This is a pre-announcement and the information may change.
When the funding opportunity opens, more information will be available on this page. Please contact us if you are interested in this funding opportunity and we will notify you when the funding opportunity is updated and opens.
Aim
The aims of this funding opportunity will be:
- to identify a team and host institution to lead the British Election Study (BES) between 2027 and 2037.
- to deliver data collection on the anticipated 2029 UK General Election in Great Britain, and surveys aligned to local elections.
Our objectives for the successful applicant will be to:
- produce high-quality data that meets the needs of the research, policy and practice communities, building on the existing politically independent time series data, and ensure those communities have timely access to the data
- promote the use of the data by the research and wider stakeholder communities, including to maximise the public benefit of the data through informing policy, practice and the public
- collaborate with the other UK election studies to facilitate meaningful comparison of elections in the UK and the views and behaviour of UK electorates
By delivering the objectives BES will support the delivery of ESRC’s data infrastructure strategy. In particular building and sustaining a foundation, impact and public benefit and leadership and connectedness.
Applications should clearly outline how their project objectives and work packages contribute to the above ESRC funding objectives for BES. Applications will be assessed and prioritised based on how well they deliver the funding objectives and the funding opportunity specification.
We are keen to capitalise on recent major developments in the capability of artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to social science data infrastructure. You should consider how you might utilise AI to more effectively deliver the study objectives and how you can enable users to use AI techniques when working with BES data.
We strongly encourage collaboration to address this, with work to incorporate AI proportionate to the investment.
Scope
BES will collect high quality, politically independent data at scale to inform research into British politics, elections and voting behaviour. It will contribute to the understanding of political attitudes and behaviour in Great Britain and the wider UK as they are today, and how they change over time. It will facilitate comparative research within the UK and internationally.
The data will support academics and other key stakeholders in the UK democratic system. Key stakeholder groups include:
- academics (domestic)
- academics (international)
- polling industry
- the media
- political parties
- policymakers
- lobby groups and charities
- educators
The successful applicant(s) and host institution will lead BES between 2027 and 2037 (subject to likely future election dates). You should provide your strategic vision for the study up to 2036.
Initial funding is available from October 2026 up to 2032 (up to 60 months). We will invite the successful applicant(s) and host institution to apply for funding to cover the anticipated elections for the remainder of the 2027 to 2037 period, subject to performance, funding availability and sufficient consistency in the delivery team and host institution.
This initial application should describe the your approach for delivery up to 2032.
This funding will support:
- consultation with stakeholders to inform study design
- data collection, processing and publication
- promoting the use and impact of the data
- preparatory activities for the remaining period up to 2037 where relevant
As an investment from the ESRC infrastructure team, academic research using the data is not within scope of this funding opportunity, for further details on this please see the ‘What we will fund’ and ‘What we will not fund’ section.
Activities funded from our contribution must be used for the delivery or improvement of the study as a data infrastructure for use by the wider research community. However, applicants are welcome to conduct aligned activities using different funding sources, these can be discussed in the application where they provide additional value to BES.
The team must have the ability to successfully engage with stakeholders in the relevant political systems and act as a trusted source of impartial political data in the UK political system. This includes having a strong understanding of the political context of the data collection activity.
It is important to recognise that BES does not collect data in Northern Ireland and that we are currently running a commissioning exercise for a Northern Ireland Election Study (NIES). Both BES and NIES (alongside the other UK election studies) all contribute to our understanding of UK elections and the electorate. However, both NIES and BES have a primary data collection on the UK general election.
We encourage activity across the UK, but applicants should consider the sensitivities of the work they do on the UK and how this relates to Northern Ireland and NIES.
You should outline why your decided approach is the best way of delivering the study.
Consultation requirements
Effective consultation should take place with key stakeholder groups ensuring that the study considers and addresses user needs from academic and non-academic communities, whilst ensuring the studies make a distinct contribution to polling in the setting.
Non-academic user communities include the media, policymakers, political parties, the polling industry, lobby groups and charities, and educators. Stakeholders should also be considered at the different levels of the UK such as sub-national and local levels as well as internationally (where appropriate).
Consultations should meaningfully inform the design of the study and its wider activities, described under ‘Scope’.
Data collection, processing and publication requirements
To maintain a degree of consistency in the long-term data series it is expected that the data collected will include:
- post-election survey of a probability-based sample for the UK general electionThis survey is the primary data collection activity and should take place as close to the election as practicable.
- inter-election surveys, including pre- and post-general election survey(s) for the UK general election and surveys aligned with local elections in England, Scotland and Wales
In addition, we allow data collection at other points of the election cycle where you can evidence strong scientific need or potential impact and appropriately balance this with the core data collection within the available budget.
Previous inter-election data collection was conducted during the campaign period of the general election, local elections, and post-general election.
You should review the previous questionnaires and related documentation, which are available from the UK Data Service.
