UK funders

UK sources of funding range from government funded research councils; individual government departments; non-department government bodies; charities, trusts and foundations.

All significant UK research funders provide information about calls on their own websites - which are the authoritative source for details of funding calls and supporting information.

Some sites also provide other notification services for funding and news, including the use of social media, which may suit some users. Access to these is usually via registration on the funder’s main site.

University staff and students can also access further information in our supporting research: internal documents section.

Guides to major funders (internal staff and students only)

• BBSRC - Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 
  
• NERC - Natural Environment Research Council
• EPSRC - Engineering Physical Sciences Research Council
• ESRC - Economic and Social Research Council
• AHRC - Arts and Humanities Research Council 
• MRC - Medical Research Council
• Innovate UK
• Leverhulme Trust
• Wellcome Trust

There are over 8800 grant-making trusts and foundations in the UK. The following are examples of some of the larger trusts​

Alcohol Education & Research Council - provides a wide range of grants including research and development grants

British Academy - for the humanities and social sciences

British Council - helping to share British expertise and talent

Esmee Fairbairn Trust - funds projects in four major strands arts, education and learning, environment and social change

Joseph Rowntree Foundation - provides research funding for housing, social care and social policy through specific calls

NESTA - (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) - innovation in the UK

Nuffield Foundation - improving social well-being through education, research and innovation

The Big Lottery Fund- funds health and social research

The Leverhulme Trust - providing scholarships for research and education. 

The Royal Society - the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, funding various schemes open to the scientific community

The Wellcome Trust - supporting biomedical research and medical humanities. 

The following are examples of government sourced or other statutory organisation funding schemes available.

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - a statutory levy board with seven sector divisions with funding opportunities

Arts Council

Department for Business & Innovation Skills (BIS) - department for economic growth

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Department for International Development (DFID)

Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI)

Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) 

Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) - UK's experts on digital technologies for education and research

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - commissions and funds NHS, social care and public health research

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)   

Scottish Funding Council (SFC) - promoting further and higher education