This timeline shows the research and innovation funding opportunities coming up in the future, to enable applicants to plan ahead.
The opportunities listed are still under development and some details may change. Not all upcoming funding opportunities will be listed on this page in advance. When the opportunity opens, full details will be available in the funding finder opportunity listing.
Opportunities always open to applications are not included on this page.
Organisations can apply to develop innovations that enable earlier, fairer, and more reliable identification of special educational needs (SEN) in contexts where existing market solutions underperform or do not operate.
Funding information: total fund of £2.5 million with a maximum award of £500,000.
Funding to deliver doctoral focal awards in the field of Data Intensive Sciences. The scope includes using large, complex datasets and high rates of data flows to develop novel methodologies, techniques, tools and technologies.
Funding information: total fund of £10.5 million with a maximum award of £2.1 million.
New doctoral focal award plus for research organisations to support the development of data-driven research skills in the social sciences, delivering both doctoral training and targeted training and capacity-building activities.
Funding information: one award of £5.75 million.
One to three new doctoral focal awards which combine training in research with training in entrepreneurship, with the doctoral student making both a contribution to new knowledge and developing a new business.
This opportunity will launch between June and September.
Funding information: total fund of £25 million.
An early independence fellowship to support career transition. To support the activities and resources needed to establish early independence and deliver the proposed research.
Funding information: salary support and uncapped, fully justified research related expenses.
To enable participation in the research outcomes of the new phase of the International Ocean Drilling Programme.
Funding information: multiple awards between £25,000 to £80,000.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships fund collaborative innovation projects between businesses and universities to deliver strategic change, develop new products or processes, and build capability.
Funding information: total fund of £10 million with a maximum award of £750,000.
Impact acceleration accounts (IAAs) are small strategic awards provided for research organisations to respond to impact opportunities in flexible, responsive and creative ways.
Funding information: total fund of £3 million and with a maximum award of £210,000.
A funding opportunity in collaboration with Japan for research applications with joint project leads relating to the removal of fuel debris and environmental safety around reactor core decommissioning of Fukushima and Sellafield’s decommissioning challenges.
Funding information: total fund of £1 million with a maximum award of £560,000.
An opportunity for early and mid-career researchers to work on research related to a current policy challenge, while embedded within a UK or devolved government department, facilitating knowledge exchange between policy and academic sectors.
Funding information: award value depends on the types of partnership.
UKRI impact acceleration accounts (IAAs) for institutional‑level, flexible, early-stage funding that helps organisations accelerate research impact into real world benefits.
Funding information: maximum award of £155,000.
Funding to commercialise your technology or science, developed from STFC particle physics, astronomy and nuclear (PPAN) and the solar and planetary science community. Support for technology development addressing challenges for the PPAN community and UK.
Funding information: a maximum award of £600,000.
The aim is to accelerate the customer adoption of quantum-enabled sensors by addressing technical and commercial barriers, defined by the applicant.
Funding information: total fund of £14.3 million with a maximum award of £3 million.
Funds innovative, design led research projects that contribute to the green transition. It will focus on interventions within existing systems, such as healthcare, food networks, governance structures, financial infrastructures. One of two rounds.
Funding information: total fund of £1 million with awards for projects between £150,000 and £200,000.
To use computing resources on the Science and Technology Facilities Council DiRAC High Performance Computing facility for short proposals (up to 12 months), thematic proposals (up to three years) or research software engineer support (three months or more).
Funding information: this opportunity is for facility time.
Statement of intent for invite-only algorithmic funding for multi-user core equipment enabling research, including invest to save activities (upgrading existing equipment) and benefitting early career and doctoral training. Potential pilots for accessibility and equipment sharing.
This opportunity will launch between July and September.
Funding information: no funding directly associated with this statement of intent, but an invite-only funding opportunity is expected to follow.
Invite only for applicants successful at a previous outline stage. Funding for strategic infrastructure including equipment and resources. It seeks to improve UK scientific capability and enable cutting-edge research of high priority to EPSRC.
Funding information: minimum award value £400,000 with no maximum. We expect to fund four to six awards.
Invite only opportunity following outline stage to fund 80 studentships starting in October 2028. It aims to use linguistic and cultural expertise to build high level skills and innovation capacity.
Funding information: funding to organisations to cover the fees and living costs of postgraduate research students.
Funding to support core summer schools aimed primarily at Science and Technology Facilities Council funded PhD students aligned with the STFC core science programme.
Funding information: total fund of £500,000.
Invite only to support innovative, large-scale and complex research. Tackling big environmental science questions that cannot be addressed through our other discovery science funding opportunities.
