ESRC responsive mode: research grants round two
Funding
£350,000 – £1,000,000
Deadline
4 November 2026
Location
England
Applications
Deadline: 4 November 2026
Overview
ESRC research grants fund researcher-led basic, applied and strategic research on any topic in ESRC's remit, from any discipline. That includes standard research projects, methodological development and large-scale surveys or other infrastructure. Social science must be more than half of the research focus and effort. The full economic cost (FEC) can be £350,000 to £1 million, and ESRC funds 80% of the FEC. Awards last up to five years. This round closes at 4:00pm UK time on 4 November 2026. ESRC says its applicant-led funding is being refreshed with new opportunities. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/esrc-responsive-mode-research-grants-round-two/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 19 October 2026.
Requirements to check
The project lead can be based at any organisation eligible for ESRC funding for the length of the grant, at any career stage, as long as the team has the skills and experience the project needs. Joint applications are allowed, with one person as project lead. Proposals can draw on other sciences, but social science must be more than 50% of the research focus and effort.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
Regions
No published award history for Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Some funders do not publish their grants data.
Full details from Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
This opportunity funds researcher-driven basic, applied, and strategic research from any disciplines and on any topics in ESRC’s remit, as long as the social sciences are more than 50% of the focus and effort.You can be based at any eligible UK research organisation to apply for ESRC funding.
Apply on the UKRI Funding Service. You cannot use Je-S, and your organisation must be registered. Select Start application on the UKRI funding finder page, confirm you are the project lead, then sign in or create a Funding Service account. The project lead completes the application, with input from the team and any project partners, then sends it to the research office, which submits it to UKRI by 4:00pm UK time on 4 November 2026. Only the lead research organisation can submit.
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Create free accountLast updated: 19 October 2026