Scope

You can submit a collaborative research proposal in any area of the social sciences within the remits of ESRC and NSF-SBE.

ESRC will fund basic, applied and strategic research from any disciplines and on any topics within our remit. Ambitious and novel proposals addressing new concepts and techniques are encouraged, as are those with the potential for significant scientific or societal and economic impact. There are no thematic or methodological priorities; we will fund the highest quality proposals received, regardless of focus or approach.

Proposals can draw from the wider sciences, however, the social sciences must be more than 50% of the focus and effort. We will work with other research councils to ensure that applications close to remit boundaries are assessed by the most appropriate lead council. For a full list of ESRC disciplines, or if you are unsure whether your project is suitable for ESRC funding, please check the eligibility of your proposal.

Duration

The duration of this award is up to five years (60 months).

Funding available

We fund the UK part of your project and NSF-SBE funds the US part of your project.

For the UK part:

• the full economic cost of your project can range from £350,000 to £1 million
• we will fund 80% of the FEC

For the NSF-SBE part:

• the funding you request from NSF-SBE must follow the relevant NSF-SBE funding rules

You do not have to request equal amounts from ESRC and NSF-SBE. The difference should reflect the variations in costs and local prices.

What we will fund

For the UK-funded part of your proposal, funding can support:

• standard research projects
• methodological development
• large-scale surveys or other infrastructures (for example, linguistic corpora or the classification, cataloguing and compilation of information which would be of benefit to social science researchers and a possible wider audience)

What we will not fund

For the UK-funded part of your proposal, applications cannot be accepted under this funding opportunity solely for:

• unspecified research work
• research already carried out
• writing up previous research
• literature surveys
• general conference attendance, not related to this project
• travel for general study
• expeditions
• requests to hold conferences, workshops or seminars where these constitute the primary project component.
• preparation of books and publications
• preparation and production of materials such as curriculum materials and software development where these constitute the primary project component

Associated studentships cannot be funded under this funding opportunity.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

International collaboration

If your application includes international applicants, project partners or collaborators, visit UKRI’s trusted research and innovation for more information on effective international collaboration.

Find out about getting funding for international collaboration.

ESRC data infrastructure

ESRC supports a range of data infrastructure. Where relevant, we encourage applicants to consider whether the use of these resources could add value to the project. See facilities and resources for information on finding and using ESRC datasets which are available across the UK.

Where relevant, details of datasets and infrastructure to be used in your project should be given in the Facilities section.

Data requirements

ESRC recognises the importance of data quality and provenance. Data generated by ESRC-funded research must be well-managed by the grant holder to enable their data to be exploited to the maximum potential for further research. See our research data policy for details and further information on data requirements. The requirements of the research data policy are a condition of ESRC research funding.

Where relevant, details on data management and sharing should be provided in the Data management and sharing section. See the importance of managing and sharing data and content for inclusion in a data management plan on the UK Data Service (UKDS) website for further guidance. We expect applicants to provide a summary of the points provided. The UKDS (datasharing@ukdataservice.ac.uk) will be pleased to advise applicants on the availability of data within the academic community and provide advice on data deposit requirements.

Impact, innovation and interdisciplinarity

We expect applicants to consider the potential scientific, societal and economic impacts of their research. Outputs, dissemination and impact are a key part of the criteria for most peer review and assessment processes. We also encourage applications that demonstrate innovation and interdisciplinarity (research combining approaches from more than one discipline).

Knowledge exchange and collaboration

We are committed to knowledge exchange and encouraging collaboration between
researchers and the private, public and civil society sectors. Collaborative working benefits both the researchers and the individuals or organisations involved.

Through collaboration, partners learn about each other’s expertise, share knowledge and gain an appreciation of different professional cultures. Collaborative activity can therefore lead to a better understanding of the ways that academic research can add value and offer insights to key issues of concern for policy and practice.

Knowledge exchange should not be treated as an ‘add-on’ at the end of a project but considered before the start and built into a project.

