Applying for Funding

Here you will find helpful information about things to consider when submitting research proposals for external funding:

Guidance for costs in research proposals

Travel Costs

• The university uses Key Travel for booking flights, rail travel and accommodation

• Travel from Heathrow and Gatwick airports via the airline bus

• Local bus travel in Oxford and to London

Transcription Costs

• The Business School uses the services of Penguin Transcription. They offer a special rate for academics and researchers for the transcription and will transcribe focus groups and one-to-one interviews

Catering

• Catering at our Oxford-based campuses is provided by Gather & Gather. Visit Food at Brookes to find out further information on the food and drink on offer on your campus. You can also hear about upcoming offers and events via the Food At Brookes Instagram account.  

Room Hire

• Room hire charges within the University for research-related activities do not usually apply. Information regarding organising an event can be found here

Recruiting Research Staff as part of your project

• If you intend to recruit a research staff as part of your prospective research funding application, it is important to consider the profile of such research staff in terms of grade, costs, and your project expectations. Click here to view role profiles and generic job descriptions

IT Services

• Click here for advice on OBU IT for research, including information on software, IT training, acceptable use policy, advanced research computing, access to websites and apps

European Research Funding

European Research Council, through its EU research funding programmes, is one of the largest funders of research. The commission offers a variety of funds which can be accessed via here. Some of the grants are dedicated to certain categories of research, including fellowships and individual grants. Current open calls can be found here.

EU Horizon Europe

On 4 December 2023, the association agreement was adopted in the form of a protocol to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement by the EU-UK Specialised Committee on Participation in EU Programmes. 

On 15 November 2023, the Council of the EU – representing 27 EU Member States – gave the green light to UK association to the Horizon Europe and Copernicus programmes from 1 January 2024 by approving the agreement in principle reached between the Commission and the UK Government on 7 September 2023. 

UK organisations will be able to participate in Horizon Europe calls for proposals on the same terms as institutions from other Associated Countries, including leading consortia and receiving EU funding, from the 2024 Work Programme and onwards. This includes any 2024 calls opening this year. Reference and further information: Council Gives the Go-ahead to UK Association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus – UKRO. 

EURAM

The European Academy of Management is also a popular source of research grants and funding, with one-off and regular funding for various levels of research. EURAM also organises regular research events which can useful means of networking. Click here to find out more about EURAM

Other European Funding

In addition to EU research council grants, individual member states of the European Commission do have their own funding programmes with many grants, awards, and prizes worth considering. Popular ones include Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; DAAD Germany; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; Swiss National Science Foundation; Irish Research Council; & Research Foundation Flanders just to mention a few.

If you are interested in exploring and getting some specifics of these European funding please kindly get in touch with the Research Office.

UK-wide research funding

The go-to space for research funding in the UK is UKRI where all the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England announce prospective funding. 

Click on each research council below to explore opportunities. 

The  research councils are Arts and Humanities; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences ; Economic and Social Research Council;    Engineering and  Physical Sciences; Innovate UK; Medical Research Council; Natural Environment Research; Research England & Science  and Technology Facilities Council

Popular grants scheme of some of these research councils include the following: 

Leverhulme Trust
As well as substantial grants for research, they offer fellowships for researchers at every stage of their career, grants for international collaboration and travel.

British Academy
Grants and fellowships to support academic research, career development. Funding opportunities cover UK and international research from the postdoctoral level upwards.

Corporate grants

Many corporate institutions, especially in the United States, are open to funding exciting projects. You may want to explore JP Morgan; NSF Seed Fund ; Wells Fargo and more. 

The  American Express Community-Based Project grant is on-going!

Click here to apply

UK charities funders

Many charities and foundations offer grants to exciting individual and collaborate  research projects. While some of these grants are dedicatedly announced, some foundations/charities are happy to consider proposals anytime.  Research Office can pitch your exciting proposals to charities and foundations, including  the following

Wellcome Trust
Supports a wide variety of funding schemes for individuals, teams, resources, seed ideas, places and major initiatives.

Sir Halley Stewart Trust
Particular focus on supporting innovative research projects and new pioneering development projects, primarily through the provision of salary costs.

Nuffield Foundation
Fund grants for research, development, and analysis projects that seek to improve the design and operation of social policy across three broad domains of Education, Welfare and Justice.

The Fritz Thyssen Foundation
Special attention to support for junior researchers. Funding primarily in Germany with a special emphasis on junior researchers.

The Independent Social Research Foundation
Awarded competitively through a series of grant competitions, for Early and Mid-Career Researchers, Independent Scholars, and for Small Groups.

Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship
The five-year Royal Society Wolfson Fellowships will enable UK universities and not-for-profit research institutions to attract and recruit internationally outstanding leading researchers to their organisation.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation  offers up to USD $300,000  for proposals strengthening African National Regulatory Authorities Data Systems to Enhance and Track Performance. 

Global Grand Challenges Grants

Lloyds Bank Foundation Funding

KPMG Foundation Grants

The Tony Elumelu Foundation

Aliko Dangote Foundation

UK Government Departments & Agencies

Some UK government departments have their own independent funding opportunities. These departments include Department for Business and Trade; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Department of Health and Social Care; British Council and many others that can be found at UKRI 

Academies & Institute One-Off Funding  Opportunities

The Institute of Coaching
Funds research proposals which advance the science, profession and practice of coaching, employing quantitative and/or qualitative research methods. Their grants offer opportunities to researchers, graduate students, and coaching practitioners to conduct coaching research.

The Academy of Marketing
Supports research proposals in the broad area of marketing topic. Offering limited funds on an annual basis to scholars at any stage of their career.