EPSRC New Investigator Award 2026–2027: Open-Ended Grant for UK Researchers Moving to Independence
The EPSRC New Investigator Award supports eligible UK-based early-career researchers with their first EPSRC project-lead application to develop an independent research vision, establish a research group, and lead a focused project.
EPSRC New Investigator Award 2026–2027: Open-Ended Grant for UK Researchers Moving to Independence
The EPSRC New Investigator Award is an applicant-led grant for an early-career researcher who is ready to lead an independent research project for the first time. It is designed for the point where a researcher has a clear research idea, enough evidence to justify a defined programme of work, and the support of a host organisation, but has not yet built the grant history or leadership profile associated with established independence.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) lists the opportunity as open. It opened on 5 August 2026, and UKRI says there is no closing date. Applications are batched for regular assessment, so a prospective applicant should submit when the proposal and institutional checks are ready rather than waiting for a particular annual deadline. The scheme is relevant to applications prepared during 2026 and 2027 because it is a continuing responsive-mode route, not a single short-lived competition.
This is not a personal fellowship and it is not a general-purpose bridge grant. The award is meant to support a single research vision, help the applicant start or lead a research group, and create a credible path to later research support. EPSRC funds 80% of the project’s full economic cost (FEC). There is no upper limit on grant value or project length in the published opportunity, although EPSRC says awards are typically one to three years and applicants should request the duration and resources needed to meet the research goals.
Key details
| Detail | Official information |
|---|---|
| Opportunity | EPSRC new investigator award: applicant-led mode |
| Funder | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UKRI |
| Status | Open |
| Opened | 5 August 2026 at 9:00am UK time |
| Deadline | Open with no published closing date; applications are batched regularly |
| Funding | 80% of full economic cost (FEC) |
| Grant ceiling | No limit stated by EPSRC |
| Typical duration | One to three years, although no fixed maximum is stated |
| Applicant location | UK resident and based at an EPSRC-eligible UK research organisation |
| Main purpose | Transition to independence, establish a research group, and develop an independent research vision |
| Application route | UKRI Funding Service, submitted by the lead research organisation |
| Official source | UKRI EPSRC New Investigator Award page |
What the award is intended to support
EPSRC describes the award as support for excellent responsive, discovery-led research. The central question is whether the applicant has a coherent research vision that can become the foundation of an independent programme. The project can sit in any area within the EPSRC remit, including artificial intelligence, resilience and security, clean energy, engineering, healthcare technologies, information and communication technologies, sustainable manufacturing, mathematical sciences, physical sciences, and quantum technologies.
The thematic-area list is an administrative signpost. Applicants select the area where most of the novelty lies, but EPSRC says the selection does not change the rank order of applications. The proposal is assessed on its scientific and engineering merit alongside applications across the responsive-mode opportunity. Most of the research must fall within EPSRC’s remit. If a project sits near a boundary with another research council, the applicant should contact EPSRC before submitting so the remit question can be handled early.
The best fit is a focused project with clearly defined objectives and outcomes. EPSRC specifically warns that complex, multi-faceted projects with many objectives are not appropriate for this scheme. A proposal can still be ambitious, but its ambition should come from the importance of one research vision and the quality of the planned advance, not from a long list of loosely connected work packages.
The award can pay for staff, equipment, other items needed to carry out the work, impact-related costs, and travel and subsistence. Equipment items can fall between £25,000 and £400,000 each. Applicants do not need to attach equipment quotations with the application, but EPSRC says quotes for equipment costing more than £138,000 should be retained because they may be requested after panel review and before funds are released.
Who can apply
The applicant must be resident in the UK, meet UKRI’s individual eligibility policy, and be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding. The application must be the applicant’s first application to EPSRC as a project lead, subject to the exceptions described in the official guidance. The opportunity is about funding history and demonstrated independence, not a simple number of years since the PhD or a particular job title.
The applicant should be able to explain why they are still at the transition-to-independence stage. EPSRC’s published eligibility wording includes several important tests: the applicant must not have led a single grant, funded project, or programme worth more than £175,000 FEC; must not have held a position supervising postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months cumulatively; and must not already hold or have held a comparable grant intended to support early independence and leadership. A previous fellowship can have different treatment, so applicants should not infer eligibility from the headline grant threshold alone.
There are also exclusions for anyone who has previously applied to an EPSRC New Investigator Award scheme, whether the earlier application was successful or unsuccessful, or who currently has a UKRI Type 1 Early Independence Fellowship or UKRI new investigator award under assessment. Established researchers whose sustained independence and leadership are inconsistent with the purpose of the scheme are not eligible. Funding received from local sources while working overseas must be considered in the award-history limit.
Fixed-term staff can apply only if their organisation can confirm that the contract will last through the end of the proposed grant. The organisation is expected to provide the same level of support as it would for permanent staff. A postdoctoral research contract by itself is not treated as an ongoing substantial relationship for this purpose. This makes an early conversation with the research office essential, especially for applicants whose contract end date is close to the expected project period.
