ESRC is making changes to its applicant-led funding schemes and launching five new opportunities in a phased approach, two of which will open in November.
Grow
Grow helps researchers build the skills, experience and confidence to take the next step in their career or move into a new area. It supports early career development and bold career pivots that can open up fresh directions for social science at three key career development and transition points:
- those establishing their independence as researchers
- those pivoting to a new social science discipline in a bold way
- those developing expertise in advanced or emerging methods, technologies or approaches needed to drive innovation in their field. This development of individuals will enhance the long-term capacity, adaptability and resilience of the UK’s social science research base
ELIGIBILITY
You can be at any stage of your career. Grow awards must focus on the development of the project lead. Other members of the project team are permitted if their contributions are required for the development project.
International researchers can apply as project co-lead (international). You must include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.
Business, third sector or government body project co-leads based in the UK can also be included as a project co-lead.
The social sciences within ESRC’s remit must represent more than 50% of the research focus and effort.
Use the remit query form if you are unsure whether your proposed research falls within ESRC’s remit.
VALUE AND DURATION
The FEC of your project can between £100,000 and £500,000.
The duration of this award is between 18 and 60 months.
KEY DATES
Call opens: 5 November 2026
Deadline: always open
More information including aim, scope and details of what will be funded can be found on the opportunity webpage.
Explore
Explore backs individuals or small teams to advance knowledge with innovative and disruptive ideas. It gives researchers freedom to use the approach that best achieves their aims, whether that means a research project, data initiative, or another route to push disciplinary, methodological or conceptual boundaries.
You have wide scope and freedom to propose the research activities best suited to achieving your project’s objectives. Activities may include, but are not limited to:
- basic or applied research projects
- exploratory or early-stage investigations
- methodological development or innovation
- large-scale surveys
- data infrastructure or novel data resources
- secondary analysis and other forms of existing data reuse
ELIGIBILITY
You can be at any stage of your career.
Applications must be submitted by an individual researcher or a small central research team consisting of no more than four members, comprising one project lead and up to three project co-leads.
International researchers can apply as project co-lead (international) and must be included within the maximum team size. You must include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.
Business, third sector or government body project co-leads based in the UK can also be included as a project co-lead and must be included within the maximum team size.
The social sciences within ESRC’s remit must represent more than 50% of the research focus and effort.
Use the remit query form if you are unsure whether your proposed research falls within ESRC’s remit.
VALUE AND DURATION
The FEC of your project can be between £300,000 and £2 million.
The duration of this award is a maximum of 60 months.
KEY DATES
Call opens: 5 November 2026
Deadline: always open
More information including aim, scope and details of what will be funded can be found on the opportunity webpage.
Don’t forget to consult UKRI’s list of planned opportunities by anticipated launch month across all of UKRI’s funding councils, including Innovate UK (note that opportunities always open to applications are not included on this page). The list was updated in September 2026 and the next update will be in December 2026.