Long-term cultural and sporting events legacy (Grant)

This is a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding opportunity led by the AHRC in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It is open to the research and innovation communities of all UKRI research councils and Innovate UK.

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

Who is eligible to apply

We are interested in funding teams that are based in, and have research links with, a range of locations across the UK, that include researchers at different career stages, and that bring together a range of expertise. The team must be supported by dedicated administrative resource, recruited specifically for this project.

Employment

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.

Skills and qualifications

You must have the appropriate skills to lead the project in line with UKRI’s terms and conditions. There are no specific qualification requirements, and you do not necessarily need a qualification such as a PhD. During your project, you must be primarily based and permitted to work in the UK.

You do not need to hold an academic research or teaching post to apply. Applications are welcomed from those working, for example, as practitioners or evaluation experts.

Project co-leads

Project co-leads are permitted and encouraged for interdisciplinary applications or where a co-lead would provide specific technical expertise that is essential to the project. However, it must be clear that the project lead is responsible for leading the project. There is no maximum number of co-leads that can be included on the application. However, the inclusion of each co-lead needs to be fully justified in the application.

Business or third sector researchers based in the UK can also be included on research grant proposals as a co-lead or project partner. These roles can be funded at 100% FEC.

International co-leads are not eligible under this funding opportunity.

Other roles

Other roles that are supported by this funding opportunity are listed in the ‘Core team’ section.

Who is not eligible to apply

Government departments and arm’s length bodies are not eligible to apply for this funding.

We do not support project studentships (funding PhD study) within this funding opportunity.

Resubmissions

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI. Find out more about UKRI’s resubmission policy.

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

Major events are a primary policy intervention for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), intended to drive local investment, job creation, and social outcomes. However, evaluating the long-term legacy of these events, particularly in a way that is compliant with established government monitoring and evaluation principles, has historically been difficult. An inconsistency in methodologies, short-term funding structures, and a lack of robust counterfactuals, have limited the sector’s ability to measure impacts once a core event concludes or to compare outcomes accurately across different interventions.

To look at addressing these challenges, the DCMS Research and Development Science and Analysis Programme published new research in March 2026 on Measuring the legacy and impact of major events. This pilot project delivered a proposed core set of baseline metrics for long-term tracking, developed evaluation methodologies utilising counterfactuals to establish causality, and tested these models by retrospectively analysing the legacy of a varied set of past events, including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Women’s and Men’s Cricket World Cups (2017 and 2019 respectively), the UK City of Culture Programme (Derry/Londonderry 2013 and Hull 2017), and the Manchester International Festival.

The pilot project identified three core challenges with tracking long-term legacy and impact. These were:

• many datasets are captured inconsistently or do not go far back enough to account for pre-event impacts

• intangible outcomes, such as the impact on community cohesion, are difficult to isolate, particularly over time

• a number of events suffer a drop-off effect, that is, the growth boost generated by an event is not sustained when the event ends

The new research will pick up from the pilot project by addressing these issues directly, drawing on appropriate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches from across cultural and museum studies, media and cultural studies, historical geography, urban studies, planning, statistics, public policy evaluation and social research, business and management, event management, sport science, and others.

Scope

We expect that the new research will take the model and approaches that were delivered in the pilot project, identify where the gaps in evidence and data require more than merely secondary data analysis, and fill those gaps for at least one major UK sporting or cultural case study event, such as the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ 2027. You are encouraged to suggest your own case study events, as long as they have a similar profile, such as, major one-off UK sporting or cultural events that will be live during the project. In the process of examining the events, the new research is expected to test and expand the framework set out in the Measuring the legacy and impact of major events report.

Selecting an event before delivery provides the opportunity to establish pre-event baselines, data collection approaches and prospectively evaluate long-term legacy using a consistent methodology. The research will start before the event and continue for two years afterwards. You will be expected to align and work with the delivery and evaluation partners responsible for the target events (DCMS will assist in facilitating these relationships) to ensure data is effectively shared and work is not duplicated; the research should add value to the existing delivery and evaluation activities. The experimental evaluation will help to establish best practices around data collection, new methods for capturing intangible outcomes, and demonstrate the impact of the drop-off effect and how to mitigate it.

As long as they align with the aims and scope above, including the emphasis on compatibility with recognised government appraisal (Green Book), monitoring and evaluation (Magenta Book) principles, we encourage you to consider your own approaches and research questions. These should include, but are not confined to:

• how can hyper-local, real-time data be combined with traditional national datasets to establish more sensitive, accurate baselines for tracking an event’s impact?

• how must causal inference models (like synthetic controls and counterfactuals) adapt across different event archetypes to provide robust evidence of an event’s impact on both tangible economics and intangible societal outcomes?

• what governance frameworks and early bidding requirements are necessary to ensure longitudinal data collection and evaluation are funded and sustained for years after the primary event delivery organisation dissolves?

