.
Supporting careers is more than just funding
At MQ we understand that funding isn’t enough to grow and develop the research workforce. By facilitating collaboration and networking though our convening work, we help to foster connections between researchers at different stages of their careers.
Providing training, such as through our data science workshops with DATAMIND or our Research Impact Accelerator work to help researchers develop their theory of change all helps to grow skills.
Additionally, providing support and advice to researchers such as advice on promoting themselves and their research or media opportunities all contributes to the ongoing career development MQ researchers benefit from.
How can I become an MQ researcher?
The next opportunity is the 2026 MQ Fellowships programme. If you are a mental health researcher, working in any scientific discipline, and are at least 5 years post doc, then you might want to register for the webinar on the 15th of September to learn more about how to apply for an MQ Fellowship award.
Other opportunities for funding and events are highlighted in the quarterly MQ Research Roundup newsletter. You can sign up for this using the form at the bottom of this page.
Read the expert tips for a successful career in health research.
Learn more about becoming an MQ fellow
Register for the announcement webinar on the 15th of September.
The post Growing The Research Workforce first appeared on MQ Mental Health Research.
