Funding opportunity

Funding opportunity: Materials Innovation Programme Digital Materials Sandpit

Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Funding type:
Grant
Total fund:
£7,125,000
Publication date:
29 October 2026
Opening date:
Closing date:

Apply to attend a four-day sandpit to develop high-impact projects on the challenges and opportunities of digital integration to accelerate materials research translation. Selected participants must attend online and in-person days.

You must submit an expression of interest to apply.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding. Industry partners are welcome to attend the sandpit and develop projects as a partner but are not eligible for EPSRC funding through this opportunity.

We expect between three and eight projects, up to 33 months, will be funded, sharing up to £7.12 million. EPSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

Who can apply

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible.

Who is eligible to apply

This funding opportunity is open to applicants who meet the individual eligibility criteria.

We also welcome expressions of interest from industry to attend the sandpit and develop projects as a partner at the sandpit. However, businesses are not eligible to apply for EPSRC funding through this funding opportunity. The post sandpit submissions should accurately represent projects and teams assembled at the sandpit. Where skills gaps were identified and discussed at the sandpit, researchers or other parties, including non-academic project partners, can be added to successful projects with approval from the mentors at the sandpit.

International researchers

The UKRI-RCN Money Follows Cooperation Agreement does not apply to this funding opportunity. As such grants submitted to this funding opportunity cannot include a Norway-based project co-lead (international).

You should include all international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.

Resubmissions

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Find out more about UKRI’s resubmission policy.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

  • career breaks
  • support for people with caring responsibilities
  • flexible working
  • alternative working patterns

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

What we're looking for

Demand management

Demand management is not currently being applied to this funding opportunity.

Aim

This funding forms part of the National Materials Innovation Programme (NMIP) announced as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The NMIP aims to establish a nationally coordinated approach to the UK advanced materials sector, driving the translation and adoption of materials across key industrial sectors.

The National Materials Innovation Strategy identified the transition to a digital enabled materials sector as a core-cross cutting theme, Materials 4.0. This is synergistic with the digital materials research area that applies digital technologies to the design, development, characterisation and lifecycle management of materials. It integrates computational tools, automation and data-driven approaches to accelerate innovation and lower costs associated with bringing materials to market and improve sustainability across the sector. The objective of Materials 4.0 is to enable information to flow effectively across the entire materials lifecycle creating a connected digital ecosystem supporting innovation from initial discovery through to end-of-life recovery and end-use.

In recent years there has been extensive investment in development of digital approaches focused on materials research activity. However, materials data remain fragmented across organisations and stages of the lifecycle, often lacking common metadata, clear provenance, agreed quality metrics and the interoperability needed to support digital threads, advanced analytics and AI-driven decision-making.

EPSRC are inviting applicants to attend a four-day sandpit to deliver innovative, multidisciplinary and transformative approaches to the challenges and opportunities of integrating digital methods to accelerate the translation of materials research.

Sandpit

The sandpit will be a residential, interactive and intensive workshop that brings together a multidisciplinary cohort of participants, including researchers and potential users of research outcomes. Working collaboratively, participants will develop innovative approaches to address the complex research challenges towards Materials 4.0.

The sandpit will be overseen by a director, supported by a team of mentors. The director and mentors will participate throughout the workshop but will not be eligible to receive research funding. Their role is to guide participants, challenge assumptions, and support the identification and exploration of key research opportunities and challenges.

By the end of the sandpit, you are expected to have developed a number of collaborative project proposals. The director and mentors will act as independent reviewers, assessing the emerging projects and making recommendations for funding.

Following the sandpit, project leads and project co-leads of proposals recommended for funding will be invited to submit a full application. These applications will undergo assessment by the sandpit panel, comprising the director and mentors, to ensure that the submitted applications remain aligned with the vision, scope and objectives of the projects presented during the sandpit.

The sandpit process can be broken down into several stages, these are:

  • defining the scope of any research to address the challenges and opportunities from applying digital approaches to materials innovation
  • cultivating a common language and terminologies amongst people from a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines
  • sharing understandings of the challenges, and the expertise brought by the participants to the sandpit, and perspectives from relevant stakeholders
  • immersing participants in collaborative thinking processes and ideas sharing to construct innovative approaches
  • capturing the outputs in the form of highly innovative research projects
  • a funding decision on those projects at the sandpit using ‘real-time’ peer review

Scope

A sandpit has been identified as an effective mechanism for shaping and building consensus around the delivery of the Materials 4.0 agenda and identifying the highest-impact interventions for investment. Through intensive multidisciplinary collaboration, the sandpit will develop a shared understanding of key challenges and opportunities, build consensus on priority actions and generate a portfolio of innovative research projects for rapid implementation through associated funding.

