Organisations in this list are eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding, but eligibility will also depend on the specific funding opportunity.
Other organisations types are defined but do not currently have any approved organisations to list.
Higher education providers
Eligible higher education providers (HEPs) are universities, colleges, and some professional schools that provide education and regularly undertake research activities.
Eligible HEPs usually take part in the Research Excellence Framework and receive recurrent annual funding from one of the UK’s higher education funding bodies:
- Research England
- Medr (Welsh Commission for Tertiary Education and Research)
- Scottish Funding Council
- Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy
You should check with your organisation before applying for funding to see if they have been approved as eligible.
UKRI institutes
These are institutes that receive funding from UKRI. They are national centres of excellence that provide leadership, expertise and infrastructure for the wider research and innovation community.
The UKRI institutes approved for standard eligibility are:
- Babraham Institute
- Diamond Light Source
- Earlham Institute
- Health Data Research UK
- Isaac Newton Group
- John Innes Centre
- Joint Astronomy Centre
- Marine Biological Association
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Harwell Institute
- MRC Human Genetics Unit
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) British Antarctic Survey
- NERC British Geological Survey
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory
- Quadram Institute Bioscience
- Rosalind Franklin Institute
- Rothamsted Research
- Scottish Association for Marine Sciences
- Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) laboratories
- The Faraday Institution
- The Francis Crick Institute
- The Pirbright Institute
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre
NHS bodies
UKRI research grants are open to NHS bodies with research capacity. This includes:
- the NHS board
- NHS Clinical Commissioning Group
- NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Special Authority
- NHS Trust
- NHS Local Health Board
The NHS bodies approved for standard eligibility are:
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
- Cambridge University Hospitals Trust
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Trust
- Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
- Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Kent and Medway NHS Partnership Trust
- King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Liverpool Heart and Chester Hospital NHS Trust
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- London North West Healthcare NHS Trust
- Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
- Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Milton Keynes University Hospital
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Ayrshire and Arran
- NHS Fife
- NHS Grampian
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- NHS Highland
- NHS Waltham Forest CCG
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
- Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Surrey County Hosp NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- St George’s University Hospitals Medical School
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
- UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Uni Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Uni Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Uni Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Coventry and Warwick NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Public sector research establishments
Public sector research establishments (PSREs) are organisations that:
- are significantly funded by a government department or UKRI
- are legal entities with a clear research remit
- mainly provide services for the government
The Public sector research establishments approved for standard eligibility are:
- Animal and Plant Health Agency
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
- Environment Agency
- Fera Ltd
- Forest Research
- Health and Safety Executive PSRE
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
- Marine Scotland Science
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- National Measurement Laboratory
- Natural England
- NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage)
- Office for National Statistics
- Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture
- UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)
Other public sector research establishments
In addition to the list of eligible public sector research establishments we have a list of establishments that are likely to meet the criteria to be eligible for UKRI funding. These establishments will still be required to apply to be eligible for UKRI funding and should contact us to discuss the eligibility process.
Email: grantssystemsupport@funding.ukri.org
These organisations are likely to be eligible but haven’t applied yet:
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
- Atomic Weapons Establishment
- Government Chemist
- Met Office
- National Institute of Health and Care Excellence
- Natural Resources Wales
- Northern Ireland Environment Agency
- Ordnance Survey
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- The UK Hydrographic Office
- UK Space Agency
Independent research organisations
Independent research organisations (IROs) are standalone organisations that are not affiliated with or funded by a HEP.