For the data collection, applicants must ensure that:
- samples are nationally representative of both voters and as far as possible non-voters
- the data collected effectively enables research across Britain and meets the needs of the community
- methods produce high quality data efficiently and effectively, including minimising non-response bias
- the approaches carefully balance maintaining the integrity of the time series with the need for gradual evolution. This includes both content, through balancing previous questions with important topical or future themes, and methods, through balancing the benefits of innovating with maintaining comparability with previous data
Though we welcome innovative approaches to the design of the study, building on and extending the previous BES, you should carefully consider the degree to which any changes will maintain consistency with prior data collection.
Where changes are proposed, these should be clearly described, and you must explain the potential benefits, trade-offs and risks, alongside how continuity will be ensured. For example, continuity can be balanced with the inclusion of questions on themes and issues of topical concern and importance.
We recognise that following the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a substantial shift in fieldwork methodologies, for example a growing number of studies are utilising mixed mode approaches. We are open to methodological changes, however if changes are proposed, appropriate assessment and care must be undertaken to ensure methodological comparability.
You are asked to consider whether to collect data on social media consumption and exposure, and its impact on political behaviour.
As a data infrastructure, BES must ensure stakeholders can easily access and use the data. You should also consider how you can enable user-led AI application on BES data.
For the data processing and publication, applicants must ensure that:
- a schedule for data release is published within one month of the start of data collection
- final data is safely openly available for use as close to the relevant election as possible, strictly no later than one year after the election and preferably within nine months
- data is deposited with the UK Data Service as per the ESRC data policy
- additional routes to safely publishing the data are considered where this may promote the use of the data amongst broader stakeholder groups
- user-friendly data formats are considered
- users can easily access data documentation to support use of the data. This should include a statement on the coverage of data collection, specifying clearly the population that the study is intended to represent and any known deficiencies in the resulting data
In line with the ESRC research funding guide, all subcontracted social surveys must be subject to normal competitive purchasing principles. We require that surveys over £10,000 (£8,333 exclusive of VAT) are subject to external competition to ensure best value for money through competitive purchasing processes. Where surveys are expected to exceed £25,000 (£20,830 exclusive of VAT) the research organisation’s full tendering procedures must be followed.
You must ensure sufficient time is built into the project timeline to enable a competitive tender process. Youshould seek out quotations for a minimum of three potential fieldwork providers and provide these estimates in the ‘Resources and cost justification’. Otherwise, you must explain and evidence why this is not possible and demonstrate that they have considered alternative approaches to procuring some or all aspects of the fieldwork.
ESRC reserves the right to reject applications whose subcontracted social surveys are not subject to external competition or do not provide the necessary evidence prior to expert review.
Promoting use and impact
As a resource for the community, the BES must promote the use of the data by both academic and non-academic communities. The election studies have a unique user base that extends beyond academia and policy, as described in the consultation section.
You are asked to propose a framework to both support non-academic stakeholders and promote the data for academic use. Ongoing engagement with stakeholders to refine the framework is encouraged.
Applicants must ensure that their proposed activities:
- allow for some rapid dissemination of initial data or findings, and facilitate and accelerate impact, following an election
- facilitate initial learning from the data to meaningfully inform stakeholders, particularly those outside academia
- include structured and proactive engagement with stakeholders at UK and, where appropriate, more local contexts to inform politics and policy development
- highlight the schedule for data releases to facilitate the planning of potential users
- clearly highlight and signpost the data to the key stakeholder groups, particularly in advance of and at the time of data releases
These activities can include initial findings for academic and non-academic audiences.
The objective of initial findings for academic audiences are to demonstrate the utility, availability and relevance of the data to a wide user base. In developing initial findings for academic audiences, the team must minimise the risk of being perceived to have unfairly utilised access to earlier cuts of the data to conduct research before full data release.
To this end initial findings for academic audiences should ideally be released alongside the data or shortly after, and this should not delay data release itself. Any analysis and its presentation must be sufficiently simple for users to quickly and easily understand the potential of the data.
Accessibility must be prioritised over research quality or value.
The objective of initial findings for non-academic audiences is to accelerate impact, including in the period shortly following elections. The analysis and its presentation must be sufficiently simple for users to quickly and easily understand how they can use the information, and only as complex as required to ensure stakeholders can be confident to use it.
Accessibility and utility to the stakeholders is the focus.
In both cases, initial findings should be presented such that they do not compromise the actual and perceived rigour of the final data.
Collaboration
Collaboration within the ESRC election studies portfolio is essential to facilitate meaningful comparison of UK elections and the views and behaviour of UK electorates. For example, collaboration on questionnaire design is strongly encouraged, whether via common themes, questions or standards.
Coordination should be targeted at areas where comparative research would be of particularly high value, whilst retaining sufficient flexibility to tailor the study to its electoral context.
Collaboration to tackle shared challenges or opportunities is also encouraged. The successful applicant will be required to collaborate with the other ESRC election studies portfolio to increase the value of elections data for the community and meet the needs of the community.
You should outline your approach to collaborating with the other ESRC election studies and their anticipated benefits.
Applicants should also consider engagement and collaboration opportunities with other ESRC investments and the wider social science community, where activities and learning may overlap (such as other data collection projects and on challenges and opportunities such as the use of AI in social science data infrastructures).
