Apply for funding to establish a leadership team to form a behavioural research hub with outputs targeted towards addressing major societal challenges.
You must be based at an eligible UK research organisation.
The full economic cost of your proposal can be up to £12.15 million over five years. ESRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.
We are seeking an interdisciplinary leadership team led by a director (or two co-directors working as a job share) based at institutions eligible for ESRC funding.
Collectively, those involved in the successful leadership team must demonstrate the following skills and experience:
Co-directors do not have to be in an existing job share arrangement to apply on this basis. Applicants must agree an administrative lead from an eligible UK research organisation to be the principal investigator on the application form, and their institution will be responsible for submitting the grant application.
UK co-investigators across different sectors (including government, the third sector and business) and international academic co-investigators are encouraged.
For more information, read our:
Studentships are excluded as these opportunities are covered in a separate behavioural research Centre for Doctoral Training Plus (CDT+) funding opportunity.
In line with the UK Research and Innovation diversity principles, equality, diversity and inclusion must be embedded at all levels and in all aspects of research practice. We are committed to supporting the research community in the diverse ways a research career can be built with our investments. This includes:
With this in mind, we welcome applicants who:
For guidance on eligibility, please refer to the ESRC research funding guide.
We’re looking to fund a leadership team to develop a ‘hub’ that will connect stakeholders and drive interdisciplinary innovation in behavioural research. This is part of a total £18 million ESRC investment over the next five years to create a new National Capability for Behavioural Research.
The aim of the national capability is to harness, connect and extend the UK’s existing capacity and capability in behavioural research, and support the mobilisation of research into policy and practice.
We take a broad definition of what ‘behavioural research’ encompasses which goes beyond individualistic approaches to behaviour change. Our definition includes research to answer fundamental questions about how and why people, organisations and groups behave in the way they do within wider societal and economic contexts.
We expect a broad range of disciplinary perspectives, within the social sciences and beyond, to be involved in the investment. Outputs from the investment should be targeted towards addressing major societal and economic challenges.
The key objectives of this national capability are to:
The hub will sit at the heart of a ‘hub and spoke’ model and be complemented by a series of ‘spokes’ (or centres of excellence) that will be established over time to deliver key elements of the national capability. The first spoke will be a CDT+ in behavioural research that will develop the next generation of PhD graduates, early career researchers and provide relevant training to non-academics.
The interdisciplinary leadership team will play a critical role in building this new national capability by establishing, developing and running a hub that over the course of the grant must:
The hub and members of the leadership team do not need to be based in a single research organisation.
Funding is available for a single programme with a 100% full economic cost of up to £12.15 million. ESRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost for 60 months. This can cover the costs of:
The research organisation or organisations must meet the balance of the full economic cost from other resources.
The commissioning fund will be ring fenced within the main award and will be funded at 80% full economic cost.
Funding can be used for:
We welcome bids that include project partners that provide additional co-funding or in-kind contributions.
The CDT+ and all future spokes that make up the National Capability for Behavioural Research will be subject to separate funding awards. The leadership team will work closely with ESRC to develop further spokes. The ‘hub’ will not manage the spokes but will be expected to develop mechanisms to work collaboratively with them to achieve the overarching ambition of the initiative and contribute to the overall direction of the National Capability.
The award must begin in September 2023 and is expected to deliver to the following timeline:
A break clause will be written into the contract tied to a formal review of progress after 18 months.
The application should cover five years of activity and associated costs. Detailed plans for the first 18 months of activity should be provided and include deliverables that will demonstrate the functionality of the hub from the outset.
An overview of plans and approaches to delivering the longer-term ambition should also be included. We recognise that these plans will be subject to refinement and review during the first 18 months. Applicants should ensure that there is sufficient flexibility in the budget to accommodate any changes and include consideration of future virement of funds that must be in line with ESRC virement rules.
The leadership team should bring fresh perspectives to behavioural research and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the variety of disciplines and methodological approaches that can contribute to our understanding of behaviour.
For example, this could include disciplines from the social, economic, life, physical and mathematical sciences, and approaches such as:
The director (or co-directors) must contribute a significant proportion of their time to the overall leadership and coordination of the grant. Very small fractions of co-investigator time should also be avoided unless clearly justified in the proposal.
