If you wish to work with researchers in Ireland, Luxembourg, Brazil and the US you must first express an interest in carrying out research with your overseas partners through an online form.
Researchers proposing to work with partners who would be funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the Fonds National de la Recherche in Luxembourg, and the São Paulo Research Foundation in Brazil should complete the relevant EPSRC online form on behalf of both partners at least three months before making an application.
Express an interest in working with researchers in:
If you wish to work with researchers or partners who would be funded by the NSF in the US, you should complete the EPSRC online form on behalf of both partners if the largest proportion of the research lies in the UK.
If the largest proportion of research lies in the US, your US partners should submit an expression of interest on behalf of both partners to the NSF. You should submit your expression of interest at least 60 days before making an application.
Express an interest to EPSRC in working with US researchers
We will work with our sister agencies to check your eligibility for funding and to assess whether your proposed project falls within our respective remits and budgets.
If successful, you will be invited to submit a joint proposal through the Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) using the normal process for standard EPSRC research grants. We are always open for applications for standard research grants.
Joint proposals with researchers supported by the NSF should be submitted in the country where the greatest proportion of research lies. UK partners in successful US applications should contact us for details of how to activate their funding.
If you wish to work with researchers in Norway read the guidance on how to complete an application.
How to apply through Je-S
When adding a new proposal you should select:
- council: EPSRC
- document type: standard research
- scheme: standard
- on the project details page, you should select ‘none’.
When completing the Je-S form, you should include EPSRC and the relevant Irish, Luxembourg or Brazilian overseas agency at the start of your project title – in other words:
- EPSRC-SFI for Ireland
- EPSRC-FNR for Luxembourg
- EPSRC-FAPESP for Brazil.
Your collaborating institution in Ireland, Luxembourg and Brazil should be included as a project partner. The total costs requested from your overseas partners should be included in the Je-S form as project partner contributions.
Brazilian researchers must submit a copy of the proposal through FAPESP’s SAGe submission system at the same time you make the application through Je-S.
If you are working with researchers funded by the NSF, you should begin your project title with the relevant NSF institution and EPSRC – in other words:
- CBET-EPSRC for NSF’s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems
- CMMI-EPSRC for NSF’s Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation
- ECCS-EPSRC for NSF’s Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems
- DMS-EPSRC for NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of Mathematical Sciences.
Your collaborating institution in the US must be included as a project partner, with its contribution valued as the total NSF award. Applications made to the NSF will follow its application process.
Your application should include the following attachments:
- case for support: eight pages – two on your and your partner’s track record and six on the scientific case for both components
- work plan: one page
- justification of resources on behalf of both partners, making it clear which agency will fund which costs: two pages
- CVs: up to two A4 sides each only for named postdoctoral staff, researcher co-investigators (research assistants who have made a substantial contribution to the proposal and will be employed on the project for a significant amount of time), and visiting researchers
- letters of support from all project partners included in the Je-S form: no page limit
- quotes for equipment above £25,000: no page limit
- equipment business case for any items of equipment or combined assets with a value above £138,000: up to two pages
- technical assessments for facilities listed as requiring one in the Je-S guidance: no page limit
- cover letter: no page limit, not seen by peer review
- other attachments: Luxembourg partners should fill out an INTER budget form (Excel workbook) and INTER budget details form (Word document) for the costs being requested from Fonds National de la Recherche. Partners supported by SFI should complete the SFI application form and associated documents, and they should be attached as a single PDF. These are for EPSRC and partner agency records only and will not be seen by reviewers or panel members.
You should attach your documents as PDFs to avoid errors. They should be completed in single-spaced 11 font Arial or similar sans serif typeface.
If you wish to work with researchers in Norway, read the guidance on how to apply through Je-S. You should also begin your project title with ‘UKRI-RCN’.
We recommend you start your application in good time. You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.
When you submit the application, it will first go to your host organisation for review. You should hear the result of your application within 26 weeks of submission by your host organisation.
See the Je-S handbook for full advice on completing applications.
Find out more about completing your application.
UKRI is implementing a standard method for inputting overseas costs on Je-S from 1 July 2021. This will enhance UKRI’s ability to report on overseas funding to:
- BEIS
- the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD)
- HMG
- other government departments.
It includes any costs incurred by organisations outside the UK, including:
- staff salaries
- travel and subsistence
- equipment
- overheads.
The ‘Other-DI Costs’ document is to contain the following data in the description box in this exact format: ‘Organisation; Country; Cost Category; Cost Description’.
For example: ‘University of Nairobi; Kenya; Other Directly Incurred Costs; Subcontracting of the production of samples’.