The sandpit will provide an opportunity to explore the real-world challenges and opportunities associated with adopting digital approaches across the materials innovation pipeline. It will bring together expertise spanning areas such as data stewardship and curation, digital twins, automation, artificial intelligence, advanced characterisation, manufacturing and systems integration. Activities will focus on addressing challenges and opportunities aligned with the six opportunity themes identified in the National Materials Innovation Strategy, while strengthening connections between discovery, development, scale-up and deployment.

Objectives

The Materials 4.0 challenge-led scoping sandpit aims to:

  • bring together expertise from industry, academia, government, infrastructure organisations and other stakeholders to stimulate innovative and cross-disciplinary thinking around Materials 4.0 priorities
  • develop a shared understanding of the key challenges, opportunities and barriers associated with the adoption and implementation of Materials 4.0 approaches
  • identify and prioritise interventions that have the greatest potential to accelerate impact across the materials innovation landscape
  • develop ambitious, fundable research projects that can rapidly progress from concept to implementation
  • reduce fragmentation and duplication of effort by promoting coordination and alignment across the community

Participation

We intend to achieve these objectives by bringing together researchers, innovators, technology developers, end users and problem owners from a broad range of disciplines to form new collaborations focused on challenge-driven research and innovation. Applications are welcomed from individuals with expertise including, but not limited to:

  • materials science
  • engineering
  • physical sciences
  • mathematical sciences
  • computer science, data science and artificial intelligence
  • social sciences
  • advanced manufacturing and industrial digitalisation
  • responsible research and innovation
  • robotics

The sandpit particularly encourages participation from individuals who can bring perspectives from across the materials innovation pipeline and who are committed to developing collaborative solutions with the potential to transform the UK materials research and innovation landscape.

For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the ‘Additional information’ section.

Duration

The duration of these awards is up to 33 months.

Projects will have a fixed start date and must start by 1 July 2027.

Funding available

Depending on the amount applied for and quality of proposals, we expect to fund between three and eight collaborative research projects, sharing up to £7.12 million.

EPSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

We will provide accommodation during of the sandpit, however, you must make your own travel arrangements.

This sandpit is residential. Where employers cannot help, EPSRC, in line with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) policy, will cover the costs of any additional childcare or caring responsibilities, which is deemed necessary during this period.

Attendance at the sandpit does not guarantee UKRI funding.

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 has a long-standing and continuing commitment to supporting and enabling safe and effective collaboration in research and innovation. UKRI is equally committed to ensuring that this takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks.

Our Principles and expectations set out the principles that UKRI applies to TR&I and our general expectations of the research organisations (including businesses, research institutes, and research technical organisations) that we support. Organisations supported by UKRI should be able to provide evidence that their internal controls and processes meet these expectations.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.

How to apply

Applying to participate in the sandpit

Apply to this sandpit by completing an expression of interest (EOI), through an EOI survey.

Please note that each question in this survey is accompanied by a specific character limit indicated at the end of each question.

The EOI survey will require you to confirm your commitment to attend the entire sandpit if shortlisted. Please be advised, you must be able to attend the in-person sandpit from 1 February 2027 to 4 February 2027 (held in Cheshire, UK).  It is also anticipated that there will be a virtual introduction the week prior.

Information about the venue and the exact format of the sandpit will be provided to the successful applicants.  Accommodation will be provided, however, you must make your own travel arrangements. We welcome applications and enquiries from individuals with additional needs for whom specific provisions may need to be made, for example, those with caring responsibilities and people with disabilities.

We are committed to creating a more inclusive research base in line with our equality, diversity and inclusion action plan and encourage applications from under-represented groups.

Individuals who have applied to or attended a sandpit previously are welcome to apply to this sandpit.

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 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 EOI by 26 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 EOI to this funding opportunity, your EOI cannot be changed, and submitted EOIs will not be amended. If your EOI does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected. Incomplete surveys will be rejected.

Selected participants

EPSRC will confirm selected participants for the sandpit, by mid December 2026.

Selected applicants that are eligible to receive project funding from the sandpit will be required to inform their university research office, in advance of the event, that they will attend the sandpit. If funded through the sandpit, their institution will be required to fund 20% of the full economic project costs as standard.

Personal data

Processing personal data

EPSRC, as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will need to collect some personal information to manage your expression of interest and any subsequent funding application.

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 sandpit facilitators, directors and mentors, so that they can participate in the assessment process.

Publication of outcomes

If your application is successful, and you successfully receive funding through the sandpit, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Questions for assessment of expression of interest

Question one

This sandpit will involve exploring new ideas where the outcomes are not known in advance. Describe how you approach open-ended or uncertain research situations. You may wish to give an example of how you explored or adapted to a new direction in your work (1,500 characters including spaces).