We expect the leadership team to be complemented by a wider core team whose specialist expertise (academic or non-academic) will support the delivery of the funding opportunity objectives. These may include:
We require applications to include a post that will be embedded within GO-Science and work across departments and devolved administrations. This post will help catalyse the exchange of knowledge and people between the research community and government, therefore supporting the development of the hub.
The post should be costed into the application and be at a sufficient level to work independently across large and complex organisations. ESRC and GO-Science will support the development of a job description for the post and participate in the recruitment process alongside members of the successful leadership team.
The person appointed will be employed at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding for the duration of the award and will be seconded to GO-Science. ESRC will facilitate this process. GO-Science is unable to provide letters of support to any bids.
Applicants should evidence within their proposal that they have considered equality, diversity and inclusion in how the hub will operate. This includes providing an inclusive environment for researchers at all career stages to thrive, with support for interdisciplinary and intersectoral engagement. Proposals should include an outline of the approach to a strong career development programme for all team members.
The successful team will be required to partner, collaborate and engage with a wide range of stakeholders to agree priorities and deliver the key activities of the hub. We expect the range of stakeholders to expand and evolve over time. The initial group of key stakeholders should include:
Other important stakeholders include local government and business.
Proposals should explain how they can build upon, support and integrate with existing research and innovation infrastructures. This includes leveraging ESRC’s data infrastructure investments to realise the potential of data to transform our understanding of behaviour. Key relevant investments include, but are not limited to:
The hub will also be expected to explore collaboration opportunities with emerging UKRI investments, such as Digital Footprints and Population Research UK, once established.
Applicants must articulate how they will develop a research function that has the flexibility to respond quickly to emerging priorities, while providing a longer-term research resource to address important questions related to major societal and economic challenges.
Proposals should articulate how the hub will work with stakeholders to develop and prioritise a research programme over time. We do not expect the research programme to be set out in detail in the application as we anticipate that it will be developed during the first phase of the grant and will be reviewed at 18 months.
In addition to any core research programme undertaken by the hub, proposals must also outline how the commissioning fund will operate and be governed. We expect projects awarded through this mechanism to be co-funded by external stakeholders and plans for engaging potential co-funders for these projects should be included in the application.
Costs for the commissioning fund should be included in the total cost of the proposal. We expect the amount to be funded from the grant will be between £1 to 1.5 million (at 100% full economic cost) and should be spread over the course of the award. Justification for this fund is not required in the justification of resources section of the application. However, the budget to be ring fenced should be justified in the case for support.
The commissioning fund should be used to support projects and activities undertaken by researchers outside of the hub. Applications for these awards must comply with UKRI eligibility and full economic cost rules and undergo a competitive process consistent with the principles of fair and transparent review.
Funding for PhD studentships from this fund is excluded, however projects led by PhD students are permitted.
ESRC should be consulted throughout the fund’s commissioning process to ensure best practice is followed. The projects and activities funded are expected to engage with the wider programme of activities led by the hub and report their progress and outcomes to the hub leadership. To avoid conflicts of interest, principal investigators and co-investigators as well as any staff employed to work in the hub, are not eligible to apply to the commissioning fund. Funding to support their research activity should be costed under the hub’s core research programme.
Policy-focused fellowships and placements awarded though any component of the research programme would need to be developed in conjunction with ESRC to ensure alignment with both best practice and other relevant initiatives. Fellows would join ESRC’s wider policy fellow cohort to maximise connectivity and learning.
Applicants should propose a management and governance structure that includes:
The proposal should include a programme management structure and articulate how the programme will be managed day to day.
Project management resources and administrative support should be detailed. Explain how the leadership will provide adequate operational capabilities and resources to meet the demands of the planned activities.
Proposals should explain how progress against the agreed deliverables will be monitored and reported to ESRC. Applicants should describe how formative evaluation will be costed and embedded into the programme, and how plans to measure and demonstrate the hub’s impact in the longer term will be developed.
The leadership team will also be required to contribute to any evaluation activity carried out on behalf of ESRC.