Funding information: total fund of £20 million with a maximum award of £3.5 million.
Invite only opportunity to support existing Metascience Programme grant holders to respond to timely, policy-relevant impact opportunities that have emerged since their awards began, thereby maximising the value and impact of existing investments.
Funding information: total fund of £1 million with a maximum award of £100,000.
The facility will support next-generation connectivity research, particularly where optical and wireless systems converge. It will support communications architecture research and convergences among terrestrial networks, non-terrestrial networks, high altitude platform stations, inter-satellite links, free space optics, ground-to-ground networks.
Funding information: one award of £7.12 million.
Invite only funding opportunity for project leads funded through the 2023 opportunity ‘Discovering the next generation of renewable energy technologies’ will be eligible to apply. Applications must build on the Network Plus proposal.
Funding information: total fund of £11.6 million and a maximum award of £5.8 million.
Apply for single-step support in developing a new or repurposed medicine, medical device, diagnostic, or other medical product.
Funding information: maximum award £300,000.
Apply for funding to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions. Stage one application and invited stage two for applicants successful at an earlier stage one.
Funding information: uncapped, fully justified funding to support project leads, research staff and the research‑related costs required to progress translational development.
Apply for funding to develop innovative sustainable AI technologies and tools that will underpin and transform future AI systems.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: total fund of £10 million with a maximum award of £500,000.
Opportunity to build a multidisciplinary Network Plus to initially analyse emerging computing paradigms, UK research mapping, international benchmarking and forward-looking horizon scanning. It will provide evidence-based recommendations for UKRI and government, shaping national research priorities.
Funding information: one award of £2.25 million.
Funding to develop fundamental, high-risk, high-reward AI research that will underpin future AI systems.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: total fund of £10 million with a maximum award of £500,000.
Apply for funding for mid-range equipment for research across MRC’s scientific areas.
Funding information: maximum award of £1 million.
These awards translate bioscience research into biosolutions. Projects progress prior research by demonstrating feasibility through advancing clear, milestone-driven programmes to commercial outputs, including products, processes, services, and licensable IP, enabling real-world impact.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: awards range from £200,000 to £800,000.
Apply for funding to pump prime AI use across science and engineering disciplines.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: total fund of £5 million, maximum award is still being finalised but likely to be several smaller awards up to £250,000.
Funding to implement, improve or consolidate bioinformatics or biological resources in support of UK bioscience, helping to drive forwards progress in bioscience research and innovation.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: maximum award of £2 million.
Funding for strategic infrastructure including equipment and resources. It seeks to improve UK scientific capability and enable cutting-edge research of high priority to EPSRC.
Funding information: no funding directly associated with the outline stage, but an invite-only funding opportunity will follow, with a minimum award value £400,000 and no maximum.
Funding to enable high growth potential engineering biology businesses to work across a supply chain with end-users in a range of engineering biology relevant application areas to take forward technologies and solutions, progressing towards commercialisation.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: total fund of £12.5 million with a maximum award of £2 million.
Funding to advance engineering biology tools in critical areas. These include AI-ready data, biological design and predictive engineering tools, automated and high throughput platforms, novel chassis, systems and modalities, and measurement, characterisation and standards infrastructure.
Funding information: to be confirmed.
Funding to build engineering biology research capability in areas of significant societal importance, to accelerate the application of engineering biology technologies and deliver tangible benefits for the UK.
Funding information: maximum award of £15 million.
Support for high-growth potential engineering biology businesses to access scale-up infrastructure and skills to scale their technologies. It will provide grant funding for lab-proven technologies to pilot commercial testing, trialling and validate their technical and economic viability.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: total fund of £5 million with a maximum award of £750,000.
Funding opportunity to provide compute resources to the EPSRC community to cater to specific compute needs in engineering and physical sciences.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: up to £25 million, including running costs for multiple investments, it will include a range of award values.
An open competition, focusing on consortium building activities to establish a Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute.
Funding information: total fund of £500,000 with a maximum award of £100,000.
The competitions accelerate industrial adoption of advanced materials in high-growth and strategic areas, funded through the National Materials Innovation Programme as announced in the UK’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan.
Funding information: total fund of £24 million (across two rounds) with a maximum award of £1 million (to be confirmed).
Funding in partnership with Defra to address changing ecosystems to sustain national security and economic growth, and the broader societal benefits. Providing opportunities for national-led projects, international partnerships, and a government and industry hub.
Funding information: total fund of £21 million with up to £2 million for six to eight projects, and up to £6m for a single hub.
