Opportunity status:
Upcoming
Funders:
Funding type:
Other
Total fund:
£500,000
Publication date:
11 July 2025
Opening date:
21 July 2025 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
16 September 2025 4:00pm UK time
Since 1 April 2025 some independent research organisations have experienced changes in funding eligibility rules. The purpose of this opportunity is to provide strategic research infrastructure base funding, supporting independent research organisations to deliver Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) strategic priorities.
This invite only opportunity will provide funding at 100% FEC to these invited institutions following a quality assessment. Funding will enable them to continue to provide organisational support to researchers successful in obtaining ESRC funding. You must be based at an eligible organisation in order to apply.
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do so.
To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation.
Who is eligible to apply
Applicants from the following independent research organisations are eligible to apply:
* Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
* Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
* National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)
* National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)
Eligible organisations will receive a direct email invitation by ESRC to apply.
International researchers
Non-UK organisations are not eligible to apply for funding for this opportunity.
Business, third sector or government body project co-leads
Business, third sector or government bodies are not eligible to apply for funding for this opportunity.
Scope
Institutional research base support within the social science ecosystem is a priority for ESRC. ESRC is committed to improving and providing effective support to a more diverse range of organisations to work both directly and indirectly with us and our researchers. To this end, our longer-term ambition is to provide baseline infrastructure support in an open and competitive way right across our research community.
This short-term opportunity is intended to address the immediate challenges facing those independent research organisations (IROs) previously in receipt of ESRC funding at 86% full economic cost (FEC). These are the, (IDS), (NatCen), and (NIESR).
This opportunity is open to invited, eligible IROs to apply for funding to be used to support the full costs of new UKRI-funded projects. The opportunity presents an alternative and temporary solution to encourage research activity of key IROs operating within ESRC’s remit.
Awards will be used to provide baseline support for awarded research and data infrastructure activity within the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
Applicants must demonstrate how the use of funds will allow them to maintain the social science research and data infrastructure capability of their organisation, including collaboration with institutions to deliver on ESRC priorities.
Duration
The duration of this award is for up to 12 months only. Due to the nature of the award, extensions will not be permitted.
Funding available
The total budget for this opportunity will not exceed £500,000. The full economic cost (FEC) of your project must be no more than the maximum value confirmed on the invitation.
ESRC will fund 100% of the FEC. All costs must be entered under the ‘Exceptions’ heading.
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.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do. The start application link will be provided via email.
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
Please 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.
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 may 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:
* * *
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 .
Deadline
ESRC must receive your application by 4.00pm UK time on 16 September 2025.
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 the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. 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 .
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email
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
* conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read .
Publication of outcomes
ESRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at .
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We may make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, 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
We require only one individual listed as project lead (PL) to administer the application. Other core team roles are not required.