The project is intended to be intellectually led by the applicant. Project co-leads are generally not permitted because the award is meant to establish the project lead’s independence. EPSRC may consider a co-lead in exceptional cases where the person contributes critical, complementary expertise that the lead does not possess, such as a clinician on a healthcare-technologies project. International researchers should normally participate as project partners rather than as an international project co-lead under this opportunity.
How the funding and institutional support work
EPSRC will fund 80% of the project’s FEC. The remaining 20% is the standard institutional share; the opportunity does not require additional matched funding beyond that amount. Third-party project partners may contribute cash, equipment, staff time, datasets, facilities, or other in-kind support, and such contributions should be recorded accurately.
The host organisation’s role is more than a formal signature. The research organisation support section has a 500-word limit and requires a statement written by the head of department or equivalent. The statement should explain how the applicant’s expertise fits the organisation’s and department’s wider interests and strategies, what training and development opportunities will be provided, how mentoring will work, and what financial support will be available, including any contribution to salary. EPSRC also expects clarity about whether the university can provide a suitable doctoral-student supervision opportunity, through a training grant or another source.
This support package is part of the case for independence. A strong statement connects the proposed project to the applicant’s next career stage. It should show how the institution will provide access to facilities, supervision, mentoring, training, and a research environment in which the applicant can build a team. Applicants should ask for the statement early, because it must be copied into the Funding Service text box and cannot be uploaded as a general attachment or placed in the project-partner letters section.
Students may work on research related to the project, but doctoral studentships cannot be charged to the grant. The project should not depend on a student’s success or availability. If a doctoral student is aligned with the research, the application must explain how the student’s work contributes and how the student’s own success remains independently supported.
Application process and required materials
Applications are made through the UKRI Funding Service, not the old Joint Electronic Submissions system. The lead research organisation must be registered. The project lead completes the application, while team members and partners are expected to contribute, and only the lead research organisation can submit the final application.
The practical sequence is straightforward but leaves little room for last-minute institutional work:
- Discuss eligibility, remit, costings, and the proposal idea with the research office.
- Select “Start application” on the Funding Finder page and confirm that you will lead the project.
- Create or use a Funding Service account, select the organisation, and verify the account.
- Complete the application questions and upload the required documents.
- Review the complete application in read-only view before sending it to the research office.
- Allow the research office and finance team to check hosting arrangements, eligibility, resources, and institutional support.
- Correct any returned items and let the lead research organisation submit the checked application to UKRI.
The main Vision and Approach document must be no more than eight sides of A4, single-spaced, using 11-point Arial or an equivalent sans-serif font and margins of at least 2cm. One of those eight pages must contain a project plan or Gantt chart. The file should be a single PDF no larger than 8MB and named with the Funding Service number followed by “Vision and Approach.” Applications that do not follow these attachment requirements may be rejected.
The application also asks for a 550-word plain-English summary. It should explain the context, challenge, aims, objectives, applications, and potential benefits and should not contain confidential information because the summary is usually made public. The applicant must identify the EPSRC thematic area using the one-word administrative response requested in the form.
Applicants must complete the 400-word Applicant Fit section and a 500-word Career Development section. The fit response should address the specific eligibility tests, including funding history and the transition-to-independence rationale. The career response should explain long-term goals, the chosen career route, development of a research profile, plans for further grant support, and how the applicant will establish and lead a research team. It can also cover positive change in the research community through mentoring, equality and inclusion work, public engagement, policy, outreach, or review activity.
The Applicant and Team Capability section uses the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format and has a 1,650-word limit, including up to 500 words of optional additions. It should present evidence appropriate to the applicant’s career stage, not a catalogue of every output. EPSRC asks applicants to address contributions to new ideas, tools, methodologies or knowledge; development of others and effective working relationships; the wider research and innovation community; and broader research or innovation users and audiences.
Other components cover ethics and responsible research and innovation, animal involvement and the 3Rs, genetically modified organisms and biological risk, human participation in health-related research, resources and cost justification, facilities, project partners, and trusted research and innovation. A partner letter or email should be no more than two A4 pages per partner, explain commitment and value, and be combined into one PDF in English or Welsh. Host-organisation support statements should not be submitted as partner letters.
What reviewers will look for
EPSRC assesses the application through independent expert review, shortlisting, and a panel recommendation. If shortlisted, the applicant has 14 days to respond to reviewer comments. Applications with enough reviewer support move to a responsive-mode panel, with panels typically meeting quarterly across mathematical sciences, ICT, engineering, and physical sciences. EPSRC aims to complete assessment within six months of receiving the application.
The assessment areas map directly to the application questions: project vision, approach, applicant and team capability, career development, resources, ethics and responsible innovation, and research-organisation support. That mapping gives applicants a useful quality check. Every major claim in the proposal should answer one of those questions. A technically interesting idea is not enough if the plan does not show feasibility, the applicant’s leadership, the institutional environment, or a sensible route to the next stage of research independence.
