Expression of interest (EoI)
This funding opportunity has a mandatory EOI stage. This will enable EPSRC to prepare for the assessment process. Any applications without an EOI will be rejected.
Please submit your EOI via Citizen Space. The deadline for submission of an EOI is 1 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.
The EOI should include:
- contact details for the project lead
- contact details for others involved in the application, including a contact for the lead organisation’s research office
- the title of your proposed fire engineering skills hub
- other organisations that are expected to be involved in delivering the skills hub, including the lead organisation and any confirmed or likely collaborating organisations
- the thematic areas your training programme will cover (approximately 200 words)
Only the lead organisation should submit an EOI. Universities must discuss with their university research office before submitting an EOI.
Your EOI will not be assessed externally. It will be used by EPSRC to plan the assessment process. We will only contact you if we require any clarifications or have any concerns about whether the proposed work is in scope and remit for this funding opportunity. We intend to publish the details of the project lead, lead institution, institutions involved in the consortium and the summary provided of each expression of interest.
Only applications that have submitted an EOI will be permitted to submit a full application.
Full proposals stage
We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service, so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI. Please refer to the eligibility sections on the UKRI website to ensure that your organisation and applicants are eligible for UKRI funding. Check if your organisation is eligible.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
- provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
- insert each new image onto a new line
- use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include:
- sentences or paragraphs of text
- tables
- excessive quantities of images
A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:
- references are easily identifiable by the assessors
- references are formatted as appropriate to your research
- persistent identifiers are used where possible
General use of hyperlinks
Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.
Deadline
EPSRC must receive your application by 3 November 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
If an application is withdrawn prior to peer review or office rejected due to substantive errors in the application, it cannot be resubmitted to the opportunity.
Personal data
Processing personal data
EPSRC as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Royal Academy of Engineering so that they can participate in the assessment process.
For more information on how personal information is used visit the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PDF, 107KB) and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email TFSchangeEPSRC@epsrc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
- individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
- declaration of interest
- additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
- conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
- the application is an invited resubmission
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
Institutional matched funding
There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond costs that are not eligible. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations.
This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff.
Publication of outcomes
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at EPSRC Funding Applications Outcomes
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the challenge the project addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
Only list one individual as project lead.
If partner higher education partners are hosting studentships to have access to the grants, they need to be listed as a project co-lead on the ‘Team’ section of the award.
UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Vision
Word limit: 1,000
What will this training investment achieve? How will this support UK capability and capacity needs and why is it important that UKRI support this activity?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Please outline:
- a clear vision, and objectives that will make a positive contribution to the scope of this investment opportunity and deliver high quality fire engineering education with tracking measures
- the positive outcomes and impact for society and the economy that the investment is aiming to deliver. Describe the strategies to deliver these, grounded in a model that results in highly skilled fire engineering personnel, employable across a range of sectors and careers
- how your vision aligns and will positively contribute to relevant wider strategies and priorities, including national capability and capacity needs. If relevant, describe how it will provide additionality to your existing doctoral provision
- credible plans for the long-term sustainability of the proposed provision, including future student demand, institutional commitment, maintenance, and development of specialist fire engineering expertise, and where relevant, the development of future academic and research capability
- how the proposed provision will support the future regulated fire engineering profession, including alignment with the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel’s Authoritative Statement and Next Steps paper, development of professional judgement and ethical practice, multidisciplinary working, and the ability to contribute to public safety outcomes
- how the investment will contribute to national fire engineering capability and capacity beyond the funding period, including lasting benefits for the wider education, research and professional ecosystem, and any plans to embed partnerships, expertise, learning resources, or delivery models into longer-term provision
Your vision must align to the scope set out in the ‘What we are looking for’ section. In particular, the UK fire engineering capability and capacity needs must be considered in terms of UK Government priorities, as outlined in the latest spending review. These include those set out in the Fire Engineering Advisory Panel: Authoritative Statement, the Fire Engineering Next Steps, the Building Construction Prospectus and the Industrial Strategy, including developing capability and capacity needs.