Equitable partnership principles

When undertaking research and innovation activities outside the UK, you must recognise and address the possible impact of contextual, societal and cultural differences on the ethical conduct of those activities.

Researchers should also follow the principles of equitable partnerships to address inherent power imbalances when working with partners in resource-poor settings.

Applying the principles will encourage equitable access, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), while maintaining incentives for innovation. You should consider the principles from the start of the research and development cycle.

Read UKRI’s guidance on research in a global setting.

Research ethics

ESRC requires that the research we support is designed and conducted in such a way that it meets ethical principles and is subject to proper professional and institutional oversight in terms of research governance. We have agreed a framework for research ethics that all submitted proposals must comply with. Read further details about the framework for research ethics and guidance on compliance.

This is an open funding opportunity for ESRC-led funding opportunities with a two-stage application process (expression of interest and full proposal).

Before applying, discuss with your research team whether the lead agency should be NSF-SBE or ESRC. You must base this decision on from where you will seek to apply for the most funding.

If you are planning to submit an application to NSF-SBE as the lead agency, you will need to check submission deadlines for the SBE participating research programmes most relevant to your project.

Expression of interest

You must submit your expression of interest (EOI) using the NSF-SBE – UKRI expression of interest template (PDF, 134KB). You must then email your completed EOI in PDF format to your chosen lead agency.

If ESRC is the lead agency, you must email your EOI to sbeleadagency@ukri.org

If NSF is the lead agency, email your EOI to sbe-ukri@nsf.gov

This should outline:

• the proposed research
• the research teams that are involved
• bottom line estimates of funding at 100% full economic cost to be requested from both the NSF and UKRI (including all research-related and institutional administrative costs for the US budget request)

The expression of interest should include:

• a brief summary
• the main objectives and research challenges of the proposed research
• the methodologies to be used
• the outputs, impact and beneficiaries

The EOI template should not exceed either 1,000 words or two pages in length. The EOI will be shared with the non-lead agencies to check for eligibility.

Upon confirmation from the lead agency that the proposed collaborative research is appropriate for the NSF-SBE – UKRI lead agency funding opportunity, researchers may submit a full research proposal to the lead agency.

Full proposal

Applying through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service

If your EOI is accepted as falling within the scope of research typically reviewed by the NSF-SBE programme, as well as fitting within ESRC, we will invite you to submit a full research proposal.

Full proposal budgets should not vary from those specified in the approved EOI by more than 10%, and you must justify any changes.

We expect that full proposals will be submitted within one year of receiving EOI approval. If more time is needed for proposal preparation, an additional EOI may be required.

If you submit a full proposal before receiving EOI approval, the proposal will be rejected.

The UK project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the UKRI Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

If the NSF-SBE is the lead agency, you must submit your proposal via Fastlane, Grants.gov or Research.gov.

To apply:

1. Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this page.
2. Confirm you are the project lead.
3. Sign in or create a UKRI Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
4. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the ‘How to apply’ section on this Funding finder page.
5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Watch our research office webinars about the new UKRI Funding Service.

Deadline

There is no deadline for the submission of applications to this opportunity. However, due to systems requirements a closing date will appear on the Funding Service approximately a year from when this opportunity opened.

You should apply when your application is ready for submission and not wait for a closing date. ESRC will continue to initiate the assessment process once an application is received, ensuring applicants receive a timely decision. ESRC will commit to holding regular decision points throughout 2024.

Personal data

Processing personal data

As part of UKRI, we will need to collect some personal information to manage your funding service account and the registration of your funding applications.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

As part of UKRI, we will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with NSF-SBE so that they can participate in the assessment process. For more information on how NSF-SBE uses personal information, visit NSF web policies and important links.

Publication of outcomes

As part of UKRI, we will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at What ESRC has funded.

If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Summary

Word limit: 550

In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.