This coordinated funding opportunity with a consortium of international partners aims to spur rigorous, empirical studies that can narrow the range of existing estimates and inform public and private R&D investment decisions.
Funding information: total fund of £2 million, maximum award to be confirmed.
Apply for funding to run a high throughput screen using AstraZeneca’s compound library and screening robots.
Funding information: total fund of £1 million with a maximum award of £270,000.
This programme between UKRI and NSFC will establish research collaborations in urban climate adaptation and resilience, drawing on UK and Chinese expertise in solutions for reducing the carbon footprint and increased climate resilience in urban areas.
Funding information: likely £1 to 2 million each, depending on discussions with partners.
Funding for investment in advanced heritage science capability and capacity across the UK. It will expand access to nationally significant facilities, address previously identified capability gaps and strengthen the UK heritage science research infrastructure.
Funding information: total fund of £6.2 million with a maximum award of £2 million.
Funding supports mid-range bioscience research equipment, including novel capabilities and upgrading or replacing widely used instruments. Equipment must be accessible to multiple users. Open to eligible researchers and research technical professionals.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: this is an equipment only grant, awards range from £200,000 to £1.5 million.
Medical Research Council opportunity for funding to reacquire research skills. This fellowship is open to applicants who are registered healthcare professionals.
Funding information: salary support and uncapped funding for essential, justified research‑related expenses and resources.
An early independence fellowship to support career transition. This fellowship is open to registered healthcare professionals.
Funding information: salary support and uncapped, fully justified research‑related expenses.
This aims to enable high-growth potential engineering biology businesses to complete late-stage development and support business growth, scale and market entry. It will align grant funding with private investment from Innovate UK investor partners.
It is expected to proceed but is subject to the relevant approvals.
Funding information: total fund of £8 million with a maximum award of £3 million.
Apply for funding to investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease. Your project must include an experimental intervention or challenge in humans. Applications for stage one and an invite only stage two.
Funding information: uncapped, fully justified funding to support the project lead, research staff and essential research‑related costs needed to deliver the proposed work.
The Frontier AI Hub will act as a central coordinator for the UK’s Frontier AI ecosystem, enabling organisations to collaborate more effectively, share knowledge and resources, translate research into real-world applications, and improve access to computing capacity.
Funding information: total fund of £2.2 million.
Fully funded research placements at leading cultural institutions in the US, Japan, China, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For early career researchers, doctoral-level research assistants, and Arts and Humanities Research Council funded doctoral students.
This opportunity will launch between October and December.
Funding information: total award of £405,000.
Funding for a MRC Centre of Research Excellence (CORE) to tackle complex and interdisciplinary health challenges. Outline stage open to applicants with the capability to lead a major CORE based at organisations with standard eligibility.
Funding information: total fund of £50 million with a maximum award of £26.25 million.
Apply for funding to undertake a PhD. This fellowship is open to applicants who are registered healthcare professionals.
Funding information: a training level salary and up to £25,000 per year for justified research‑related expenses.
Funding to engage the public with Science and Technology Facilities Council supported science. Spark grant holders undertake high quality programmes of public engagement that inspire and involve target audiences. Opportunity will launch between October and December.
Funding information: total fund of £100,000 with a maximum award of £20,000.
The Frontier AI SME Champions competition aims to advance state-of-the-art AI and machine learning in the UK by supporting SMEs to validate ambitious innovations that could deliver step-change capabilities and enable new products, services, or platforms.
Funding information: total fund of £3.1 million.
To recruit ambitious businesses to join a Growth Cohort. The Growth Cohort will fund and support businesses to accelerate their ambitions to decarbonise concrete.
Funding information: total fund of £1 million across five rounds with a maximum award of £50,000.
Open to phase one award holders only. This opportunity will fund programmes of up to £5 million over four years by supporting multidisciplinary partnerships to deliver evidence, insights and actionable solutions addressing gambling-related harms.
Funding information: total fund of £40 million with a maximum award of £5 million over four years.
An opportunity for early and mid-career researchers to work on research related to a current policy challenge, while embedded within a UK or devolved government department, facilitating knowledge exchange between policy and academic sectors.
Funding information: award value depends on the types of partnership.
Apply for single-step support in developing a new or repurposed medicine, medical device, diagnostic, or other medical product.
Funding information: maximum award £300,000.
Apply for funding to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions. Stage one application and stage two invite only for applicants successful at an earlier stage one.
Funding information: uncapped, fully justified funding to support project leads, research staff and the research‑related costs required to progress translational development.
Last updated: 16 June 2026
