At a glance
Pre-announcement: ESRC applicant-led: explore awards is a national competitive grant from UK Research and Innovation for the research & development sector. Funding is £300K–£2M. Eligible applicants: See the official UKRI opportunity page; eligibility varies by council and call - most require UK-based researchers or organisations. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply via the official listing at www.ukri.org.
- Amount
- £300K–£2M
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Type
- Competitive
- Status
- Forecasted
About this program
Funding opportunity Funding opportunity: Pre-announcement: ESRC applicant-led: explore awards Opportunity status: Upcoming Funders: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Funding type: Grant Award range: £300,000 - £2,000,000 Publication date: 8 September 2026 Opening date: 5 November 2026 9:00am UK time Closing date: Open - no closing date Apply for funding to advance knowledge through ambitious, curiosity-driven social science. We are looking for creative, innovative and bold proposals within ESRC’s remit that advance knowledge by pushing disciplinary, methodological or conceptual boundaries. You can propose the approach that best achieves your aims. We will fund individuals or research teams with up to four core members. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding. The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £2 million. ESRC will fund 8...
Who can apply
See the official UKRI opportunity page; eligibility varies by council and call - most require UK-based researchers or organisations.
How to apply
Apply through the UKRI Funding Service as directed on the official opportunity page linked below.
Apply at official sourceRelated grants
- PATT travel claim for competitively awarded observation time UKRI · See listing · Rolling Open
- DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund drawdown five UKRI · Up to £150M · 4 Nov 2026 Open
- Unlocking advanced capabilities in conservation and heritage science UKRI · £300K–£1.5M · 25 Nov 2026 Open
- Exploring the frontiers of environmental research 2026 UKRI · £100K–£200K · 12 Nov 2026 Open