We may make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, so make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:

• opinion-formers
• policymakers
• the public
• the wider research community

Guidance for writing a summary

Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:

• context
• the challenge the project addresses
• aims and objectives
• potential applications and benefits

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

• project lead (PL)
• project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
• project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
• specialist
• grant manager
• professional enabling staff
• research and innovation associate
• technician
• visiting researcher

Only list one individual as project lead.

All US-based applicants for whom funds are being requested from NSF-SBE must be listed as project co-lead (international) in the UKRI Funding Service. Any such individuals must be eligible for funding from NSF-SBE as their costs will not be covered by ESRC.

Find out more about UKRI’s new grant roles.

Vision

Word limit: 500

What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your proposed work:

• is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the fields or areas
• has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
• is timely given current trends, context, and needs
• impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment

Within the Vision section we also expect you to:

• consider potential beneficiaries and users of the proposed research, including the relevance of the research to these beneficiaries
• indicate the expected outputs; both academic and those orientated to users

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Approach

Word limit: 2,500

How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:

• is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
• is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
• uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable)
• summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed (if applicable)
• will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
• describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work

Within the Approach section we also expect you to:

• provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan including milestones and timelines
• clearly describe both the framework and specific analysis methods proposed and explain the reasons for their choice. You should particularly mention any innovation in this or how different methodologies or methods may be combined
• explain what steps you will take to provide opportunities for users to benefit from your research, and to ensure that your research has maximum economic and societal impact

All applicants planning to generate data as part of their grant must complete the separate Data management and sharing question.

A list of references used to support your application can be added in the References question.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,500

Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
• the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
• the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others
• contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

The word count for this section is 1,500 words, 1,000 words to be used for R4RI modules and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.

Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

• contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
• the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
• contributions to the wider research and innovation community
• contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).

Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.

For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500

What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

• the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
• how you will manage these considerations

All proposals have to comply with the ESRC framework for research ethics which includes guidance for applicants and links to related web resources.

All necessary ethical approvals must be in place before the project commences, but do not need to have been secured at the time of application.

If you are generating data as part of your project, you should complete the Data management and sharing question and should cover ethical considerations relating to data in your response.

If you are not generating data and have not completed the Data management and sharing question you should address any legal or ethical considerations relating to your use of data here.

Additional sub-questions (to be answered only if appropriate) relating to research involving:

• animals
• human participants
• genetically modified organisms

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Genetic and biological risk

Word limit: 700

Does your proposed research involve any genetic or biological risk?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

In respect of animals, plants or microbes, are you proposing to:

• use genetic modification as an experimental tool, like studying gene function in a genetically modified organism
• release genetically modified organisms
• ultimately develop commercial and industrial genetically modified outcomes

If yes, provide the name of any required approving body and state if approval is already in place. If it is not, provide an indicative timeframe for obtaining the required approval.

Identify the organism or organisms as a plant, animal or microbe and specify the species and which of the three categories the research relates to.

Identify the genetic and biological risks resulting from the proposed research, their implications, and any mitigation you plan on taking. Assessors will want to know you have considered the risks and their implications to justify that any identified risks do not outweigh any benefits of the proposed research.

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

Research involving the use of animals

Word limit: 10

Does your proposed research involve the use of vertebrate animals or other organisms covered by the Animals Scientific Procedures Act?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing research that requires using animals, download and complete the Animals Scientific Procedures Act template (DOCX, 74KB), which contains all the questions relating to research using vertebrate animals or other Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulated organisms.

Save it as a PDF. The UKRI Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

Conducting research with animals overseas

Word limit: 700

Will any of the proposed animal research be conducted overseas?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing to conduct overseas research, it must be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with those in the UK, as in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research, page 14.

Ensure all named applicants in the UK and overseas are aware of this requirement. Provide a statement to confirm that:

• all named applicants are aware of the requirements and have agreed to abide by them
• this overseas research will be conducted in accordance with welfare standards consistent with the principles of UK legislation
• the expectation set out in Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research will be applied and maintained
• appropriate national and institutional approvals are in place.