Reviewers will expect the vision to be important, timely, and capable of advancing knowledge or understanding. The application should identify local, regional, or national impacts and the people or organisations that may benefit. The approach should be transparent, feasible, and honest about risks. It should describe how previous work supports the proposed step and how the research environment, services, infrastructure, and equipment make delivery credible.
The resources section is not a request for a line-by-line shopping list. It has a 1,000-word limit and asks for high-level costs plus justification of staff, major travel, equipment above £25,000, unusual consumables, facilities, infrastructure, and exception costs. The most convincing budget explains why each significant resource is necessary for a milestone and why the request is proportionate to the result.
Preparation strategy for a competitive application
Start by writing the project’s single decision or discovery in one sentence. If the sentence contains several unrelated scientific questions, narrow the project. Then identify the minimum sequence of objectives that will answer it. A concise project plan with milestones is easier for reviewers to test than a large programme with many dependencies.
Build the independence case alongside the scientific case. Explain what intellectual territory belongs to the applicant, how the project differs from a supervisor’s or collaborator’s programme, and what leadership responsibilities the applicant will take. A team can provide essential expertise, but the proposal should make clear that the applicant remains the sole intellectual leader unless an exceptional co-lead is justified.
Use evidence at the applicant’s career stage. A paper, dataset, prototype, method, collaboration, teaching contribution, community activity, or research-management responsibility matters when it demonstrates readiness to deliver this specific project. R4RI is an opportunity to show range and contribution, not a CV pasted into prose. Select examples that establish the relevant skills and link each to the proposed work.
Ask the host department to draft its support statement while the project is still being shaped. Mentoring, training, salary support, facilities, and future supervision should match the project and career plan. Generic promises weaken the application because EPSRC explicitly asks for a tailored career-development package.
Finally, plan the timing around internal approval. Although the opportunity has no published deadline, the organisation still has internal cut-off dates for costings, contracts, ethics, and submission. UKRI says submitted applications cannot be changed, and an application withdrawn before peer review or rejected by the office for substantive errors cannot be resubmitted to the opportunity. Treat the absence of an external deadline as a reason to submit a finished application, not a reason to delay basic checks.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most serious mistake is assuming that “early career” means a particular number of years after the PhD. EPSRC assesses eligibility using funding history, supervision history, comparable awards, and whether the applicant still needs this transition support. Check the full record with the research office.
Another common problem is presenting a standard grant, fellowship, or bridge budget under a new-investigator label. EPSRC says this award is not an alternative to a fellowship, standard-mode grant, or other similar mechanism. The project should be a focused first-lead award with a clear independence and career-development rationale.
Do not charge doctoral studentships to the award, rely on a student to deliver a critical milestone, or use a co-lead to divide intellectual ownership without an exceptional justification. Do not treat partner letters as endorsements alone; each letter must explain commitment, relevance, value, and the partner’s additional contribution.
Avoid hiding ethical, data, biological, animal, human-participant, export-control, or national-security issues. If none apply, make the required confirmation. If they do apply, describe the risk and how it will be managed across the project lifecycle. Reviewers are not asking for a generic paragraph. They need to see that the project design and its possible consequences have been considered.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a 2026 or 2027 deadline?
No fixed closing date is published. The opportunity opened on 5 August 2026, and EPSRC says applications are batched and processed regularly. Apply when the proposal has passed institutional checks and is ready for submission. Your research office may set an earlier internal deadline.
How much money can an applicant request?
EPSRC states that there is no limit on the value of the grant. It funds 80% of FEC, and the applicant should request the resources and duration needed to meet the project goals. A larger request still needs a strong justification and may not fit the focused nature of the scheme.
Can someone with a fixed-term contract apply?
Yes, if the host organisation can confirm that the contract lasts until the end of the grant and provides the required support. The application should not assume that winning the award will automatically extend the contract.
Can a project include international collaborators?
Yes. International researchers and organisations can participate as project partners where appropriate. The UKRI-RCN Money Follows Cooperation Agreement does not apply, so a Norway-based international project co-lead cannot be included under this opportunity.
How long does assessment take?
EPSRC aims to complete assessment within six months of receiving an application. The process includes expert review, possible shortlisting and a 14-day response period, then panel consideration. Applications are grouped for the appropriate responsive-mode panel.
Who should answer questions about eligibility or remit?
Start with the host organisation’s research office. For opportunity-specific questions, EPSRC lists the Talent and Skills Research Careers team at [email protected]. Technical Funding Service questions should go to [email protected] or the UKRI Funding Service helpline.
Official links and next steps
Read the official EPSRC New Investigator Award opportunity for the current eligibility rules, question wording, document limits, assessment criteria, and application link. UKRI also provides a New Investigator Award guidance page explaining how the award differs from a fellowship.
Before opening the application, prepare a short eligibility summary, a one-sentence research vision, a draft eight-page Vision and Approach document, a resource outline, and a meeting agenda for the research office. Ask the department head or equivalent about the required support statement, mentoring, training, facilities, salary support, and doctoral supervision. If those pieces align, the ongoing 2026–2027 route offers a practical opportunity to turn a well-defined research idea into a first independently led EPSRC programme.