AHRC Responsive Mode: Catalyst Award

Start-up Funding Guide

Funding: Between £100,000 and £300,000 at 100% full economic costs (fEC). AHRC will fund 80% of the fEC.

Duration: Up to five years in duration

Purpose: AHRC will launch awards to support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project, with the aim of accelerating their trajectory as independent researchers and build leadership experience.

The awards will provide applicants with an opportunity to support their own skill development and the skill development of research staff employed on the award.

Eligibility: Eligibility is determined on the basis of funding history at point of submitting your application. 

You cannot be a current or former project lead on AHRC or other UKRI research grants or fellowship grants at point of application, except:

• doctoral training awards (any)
• early career fellowships (any)
• Daphne Jackson Fellowships
• AHRC Research Networking (or equivalent)
• AHRC Curiosity Awards
• AHRC Small Grants in the creative and performing arts
• AHRC Research Grants Practice Led and Applied
• institutional lead on a UKRI Impact Accelerator Award (IAA)
• researcher lead/recipient of an AHRC Impact Accelerator Award (IAA)

You cannot be a current or former project lead on research grants or fellowship grants from any other funder, with the exception of awards that reasonably meet the aims of the above list.

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.

AHRC Responsive Mode: Curiosity Awards

Funding: £100,000 at 100% full economic cost (fEC), AHRC will fund 80% of the fEC.

Duration: Up to five years.

Timetable: Application deadlines are four times a year: March, June, September and December.

Eligibility: AHRC welcomes applications from researchers across all career stages, from early career to established researchers. The project lead and any project co-leads must be employed and supported by an eligible organisation for at least the duration of the UKRI support; it is not a requirement that a contract be in place at the point of application submission. It is also not a requirement to have a permanent employment contract to apply for funding.

Purpose: Curiosity awards support early-stage ambitious and novel fundamental research which has the potential to act as a springboard towards new and exciting research agendas. The funding opportunity celebrates the full diversity of the arts and humanities. It is flexible, and applications are welcomed from teams, networks, and solo researchers.

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.

British Academy Small Grants

Funding: Between £500–£10,000

Duration: Up to two years

Purpose: Applications can be for funding of individual or collaborative research projects but not exclusively for conference organisation or attendance. This scheme supports the cost of the expenses arising from a defined research project.

Eligibility: You need to have completed your PhD but do not need to be presently in employment at a University.

Deadline: There are two rounds each year with deadlines in early April and early November. 

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.

ESRC Connect Awards

Funding: Grants range from £50,000 to £150,000, funded at 80% full economic costs (fEC).

Duration: Up to six-month pilot awards.

Purpose: Provides funding to test new or high-risk ideas and build collaborations in emerging areas. It helps researchers from different disciplines come together early, explore what is possible, and lay the foundations for future groundbreaking research.

Eligibility: Applications are welcome from individuals at any career stage. This scheme encourages applications from diverse groups of researchers and those who have not previously held ESRC grants.

Deadline: Currently closed.

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.

ESRC Grow Awards

Funding: Grants range from £100,000 to £500,000, funded at 80% full economic costs (fEC).

Duration: Projects can last between 18 months and five years.

Purpose: Funding to build the skills, experience and confidence to make a step-change in your research career. Grow awards support individuals at key career points to develop new capabilities or pivot in a new direction, strengthening the long-term capacity, adaptability and resilience of the UK’s social science research base.

Eligibility: You can be at any stage of your career. Grow awards must focus on the development of the project lead. Other members of the project team are permitted if their contributions are required for the development project.

Deadline: Open call.

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.

ESRC React Awards

Funding: Grants range from £50,000 to £100,000, funded at 80% full economic costs (fEC).

Duration: Up to six-month pilot awards.

Purpose: A fast route to fund projects that help address time-critical public-sector challenges. With rolling decisions and short-term support, it is designed to make a practical difference within six months.

Eligibility: Applications are welcome from individuals at any career stage. This scheme encourages applications from diverse groups of researchers and those who have not previously held ESRC grants.

Deadline: Currently closed.

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.

ERC Starting Grant

Start-up Funding Guide

Funding: Up to €1.5million (with an additional €500,000 available for certain circumstances as a one-off cost). 

Duration: Up to five years.

Purpose: ERC Starting Grants are designed to support outstanding early-career researchers in all disciplines who are beginning to create their own independent research team or programme. The aim is to fund projects carried out by individual teams which are headed by a single Principal Investigator (PI) and, as necessary, include additional team-members. The constitution of the research team is flexible.

A competitive Starting Grant Principal Investigator must have already shown the potential for research independence. For example, it is expected that applicants will have produced at least one important publication without the participation of their PhD supervisor. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate a promising track-record of early achievements appropriate to their research field and career stage, including significant publications (as main author) in major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary journals, or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals of their respective field. They may also demonstrate a record of invited presentations in well-established international conferences, granted patents, awards, prizes etc.

Eligibility:  Candidates can be any age and of any nationality, though must have obtained their PhD within the 10 years before the 1st January of the Work Programme year. For researchers who are five-fifteen years post-PhD, the ERC runs the Consolidator Grant scheme.

Contact Elizabeth Penner for more information.

Wellcome Trust Early Career Award

Funding: Up to £400,000

Duration: Up to five years

Purpose: This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme.

Eligibility: At the point you submit your application, you must have completed a substantive period of research training relevant to your discipline. You must have completed a PhD or an equivalent higher research degree or at least four years' equivalent research experience (for example, in the humanities and social sciences).

You may also have some postdoctoral experience in your proposed field of study, but no more than three years unless you can demonstrate how other factors have impacted on your research career.

Deadline: Open call.

Contact Anna Cieslik for more information.