EPSRC new investigator award: applicant-led mode
- Funding
- Contact funder
- Deadline
- Check with the funder
- Location
- England
- Applications
- Open for applications
Overview
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funds the New Investigator Award in applicant-led mode for early-career researchers at UK research organisations eligible for EPSRC funding. It is open with no closing date, and it opened on 5 August 2026. Applications are made on the UKRI Funding Service, not Je-S. The funder's website gives no award range. Applicants must be project leads and must not have led a single award over £175,000 FEC. They must not have supervised postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months in total. The funder's website asks you to apply when ready, because a closing date shown on the Funding Service is only a system requirement. Applications are batched and processed regularly. The funder's website requires a Vision and Approach document of up to eight A4 sides, including a one-page project plan. It also asks for research organisation support and career development statements. A withdrawn or office-rejected application cannot be resubmitted and counts as your first submission.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- EPSRC funds 80% of the full economic cost of the project
- Must be your first application to EPSRC as a project lead, with listed exceptions
- Cannot have led a single award worth more than £175,000 FEC
- Cannot have supervised postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months in total
- Cannot have applied to an EPSRC New Investigator Award scheme before
- Doctoral studentships, bridge funding and publication costs are not funded
Who it is for
- Project leads based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding
- Researchers making a first application to EPSRC as project lead, with listed exceptions
- Researchers who have not led a single award valued over £175,000 FEC
- Researchers who have not supervised postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months in total
- Early-career individuals able to use the funds to move to research independence and build their own group
Who it is not for
- Anyone who has applied to an EPSRC New Investigator Award scheme before, successful or not
- Applicants with a UKRI Type 1 Early Independence Fellowship or new investigator award application currently being assessed
- Established researchers who have shown sustained career independence, vision and leadership
- Applicants who submitted to this opportunity, then withdrew or were office rejected for substantive errors, and cannot resubmit
- Applications with a Norway-based project co-lead (international)
- Applicants using Je-S, which cannot be used for this opportunity
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding and meet UKRI's individual eligibility policy. This must be your first application to EPSRC as a project lead, with listed exceptions. You must not have led a single award over £175,000 FEC, or supervised postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months in total. You are not eligible if you have applied to an EPSRC New Investigator Award before, or have a UKRI Type 1 Fellowship or new investigator award application being assessed. Established researchers are not eligible.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
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Start freeWho is this for?
Early-career researchers at UK research organisations who want to build their own research group and independent research vision, and have not yet led a major grant.
Regions
No published award history for Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Some funders do not publish their grants data.
Full details from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Apply for funding to support your transition to research independence. This funding will enable you to develop your own research vision and lead a team.You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding and it must be your first application to EPSRC as a project lead.
How to apply
Select 'Start application' on the UKRI Funding Finder page and confirm you are the project lead. Sign in or create a Funding Service account, then answer the questions online. Send the finished application to your research office for checking. They submit it to UKRI. You cannot apply through Je-S.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline for the EPSRC New Investigator Award applicant-led mode?
No. The funder's website says the closing date is open, and any date on the Funding Service is a system requirement. You should apply when your application is ready.
Who can apply to the EPSRC New Investigator Award?
You must be a project lead at an eligible UK research organisation and make your first application to EPSRC as project lead, with listed exceptions. You must not have led a single award over £175,000 FEC or supervised postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months in total.
Can I resubmit if my EPSRC New Investigator Award application is withdrawn?
No. If an application is withdrawn before peer review or office rejected for substantive errors, it cannot be resubmitted. It counts as your first EPSRC submission as project lead, so you would no longer be eligible for the scheme.
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Create free accountLast updated: 9 November 2026