Influencing new funding calls

Big Ideas Initiatives

Some funders have mechanisms for members of the research community to propose topics of importance for major new calls or areas of funding focus. These tend to be most useful when the idea can be shown to have come from the relevant national community or network rather than just an individual PIs idea.

• EPSRC have a ‘Big Ideas initiative'
• NERC seeks community ideas through the following mechanisms:
  • NERC Big Ideas pipeline – UKRI
  • highlight topic funding rounds for strategic research on a defined subject area, up to the value of £4 million and four years in length
  • evidence submissions for training needs and skills gaps.

Community Reviews

There have been many recent reports from UK communities that outline the future of their fields. Some examples of these are below. Engaging with the community to produce reports like these are a good way to influence funding calls:

• Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (July 2022)
• National Materials Challenges
• A transformative roadmap for neurotechnology in the UK (June 2021)

Sandpit Events

Some Research Councils run sandpit events. They usually have an application process, inviting a multidisciplinary mix of participants – some active researchers and other potential users of research outcomes – to drive lateral thinking and radical approaches to address research challenges. Often the sandpit will culminate with groups of participants working together to develop an application for funding. More information on sandpits can be found here: Sandpits – UKRI

We would encourage people to apply for relevant sandpits as they are a great way to connect with the community and build collaborative funding proposals.