External Sources of Funding
Please see below for organisations that may be able to fund research projects.
Before submitting a research proposal, you may also want to visit the for advice on writing and submitting a proposal聽or the SSRC publication,聽. For identifying a selection of books to help with the preparation of funding proposals, please visit the聽
UK Research Councils
聽聽supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity.
is the UK’s leading funding agency for academic research and training in the non-clinical life sciences.
聽is the main UK government agency for funding research and training in engineering and the physical sciences.
聽support research across the entire spectrum of medical sciences.
聽funds world-class science in universities that increases knowledge and understanding of the natural world.
offers grants and support in Particle Physics, Astronomy, Nuclear Physics and Facility Development
Charitable Foundations
Major charitable foundations which sponsor research聽projects include:
funds imaginative new projects which will enhance the Church’s contribution to higher and further education.
is a grant-making organisation which concentrates its support on education, the arts, museum and gallery education, cultural leadership training, health and social care and enhancing Jewish life.
is responsive to requests for support across the broad range of聽their interests, which are: the cultural life of the UK, education and learning, the natural environment and enabling disadvantaged people to participate more fully in society.
grant making focuses on reducing poverty and injustice; promoting democratic values; and advancing human knowledge, creativity and achievement.
offers funding and sponsorship of the arts, education and other areas of human endeavour and excellence.
makes grants for up to three years, with a value of 拢500-拢15,000 in total. Funding is focused on a number of specific beneficiary groups and grants are made across the UK.
is a private, independent grantmaking organization based in Milwaukee. Its grants support research and educational projects, programs, and other activities.
provides research funding to postdoctoral level scholars in all subjects within the humanities and social sciences.
is not a grant-making organisation and does not accept speculative enquiries for funding.聽It issues ‘calls for proposals’ and invite submissions to them.
makes awards for the support of research and education. The Trust emphasises individuals and encompasses all subject areas.
supports projects that are imaginative and innovative, take a thoughtful and rigorous approach to problems, and have the potential to influence policy or practice.
runs nineteen funding schemes which are designed to enhance the UK science base and foster collaboration between UK-based and overseas scientists.
For a list of聽UK charitable organisations, please visit the聽.
Governments Departments and other public bodies that sponsor research
聽commission specific studies.聽Its sponsored bodies also publish their own research reports.
tenders research projects in the areas of education and early years.
聽is a major funder of science, spending over 拢300 million annually on research, monitoring and surveillance activities.
funds many organisations across the globe who are working to end poverty.
commissions research to assess the effectiveness of transport policies.
聽issues requests聽for research proposals聽at least once every two years.
has well-established links to many UK universities and we are keen to establish more of these strategic partnerships.
use research to understand how grant programmes are working and what difference the projects funded have made 鈥� both to heritage and for people.
provides block grant funding to support the research infrastructure and enable institutions to undertake ground-breaking research in keeping with their own mission.
provides funding to institutions for the training of postgraduate research students, and for capital investment in research equipment and facilities.
publish requests for expressions of interest on their website.
produces a wide variety of publications, which support our work in funding and regulating further education and skills in England.
commissions research contracts by competitive tender.
funds a wide range of research programmes, helping to inform and assess policy.
provides block grant funding for universities to carry out ground-breaking research of their choosing.