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Doctoral Focal Award Plus: Innovating in Data-driven Research
- Funding
- Up to £5,850,000
- Deadline
- 14 October 2026
- Location
- UK-wide
- Applications
- Applications closed
Overview
Applications close at 4pm UK time on 14 October 2026. ESRC will contribute up to £5.85 million to one institutional award for doctoral training and wider-career training in data-driven social science. The award must start by 1 October 2027. It is a UK-wide call, not an individual studentship application.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- At least ten studentships in each of three annual cohorts are required; ESRC funds eight per cohort and at least two need funding from other sources. Academic staff costs are supported at 80%, with the research organisation covering the balance.
- Indicative allocations are £3.1 million for studentships and £2.75 million for wider-career training. At least £10,000 must support sustainable online resources with the Research Capability Hub. Wider-career training funds must be used by September 2031.
UK research organisations eligible for ESRC funding with postgraduate training infrastructure. Apply as one institution or a consortium with doctoral degree-awarding capacity. An organisation may lead only one application. Businesses, public bodies and voluntary organisations may participate as project partners rather than automatically qualify to lead.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
Who is this for?
UK research organisations eligible for ESRC funding with postgraduate training infrastructure. Apply as one institution or a consortium with doctoral degree-awarding capacity. An organisation may lead only one application. Businesses, public bodies and voluntary organisations may participate as project partners rather than automatically qualify to lead.
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 Some funders do not publish their grants data.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)
Applications close at 4pm UK time on 14 October 2026. ESRC will contribute up to £5.85 million to one institutional award for doctoral training and wider-career training in data-driven social science. The award must start by 1 October 2027. It is a UK-wide call, not an individual studentship application. UK research organisations eligible for ESRC funding with postgraduate training infrastructure. Apply as one institution or a consortium with doctoral degree-awarding capacity. An organisation may lead only one application. Businesses, public bodies and voluntary organisations may participate as project partners rather than automatically qualify to lead. Apply through the UKRI Funding Service by 4pm BST on 14 October 2026. Allow time for institutional approval. Read the full training, consortium, co-funding and demand-management requirements. Students should not use this institutional competition to apply for a personal PhD place.
How to apply
Apply through the UKRI Funding Service by 4pm BST on 14 October 2026. Allow time for institutional approval. Read the full training, consortium, co-funding and demand-management requirements. Students should not use this institutional competition to apply for a personal PhD place.
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Last updated: 15 October 2026