You should outline any other planned collaborations and their related benefits.
We encourage relevant collaboration with other international election surveys to enable comparison of British data in the international context. BES has taken part in the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems in five out of six modules from 1997. This value of this comparative analysis should be considered by you when designing the delivery of the next BES.
If you believe resources are more effectively used elsewhere, this should be outlined in the application.
Capacity building
We encourage you to consider capacity building in your approach and application. You can highlight any plans to support capacity building. Approaches could include utilising opportunities to diversify the BES team and offering opportunities for training and networking.
Governance
The successful applicant will be required to appoint their own independent advisory board which will advise on the activities of the award and the development of the award’s strategy and programme of work. The award will provide the administrative support for the advisory board meetings.
The Chair will be appointed in consultation with ESRC and its membership is discussed at an early stage with the ESRC investment manager. Membership of the advisory board should be in accordance with the terms specified in the ESRC Research Funding Guide.
Award holders should publish details of their advisory board on their websites. Information must include membership details, terms of reference and frequency of meetings.
ESRC investment managers should not be members of the advisory board but should be invited to attend meetings as observers. ESRC investment managers should receive copies of meeting agendas, papers and minutes/notes when requested.
Applicants should outline their plans for an advisory board and any other governance arrangements. How these arrangements will support their work and integrate communities’ views should be outlined.
Investment monitoring
We will set out monitoring and reporting requirements in the terms and conditions of the award. Award holders will be required to produce an updated timeline, deliverables list and risk register at the start of the grant, for regular discussion with us.
The award holders will be expected to provide ESRC with a short, written, six-monthly update on activities, including risk, finance, progress, and where applicable impact including data usage statistics. More frequent updates will be expected on important activities, risks and major project changes if they present a risk to meeting its objectives. Researchfish reporting is also required.
We will assign an investment manager as a lead contact for each funded investment. Contact will include a twice-yearly meeting between ESRC and the project lead, as well as other members of the team where appropriate.
Applications should include sufficient time for project leads and (where relevant) co-leads to meet these monitoring requirements as well as any governance arrangements.
Applications must comply with the ESRC research funding guide.
Duration
The duration of this award is a maximum of 60 months.
What we will fund
- staff costs
- data collection, distribution and promotion
- engagement and collaboration activity
- travel and subsistence
What we will not fund
- standard research projects (even if they are utilising the data)
- writing up previous research
- preparation of books and publications
- literature surveys
- general conference attendance that is not related to conducting the proposed work
- studentships
Contributions of the host research organisation
We will be looking for a strong statement of support from your research organisation to contribute to a successful delivery of the BES.
We expect applications to include details of support including why this organisation is well-placed to host the BES. The statement should demonstrate its commitment to hosting and running this strategic investment and detail any aligned funding that will be provided to support the activity and additional support that might add value to the work.
Supporting skills and talent
We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)
UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.
As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.
ESRC data infrastructure
We support a range of data infrastructure. Where relevant, we encourage applicants to consider whether the use of these resources could add value to the project. See Facilities and resources for information on finding and using ESRC datasets which are available across the UK.
Where relevant, details of datasets and infrastructure to be used in your project should be given in the Facilities section.
Data requirements
We recognise the importance of data quality and provenance. Data generated, collected or acquired by ESRC-funded research must be well-managed by the grant holder to enable their data to be exploited to the maximum potential for further research. See our research data policy for details and further information on data requirements. The requirements of the research data policy are a condition of ESRC research funding.
Where relevant, details on data management and sharing should be provided in the Data management section. See the importance of managing and sharing data and content for inclusion in a data management plan on the UK Data Service (UKDS) website for further guidance.
We expect you to provide a summary of the points provided. The UKDS (datasharing@ukdataservice.ac.uk) will be pleased to advise applicants on the availability of data within the academic community and provide advice on data deposit requirements.
Impact, innovation and interdisciplinarity
We expect you to consider the potential scientific, societal and economic impacts of their research. Outputs, dissemination and impact are a key part of the criteria for most expert review and assessment processes. We also encourage applications that demonstrate innovation and interdisciplinarity (research combining approaches from more than one discipline).
Knowledge exchange and collaboration
We are committed to knowledge exchange and encouraging collaboration between researchers and the private, public and civil society sectors. Collaborative working benefits both the researchers and the individuals/organisations involved. Through collaboration, partners learn about each other’s expertise, share knowledge and gain an appreciation of different professional cultures.
Collaborative activity can therefore lead to a better understanding of the ways that academic research can add value and offer insights to key issues of concern for policy and practice.
Knowledge exchange should not be treated as an ‘add-on’ at the end of a project but considered before the start and built into a project.
Research ethics
ESRC requires that the research we support is designed and conducted in such a way that it meets ethical principles and is subject to proper professional and institutional oversight in terms of research governance. We have agreed a Framework for Research Ethics that all submitted proposals must comply with. Read further details about the Framework for Research Ethics and guidance on compliance.
