Funding opportunity

ESRC working with Brazilian researchers

• Opportunity status: Open
• Funders: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), UK Research and Innovation
• Co-funders: State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
• Funding type: Grant
• Award range: £350,000 - £1,000,000
• Publication date: 20 September 2020
• Opening date: N/A
• Closing date: Open - no closing date

Last updated: 31 May 2023 - see all updates

You can apply to work with overseas researchers in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Collaborative work is governed by an agreement between UKRI and FAPESP.

You can get between £350,000 and £1 million (full economic cost) from ESRC for the UK part of the project. Proposals approved for funding will be financially supported by ESRC and FAPESP.

You can submit collaborative research proposals in any area of the social sciences within the remit of both ESRC and FAPESP.

There is no deadline, and we will accept proposals on an ongoing basis.

Please note: Previously the case for support attachment for this opportunity could be up to 5,000 words. However, in October 2021, this opportunity was brought in line with our research grant open opportunity, meaning that the case for support attachment should now not exceed six pages in length. From 1 August 2022, we will only be accepting proposals where the case for support attachment adheres to the six page limit.

In 2023 UK Research and Innovation will introduce a new grants system, the Funding Service, to replace the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system. This will impact how you apply to responsive mode opportunities. Find out more about the transition timeline and our pathway for change.

Who can apply

UK partners

You are eligible to apply if you:

• are a member of a recognised UK research organisation or have an offer of support (including use of facilities) from a recognised research organisation
• live within reasonable travelling distance of the research organisation
• take responsibility for directing the research and will be actively involved in carrying it through
• are a member of the Peer Review College or willing to join.

UK applicants must comply with ESRC’s eligibility requirements for standard research grants.

São Paulo-based Brazilian partners

You must be based at an eligible institution. These are higher education and research organisations, public or non-profit, based in the State of São Paulo.

What we're looking for

You can submit a collaborative research proposal in any area of the social sciences within the remit of ESRC and FAPESP.

ESRC supports excellent research in:

• demography and social statistics, methods and computing
• development studies, human geography and environmental planning
• economics, management and business studies
• education, social anthropology, and linguistics
• law, economic and social history
• politics and international relations
• psychology and sociology
• science and technology studies
• social policy and social work.

Find out more about the research areas supported by ESRC and FAPESP.

How to apply

What to do before applying

Before submitting a proposal, all applicants must read:

• Je-S guidance for applicants (PDF, 119KB)
• Operation guidance (PDF, 210KB)
• ESRC guidance on how to write a good research grant proposal.

There are three steps to applying:

1. São Paulo-based principal investigators must first confirm eligibility with FAPESP and receive a letter confirming this.
2. If you are a São Paulo-based principal investigator, you should submit the FAPESP proposals first via SAGe and then send a copy of this application to your UK principal investigator.
3. In the same week, the UK-based principal investigator must submit their application through the joint electronic submission system (Je-S) to ESRC, uploading a copy of the SAGe application as an attachment.

The funding you request from ESRC for the UK part of the project must be between £350,000 and £1 million (full economic cost).

The funding you request from FAPESP must follow the relevant FAPESP funding rules. You do not have to request equal amounts from ESRC and FAPESP. The difference should reflect the variations in costs and local prices.

How to apply online via Je-S

UK applicants must apply using the Je-S system.

We recommend you start your application early. You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.

When applying select ‘New document’ then:

• council: ESRC
• call/type/mode: Research grants (open call).

You can find general advice on completing your application in the Je-S handbook.

If you need further help, you can contact the Je-S help desk on 01793 444164 or by email jeshelp@je-s.ukri.org.

Your host organisation will be able to provide advice and guidance on completing your application.

You must follow the guidelines for standard research grants when completing your Je-S application unless specified in the Je-S guidance for applicants (PDF, 119KB).

For UK-based partners, your proposal document must have a title beginning with the words: ESRC-FAPESP.

You must attach the following documents to your Je-S application:

• a case for support
• justification of UK resources
• a data management plan (if your proposal involves the generation of data)
• CVs for all named researchers, both UK and Brazil-based – each CV should be no more than two pages long
• the FAPESP letter of eligibility
• a copy of the FAPESP proposal form as submitted through SAGe.

How we will assess your application

ESRC uses a peer review process to assess research proposals.

We will receive and assess proposals on behalf of both organisations. A decision will be made by ESRC’s research committee, within its normal standard grants competition process, but FAPESP-nominated experts will be involved throughout.

The assessment process usually takes at least six months but can be longer.

Find out more about the assessment process in our research funding guide.

Contact details

To find out more about:

• the agreement from ESRC, email international@esrc.ukri.org
• the agreement from FAPESP, email ukri-agreement@fapesp.br or visit the FAPESP website.

Additional info

Supporting documents

Operation guidance (PDF, 210KB)

ESRC guidance on how to write a good research grant proposal

Je-S guidance for applicants (PDF, 119KB)

Updates

• 31 May 2023
  'Start application' link updated to the new UKRI funding service