ESRC Connect Awards (pilot) (Grant)

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible.

Who is eligible to apply

This funding opportunity will be open to researchers based in UK research organisations, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) institutes, NHS bodies, independent research organisations, public sector research establishments and Catapult centres. We encourage:

• applications from diverse groups of researchers

• applications from those who have not previously held ESRC grants

• applications from individuals at any career stage, subject to ESRC eligibility

Applications must have a project lead from the social science disciplines within ESRC’s remit.

Who is not eligible to apply

ESRC’s UK business, third sector or government bodies project co-leads policy does not apply to this funding opportunity, therefore project co-leads from business, third sector or government cannot be included on applications. However, they may be included as project partners.

International researchers

As we are a lead funder for this funding opportunity, international researchers can apply as ‘project co-lead (international)’. You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

• career breaks

• support for people with caring responsibilities

• flexible working

• alternative working patterns

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

Demand management

Demand management is not being applied to this funding opportunity.

Aim

Meaningful advances in knowledge often grow out of early collaboration and the exchange of perspectives between researchers testing new and uncertain ideas. These awards will foster those connections, enabling researchers to scope, seed and grow emerging research fields and new areas of inquiry.

This funding opportunity provides space for early collaboration on ideas within and beyond the social sciences that are novel, exploratory and high-risk, helping to build the foundations for future strategically important research and innovation.

This funding opportunity is central to UKRI’s mission to advance knowledge by enabling researchers to pursue ambitious new directions and to develop early-stage concepts, methods and approaches that can open fresh avenues of understanding. We expect outcomes from connect awards to be diverse, reflecting ideas and approaches that may be at different stages of development.

This funding opportunity is one of two pilots we are launching designed to fill gaps in our applicant-led funding offer. As this is a pilot, we will review the application process and outcomes of the awards to inform future funding opportunities. You may be asked to participate in that review process, for example by responding to surveys.

This funding opportunity will use distributed peer review (DPR), where applicants review other applications submitted to the same funding opportunity. To apply, you must be available and commit to undertake reviews, likely to take place in July.

Scope

Connect gives researchers the opportunity to come together to shape new fields of research, laying the groundwork for future strategic research and innovation. By combining innovative forms of collaboration with the exploration of new ideas across and beyond the social sciences, these awards are designed to stimulate early-stage ideas that could grow into transformative collaborations and programmes in the future.

We are looking for applications that bring researchers together, forming new collaborations across disciplines or bringing together different fields of research to develop high-risk, exploratory or unconventional research ideas and approaches.

The size and length of awards will give researchers from different backgrounds the space to test the potential of emerging research fields and new areas of inquiry. Applications should outline how new collaborations and shared research agendas will be developed.

Applications should also set out how you will test new areas of inquiry that could support future strategic research, for example, by applying ideas or methodologies from one field to another to stimulate new insights and challenge existing assumptions.

We recognise that testing novel collaborations and ideas may reveal that some are not viable, and this is a valid outcome. Applications should clearly describe how applicants will test that viability.

This is an applicant-led funding opportunity. The primary focus of proposed activities should be on the social sciences. However, we encourage collaborations with disciplines outside of the social sciences where these could lead to development of novel approaches.

Applications must have a project lead from the social science disciplines within ESRC’s remit.

Collaborations between any number of researchers and in any format are supported, and you are free to propose how you will establish and test novel, collaborative approaches and ideas.

Where appropriate, collaborations with non-research partners are also allowed, providing these are additional to collaborations with other researchers, and that they are included on the grant as project partners rather than project co-leads.

Duration

The duration of this award is a maximum of six months. Successful projects must end by 31 March 2027. Therefore, projects that last six months must start on 1 October 2026.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be between £50,000 and £150,000.

ESRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

What we will fund

You will have wide scope and the freedom to propose the activities you consider most appropriate for scoping and fostering novel connections that meet the project objectives, which may include but are not limited to:

• networking

• seminars and workshops

• focused events or conferences

• knowledge exchange activities

• scoping and initial pilot studies

• initial data collection

What we will not fund

We will not fund:

• duplication of collaborations and research that already exist

• follow-on activities from a previous and existing collaborative project, including the continuation, extension or repackaging of existing collaborations unless a truly novel or exploratory idea has arisen

• collaborations that focus on incremental development, rather than testing exploratory or novel ideas

• literature surveys

• research activities that could be funded through other more appropriate funding opportunities, for example, other ESRC responsive mode funding opportunities

• collaborations that do not have a project lead from social science disciplines or a primary focus on the social sciences

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. TR&I is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.

ESRC data infrastructure

We support a range of data infrastructure. You should carefully consider whether existing data resources can meet your project needs. See facilities and resources for information on finding and using ESRC datasets which are available across the UK.

If your application is dependent on data access, appropriate approvals must be in place beforehand so that the project can start on time.

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

Data requirements

We recognise the importance of data quality and provenance. Data generated, collected or acquired 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 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 you to provide a summary of the points provided. The UKDS will be pleased to advise you on the availability of data within the academic community and provide advice on data deposit requirements via datasharing@ukdataservice.ac.uk

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Distributed peer review

All eligible applications to the ESRC Connect Awards (pilot) will undergo distributed peer review (DPR). In DPR, applicants are also assessors and review other applications submitted to the same funding opportunity to inform funding decisions.

