UKRI: open calls

Fundamental, speculative, high-risk/high-reward research to advance explainability of future AI systems. UK research organisations only as lead; UKRI funds 80% of FEC (max £602,500 FEC). Fixed project start date of 1 February 2027. Applications particularly welcome from early and mid-career researchers. No PhD studentship costs or equipment >£25k per item. Purely social science, legal, policy or ethical studies are out of scope.

Funding for pre-clinical and early translational R&D of medical countermeasures for CBRN threats, from prototype development through early-phase clinical studies (up to phase 2a). Applicant must be employed by a UK-based eligible research organisation; international and commercial organisations cannot lead or partner as project lead.

UKRI Safer Streets R&D MAP funding opportunity to establish one Research & Innovation Consortium developing measures and pilots to improve trust and confidence in UK policing, prioritising children under 18 and victims of violence against women and girls. Requires track record or credible plan for collaboration with UK police forces; associated studentships not eligible; excludes conventional surveys/opinion polls and purely theoretical research.

Stage two (invitation only) for academically-led translational health research: prevention, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of significant health needs, or research tools improving intervention development. Covers early prototype to phase 2a clinical studies. UK lead organisation required; international co-leads eligible up to 30% of total costs (HIC/India/China). 80% FEC funded.

UK funding opportunity under the IS8+ Advanced Manufacturing Priority Programme to scale up manufacturing of recently developed technologies in aerospace and automotive sectors. Requires industrial project partners, matched funding, access to industrial-scale manufacturing environments, and a mandatory Intent to Submit form before applying.

Network Plus funding (EPSRC/UKRI Advanced Manufacturing Priority Programme) to coordinate research and industry community addressing manufacturing scale-up, with primary focus on automotive and aerospace and wider relevance to advanced materials, batteries and space. Flexible funds support up to 50% of total eligible project costs and require industrial co-funding; equipment over £25,000 not funded. Applications only via UKRI Funding Service (not Je-S); lead research organisation must submit.

Academically led translational single-step projects generating critical preliminary data for new medicines, devices, diagnostics or other medical interventions. UK research organisations eligible as lead; international researchers may join as project co-leads. Businesses and non-approved charities cannot lead. No clinical trials or fundamental research. Proposals must be submitted in English via UKRI Funding Service.

Strategic Prioritisation Exercise (SPE) for existing biomedical Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS) based in the UK, or overseas if previously MRC-supported with a UK research organisation involved. Submissions will not result in direct funding but inform future MRC investment; project leads must be UK-based researchers at eligible research organisations.

Academically-led translational projects developing novel therapeutics, devices, diagnostics or interventions from early prototype through to phase 2a clinical studies. Project lead must be employed by an eligible UK research organisation; international researchers may participate as project co-lead (international). Funds 80% FEC; no matched funding required beyond standard 20% FEC.

Funds empirical/quantitative (or qualitative/mixed-methods) research to develop consensus estimates of economic and social returns to R&D investment, supported through the UK Metascience Unit. Projects must start by 1 April 2027; UKRI funds 80% of FEC with 20% expected from host institution; applicants encouraged to engage with parallel Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Coefficient Giving-funded cohort.

UK-based organisations only (non-UK applicants ineligible). Projects must enhance existing ESRC social science data service infrastructures (no new services). Focus on improving data discovery, access to sensitive data, technology-enabled pipelines (incl. AI), and upskilling data service staff. Must include an upskilling work package. Business/third sector/government co-leads permitted but cannot lead projects.

Funding for independent research on understanding, preventing, or treating gambling-related harms. Applications involve a core team with defined roles, and assessment is supported by DCMS; project partners may contribute cash or in-kind resources.

Delivered by AHRC on behalf of UKRI's Research Programme on Gambling, funded via the statutory gambling levy. Open to all UKRI research council communities for interdisciplinary or single-discipline research on prevention/treatment of gambling harms; lead organisation must be a UK institution with standard UKRI eligibility. Doctoral studentships not eligible; funding to Gambling Commission levy payers and gambling-industry co-funding prohibited.

Phase one pump-priming grants under UKRI's Critical Minerals: From Research to Industry (CMR2i) programme, for research groups/individuals at UK organisations (plus NERC-Norway co-lead option) developing extraction, processing, recycling and re-mining solutions for critical/growth minerals relevant to UK Advanced Manufacturing. Up to six awards; phase two funding (up to £1.6M FEC) is competitive and only open to phase one awardees.

Funding to establish Centres of Excellence for Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSIs) in the UK, led by MRC with MHRA and OLS, addressing one of four strategic themes. Project lead must be based at a UK research organisation; businesses and charities cannot lead but can be project partners.