As with other investments of this nature and scale, we will be looking for evidence of long-term strategic support from the host research organisations (ROs). We recognise that the grant already requires a RO contribution of 20% and would encourage ROs to offer commitments appropriate to their plans for the investment.
We are committed to ensuring that host institution contributions are sustainable for ROs and ensure a level playing field for assessment. ROs have a degree of flexibility in what forms of support they provide and how these are profiled over the lifetime of the investment.
An in-depth review will take place after 18 months. Specific deliverables will be confirmed on award but are likely to include:
You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.
To be able to do this, your host organisation must be registered for Je-S, and you must hold a Je-S account. If you are unsure about this, you should contact your research organisation’s research office for further guidance.
You can find advice on completing your application in the Je-S guidance for applicants (PDF, 301KB).
We recommend you start your application early.
Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and guidance.
Before starting an application, you will need to log in or create an account in Je-S.
When applying:
This will populate:
Once you have completed your application, make sure you ‘submit document’.
You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.
ESRC must receive your application by 24 January 2023 at 16:00.
You will not be able to apply after this time. Please leave enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date.
You should ensure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.
Mandatory attachments include:
Other optional attachments should be included where necessary, refer to the Je-S guidance for applicants (PDF, 301KB).
Applications will be assessed and shortlisted through expert review followed by interviews with shortlisted applicants in June 2023.
Applicants will have the opportunity to respond to reviewers’ comments before the shortlisting meeting in May 2023.
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
ESRC reserves the right to modify the assessment process as needed.
UK Research and Innovation recognises the relationship between research assessment and research integrity and supports the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment.
For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal, please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.
Email: behaviour@esrc.ukri.org
Include ‘Hub application’ in the subject line.
We aim to respond within three working days.
01793 444164
The substantial increase in interest for behavioural research across the private, public and third sectors has been coupled with significant scientific and technological developments in areas such as data science and methods. This provides exciting opportunities for advancing research in this field, and presents an opportunity for investment in cutting-edge research oriented towards key societal and economic challenges.
This investment will complement and build upon existing expertise and resources by creating a new national infrastructure that enables the rapid exchange of evidence and advice on a broad range of research questions, as well as facilitates the exchange of people.
This investment is also a response to the fragmentation of academic research and government research needs. The investment will have a strong focus on research methods and bring together a suite of approaches (from data science and human-centred design to evaluation methods), which currently sit across a wide variety of disciplines, to enable interdisciplinary approaches to a range of important behavioural research questions.
It is important to ESRC that behavioural research is not seen to be the only way in which social science can contribute to government policymaking. This investment should identify ways to champion and support the broader contributions of social science whilst focusing its activities on interdisciplinary behavioural research.
ESRC is the single largest public funder of social and economic research data in the UK. We have invested over £200 million in data collection, creation, curation and delivery over the past five years. ESRC’s data infrastructure strategy sets out ESRC’s commitment to ensuring researchers have simple and seamless access to the best and most comprehensive social science data resources, and are equipped with the leading-edge skills and methods to optimise their use.
ESRC’s data infrastructure provides a foundational pillar for social science research, ensuring high quality data can be used to address challenges in the public benefit and advancing the UK’s reputation as a world leader. We expect ESRC proposals to consider how they can build upon, support and integrate with existing research and innovation infrastructures.
The InfraPortal provides a catalogue of over 750 of the UK’s publicly funded research and innovation infrastructures that are open to use and collaboration.
ESRC is establishing a dedicated CDT+ in behavioural research, which will be the first spoke commissioned alongside this major behavioural research ‘hub’.
Find out more about the CDT+ opportunity.
2 information webinars, hosted by ESRC staff, have been held on the national capability for behavioural research where applicants had the opportunity to ask questions about:
Webinars were held on:
Webinar presentation slides (PDF, 1.3MB)
Je-S guidance for applicants (PDF, 301KB)
ESRC research funding guide
International co-investigator policy guidance
UK business, third sector and government body co-investigator guidance
ESRC ethics framework
Equality impact assessment (PDF, 267KB)
Frequently asked questions (PDF, 109KB)
