51cg

Potential applicants are invited to join the University's internal Pushing the Frontiers pipeline to receive advice and guidance as they develop their ideas. As the scheme now operates without a fixed call deadline and the application cap has been paused temporarily, a more flexible and proportionate internal process is being adopted.

Researchers interested in applying are encouraged to complete the NERC Pipeline Proforma and submit it to grantsacademy@abdn.ac.uk. Proformas will be considered by an internal panel, which will provide constructive feedback to help applicants strengthen their proposals. Where appropriate, applicants may also be invited to present their project idea to the panel and take part in a discussion to further develop the proposal.

More information about the scheme is available on the UKRI website: .

For project co-leads involved in applications led by another institution, please notify the Grants Academy of your intention to participate and submit a completed proforma where relevant.

Please complete the NERC Pipeline Proforma below and send it to grantsacademy@abdn.ac.uk to be included in the pipeline.

 should be:

• bold, ambitious and innovative, and address a gap or opportunity which is not being adequately addressed elsewhere
• address substantial unmet needs in understanding or modifying human health and disease
• have major strategic objectives achievable within the 14-year timeframe which, if achieved, will transform the research field or area of health research
• be best pursued through coordinated and flexible, major long-term funding

Tackling such challenges will be transformational to biomedical and health research, and will enhance approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease, improving health and wellbeing for all.

Given the level of investment and expectation of institutional support, applications to the MRC CoRE require early discussion in order to confirm institutional approval to apply. Interested applicants should contact Dr Anne McGavigan at the earliest opportunity.

The Post Graduate Research School (PGRS) oversees applications to multiple PhD calls through an institution-wide internal triage. The R&I Impact & Knowledge Exchange and Research Development teams work closely with researchers and the PGRS to support the development of proposals selected to go forward.

Upcoming

Further details of specific calls will appear here as they are announced and details will also be communicated via mailing lists and School Directors of Research.

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Round 12 - UKRI deadline anticipated summer 2027

Objectives

FLF is a cross-UKRI scheme enabling fellows to tackle ambitious and challenging research and develop their own careers. It offers long-term, flexible support, including the fellow's salary and research, staff and training costs, plus the opportunity of a permanent academic position on successful completion of the fellowship. These fellowships are for early career academics and innovators who are transitioning to or establishing independence. Individuals should use the eligibility guidance in the to establish their suitability for the scheme with reference to the objectives of the programme.

Specifically FLFs aim to:

• Develop, retain, attract and sustain research and innovation talent in the UK
• Foster new research and innovation career paths including those at the academic/business and interdisciplinary boundaries, and facilitate movement of people between sectors
• Provide sustained funding and resources for the best early career researchers and innovators
• Provide long-term, flexible funding to tackle difficult and novel challenges, and support adventurous, ambitious programmes.

What the FLF offers

• Long-term and flexible support, with seven years of funding available on a 4 (+3) model.
• FLFs have been funded in the range £300K to over £2m, and there is no preference for lower or higher cost proposals.
• Support for applicants from diverse career paths, including those returning from a career break or following time in other roles.
• In addition the 51cg offers substantial additional support to successful applicants including generous kind and in kind commitments.

Applicants must have approved support from the proposed host department.

External applicants

The 51cg is eager to support talented early career researchers, with outstanding potential, to apply for a UKRI FLF in one of our exciting research areas. The University is a research-intensive university with an equal commitment to excellence in research and in education. We are seeking to appoint people who will help us achieve our goals.

The 51cg strongly welcomes interest from external applicants. Please contact your School of interest as early as possible for initial discussions (some Schools have specific strategic research areas they want to recruit in). Following confirmation the School is supportive please follow the Expression of Interest procedure below.

Please contact Research and Innovation with any queries, including assistance in identifying a suitable research group.

Round 12: Internal Expression of Interest

We strongly encourage external applicants as well as researchers or innovators from all sections at the 51cg to apply. The University is expecting to be capped at submitting up to 4 applications to this round as well as a further application from a clinical applicant in MRC remit.

An open and inclusive selection process will be used to ensure the best candidates are selected and supported to full application. Details of the Internal triage timetable will be published here in autmn 2026.

We are committed to supporting, developing, and promoting equality and diversity and establishing an inclusive culture free from discrimination, and based upon the values of dignity and respect. In higher education, several groups are underrepresented in the academic community and applications are therefore particularly welcome from applicants who identify as part of an underrepresented group.