Through this funding opportunity we are seeking to develop the skills and capacity needed by the fire engineering sector over the next 10 years.
References may be included within this section.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Approach
Word limit: 1,500
How will the training programme, that you deliver through this grant, support your vision, and align with UKRI’s ambitions for its training investments?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how your choice of skills hub will:
- deliver your vision and any specific requirements set out in the funding opportunity documentation, including why this approach is necessary to achieve the funder’s expected outcomes
- embed delivery of UKRI’s statement of expectations for its students so that the programme provides a holistic approach that delivers high quality education and research. Also, how it integrates in-depth subject knowledge, research and methodological skills, and wider skills development opportunities
- embed delivery of UKRI’s statement of expectations for its students so that the programme supports students to build their understanding of what conducting high quality research involves
- embed delivery of UKRI’s statement of expectations for its students so that the programme prepares globally competitive researchers and practitioners, able to use their skills to thrive in a range of careers (including academia) and operate across interdisciplinary, collaborative and challenge-led environments
- embed the development of post-graduate (level 7) programmes including CPD programme development
Your approach must align to the scope set out in the ‘What we are looking for’ section.
References may be included within this section.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Positive culture and environment
Word limit: 750
How will you create and maintain an inclusive and supportive culture and environment for all those involved?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain briefly how your training and development programme will:
- create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for all students and staff involved, addressing a variety of needs and supporting good wellbeing including relevant, specific support and training for supervisors where needed
- champion and embed equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for students and staff, across all aspects of the training grant, including supervision, training design and approaches, and flexible student support
- achieve the specific EDI requirements detailed in the funding opportunity documentation or that you are proposing. You should provide evidence for the specific need and value of the proposed EDI activities to achieve its intended aim, including baseline information
UKRI will require successful applicants to develop detailed EDI strategies, activities and commitments.
Your response must align to the scope set out in the ‘What we are looking for’ section
Capability to deliver
Word limit: 750
Who will lead and drive delivery of this application’s vision?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate that those leading the delivery of this award have:
- secured the appropriate research and pastoral capacity to support the number of studentships that you expect to deliver through this award
- a well-evidenced track record of the experience and skills needed to deliver the proposed vision, skills hub programme, and scale
- a well-evidenced track record of contributing to a positive research culture and the wider community
- a well-evidenced track record of supporting the training and development of others, particularly previous involvement in delivering doctoral training successfully
- a track record of fire engineering programme development (master’s level)
Your response must align to the scope set out in the ‘What we are looking for’ section.
Partnerships and governance
Word limit: 1,000
How will the skills hub be governed, and partnerships or relationships be supported and managed, to maximise benefit and minimise risk?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide evidence that partners are committed to:
- working together, with effective two-way engagement and decision-making processes
- positively and constructively contributing to the delivery of the doctoral training and the training experiences of the students, with students clearly benefitting from these interactions
- positively and constructively contributing to the delivery of the level 7 programme development
Within the ‘Partnerships and governance’ section, we also expect you to provide evidence that there is an established, clear and effective governance and risk management structure for the skills hub award that:
- is appropriate for the size and complexity of the skills hub and ensures continuity of the programme’s capabilities
- has clear leadership roles and responsibilities across the consortium
- supports continual improvement, monitoring, and evaluation
- manages the legal duties of the programme and providers
- supports UKRI’s expectations to create value for society in an ethical and responsible way through relevant frameworks
Your response must align to the scope set out in the ‘What we are looking for’ section, and the particular governance challenges highlighted there.
You must also provide a summary of any non-cash contributions secured from project partners or collaborators, which can be used flexibly to provide support for uses including studentships, industrial placements and co-created workshops.
Your organisation’s support
Word limit: 500
Provide details of support from your research organisations.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisations detailing how they will support the consortium, and your proposed activities. This should include details of any additional support that might add value to the work.
Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of support from your research organisations. This information should have been approved for submission by an appropriate institutional authority.
