(Page version 30/01/26)

Below some key schemes running without deadline for submissions: 

• ESRC New Investigator Grants. Responsive mode. New Investigator scheme to support early career researchers. High-quality candidates from anywhere in the world to enable them to further their research careers. Any discipline within the social sciences and with interface with the wider sciences (but 50% of the research focus and effort should be for social sciences disciplines). 35 grants will be funded each year. Up to 60, and from £100k to £300k, fEC.
• ESRC Research Grants Scheme. Responsive mode. Supporting excellent ideas with considerable flexibility in subject areas but these must fall within ESRC’s remit. Awards from £350K to £1M FEC funding standard research projects, large-scale survey, methodological development, etc. The inclusion of international co-investigators is allowed but not project linked studentships. Up to 60 and from £350k to £1m, fEC.
• ESRC Secondary Data Analysis Initiative SDAI. Responsive mode. To deliver high-quality high-impact research through the deeper exploitation of major data resources created by the ESRC and other agencies. Up to £300K fEC per grant. Funding 20 proposals per year. Round to transition to the UKRI's new Funding Service. Up to 24, and £300k, fEC.
• ESRC|Brazil - São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) Working with Brazilian researchers (responsive mode). The Memorandum of understanding stablishes the rules of participation. UK partner following ESRC Research Grants rules. Up to 60, and from £350k to £1m, fEC.
• ESRC|FNR - Fonds National de la Recherche, responsive mode. UKRI and the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (FNR) are charged with fostering and supporting academic research within their own communities in their respective countries. Up to 60, and from £350k to £1m, fEC.
• ESRC|USA - National Science Foundation (NSF), responsive mode. Memorandum of Understanding: Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences Directorate US National Science Foundation NSF and the UK Research Councils. Two-way lead agency funding agreement.  Areas of intersection of NSF/SBE an under UK Research Councils remit. A single proposal will undergo a single review. Up to 60, and from £350k to £1m, fEC.
• AHRC responsive mode: Curiosity Award. Flexible awards to fund fundamental research that leads to new research agendas, networking activity and idea generation, which enables the development of further research opportunities and new research agendas. Up to £100k fEC.
• AHRC responsive mode: catalyst awards. AHRC awards to support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project to accelerate their trajectory as independent researchers, to unlock their potential and build leadership and convenor experience. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. £100k to £300k fEC.
• AHRC Research Grants - standard Grant. Apply for the standard research grant funding to support well-defined collaborative projects across the arts and humanities, in areas covered by our remit. £300k to £1.5m fEC.
• AHRC UKRI Translation: AHRC Proof of Concept. Supporting arts and humanities activity that translate previously funded AHRC or UKRI projects into real world economic, societal, cultural or policy impact. Up to £150k fEC.
• AHRC | Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) joint projects. AHRC standard grant rules for UK applicants.
• AHRC | USA -  National Science Foundation (NSF) funding scheme. AHRC standard grant rules for UK applicants.
• AHRC | Brazil - São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) Working with Brazilian researchers. AHRC standard grant rules for UK applicants.
• NERC Pushing the frontiers of environmental research. This scheme “supports researchers’ curiosity and imagination to enable discoveries that unlock new knowledge with a degree of adventure previously unrealised”. "Applications can propose pure, applied, technology-led, or policy-driven research but must address, or provide the means to address, clearly defined environmental science questions". Applicants can submit proposals of up to £950k fEC, with exceptions: 100% international co-lead eligible costs and some specific equipment costs.
• NERC|FAPESP - State of São Paulo Research Foundation Working with Brazilian researchers responsive mode. This opportunity allows UK-based researchers and researchers in the State of São Paulo, Brazil to submit a collaborative proposal under existing NERC funding opportunities. This will go through a single review process.  Applications must be submitted under existing programmes, specifically NERC pushing the frontiers and large grants funding opportunities. fEC award.
• NERC|FNR - Fonds National de la Recherche joint projects - responsive mode.This is not a separate research funding scheme. UKRI and FNR will co-fund applications to UKRI councils’ responsive mode funding opportunities, in some cases named standard research grant opportunities.
• NERC|USA Natural Science Foundation (NSF): Work with US-based researchers on environmental science. Collaborative work is governed by a lead agency agreement between NERC and NSF and must adhere to the remits of both NERC and NSF GEO or BIO-DEB schemes.

UKRI encourages UK individuals to apply but please check with your RS team about suitability for submissions, the Horizon Europe pages including notes about and links to the UKRI Guarantee Funding. The ERC website is the main source of information about the Council and calls, the funding and tenders portal reference documents provide with the latest versions of the work programmes.

ERC's 2026 Work Programme

• Starting Grants: 14/10/2025
• Consolidator Grants: 13/01/2026
• Advanced Grants: 27/08/2026
• Synergy Grants: 05/11/2025
• Advance Plus (pilot): 02/09/2026

It is always advisable to consult the official publication on the funding and tenders portal, also UKRO is a source of funding clarification as the UK National Contact Point for ERC.