Support to develop your proposal

Applicants will be supported via the 51cg FLF Pathway Process. Applicants will receive focussed support to help craft their proposals, each candidate will:

• Be assigned a named R&I contact who will be available for hands on support and advice
• Be assigned an academic application mentor and at least 2 academic peer reviewers
• As applicable to their research, have the opportunity to access innovation leaders to help discuss plans for realising broader impacts of their research.
• Benefit from focussed support to help develop personalised professional development plans
• As applicable to their research, have access to IP and impact specialists to help develop the impact and engagement aspects of their proposal.

Internal and external potential applicants: please contact your proposed host School in the first instance to confirm School endorsement to proceed with an Expression of Interest.

For queries on the scheme please contact your R&I Research Development Executive .

More information: please refer to UKRI FLFs webpage

Internal Triage For 2026/2027 Strategic UKRI Capital Equipment Calls

Stage 1 – Submission of Expression of Interest: Deadline 1 May 2026

Stage 2 – Submission of Business Case:  Deadline 1 September 2026

UKRI, via the Research Councils, issues annual calls for major equipment to support strategically significant research. Most calls impose institutional caps on submissions, necessitating a robust internal prioritisation process. Although the announcement for the 2026/2027 round has not yet been released, the information below provides indicative guidance on the forthcoming mid‑range equipment calls from the relevant UKRI councils (MRC, BBSRC, EPSRC and NERC).

Large capital bids require early planning to enable strong evidence of cross-institutional demand, institutional alignment, and planning for long-term sustainability. In order to maximise the use of the equipment, discussions between relevant School should take place at an early stage.

The internal triage process is structured into two key stages: Expression of Interest (EoI) and if successful Business Case Development.

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest

Please contact Dr Sabine Freitag via grantsacademy@abdn.ac.uk to request the EoI proforma, which must be returned no later than 5pm on 1 May 2026. The proforma requires the following information:

• UKRI Council
• Head of School Approval
• Names of PI and potential Co-applicants
• Type of Equipment
• Existing Capacity Statement
• Provisional Costs
• Justification of Costs
• Commercial Usage
• Financial Sustainability
• Institutional Commitments and Resource Requirements

EoIs must be approved by HoS ahead of submission; School Administration Manager/Registrar and TRM should also be made aware. EoI documents will be reviewed by a Panel consisting of the Dean of Knowledge and Understanding, School Directors of Research for STEM subject areas, Chair of Central Facilities Working Group, Representatives of the Facilities Managers Group and Research, Innovation & Enterprise.

Applicants should flag any potential conflicts of interest in relation to the assessment of their proposal to sabine.freitag@abdn.ac.uk for consideration ahead of the review process.

Stage 2 – Business Case Development

Successful applications from stage 1 will be invited to engage with appropriate stakeholders and colleagues including Finance to develop a ‘business case’ for the equipment, including the following:

• Preferred model of equipment - investigators expected to seek quotes and, if necessary, test potential models, establish opportunities for discounts and servicing options
• Location and any estates implications
• Long term resource requirements for maintaining the equipment after the award
• Financial sustainability based on projected user base and costing model
• Identifying detail of any institutional support request

The business case must be approved by all relevant stakeholders ahead of submission on 1 September 26 - as a minimum this will include the relevant Head of School(s), Senior Planning Accountant and School Administration Manager/ Registrar, Technical Resource Manager, Directorate of Digital and Information Systems (DDIS) and Estates.

A decision to proceed will be made before the end of September 26 by the stage 1 panel augmented by RI&E Director, Senior Planning Accountant and VP for Research.

Information on capital calls anticipated 2026/27

BBSRC -

• Expected deadline end of January 2027
• Research organisations may submit more than one application, however, BBSRC strongly encourages organisations to prioritise submissions given the limited budget available.
• Funding over £200,000 including VAT up to 1.5 Mio

MRC -  

• The funding opportunity round from 2025 to 2026 is being paused. Updates to be announced as soon as the future opening date has been agreed. Further information can be found
• Institutional cap of one application
• Applicants may seek the costs of capital equipment over £100,000 including VAT
• Service contracts up to five years in duration may be included

EPSRC -  

• Up to 6 applications between June 2026 – June 2027. Further deadlines will be communicated once we receive confirmation from the EPSRC
• For example, infrastructure enabling transformative research of high importance to EPSRC and the UK
• Duration should cover the procurement, delivery, installation and set-up of the infrastructure.
• Funding is available for items of infrastructure over £400,000 including VAT (should go under Exclusion)

NERC -

• There is no published opening date for the new NERC Strategic Capital Funding call. The last call had a deadline in December 2023.
• Historically the amount of funding has been between £350,000 and £750,000. The proposed equipment should not duplicate assets on the NERC unless a very strong justification can be made.
• Capital can include labour cost for procuring and installing the asset.