Overseas studies proposing to use non-human primates, cats, dogs, equines or pigs will be assessed during NC3Rs review of research applications. Provide the required information by completing the template from the question ‘Research involving the use of animals’.

For studies involving other species, select, download, and complete the relevant Word checklist or checklists from this list:

• Additional questions on the use of rodents overseas (DOCX, 49.1KB)
• Additional questions on the use of rabbits overseas (DOCX, 49.2KB)
• Additional questions on the use of sheep overseas (DOCX, 50.9KB)
• Additional questions on the use of goats overseas (DOCX, 47.3KB)
• Additional questions on the use of pigs overseas (DOCX, 51.4KB)
• Additional questions on the use of cattle overseas (DOCX, 57.0KB)
• Additional questions on the use of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis overseas (DOCX, 57.3KB)

Save as a PDF. If you use more than one checklist, save it as a single PDF.

The UKRI Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

Research involving human tissues or biological samples

Word limit: 700

Does your proposed research involve the use of human tissues, or biological samples?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing work that involves human tissues or biological samples, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.

Justify the use of human tissue or biological samples specifying the nature and quantity of the material to be used and its source.

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 1,000

What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Use the resources and cost summary table to enter the full UK costs. Include high-level costs only, not a breakdown of individual items. The NSF-SBE budget form should include the SBE budget, therefore you are not required to include NSF-SBE-based researcher costs here.

Use the justification text box to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work for both the UK and NSF-SBE:

• are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
• represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
• maximise potential outcomes and impacts

This section should not simply be a list of the resources requested, as this will already be given in the costs table. Costings should be justified on the basis of full economic costs (FEC) of the project, not just on the costs expected from UKRI. For some items we do not expect you to justify the monetary value, rather the type of resource, such as amount of time or type of staff requested.

Where you do not provide adequate justification for a resource, we may deduct it from any funding awarded.

You should explain:

• support for activities to either increase impact, for public engagement, knowledge exchange or to support responsible innovation
• support for access to facilities, infrastructure or procurement of equipment
• support for preserving, long-term storage, or sharing of data
• support from your organisation or partner organisations and how that enhances value for money
• support for activities outsourced to a third party (such as consultancy or social surveys)
• support for project co-leads under our international, business and third sector eligibility policies

For detailed guidance on eligible costs please see the ESRC research funding guide.

NSF-SBE budget form

Word limit: 5

Upload your NSF-SBE budget form

What the assessors are looking for in your response

The NSF-SBE form (DOCX, 226KB) should be uploaded as per the guidance. Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box.

Primary discipline classification

Word limit: 5

Enter the primary discipline for this project

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Select one primary area of research from the list of social disciplines below and enter into the text field:

• area studies
• demography
• development studies
• economics
• education
• environmental planning
• history
• human geography
• law and legal studies
• linguistics
• management and business studies
• political science and international studies
• psychology
• science and technology studies
• social anthropology
• social policy
• social work
• sociology
• tools, technologies and methods

This information is used to determine eligibility for ESRC funding and to assist in the selection of appropriate reviewers.

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the UKRI Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.

Add the following project partner details:

• the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
• the project partner contact name and email address
• the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Project partners: letters or emails of support

Word limit: 10

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partner section (if applicable).

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’.

Each letter or email you provide should:

• confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
• clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
• describe any additional value that they bring to the project
• be no more than one A4 page in length

Save letters or emails of support from each partner in a single PDF no bigger than 8MB. Unless specially requested, please do not include any sensitive personal data within the attachment.

For the file name, use the unique UKRI Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Project partner’.

If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.

