ESRC Connect Awards (pilot)

Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: 1 May 2026

Funder Deadline: 10 June 2026

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is inviting applications for funding to connect with other researchers to scope, seed and grow emerging research fields and new areas of inquiry. This pilot funding opportunity will support researchers to collaborate on novel, exploratory and high-risk ideas, building the foundations for future research and innovation.

Scope

Connect awards are collaborative and are expected to be interdisciplinary, bringing researcher together from different fields to develop high-risk, exploratory or unconventional research ideas and approaches. Applications must have a project lead from the social science disciplines within ESRC’s remit. Collaborations with non-research partners are also allowed, providing these are additional to collaborations with other researchers, and that they are included on the grant as project partners rather than project co-leads.

The ESRC will fund: 

• networking
• seminars and workshops
• focused events or conferences
• knowledge exchange activities
• scoping and initial pilot studies
• initial data collection

The ESRC will not fund:

• duplication of collaborations and research that already exist
• follow-on activities from a previous and existing collaborative project, including the continuation, extension or repackaging of existing collaborations unless a truly novel or exploratory idea has arisen
• collaborations that focus on incremental development, rather than testing exploratory or novel ideas
• literature surveys
• research activities that could be funded through other more appropriate funding opportunities, for example, other ESRC responsive mode funding opportunities
• collaborations that do not have a project lead from social science disciplines or a primary focus on the social sciences

Eligibility

Researchers based in UK research organisations, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) institutes, NHS bodies, independent research organisations, public sector research establishments and Catapult centres are eligible to apply. The funder encourages applications from diverse groups of researchers, particularly those who have not previously held ESRC grants, and from individuals at any career stage, subject to ESRC eligibility.

Value and Duration

Applications can be for between £50,000 and £150,000 in full economic cost (FEC). Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) will fund 80% of the project’s FEC. Awards can last up to six months. Projects must have finished by 31 March 2027.

How to Apply

Faculty members interested in applying to this scheme must notify the research administration team via research@law.ox.ac.uk by Friday 1st May 2026 at the latest.

Applications must be submitted via the UKRI's funding platform, The Funding Service (TFS) by Wednesday 10 June 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. It is standard best practice that UKRI applications are submitted to the University of Oxford's central Research Services team 5 working days prior to the funder deadline, i.e. by 4pm Wednesday 3rd June 2026.

Please also see our Faculty and University internal deadlines:

Research Services: 13 March 2025