• which specific transition plans and policy interventions are most effective at converting temporary event-driven social, economic, environmental and other positive effects into longer term outcomes?

• how can monitoring and evaluation be designed to answer these questions, improve the evidence base, and drive longer term legacy outcomes?

For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the ‘Additional information’ section.

Duration

The duration of this award is up to 34 months.

Projects must start by 1 May 2027.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be up to £1.32 million.

AHRC and DCMS will fund 80% of the FEC.

What we will fund

We will support costs for activities that are clearly justified and aligned with the aims of your project. The research must be aligned to the DCMS research needs and governance arrangements set out below, but you are encouraged to tailor your approach around these core requirements.

Project teams are expected to draw on appropriate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches from across cultural and museum studies, media and cultural studies, historical geography, urban studies, planning, statistics, public policy evaluation and social research, business and management, event management, sport science, and others.

Academic outputs (such as academic papers, conferences or publications) are encouraged, but the overall research design needs to carefully consider how to align the portfolio of outputs from this project to DCMS, and wider sector stakeholder (for example, UK Sport, Visit Britain), needs and interests. The primary emphasis should be on delivering practical findings and tools that are directly useful to DCMS and wider sector stakeholders.

In this context, in addition to the usual UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) investment management arrangements, this project will include:

• monthly online check-ins with DCMS (and any relevant project partners, for example, heritage organisations, interested in directly collaborating on this work) to provide project updates

• opportunity for DCMS officials (and any relevant project partners) to ensure that emerging outputs remain aligned to their policy needs

• regular dissemination sessions to wider DCMS and stakeholders, and teach-in sessions for a more specialist audience, focusing on emerging methods. This will be agreed by DCMS and the research project team at the start of the project

• quarterly advisory group meetings, comprising wider DCMS sector stakeholders and experts

What we will not fund

We will not fund:

• projects that focus on activities that are not within the remit of DCMS. For example, activities that examine activity outside civil society, creative industries, culture and heritage, gambling, sport, tourism, media, digital transformation, infrastructure, identity and skills, online harms, and information resilience, except insofar as these activities can usefully inform those within the DCMS remit

• grant extension (other than a reasonable and justified no-cost extension necessary to complete the research), continuing similar or existing activities, or conducting further research

• activities to develop or extend an existing resource or website

• support for principally academic outputs (such as an academic paper, conference or a publication), without adequate arrangements for delivering practical findings and tools that are directly useful to DCMS and wider sector stakeholders

• project studentships (funding PhD study)

• international co-leads

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.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed to 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.

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process, noting that all elements of your application form will be shared with the assessors.

Eligibility criteria

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

At the point of application submission, each will be assessed on the following criteria:

• all applicants and named staff must be eligible under the funding opportunity requirements

• the application must meet the aims and criteria of the funding opportunity

Applications which do not meet these criteria will be rejected with feedback on why it could not proceed.

Panel

Applications will be assessed by an expert panel against the assessment criteria, and each will be graded after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.

AHRC and DCMS will make the final funding decision.

Find out more about AHRC assessment process.

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

Feedback

If your application was discussed by a panel, we will give feedback with the outcome of your application.

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

Generative AI may only be used for the purpose of language refinement during application assessment. When using generative AI to refine the language of a review, expert reviewers and panellists must ensure that:

• no part of the application being assessed is entered into a generative AI tool

• no personal information from the application is disclosed

• generative AI is not tasked with understanding, summarising or evaluating the application’s content

Expert reviewers and panellists must also:

• comply with relevant intellectual property and data protection legislation

• not take into account or speculate within their assessment whether generative AI has been used to develop the application

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

Sharing data with co-funders

We will need to share the application (including any personal information that it contains) with DCMS so that they can participate in the assessment process.For more information on how DCMS uses personal information, visit the DCMS personal information charter.

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

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• vision

• approach

• applicant and team capability to deliver

• ethics and responsible research and innovation

• resource and cost justification

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

Click here to start an application on the UKRI Funding Service:  https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP1421/apply/1457 

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) 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.

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.

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

AHRC must receive your application by 1 December 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

AHRC, 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.

AHRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with DCMS so that they can participate in the assessment process. For more information on how DCMS uses personal information, visit the DCMS personal information charter.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email operations@ahrc.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

AHRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at AHRC Board and panel outcomes.

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 usually 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)

• specialist

• 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

Discipline classification: primary

Word limit: 5

Please provide the primary research area of your proposal.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

You must select only one of these research disciplines:

• archaeology

• area studies

• classics

• cultural and museum studies

• dance

• design

• development studies

• drama and theatre studies

• education

• history

• human geography

• information and communication technologies

• languages and literature

• law and legal studies

• library and information studies

• linguistics

• media

• music

• philosophy

• political science and international studies

• social anthropology

• theology, divinity and religion

• visual arts

This information will be used for the purposes of processing your proposal and in the selection of appropriate assessors.

