Gambling harms research grants
- Funding
- Up to £2,000,000
- Deadline
- 8 December 2026
- Location
- UK-wide
- Applications
- Deadline: 8 December 2026
Overview
This UKRI funding supports research that deepens understanding of gambling-related harms or helps find solutions for preventing and treating them. You can propose any question or challenge in this area. It is delivered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and is open to research communities across all UKRI research councils. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects are encouraged, though single discipline projects will also be considered.
The money comes from the new statutory levy on gambling operators, through UKRI's Research Programme on Gambling.
Your project can have a full economic cost of up to £2 million over three years, and UKRI will fund 80% of that cost. Funding can cover salaries, staff costs, equipment, travel and subsistence, other direct costs, and estates and indirect costs. PhD studentships are not funded.
It suits teams led from a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding, such as universities, UKRI institutes and approved research bodies. Charities, third sector organisations, social enterprises, international research organisations and others can join as project co-leads or partners. Applications must be team based and include people with lived experience of gambling harms.
The opportunity opened on 21 September 2026 and closes on 8 December 2026. Awards are expected in April 2027, and projects must start by 1 October 2027.
One important caveat: UKRI will not fund Gambling Commission licence holders subject to the levy, and engagement with the gambling industry is not normally allowed. You should discuss any engagement with industry partners with UKRI before you apply.
Official source: https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/gambling-harms-research-grants-grant-1. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- Full economic cost of up to £2 million per project, with UKRI funding 80% of the full economic cost.
- Projects last three years; awards are expected in April 2027 and projects must start by 1 October 2027.
- Applications must be team based and include people with lived experience of gambling harms.
- Researchers may submit only one application as project lead.
- No funding for Gambling Commission licence holders subject to the levy, and no co-funding from licence holders.
- Engagement with the gambling industry is not permitted except for approved, time-limited exceptions.
- Costs claimed by organisations with non-standard eligibility must not exceed 30% of the project cost at 100% full economic cost.
- PhD studentships are not funded and doctoral students are not eligible.
To lead, you must be based at a UK research organisation with standard UKRI eligibility: UK higher education providers, UKRI institutes, approved independent research organisations, and approved public sector research establishments or NHS bodies. Researchers may lead only one application but can co-lead others. Charities, third sector organisations, social enterprises, UK registered businesses, government departments, international research organisations and other educational establishments can join as project co-leads. Applications must be team based and include people with lived experience. Gambling Commission licence holders subject to the levy cannot host or receive funding, and doctoral students 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?
Research teams led from UK universities and other research organisations eligible for UKRI funding, working with partners and people with lived experience on gambling-related harms.
Regions
Full details from UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council, Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council
Apply for funding that deepens understanding or supports solutions for the prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. To lead an application, you must be based at a research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.
How to apply
The lead research organisation submits the application. You can start a new application from the Find a grant listing. Include the datasets or sources you need, with letters of support where data access is agreed. Declare your compliance in the declaration of interest section. Discuss any industry engagement with UKRI first by emailing RPGinfo@ahrc.ukri.org. An independent expert panel will assess applications.
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Create free accountLast updated: 30 October 2026