External Funding
In this section:
Funding Team Support for Researchers
The External Funding Team support activities leading to an increase in the research and innovation outputs by supporting academics in obtaining grants and impactful research opportunities.
We provide:
- Assistance with bid generation and the exploitation of research and innovation
- Guidance on funding criteria and funders requirements
- Advice and guidance to academic staff on the costing of applications for external research funds.
- Assistance with non-technical aspects of grant applications
- Support to build research consortia e.g. identification of potential partners for EU bids
- Facilitation of collaboration opportunities with academic and industrial partners
Before starting a funding application:
- Discuss your funding strategy with your Research & Innovation Manager and/or the Leader European Funding Support
- Discuss your ideas with colleagues
- Plan proposal writing to ensure that you meet deadlines
- Understand what funding bodies are looking for
- Think about the type of support you are looking for, such as a salary for research assistants, equipment, travel overseas, running a workshop, setting up a large research consortium
- Form relationships with people you know who might be potential partners or funders - for example in industry, government, voluntary sector organisations, and charities
- Attend relevant conferences to build your network of contacts for collaborative opportunities
EU Funding
The European Commission provides a range of funding to support research and innovation related activities. For further information on these sources of funding and support available see the EU Funding pages or contact our European funding experts.
Funding Sources
The table below has links to some of the major funding bodies.
To discover other funding opportunities, please create an account on Research Professional. Helpful information on how to use Research Professional can be found here or, contact the RIO Funding Team who will help you to set up an account.
Research Councils |
Research Councils (RCUK) |
A strategic partnership of 7 UK Research Councils |
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC) |
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences |
Medical Research Council
(MRC) |
Medical Research |
Science and Technology Facilities Council
(STFC) |
Science and Technology |
Arts and Humanities Research Council
(AHRC) |
Arts and Humanities |
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC) |
Engineering and Physical Sciences |
Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC) |
Economic and Social Research |
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) |
Natural Environment Research |
UK Government |
DEFRA (Department for Food and Rural Affairs) |
Agriculture & Food, Energy, Environmental, Natural Resources, Human Welfare |
DIFD
(Department for International Development) |
Agriculture & Food, Climate & Environment, Medical Research, Water & Sanitation |
NIHR (National Institute for Health research) |
NHS, Social Care and Public Health |
Innovate UK |
Business Innovation |
Newton Fund |
Science and Innovation Partnerships |
Associations |
Association of Medical Research Charities |
List of 122 charities; Medical Research |
Charities |
The Wellcome Trust |
Biomedical Research, Medical Humanities, Arts Awards |
The Leverhulme Trust |
Any Subject |
The Wolfson Foundation |
Science & Medicine, Health & Disability, Education, Arts & Humanities |
Joseph Rowntree Foundation |
Poverty, Housing & Ageing in the UK |
National Academies |
The Royal Society |
Science, Engineering, Medicine (excludes clinical medicine) |
The British Academy |
Humanities, Social Sciences |
Royal Academy of Engineering |
Engineering |
The Royal Society of Edinburgh |
A range of disciplines |
Other |
National Institutes of Health |
US Medical Research |
JISC |
Digital Technology |
National Science Foundation |
Biological, Physical, Computer, Social Economic, Environmental sciences, Engineering, Education and Human Resources |
Digital R&D Funds for the Arts |
Digital Technology, Business Models |
The National Lottery UK |
Any Subject |
The National Science Foundation |
Social, Behavioural, Economic, Physical and Biological Sciences |
Higher Education Academy (Scotland) |
Pedagogy |