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General UK Funding

 

Arts and Humanities Research Council

Grants include:

Research Grants

Fellowships

Research Networking

 

Knowledge Transfer

The arts and humanities have a huge contribution to make to the economic, social and cultural benefit of the UK. Ensuring that the knowledge and understanding generated by arts and humanities research is widely disseminated is a key element of the AHRC's mission. To achieve this goal the AHRC has developed a knowledge transfer (KT) plan, underpinned by a broad definition of knowledge transfer:
"To exploit fully the new knowledge and learning that are generated in higher education institutions, they have to be applied to areas of life where they can make a difference"

 

 

ESRC

Research Funding

The ESRC provides funding opportunities that are tied to specific research Programmes and which are funded for a limited time.

It also funds ideas for research that are not linked to Programmes but are proposed by researchers themselves, through the Research Grants and Research Fellowships Schemes.

The ESRC will consider support for research concerned with any part of the world through their standard schemes.

Programmes currently include:

Research Grants
Research Seminars
Placement Fellowships
Professorial Fellowship
Centres and Large Grants
Follow on Funding
Future Research Leaders

International Collaborative Projects

ESRC is committed to raising awareness of UK social science internationally, and enabling UK social scientists to collaborate with the best researchers across the globe. The above link will show you the available opportunities to research overseas, to welcome overseas collaborators to your institution, or get involved in international research networks.

British Academy

Guide to Awards

The British Academy funds research at postdoctoral level in all branches of enquiry within the humanities and social sciences. The Academy's funds are principally intended to support individual research, and a range of schemes are available to fund the intellectual activity of UK-based scholars.

These include:

Overseas Conference Grants and Conference Support Grants were phased out in 2011

The British Academy does not sponsor performance related dance.  

Leverhulme Trust

The Leverhulme Trust makes awards for the support of research and education. The Trust emphasizes individuals and encompasses all subject areas except social policy and welfare, medicine and school education. Their financial support is organized into grants and awards which vary in size, purpose and application procedure.

The Trust is a charity and does not pay overheads and various other costs listed clearly on the website

Research Project Grants

Deadlines: every 21 March, 1 September and 1 December

Research project grants are primarily to enable established scholars to employ research assistants for a specific and discrete research project. There are two levels of grant: up to £250,000 for up to three years; and between £250,000 and £500,000 for up to five years. Grants for up to £1.25m are awarded under a separate call

These awards are principally for the salary costs of a researcher or researchers, to work on a specific and discrete research project proposed by the applicant.

NB: outline proposals can be submitted at any time

Research Programmes

Deadline: once a year - usually January

In the one major departure from its policy of operating in the responsive mode, the Trust selects on an annual basis two themes of research for which bids are invited. Normally one grant is awarded for each theme. The grants provide funds to research teams for up to five years to enable them to explore significant issues in the social sciences, in the humanities and, to a lesser extent, in the sciences. The scale of the awards (each one at a sum of up to £1.75 million) is set at a level where it is possible for a research team to study a significant theme in depth by conducting a group of interlinked research projects which taken together can lead to new understanding. The themes are selected not to exclude particular disciplines from the competition but rather to encourage research teams to look upon their established research interests from a set of refreshing viewpoints.

Major Research Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Deadline: once a year - usually May

Emeritus Fellowships

Deadline: once a year - usually February

Research Fellowships

Deadline: once a year - usually November

Study Abroad Fellowships

Deadline: once a year - usually November

Visiting Professorships

Deadline: every 15 May and 15 October

Study Abroad Studentships

Deadline: once a year - usually January

Early Career Fellowships

Deadline: once and year

International Networks

Deadline: every 21 March, 1 September and 1 December

Philip Leverhulme Prizes

Deadline: once a year - usually May

 

 

Nuffield Foundation

Project grants

These are available in the following areas:

Applications are considered at full meetings of Trustees, which take place in March, July and November.

Other relevant programmes

Africa Programme
The Africa Programme supports the development of research and professional expertise required for African countries to grow their economies and deliver health, education and other services.

Social Science Capacity Building Programme
To support the development of Quantitative Methods teaching at UG level (Replaces the Small Grants Programme)

 

 

Wingate Foundation

Wingate Scholarships

Deadline: Annually in February

The scholarships fund pioneering work in a wide variety of fields of intellectual, scientific, artistic, social or environmental value. They do not cover, amongst others, doctoral and post doctoral studies or Performing Arts (except music)

They are designed to help with the costs of a specific project which may last up to three years. The average total award is about £6,500 and the maximum in any one year is £10,000.

 

The Feminist Review Trust

Grants

The Feminist Review Trust exists to fund research and other scholarly activity on all aspects of gender. It is committed to the advancement of public understanding of the significance of gender in all social relations.

Applications are open to men and women of any nationality although all work funded by the Trust must be in English.