You must also include the following details:
- a significant person’s name, their position and office or department, or all
- office address or web link
Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.
Project partners
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK.
Add the following project partner details:
- the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
- the project partner contact name and email address
- the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Project partners: letters (or emails) of support
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the ‘Project partners’ section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter N/A. Each letter or email you provide should:
- confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
- clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
- describe any additional value that they bring to the project
- have a page limit of two sides A4 per partner
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the ‘Project partners’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Costs
Word limit: 750
What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a single, overall grant value for your proposal with a cost breakdown across the relevant funding headings.
The overall or individual funding levels do not need to be justified where these have been mandated by UKRI.
Through the costings template, indicate the:
- total number of students that you expect your programme will support
- costs for the post-graduate (level 7) programmes including CPD programme development in the Total – other costs heading in the costings template
Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Outline the main uses of the following funding:
Total RTSG: research support costs
Outline your approach to costing the research and training costs associated with individual studentship projects or tailored, individual student training in support of your vision and approach.
Total – other costs – programme-wide initiatives
Outline costs of group training and other overarching activities through the programme that will support your vision and approach. Include here how funding will be used to develop post-graduate (level 7) programmes including CPD programme development.
Total – staff – management costs connected to the skills hub delivery
You must not include costs standard to all doctoral studentships for example not general administration or supervision.
You do not need to justify the following unless the funding opportunity has afforded you flexibility:
Total – student stipend
Stipend costs only need to be justified where enhancements are requested above the UKRI minimum rate.
Total – fees
Fee costs only need to be justified where enhancements are requested above the UKRI minimum rate.
You should describe any co-funder contributions to the programme’s costs.
Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:
- are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
- represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
- maximise potential outcomes and impacts
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
What are the ethical and RRI considerations, implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
- the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
- the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, whilst minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm
- how you will manage these considerations
You should provide a brief summary of how responsible research and innovation will be addressed by the skills hub. If funded, you will be required to provide a more detailed plan.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and Responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation.
Animal involvement and “3Rs”
You must complete this section about how your proposed project will involve or impact animals.
If your project does not involve or impact animals, you must confirm this on the next page.
You may be asked about:
- what animals you are involving
- the severity of the procedures you are using
- where the procedures will take place
- welfare standards you aim to meet
- the relevance of your project to the development, validation or dissemination of the 3Rs
You may also need to download, complete, and upload at least one set of additional questions. You will be told how to do this towards the end of this section.
To complete this section and check whether your project is in the scope of the questions, refer to the UKRI policy for research and innovation involving animals.
What counts as an animal
UKRI policy relates to all animals in the Kingdom Animalia, including vertebrates and invertebrates.
Genetically modified organisms and biological risk
You must complete this section if your project will include genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies.
If you project does not involve genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies, you must confirm this on the next page.
You may be asked about:
- the type of organism your project will involve and the procedures your project will include
- the intended use of the organism or genetic technology
- the genetic, biological and environmental risks of your project
For more information, see UKRI’s guidance on genetic technologies.
Human participation in health-related research
You must complete this section about whether your project will include human participation.
If your project does not involve human participation, you must confirm this on the next page.
You may be asked about:
- what type of human participation your project includes
- the project design for human participation
- the phase of the clinical trial
- whether the project will be in an NHS setting, if so, how the project will be registered
- whether diversity and inclusion will be considered
For more information, see UKRI’s guidance for human participants in research.
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)
Trusted Research and Innovation is the protection of the UK’s intellectual property, sensitive research, people, and infrastructure from potential theft, misuse, and exploitation.
Organisations receiving UKRI funding are obliged to act in line with UK government legislation. They are also expected to undertake appropriate due diligence assessments of organisations involved in research partnerships, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts.
You will be asked about:
- which areas of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act your project relates to
- who you intend to collaborate with and how
- if your project requires an export control licence
Your answers may affect the T&Cs of your funding agreement if you are successful. We may use your answers to determine that our current T&Cs are sufficient or if additional T&Cs are required.