Horizon Europe Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society (Cluster 2) Work Programme 2026-2027 calls and topics have been published at the end of 2025 and are available online. Deadlines: 23/09/2026 and 23/09/2027. 

The Commission awards 100% costs plus 25% indirect costs for HEIs participants.

Relevant links:

• 2026 calls open for submission on the Horizon Europe portal.
• Work Programme 2026-2027, Cluster 2 (CL2 topics).
• Funding and tender calls (for submissions when calls open in May 2026 and 2027)
• University of Manchester website for Horizon Europe.

The MSCA Work Programmes 2026-2027 have confirmed call deadlines. The participant portal websites can be accessed to find updates on the schemes.

UKRI encourages UK individuals to apply but please check with your RS team about suitability for submissions.

UKRO and the MSCA website provide further support for prospective applicants.

UKRI encourages UK applicants to apply. Current deadlines:

• HORIZON-MSCA-2025-COFUND. Deadline: 08/04/2026, 06/04/2027
• HORIZON-MSCA-2024/25-SE (Staff Exchanges). Deadline: 16/04/2026, 15/04/2026
• HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF (Postdoctoral Fellowships). Deadline: 09/09/2026, 08/09/2027
• HORIZON-MSCA-2024/25-DN (Doctoral Networks). Deadline: 24/11/2026, 23/11/2027
• HORIZON-MSCA-2025-INCO-01-01(International Cooperation). CSA. n/a
• HORIZON-MSCA-2024-RR-01-01 (Researchers at Risk). Deadline tbc
• HORIZON-MSCA-2025-CITIZENS-01-01 (Night). Deadline 08/06/2027

For projects to inform the design and operation of social policy and practice across our three core domains of Education, Welfare, and Justice.

The Foundation funding approach is set out in the strategy.

Three main possibilities: 

• Applications to the Main Grants are usually between £10,000 and £500k, two annual deadlines in March/April and September/October. Current deadline 13/04/2026.
• Strategic grants: Larger, strategic projects over £1million and up to £3 million in value by embedding the Strategic Fund into the core Research, Development, and Analysis Fund with deadline once annually in March. 
• Racial Diversity UK Fund. Up to £500k. Two-stage application. "Funding to understand the barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive society". Next deadline in October 2026.
• Oliver Bird Fund. To improve the social and economic well-being of people living with musculoskeletal conditions including arthritis. Up to £750k and 4 years.

The criteria for projects is innovation, rigour, impact, engagement, resources. It is possible to apply for funds to the Foundation in a collaborative basis. 

Awards meet 100% eligible costs, all ‘directly incurred’ costs, subject to certain conditions, and most ‘directly allocated’ costs (except the estates costs of PIs and permanent university staff); no indirect costs.

Link to the call announcement.

Recognising the achievement of outstanding researchers whose work has already attracted international recognition and whose future career is exceptionally promising.

Nominations from heads of departments or equivalent.

The award (£100k over two to three years) may be used for any purpose related to the advancement of the research or artistic practice of the Prize Winner, provided that the items of expenditure fall within the categories classically eligible for the support of the Trust.  

• 2026: Biological Sciences, History, Law, Mathematics and Statistics, Philosophy and Theology, Sociology and Social Policy.
• 2027: Classics, Earth Sciences, Physics, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Visual and Performing Arts.
• 2028: Archaeology, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, Geography, Languages and Literatures.

Further information from the Leverhulme Trust website.

Deadlines normally in May every year. Applications for the Philip Leverhulme Prizes should be demand managed as each institution may only submit a maximum of three applications for each subject area, therefore an internal selection process should be put in place before the Trust deadline.

“Demand management is not currently being applied to this funding opportunity. However, should the level of interest exceed what can be managed within the assessment process, UKRI may introduce limits on the number of applications that can be submitted.”

This scheme “supports researchers’ curiosity and imagination to enable discoveries that unlock new knowledge with a degree of adventure previously unrealised”

"Applications can propose pure, applied, technology-led, or policy-driven research but must address, or provide the means to address, clearly defined environmental science questions."

Applicants can submit proposals of up to £950k fEC, with exceptions: 100% international co-lead eligible costs and some specific equipment costs.

"Pushing the Frontiers funding opportunity has transitioned to an always-open format to align with UKRI’s approach to delivering applicant-led responsive funding opportunities. Closing dates have been removed from the Pushing the Frontiers scheme and the assessment mechanism now harmonised with other UKRI applicant-led opportunities"

"Applicants are reminded to refer carefully to the wording of the funding opportunity to ensure applications are in line with current policies and processes."