Types of activity funded include original research projects and conferences

 

Great Britain-China Educational Trust

Student awards

Deadline: Twice a year - Spring and Autumn

These grants are normally between £500 and £5,000, and are for UK postgraduate students giving conference papers in China, or travelling to China for doctoral research (or for Chinese students studying for a PhD)

Applications are considered twice a year - in the spring and November

 

British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG)

Academic Awards and Scholarships for Women for Post Graduate Research

The British Federation of Women Graduates gives awards annually to women in their third year of doctoral studies. The awards are given on the basis of evidence of academic excellence and are NOT expected to provide for financial need. The amounts offered range upwards from £1000 with the average award being around £3000. The number of awards made each year depends on the funds available and on the quality of the applications but around five or six awards are usually given. The final selection is made in June of each year and awards are given out in September.

 

Big Lottery Fund

Grants

Various initiatives.

Voluntary sector organisations have to lead on the projects but can team up with other other organisations such as HEIs to bring in necessary expertise.

 

Research Councils UK

Grants and Fellowships

RCUK occasionally runs targeted competitions for a limited period e.g. for international travel, business development etc.

 

 

British Association for South Asian Studies

Grants

BASAS members are eligible to apply to a number of grants funded by the British Academy. 

 

 

Cross-Council Programmes 

Current Cross-Council Research Themes

e-Infrastructure
Ageing: lifelong health and wellbeing
Digital economy
Energy
Global Food Security
Global uncertainties; security for all in a changing world
Living with environmental change (LWEC)
NanoScience through Engineering to Application

 

Royal Society

The Royal Society provides a range of funding opportunities and includes the Human Sciences amongst its subject areas

http://royalsociety.org/funding/

 

 

The Newton International Fellowships Scheme


The Newton International Fellowships Scheme is an initiative of the UK’s leading academies - the Br itish Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society. The Scheme has been established to select the very best early stage post-doctoral researchers from all over the world and enable them to work at UK research institutions for a period of two years. The Scheme covers researchers in all disciplines covered by the three academies – natural and social sciences, engineering and humanities.

Objectives of the Newton International Fellowships Scheme
• To ensure the UK engages with the best post-doctoral researchers, across all disciplines of natural and social sciences, engineering and the humanities, from around the world.
• To provide an opportunity for post-doctoral researchers at an early career stage from any country outside the UK to work at a UK research institution for up to two years.
• To foster long-term relations between Newton Fellows and the UK research base through the establishment of an alumni programme for former Fellows of this Scheme . The alumni programme will include the provision of further funding for Newton Fellows for up to 10 years for follow-on activities, to enable links with UK based researchers to be maintained and developed. This is expected to facilitate, in the longer term, improved access to international centres of excellence for UK-based researchers.

 

Newton International Fellowships
6-9 Carlton House Ter race
London SW1Y 5AG
Tel +44 (0)20 7451 2555
Fax +44 (0)20 7451 2543
Email info@newtonfellowships.org
Web http://www.newtonfellowships.org

 

Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)

Funding

JISC funds a wide range of projects, services, developments and infrastructure. Most of these initiatives originate from a successful response to a circular or tender, inviting organisations to bid for funding

 

Newberry Library Fellowships in the Humanities

Newberry Library Fellowships in the Humanities

Newberry Library fellowships support research in residence at the Library, and all proposed research must be appropriate to the collections (excluding the Terra Foundation Fellowship and certain short-term awards). Our fellowship programme rests on the belief that all projects funded by the Newberry benefit from engagement both with the materials in the Newberry’s collections and with the lively community of researchers that gathers around those collections.
Long-term residential fellowships are available for periods of six to eleven months to postdoctoral scholars who must hold the Ph.D. at the time of application. The stipend for these fellowships ranges from $25,500 to $70,000. In 2008-2009 the Library inaugurated a new Terra Foundation for American Art Fellowship in Art History carrying an academic-year stipend of $70,000 for a full professor (or its equivalent outside the academy) and $50,400 for all other awardees. Short-term residential fellowships are intended for postdoctoral scholars or Ph.D.
candidates from outside the Chicago area who have a specific need for Newberry collections. The tenure of short-term fellowships varies form one week to two months. The amount of the award is generally $1600 per month. Applications for long-term fellowships are due generally due in January; applications for most short-term fellowships are due in March.

 

 

EPSRC

Grants

Many EPSRC calls - have a social science element to them

 

 

Wellcome Trust

A number of Wellcome Trust Awards are multidisciplinary, including:


 

Research and Knowledge Exchange(RAKE)Fund

The RAKE Fund is run by The Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE). This initiative is generously funded by Barclays Bank and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) with support from the Department of Business Enterprise Regulation and Reform (BERR) and administered through ISBE. The aim is to encourage new research activities from within the academic community, support/advice/third sector organisations, consultants and practitioners. In so doing, participation will be widened to reflect the profile of the membership and objectives of the organisation.

Web link

 

 

Sir Halley Stewart Trust

Grants

Applications are welcomed for research, feasibility, pilot studies or development projects that are likely to improve the conditions of a particular group of people, as well as having wider implications.
Includes:

  • prevent and resolve conflict; promote reconciliation; encourage re-connection between family members of all ages
  • help people 'move beyond disadvantage'. Such projects might be concerned with the social and family aspects of unemployment, crime, imprisonment, homelessness and migration
  • address the needs of elderly people and those of all ages who may be vulnerable or exploited
  • accept responsibility for disseminating results to practitioners in a form which is likely to result in changes in their way of working