Independent research organisations need to demonstrate:
- existing in-house capacity to carry out research that extends and enhances other research happening in the UK
- the capability and skills to independently undertake and lead a research programme
The independent research organisations approved for standard eligibility are:
- Alan Turing Institute
- Anthony Nolan
- Armagh Observatory
- BirdLife International
- British Film Institute
- British Institute of International and Comparative Law
- British Library
- British Museum
- British Trust for Ornithology
- Butterfly Conservation
- CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)
- Cambridge Arctic Shelf Programme
- Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
- Centre for Sustainable Energy
- CERN
- Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs)
- Earthwatch Institute
- European Bioinformatics Institute
- European Marine Energy Centre Ltd
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
- Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Historic Royal Palaces
- HR Wallingford Group
- Imperial War Museum
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
- Institute of Cancer Research
- Institute of Development Studies
- Institute of Occupational Medicine
- International Institute for Environment and Development
- London Institute for Mathematical Sciences
- Malaria Consortium (UK)
- Moredun Research Institute
- Museum of London Archaeology
- National Archives
- National Centre for Social Research
- National Foundation for Educational Research
- National Gallery
- National Institute of Agricultural Botany
- National Institute of Economic and Social Research
- National Maritime Museum
- National Museum Wales
- National Museums Liverpool
- National Museums of Scotland
- National Nuclear Laboratory
- National Oceanography Centre
- National Physical Laboratory
- National Portrait Gallery
- Natural History Museum
- Nesta
- Overseas Development Institute
- RAND Europe Community Interest Company
- Royal Armouries
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies
- Quadrum Institute Bioscience
- Science Museum Group
- Sightsavers
- Tate
- Tavistock Institute of Human Relations
- The Aga Khan University (International) in the UK
- The Design Museum
- The James Hutton Institute
- The Manufacturing Technology Centre Ltd
- The National Trust
- The Office of the Health Economics
- The Resolution Foundation
- The Royal Shakespeare Company
- The Welding Institute
- Transport Research Laboratory
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- UK Health Security Agency
- Unlimit Health
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre
- Zoological Society of London, Institute of Zoology
Catapult centres
The UK’s network of Catapult centres are research and technology organisations. You cannot apply to become one.
Some funding opportunities run by Innovate UK are open to all Catapult centres. Catapults can apply for an additional level of eligibility, which allows them to apply for funding from other research councils and cross-council funding.
Catapult centres eligible for UKRI funding are:
- Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (Cell Therapy Catapult Limited)
- Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult
- Digital Catapult
- Energy Systems Catapult
- Manufacturing Technology Centre
- Medicines Discovery Catapult
- Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
- Satellite Applications Catapult
Charities
A charity must:
- be established for charitable purposes only
- be registered with the Charities Commission
- have been given charitable status under UK law
Non-governmental organisations
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are non-profit groups with capacity to carry out research. They are independent of government and usually serve specific social or political purposes.
Government departments
Government departments include all:
- Government agencies
- departmental public bodies
- non-departmental public bodies
Eligible departments must be one or both of the following:
- on the list of recognised UK Government departments
- part of the devolved administrations
Third sector organisations
These are organisations that are not within the public or private sector. They include:
- voluntary organisations
- community organisations
- mutuals
- co-operatives
Social enterprises
Social enterprises are businesses that have specific social objectives. They seek to maximise profits used mainly to fund social programs and offers benefits to the society and environment.
Other educational establishments
Other educational establishments (OEEs) provide education but do not generally undertake research activities. They can include:
- colleges
- professional schools
- universities
- HEPs that are run for profit
Overseas organisations
Overseas research organisations
Overseas research organisations are organisations within the listed categories whose registered address is not in the United Kingdom. Overseas Government departments are excepted from this category.
Overseas Government departments
Government departments are ministerial or non-ministerial departments of non-UK based Governments which includes all Government agencies, departmental public bodies, and non-departmental public bodies.
Businesses
Organisations which undertake commercial activities. These are defined as:
- micro: staff of 10 or less, with an annual turnover under £2 million
- small: staff of between 11 and 49, with an annual turnover of between £2 million and £10 million
- medium: staff of between 51 and 249, with an annual turnover of between £10 million and £50 million
- large: staff of 250 or more, with an annual turnover more than £50 million