"NERC remains committed to funding a balanced portfolio of adventurous and ambitious high-reward curiosity-driven environmental research and maintaining a fair, efficient, and excellent research funding ecosystem. Organisations and applicants are reminded that:

• NERC does not have additional budget for Pushing the Frontiers as part of these changes – high levels of demand will therefore result in lower chances of success
• NERC capacity to assess applications remains the same
• the application process and scope of the opportunity will remain the same"

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity, contact pushingfrontiers@nerc.ukri.org

The call and all the relevant information is available on the UKRI website.

Two possibilities:

A) This is a wide research council funding opportunity, including ESRC, AHRC, NERC, and most of the UKRI research councils.

Latest, round 11. The University internal deadline for EoIs 26/01/2026, and external submissions to UKRI by 16/06/2026, via the new UKRI Funding Service. The Faculty of Humanities internal process explained online.

Without limits to the amount of funding requested, - the FLF scheme has funded fellowships from £300k to £2m -, and duration of up to seven years, hosting organisations are contributing to the funding of their fellows, they should commit to the salary of the fellow.

B)  UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) scheme business and non-academic, supported by Innovate UK, targeting UK registered organisations “for a share of £110m for ambitious research and innovation projects in any sector, and tailored support to develop careers for future leaders”

“Working with a (non-academic) host organisation, a Future Leaders Fellow will receive at least four years of funding to pursue an ambitious programme of innovation. The fellow will also have access to tailored opportunities and resources to develop their career as a future leader in their field”.

The fellow must apply as representative of the host institution. Therefore, it is possible for a researcher to apply through a non-academic organisation. This also implies that this opportunity can not be supported from the University of Manchester directly, but only from a host organisation committing to the project. In principle, no university research administrative support could be granted to these applicants, there is not administrative commitment from the University. This should be an individual enterprise.

Note that these open responsive mode schemes could currently be under deadlines for submissions of applications due to the implementation of the new UKRI funding service. 

Agreements have been reached with the following funding agencies:

• Brazil: São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
• US: National Science Foundation’s Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE)
• Luxembourg: Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR)
• Norway: Research Council of Norway.
• AHRC | DFG - German Research Foundation.
• The University international collaborative research opportunities.

The UK and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have been for some years promoting research collaboration under specific guidelines provided by the AHRC, ESRC and NERC, on the basis of different Memorandum of Understandings. These agreements allow US and UK researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process.

ESRC/AHRC | USA - National Science Foundation (NSF)

The Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE) of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) support international collaboration under the SBE-UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity to promote transatlantic collaborative research by reducing some of the barriers to conducting international research that researchers may encounter.

Two countries – two budgets. The UK component will include a fEC budget following ESRC/AHRC grant guidelines, with the possibility of large grants.

The ESRC & AHRC support an open submission. The NSF website should be consulted for this reason as well as the schemes/topics available. 
NERC | USA National Science Foundation (NSF) MoU

NERC agreement operates with the NSF Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). It is advisable to contact the chosen leading agency (NERC or NSF) prior to any submission to discuss the projects.

• USA leading: information about deadlines are available online. Links below.
  • NSF-BIO-DEBcluster descriptions:
    • Ecosystem Science Cluster
    • Evolutionary Processes Cluster
    • Population and Community Ecology Cluster
    • Systematics and Biodiversity Science Cluster
  • NSF-GEOrelevant programmes:
    • Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS)
    • Division of Earth Sciences (EAR)
• UK leading: up to £300k fEC.

ESRC/AHRC | Brazil - São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

“Working with Brazilian researchers” scheme. The Memorandum of understanding stablishes the rules of participation.

The UK participants could receive large fEC awards.

ESRC/AHRC | FNR - Fonds National de la Recherche  

Research Councils UK and the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (FNR) are charged with fostering and supporting academic research within their own communities in their respective countries. All proposals under the RCUK-FNR agreement will need to be submitted to one of the UK Research Councils, therefore UK and Luxembourg based researchers should identify the UK Research Councils funding scheme which is most appropriate to support their common research project.

AHRC, ESRC, NERC funding guidelines will apply for UK participants under the fEC funding rules and the possibility of large grants.

All these schemes can be found on the UKRI's Funding Finder. 

AHRC/EPSRC/ESRC/MRC/NERC - Research Council of Norway (RCN)

"Norway co-investigators can be included in UK-led applications and receive funding following a 'Money Follows Cooperation' agreement reducing barriers to cross-border collaboration.

Calls/existing schmes will define conditions and budgets.

AHRC | DFG - German Research Foundation

The AHRC | DFG - German Research Foundation is an UK-Germany research collaboration presenting opportunities to organise projects with German colleagues. This bilateral agreement has funded 115 projects and will continue with the extension to a new round starting from October 2026.

Global partnerships

The opportunities are highlighted on the internal webpages and are included in this section (collaborative research and also will appear on the funding database when deadlines are set).

Updates from the international team can be received after subscription.