Find the right funding for you

What would you do with a grant?

Doctoral training

EPSRC awards grants to research organisations to fund doctoral training. You cannot apply directly to EPSRC.

The routes to doctoral training are through:

• centres for doctoral training, where students are funded for four years to undertake research in a supportive, exciting environment and train in technical and transferable skills
• doctoral training partnership, where universities with significant EPSRC research activity are allocated funding to support students
• Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Technology (CASE), a doctoral studentship incorporating collaboration and industry related training to broaden experience.

Find out more about doctoral training.

Focus on research

If you’re a new academic

Standard research

This is our largest funding scheme. Its flexibility means it can support small travel grants to multi-million pound programmes and a wide range of activities, including:

• research projects
• feasibility studies
• instrument development
• equipment
• travel and collaboration.

We encourage adventure and risk and there are no closing dates.

Find out more about standard research.

New Investigator Award

These grants help newly appointed academics get a grant early in their academic career. There’s no cap on grant duration, no financial cap and no closing dates.

The host institution should show commitment to the applicant’s career development.

Complex, multi-faceted research projects with many objectives are not suitable for this scheme.

Find out more about New Investigator Awards.

If you have applied to EPSRC before

Standard research

This is our largest funding scheme. Its flexibility means it can support small travel grants to multi-million pound programmes and a wide range of activities, including:

• research projects
• feasibility studies
• instrument development
• equipment
• travel and collaboration.

We encourage adventure and risk and there are no closing dates.

Find out more about standard research.

Programme grants

Flexible funding for world-leading research groups to address major research challenges.

These grants support a collection of related research activities focusing on one strategic research theme. They have a duration of up to six years and are generally interdisciplinary and collaborative.

You must discuss the suitability of your research idea with EPSRC before you submit it.

Find out more about programme grants.

Funding opportunities

Find out about our latest funding opportunities, with specific themes and set application opening and closing dates.

Develop as a future leader

Fellowship

Our fellowships are personal awards that support your development as a future lead, by:

• positioning you and your research within the wider academic field
• establishing your research career and independence
• acting as an advocate for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and EPSRC.

Postdoctoral fellowships

These provide up to three years’ funding for the project lead salary – no other staff – and are only available in research areas linked to our strategic priorities.

Open fellowships

These provide up to five years’ funding for the project lead salary and research staff, and are available across EPSRC’s remit.

Open Plus

These provide up to five years’ funding for the project lead salary and research staff, and are available across EPSRC’s remit.

You can spend 20% to 50% of time on a Plus component to further research culture change in your community.

Find out more about EPSRC fellowships.

Funding opportunities

Find out about our latest fellowship opportunities, with specific themes and set application opening and closing dates.

Develop collaborations

Network grants

These provide funding to bring together researchers, industry and other groups to develop collaborations.

They support activities such as workshops, visits and part-time coordinators, have a maximum three year duration and no closing dates.

Find out more about network grants.

Overseas travel grants

Study new techniques at recognised centres outside the UK or develop international collaborations with funding for travel and subsistence.

There is no limit to the amount of funding you can apply for and there are no closing dates.

Find out more about overseas travel grants.

Last updated: 15 January 2024