ESRC Call to Lead a Network of Innovation and Research Funding Policy Experts
To help enable and support UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to be a global leader in understanding and creating the evidence in the research and innovation funding system, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is seeking to fund an ambitious new investment in an Innovation and Research Caucus.
The caucus will support UKRI to use research to improve policy-making, building our understanding of what works in supporting the system efficiently and effectively. This could include:
- Supporting ESRC to understand the importance of connectivity and porosity between the research base and business innovation
- Supporting ESRC to foresee the changing nature of research and requirements in infrastructure and labour
- Building an understanding of the international context, UK comparative advantage, and collaborative opportunity.
Within innovation and across the research and innovation system, the work will likely include:
- Evidence syntheses
- Synthetic and comparative analysis
- Expert consultation
- Novel research
- Convening expert groups
- Building new networks across the community
- Articulating common agendas and questions
- The production of accessible and actionable guidance for decision-makers.
Applicants will work with the network and key UKRI stakeholders to, for example:
- Act as a trusted expert that supports UKRI in the development of evidence-led research and innovation policies, strategies and decision-making
- Create an interdisciplinary network of business innovation and research funding policy experts.
Principal investigators must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding for the duration of the award.
This opportunity is for interdisciplinary collaborative grants. This is a single opportunity, divided into two stages.
UKRI will provide up to £100,000 (80% full economic cost) for stage one (co-design), where one successful applicant will enter a three-month scoping period to co-develop a flexible programme of activity, and an agile governance structure with UKRI.
On submission of a successful report (including a flexible programme of work with an appropriate and agile governance structure) to UKRI at the end of stage one, ESRC will provide at least an additional £5.9 million for the delivery of a programme of activity over 35 months.
Stage one (co-design) must start on 9 January 2023 and be completed by 31 March 2023. Stage two (programme delivery) will start by 1 May 2023 and be completed by 31 March 2026.
Applications must be submitted online via the Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) by the deadline of 6 September 2022 (4pm UK time).