Discipline classification: secondary

Word limit: 50

Please describe, using keywords, the research area of your application and where relevant the approach, time period or geographical area.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

This will further help with the selection of appropriate assessors.

Vision

Word limit: 550

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 field(s) or area(s)

• 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

References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Approach

Word limit: 2,200

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

References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

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

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

The word limit for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) 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 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.

References may be included within this section.

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

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

What are the ethical and RRI considerations, 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.

Animal involvement and “3Rs”

You must complete this section about how your proposed project will involve or impact animals.

If your project does not involve or impact animals, you must confirm this on the next page.

You may be asked about:

• what animals you are involving

• the severity of the procedures you are using

• where the procedures will take place

• welfare standards you aim to meet

• the relevance of your project to the development, validation or dissemination of the 3Rs

You may also need to download, complete, and upload at least one set of additional questions. You will be told how to do this towards the end of this section.

To complete this section and check whether your project is in the scope of the questions, refer to the UKRI policy for research and innovation involving animals.

What counts as an animal

UKRI policy relates to all animals in the Kingdom Animalia, including vertebrates and invertebrates.

Genetically modified organisms and biological risk

You must complete this section if your project will include genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies.

If you project does not involve genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies, you must confirm this on the next page.

You may be asked about:

• the type of organism your project will involve and the procedures your project will include

• the intended use of the organism or genetic technology

• the genetic, biological and environmental risks of your project

For more information, see UKRI’s guidance on genetic technologies.

Human participation in health-related research

You must complete this section about whether your project will include human participation.

If your project does not involve human participation, you must confirm this on the next page.

You may be asked about:

• what type of human participation your project includes

• the project design for human participation

• the phase of the clinical trial

• whether the project will be in an NHS setting, if so, how the project will be registered

• whether diversity and inclusion will be considered

For more information, see UKRI’s guidance for human participants in research.

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’

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. Where a funding limit is imposed on the opportunity, requested costs for reasonable adjustments may exceed the maximum funding amount.

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

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 partners’ 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

• have a page limit of two sides A4 per partner

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.

Please note we do not require letters of support from host, or project co-lead(s) research organisations, as well as other UK research organisations.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 300

How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?

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.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

Trusted Research and Innovation is the protection of the UK’s intellectual property, sensitive research, people, and infrastructure from potential theft, misuse, and exploitation.

Organisations receiving UKRI funding are obliged to act in line with UK government legislation. They are also expected to undertake appropriate due diligence assessments of organisations involved in research partnerships, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts.

You will be asked about:

• which areas of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act your project relates to

• who you intend to collaborate with and how

• if your project requires an export control licence

Your answers may affect the T&Cs of your funding agreement if you are successful. We may use your answers to determine that our current T&Cs are sufficient or if additional T&Cs are required.

Background

Since 2022, the DCMS has been running the Research and Development Science and Analysis Programme. The programme funds long term, cross-cutting, speculative approaches to research and has a history of close collaboration with UKRI research councils, that builds on long-term links between DCMS and AHRC in particular. To date, the programme has funded 25 research projects in almost every area DCMS covers.

The programme is aligned with DCMS strategic priorities and research needs, informed by key strategic research reviews, such as the recently refreshed Areas of Research Interest, and consultation with policy and evidence officials. The programme’s research focus is agreed with DCMS Ministers.

In this context, the programme will invest in four research projects that will run for at least 30 months each:

• project one: a continuation of previous research to develop data-intensive approaches for capturing engagement at unticketed cultural, heritage, and sporting events, activities and locations. For example, using mobile app data to model how people participate in our events

• project two: a continuation of previous research to design and improve methods for holistically tracking the long-term impact of major events, tested on a major event

• project three: what works in AI adoption and skills across DCMS sectors, with a focus on creative industries, media, and journalism

• project four: mapping the specific user pathways audiences take to find, consume, and value information

Projects one and two are being delivered in partnership with AHRC. Projects three and four will be commissioned through the government open tender process, which will welcome applications from higher education institutions and other research active organisations.

These strategic large and long-term investments have been designed by DCMS to make major contributions to the government’s research and evidence base. The intention is for them to utilise innovative and speculative research design to explore these issues holistically and in depth, underpinned by rigorous methodologies that yield results that could not be achieved through shorter term, smaller scale funding.

The projects are designed to connect closely with DCMS, regularly overseen directly by DCMS officials in collaboration with UKRI, in order to provide a steady flow of new research findings over their lifecycle that will feed directly into the department’s evidence base.

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.

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Get help with your application

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

The helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (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, content or remit of a funding 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 application 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 enquiries@ahrc.ukri.org

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

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.orgPhone: 01793 547490

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For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.