For registered healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, midwives, AHPs, healthcare scientists, pharmacists, clinical psychologists, dentists, GPs, veterinarians) who hold a PhD and need to reacquire research skills, hosted at an eligible UK research organisation. Funds salary, consumables, equipment, training and NHS research costs; MRC funds 80% FEC. Jointly funded options available with several UK charities.

Invite-only funding opportunity for pre-clinical and early translational research developing medical countermeasures for CBRN threats, from prototype development through early-phase clinical trials (up to phase 2a). Applicant must be employed by a UK-based eligible research organisation; international and commercial organisations cannot lead or co-lead.

MRC CoRE funding supports bold, long-term (up to 14-year) interdisciplinary health research centres led by UK research organisations; international researchers can join as co-leads but international organisations cannot lead. Excludes clinical trials, longitudinal population studies, and generic equipment/computing costs.

Funds academically-led experimental medicine projects in humans investigating disease mechanisms, with a clear path to clinical impact. Project lead must be based at an eligible UK research organisation (exceptions for MRC Unit The Gambia and MRC/UVRI Uganda). Funded at 80% full economic cost; includes a New Investigator Award route for early-career researchers transitioning to independence.

Funding for experimental medicine research into mechanisms of gambling disorder; applicants must demonstrate independence from gambling industry affiliations. New investigators can request up to 50% working time with 80% FEC salary funding; clinical studies assessing treatment safety/efficacy and PhD studentships are not funded.

Open to farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England for on-farm trial and demonstration projects to improve adoption of new agricultural practices or technologies. Lead applicant must be an established farming business and collaborate with at least one other UK-based farming business.

Funds major hubs developing foundational technologies, tools and platforms underpinning engineering biology in the UK. Host organisations must provide 20% matched funding; applicants are strongly encouraged to involve industry, academic, infrastructure and policy partners. Application deadline to be confirmed.

Funds mission hubs for engineering biology-based products, processes and services, requiring cross-sector collaboration with industry, investors, regulators and policymakers. Host organisations must provide 20% matched funding of FEC; not for foundational/broad-application technology research.

UK registered AI SMEs with an existing AI/machine learning solution at TRL 5-6 can lead collaborative projects to deploy AI/ML solutions that perform, control or coordinate operational activity. Consortium must include a UK medium or large deployer organisation.

Funds a new What Works Centre for climate resilience in the UK, requiring co-production with academic, government, industry and third sector stakeholders and at least one project co-lead from a UK business, third sector or government organisation. Projects must start by 1 August 2027 and run for 44 months; clinical trials and studentships are excluded.

Open route for UK-based researchers, businesses, charities and not-for-profits to request 10,000 GPU hours on Isambard-AI or Zenith AIRR supercomputers for AI research; no funding is provided, only compute resource. Non-academic applicants must detail project costs and meet subsidy control support ratios.

Doctoral training programme for UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, eligible independent research organisations, Catapult centres and PSREs to train cohorts of at least 10 doctoral students in chip design, verification and advanced compute. Requires industry partners providing minimum 20% cash contribution and access to EDA tools/infrastructure.

Provides compute resource only (no funding) of up to 20,000 GPU hours on the Isambard-AI or Zenith AIRR supercomputers for UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized businesses to conduct feasibility studies, industrial research or experimental development. Applicant must be project lead with a contract at a Companies House-registered organisation; GPU hours must be used within 3 months of award.

UK-registered micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply, either alone or in collaboration, for pilot scale and validation projects under UKRI's Engineering Biology Programme, funded by BIST.

Partnership grant funding an academic 'associate' employed by the academic partner to work within a UK business on an innovation project. Business partner must contribute to project costs (e.g. ~£35k/year for SMEs, £50k+/year for large companies); applicant must be UK-based business plus UK academic/research organisation.

Joint Biodiversa+ funding opportunity for transnational research on novel ecosystems, biodiversity and future trajectories; UK component must fall within NERC remit. UK project lead must be at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding; international researchers cannot be UK co-leads. Applications via Biodiversa+ EPSS platform; PhD studentships, international co-lead costs, and ship-time not funded.

Open to UK registered Public Sector Research Establishments, UKRI wholly owned institutes, or other public sector bodies meeting GOTT eligibility criteria (e.g. arms-length bodies undertaking research as a primary function). Funds moving viable public sector knowledge assets towards commercial readiness. Provided by the Government Office for Technology Transfer.

Seeks up to five exceptional international AI researchers to relocate to the UK; applicants must have been based outside the UK for 24+ months and be hosted by an eligible UK research organisation with ≥£25M active AI research funding. Minimum 50% FTE commitment; host organisations limited to two applications.