ESRC responsive mode: research grants round two
ESRC Responsive Mode Research Grants fund ambitious, high-quality social science projects—including those using AI—focused on impactful, innovative research across any topic within the social sciences.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: Open call (no deadline)
Funding Amounts: £350,000–£1,000,000 (full economic cost) per project; ESRC funds 80% FEC; up to 5 years duration
Summary: Supports ambitious, researcher-led social science projects, with an emphasis on quality, impact, and AI for social science.
Key Information: Project leads must be at UK organisations; international co-leads allowed; social sciences must comprise >50% of project.
Description
This funding opportunity from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), supports basic, applied, and strategic research projects primarily within the social sciences. Proposals can be interdisciplinary but must have more than 50% of their research focus and effort in social science. The scheme is highly flexible and encourages ambitious, innovative, and impactful projects—including standard research, methodological development, and large-scale surveys or infrastructure. There are no thematic or methodological priorities; the highest quality proposals are funded regardless of topic.
A current highlight notice encourages applications that use artificial intelligence (AI) to address real-world social or economic challenges, though all topics within ESRC’s remit are eligible. Applicants are encouraged to leverage existing research infrastructure and must consider the societal, scientific, and economic impacts of their work.
