Funding Launch - Future of Work in Surrey

The conference brought together Surrey's Civic University partners - Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Surrey, and the University for the Creative Arts - alongside community organisations, to explore how we can work collaboratively to respond to the county's changing skills and employment needs. 

We’re now inviting applications for seed funding that enable researchers to work alongside local policymakers, businesses, education providers, charities, and practitioners to deliver co-designed, impactful projects. These projects should identify, pilot, and evidence locally focused employment support that helps people across the region get into work, stay in work, and truly thrive.

Surrey’s universities produce outstanding research with the power to shape the future of work at a time of rapid and unprecedented change. Through this joint AHRC/ESRC Impact Acceleration Account funding call, we aim to take research into communities where it can make a tangible difference, while strengthening the evidence base on what genuinely works to support better employment outcomes for all.

Themes you might address: 

• Reducing skills shortages for businesses
• Supporting young people and those over 55 who are NEET
• Strengthening AI skills within the creative industries
• Investing in skills training for current employees 

Funding parameters 

We expect awards to be in the range of £3,000 - £6,000. We also welcome larger bids if you can justify why your project’s scope and ambitions need this level of support.  

The funding could be used to develop or consolidate a collaborative partnership, test an idea, generate pilot data, or carry out a small-scale proof-of-concept project. Ideally, it should lead to further activity, including preparing for a larger-scale research project and an external funding bid to support it.   

Project proposals should meet the following criteria: 

• be interdisciplinary within the social sciences and/or arts and humanities
• involve partners from at least two Surrey universities (RHUL, UoS, UCA)
• involve a non-academic partner, for instance, a business, charity or local government body with a connection to the Surrey region; additional partners from beyond Surrey may also be included
• projects that are entirely within the AHRC (arts and humanities) remit must be led by an academic from UCA, but may include co-investigators from the University of Surrey and/or Royal Holloway
• Projects that are entirely within the ESRC (social sciences) remit must be led by an academic from either the University of Surrey or Royal Holloway, but may include co-investigators from UCA

Funds awarded will be managed by the university project lead (PI) and can be used to pay for project costs such as travel, networking, research assistants, and consultancy. Ineligible costs include buyout of academic salaries and capital equipment. 

Funded projects are expected to run for up to 10 months, from April 2026 to January 2027. 

Application process 

The application form can be downloaded here.

For advice and guidance or to be connected with potential academic or community partners, contact Julia Warsap at The University of Surrey (j.warsap@surrey.ac.uk), Prof Victoria Kelley at The University for the Creative Arts (vkelley@uca.ac.uk), and Rachael Kendrew at Royal Holloway (rachael.kendrew@rhul.ac.uk).

Please email your completed application form to socialscienceimpact@rhul.ac.uk - the deadline is 23:59 - 27th February 2026.

Timeline 

• 27th February 2026 - deadline for applications
• 2nd March 2026 - multi-institutional application panel review
• 16th March 2026 - awards announced
• 16th - 27th March 2026 project set-up meetings
• 28th March 2026 - award period begins
• 31st January 2027 - funds to be spent and projects completed
• 15th February 2027 - deadline for reporting