The UKRI Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the contributions template.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 500

How will you manage and share data generated through the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have designed your proposed work so that you can:

• appropriately manage and share data in accordance with ESRC’s research data policy and ESRC framework for research ethics (if applicable)

Within the Data management and sharing section we also expect you to:

• plan for the research through the life cycle of the award until data is accepted for archiving by the UK Data Service (UKDS) or a responsible data repository
• demonstrate compliance with ESRC’s research data policy and ESRC framework for research ethics. This should include confirmation that existing datasets have been reviewed and why currently available datasets are inadequate for the proposed research
• cover any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data, including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical issues
• include any challenges to data sharing (for example, copyright or data confidentiality), with possible solutions discussed to optimise data sharing

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

Facilities

Word limit: 250

Does your proposed work require the support and use of a facility?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you will need to use a facility (including access to, and use of data infrastructure), follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project. ESRC encourages the use of secondary and linked datasets.

For each requested facility you will need to provide the:

• name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 35KB)
• proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
• confirmation you have their agreement where required

If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the UKRI Funding Service.

References

Word limit: 1,000

List the references you have used to support your application.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Include all references in this section, not in the rest of the application questions.

You should not include any other information in this section.

We advise you not to include hyperlinks, as assessors are not obliged to access the information they lead to or consider it in their assessment of your application.

If linking to web resources, to maintain the information’s integrity, include persistent identifiers (such as digital object identifiers) where possible.

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.

Assessment process

For ESRC-led proposals, we receive and assess your proposal on behalf of both ESRC and NSF-SBE. A decision will be made within our normal standard grants competition process as outlined below, but SBE-nominated experts will be involved throughout.

We will assess your application using the following process:

Peer review

We will invite experts to review your application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity.

You will not be able to nominate reviewers for applications on the new UKRI Funding Service. Research councils will continue to select expert reviewers.

We are monitoring the requirement for applicant-nominated reviewers as we review policies and processes as part of the continued development of the new UKRI Funding Service.

Application Sift and Applicant Response

Applications receiving sufficiently supportive reviewers’ comments will be invited to respond to reviewers’ comments. You will be given 14 calendar days to provide a response or ten working days if longer. Applications which do not receive sufficiently supportive reviewers’ comments will normally be rejected at this stage.

Panel

Following peer review, we will invite experts to use the evidence provided by reviewers and your applicant response to assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.

ESRC will make the final funding decision.

For proposals submitted to NSF-SBE, there is no such response phase in the assessment process.

We will follow the usual internal procedures to determine whether a proposal will be awarded or declined. Funding decisions may be subject to budget limits.

Proposals sent to NSF-SBE will undergo NSF’s merit review process. US-led proposals, which have already been assessed and recommended for funding by NSF-SBE, are not assessed again by UKRI’s research councils.

Timescale

You should apply when your application is ready for submission and not wait for a closing date. We will continue to initiate the assessment process once an application is received, ensuring you receive a timely decision.

We will be holding regular decision points, with the first decisions from round two being made in late autumn 2024.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided where available.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Sharing data with co-funders

We will need to share the application (including any personal information that it contains) with NSF-SBE so that they can participate in the assessment process.
For more information on how NSF-SBE uses personal information, visit NSF web policies and important links.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Assessment criteria

The assessment areas we will use are:

• vision
• approach
• data management and sharing
• applicant and team capability to deliver
• ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• resources and cost justification

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the Application questions heading in the How to apply section.

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UKRI Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact Details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact SBELeadAgency@ukri.org

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the UKRI Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

You can also find information on submitting an application on Improving your funding experience.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email the UKRI Funding Service helpdesk on support@funding-service.ukri.org

Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your UKRI Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
• declaration of interest
• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
• conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
• the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Global Talent visa

Fellowship holders are eligible for a Global Talent visa under the ‘exceptional promise’ category for future research leaders.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays
• disruptive working patterns and conditions
• the loss of ongoing work
• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.

Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.

Supporting documents

Equality impact assessment (DOCX, 55KB)

SBE-UKRI expression of interest template (PDF, 149KB)

NSF budget form (DOCX, 226KB)