By submitting an application, applicants agree to act as reviewers and to have their application reviewed by their peers. Please find the DPR Rules and Guidelines in the ‘Additional information’ section below. It is important that you read these carefully before applying.

Please note that by submitting an application, you accept the following terms and conditions:

• all applicants are expected to receive approximately six to eight applications to review

• the reviewer is expected to carefully read all the assigned applications, rate them and provide feedback to the applicants following the rules and guidelines

• failing to provide the reviews by the deadline will lead to the automatic rejection of the application submitted by the given applicant

By using separate reviewer pools and budgets as well as an allocation algorithm, applications will be assigned to reviewers in such a way that scoring an application has no bearing on the ranking of the reviewer’s own application or their likelihood of receiving funding. See the DPR rules and guidelines in the Additional information section below.

We will evaluate the DPR process and outcomes. You will be approached for feedback following the process.

By applying for this funding opportunity, you are consenting to take part in DPR. Please do not apply for this funding opportunity if you would prefer not to take part in the DPR process.

UKRI will make the final funding decision, using a tiered approach. We may adopt a portfolio approach in making the final funding decisions to ensure an appropriate balance of projects within the pilot to achieve its aims. UKRI reserves the right to change the process of assessment in case of unexpected demand.

For more information on how we prioritise applications for funding please visit how we make decisions.

Timescale

We aim to complete the assessment process within three months of receiving your application. The applicants will be notified of the outcome in September.

Feedback

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application. The reviews received for your application via the distributed peer review process will be made available for you to read once the final funding decisions have been made.

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.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in expert review

Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment, including to correct language, spelling, grammar and formatting. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• Vision

• Approach

• 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.

For more information on how we prioritise applications for funding please visit how we make decisions.

Click https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP1242/apply/1273 in the UKRI Funding Finder to apply.

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UKRI Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions system.

The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the 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.

Please make sure your application is written in clear, plain English so that reviewers who are not experts in your field can easily understand your proposed work.

To apply

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

1. Confirm you are the project lead.

2. Sign in or create a 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.orgPlease allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.

3. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.

4. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.

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.

Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

When including images, you must:

• provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)

• insert each new image on a new line

• use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include:

• sentences or paragraphs of text

• tables

•  excessive quantities of images

A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service

• how research offices use the Funding Service

• how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.

Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:

• references are easily identifiable by the assessors

• references are formatted as appropriate to your research

• persistent identifiers are used where possible

General use of hyperlinks

Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.

Deadline

ESRC must receive your application by 10 June 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

You will not be able to apply after this time.

Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.

Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

Processing personal data

ESRC, as part of UKRI, 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.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email esrcconnect@esrc.ukri.org

Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your 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.

Institutional matched funding

There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations. Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged.

This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff.

Publication of outcomes

ESRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity.

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

Summary

Word limit: 250

In plain English, provide a summary for your proposed work.

We may make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. 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

Only list one individual as project lead.

UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.

Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Application questions

As these applications will be assessed by distributed peer review, and your application may be reviewed by academics from different disciplinary backgrounds, applicants should write their responses in clear language that can be understood by non-experts.

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 novel, exploratory and has the potential to lead to work that is important within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)

• will test the future potential of emerging research fields and new areas of inquiry to advance current understanding, generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field/area

• is timely given current trends, context and needs

• will embed Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI) considerations into the programme, and outline how these will guide your aims, as well as other activities such as events and networking

• is aligned with the strategic aim and objectives of this funding opportunity.

Approach

Word limit: 1,500

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

• if applicable, uses a clearly written and transparent methodology

• 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

• will build EDI considerations into the formation, operation and governance of any collaborations, including how these will be operationalised.

Within the Approach section we also expect you to:

• provide a short indicative project plan including potential milestones and timelines

• explain how any collaborations will be planned and managed, and how the team will work together, network and build capability to respond to future strategic research opportunities in their area of focus.

• outline plans for sustaining the partnership beyond this application, or for funding research which may develop from the partnership, if the pilot award proves the collaboration(s) and new area(s) of inquiry to be viable.

• demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the application.

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,650

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 limit or this section is 1,650 words, 1,150 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the 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 to 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 below. 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).You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500

What are the ethical and 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 and RRI considerations, including both the research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of the project

• the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, whilst minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm

• how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project

If you are collecting or using data you should identify:

• any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing and storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data)

• formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with

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. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation.

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

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

• project staff

• significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)

• any equipment that will cost more than £25,000

• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities

• all facilities and infrastructure costs

• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’

• International collaboration costs

You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project. For further information see disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders.

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

• are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified

• represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes

• maximise potential outcomes and impacts

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

• Area studies

• Demography

• Development studies

• Economics

• Education

• Environmental planning

• History

• Human geography

• Law & legal studies

• Linguistics

• Management & business studies

• Political science & international studies

• Psychology

• Science and technology studies

• Social anthropology

• Social policy

• Social work

• Sociology

• Tools, technologies & methods

Project partners

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

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

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 indirect) 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

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project Partner section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

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

The 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 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 project partners’ section.

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 collected or acquired through the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.

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’ 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 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 (e.g., 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 Funding Service.

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.

Supporting documents

EIA for the opportunity (PDF, 179KB)DPR rules and guidelines (PDF, 228KB)

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.

Related content

• UKRI policies and standards

• ESRC research funding guide

• Guidance for applicants

Related opportunities

• ESRC React Awards (pilot): outline