Question two

The sandpit is a unique environment providing you with the opportunity to meet and work with new individuals from a diverse range of disciplines. Describe your approach to interdisciplinary teamworking and any experience you may have in this area? (1,500 characters including spaces).

Question three

Describe how you have shared your research or ideas with people outside your immediate field. This could include other academic disciplines, industry, policy, or the wider public. What approaches or formats worked well for you? (1,500 characters including spaces)

Question four

Please describe your current research interests in language suitable for a non-expert. Then explain how your skills, approaches, or ideas could contribute to advances in materials innovation through adopting digital approaches. (1,500 characters including spaces)

Question five

Please describe the unique perspectives, expertise, or capabilities you would bring to a multidisciplinary Materials 4.0 sandpit and explain what you hope to contribute to and gain from the experience. (1,500 characters including spaces)

Additional questions

You will be selected based primarily on your answers to the application questions.

In addition, the selection panel will reflect on your career stage and region to ensure a diverse group of participants. Therefore, you will be asked questions about these in the survey.

We are interested in understanding the pool of applicants that we are reaching with this opportunity, therefore the survey will  also ask for the following information which will be provided anonymously to UKRI by Citizen Space and we will not be able to identify individual respondents:

  • sex
  • gender identity
  • ethnicity
  • disability

This information will not be used as part of the assessment process.

For each of these questions, you have the option to answer with ‘prefer not to say’.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process for applications to attend the sandpit

Applications to attend the sandpit will be assessed by a selection panel comprised of the sandpit director, mentors and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) staff. Participant selection will be based solely on the information provided in the expression of interest survey.

The assessment criteria are as follows:

  • the ability to develop innovative approaches to research
  • the ability to work collaboratively and within interdisciplinary environment
  • the ability to explain research to non-experts
  • relevant research expertise and experience

Participants will be selected primarily based on these assessment criteria. However, the panel will also look to ensure sandpit participants have expertise in a mix of disciplines and backgrounds.

Because of the considerable number of applications expected, we will not be able to give individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

In the event of this funding opportunity being oversubscribed as to be unmanageable, we reserve the right to modify the assessment process.

Please note that attendance at the sandpit does not guarantee UKRI funding.

Full application assessment after the sandpit

Following the sandpit, if you were involved in one of the projects recommended for funding, you will be tasked with writing a full application covering your intended activities as identified at the sandpit.

The deadline for submission of full applications is expected to be in the week commencing 22 March 2027 (date to be confirmed).

Full applications will be submitted via the UKRI Funding Service. Funding will be conditional on receipt of a full proposal and the proposal passing the appropriate checks.

We will provide further guidance on this part of the process at the sandpit event.

Assessment criteria for full applications

The assessment areas we are likely to include are:

  • vision of the project
  • approach of the project
  • capability of the applicant or applicants and the project team to deliver the project
  • resources requested to do the project
  • ethical and responsible research and innovation considerations of the project
  • translation and impact plan

Final funding decisions will be made in April 2027, following review of the full applications by the sandpit director and mentors to ensure what is submitted is in keeping with what was presented at the sandpit. EPSRC may involve additional peer reviewers as required.

Any collaborative project funded through this opportunity must have a signed collaborative agreement between the partners before the start of any grant.

UKRI attach great importance to the dissemination of research findings and the publishing of information about the research they support in the public domain.

However, all dissemination and publication must be carried out in the manner agreed in the project’s collaboration agreement.

Read EPSRC requirements on collaboration agreements.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in expert review

Generative AI may only be used for the purpose of language refinement during application assessment. When using generative AI to refine the language of a review, expert reviewers and panellists must ensure that:

  • no part of the application being assessed is entered into a generative AI tool
  • no personal information from the application is disclosed
  • generative AI is not tasked with understanding, summarising or evaluating the application’s content

Expert reviewers and panellists must also:

  • comply with relevant intellectual property and data protection legislation
  • not take into account or speculate within their assessment whether generative AI has been used to develop the application

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Contact details

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

The helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility, content or remit of a funding opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your application please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact materials@epsrc.ukri.org

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

  • Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
  • Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries more efficiently, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.

Additional info

Background

As part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy advanced materials were recognised as a priority growth sector in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan.

The National Materials Innovation Programme aims to transform materials potential into materials progress, ensuring the UK remains a global leader in materials innovation.

You can review the following documents:

The focus of the National Materials Innovation Programme is on the translation and adoption of key advanced materials innovations for the eight growth driving sectors identified in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy (IS-8 sectors).

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.

Supporting documents

EIA for the EOI Opportunity (PDF, 242KB)

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