Call opens:                                                           Tuesday 27 October 2026

Mandatory internal EoI deadline:                     Friday 6 November 2026

Funder’s deadline for applications:                  Friday 22 January 2026

The Royal Society of Edinburgh will be launching a call for the second cohort of the . The goal of the scheme is to develop the next generation of research leaders in Scotland, equipped to lead major disciplinary research bids that address critical scientific and societal challenges. The two-year pilot scheme will provide two small cohorts with structured support to build confidence, skills and leadership capacity through a mixture of mentoring, seed-corn funding, training, and peer learning.

Specifically designed for mid-career academics with outstanding potential, the scheme will:

• Develop key research leadership skills to manage teams, develop competitive funding bids, take on research leadership roles and responsibilities, and lead on research projects.
• Deliver hands-on training, mentoring and cross disciplinary peer networking.
• Provide seed corn funding for the piloting of research projects and external funding bid development.
• Involve cohort working around the theme Building a happier, healthier Scotland.

For this scheme, the RSE is defining mid-career as academics who are normally at least 7 years, and no more than 15 years, from the award of their doctorate. This does not include career breaks. This terminology takes no account either of a candidate’s age or current status in determining eligibility for this award.

Successful candidates will be expected to attend six in-person training, development, and peer-learning days, with most sessions expected to take place in Edinburgh. The exact dates of the in-person sessions will be communicated in due course. In addition, members of the programme will take part in mentoring and other programme activities. By nominating a candidate, institutions commit to support nominees to participate fully in the scheme. By accepting a nomination, candidates commit to fully participating in the scheme, including the in-person sessions, if selected for the cohort.

Mandatory Internal Expressions of Interest (EoI)

The 51cg can submit a maximum of three applications to this call, therefore the Grants Academy will run a light-touch mandatory expression of interest process to monitor demand. If you would like to apply to this opportunity, please submit your expression of interest via email to the Grants Academy (grantsacademy@abdn.ac.uk) by 5 pm on Friday 6 November 2026.

Deadline:    Internal identification of nominees – 12 noon, 27 March 2026

Nominations submitted to funder – 13 May 2026

Letters of Support – 27 May 2026

Scope: Nominations for the 2027 are now open. The University can nominate up to three outstanding young academic researchers, one in each of three disciplinary categories of life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and chemical sciences.

The nominee must:

• Have been born in or after 1985 (age-limit exceptions can be considered by the funder but we need to submit a detailed written submission to them before 15 April 2026)
• Hold a doctorate degree.
• Currently hold an academic appointment at an in the UK.
• Currently conduct research as a principal investigator in one of the in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, or Chemical Sciences.

Funding: One nominee in each disciplinary category will be awarded £100,000 in unrestricted funds. In addition, two finalists in each category will each receive £30,000. 

Special Conditions: An internal selection panel will be convened if more than one nominee from each of the disciplinary categories is identified. With this is mind we would ask you to discuss a potential nomination with your Head of School so they can inform June Middleton of any potential nominees by 12 noon on 27 March 2026. Self-nominations from individual researchers are not permitted.

Further Information: Please refer to the Blavatnik Awards in the UK for details on candidate eligibility and selection criteria.  Details of nomination requirements can be found on the page.  The nominations portal will be accessible through the website during the nomination period. 

Internal Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 16:00 17^th April 2026

Funder’s Preliminary Submission Deadline: 8^th June 2026

Funder’ Full Proposal Submission Deadline: July 2026

PLEASE NOTE ONLY ONE APPLICATION PERMITTED PER UNIVERSITY

Scope: Rosetrees is launching the NEXT Award to support an exceptional research leader with a bold, high‑impact idea that can drive major patient‑focused change. The award targets pioneering, high‑risk, high‑reward projects with a clear path toward clinical or market adoption. The NEXT Award offers a platform for a visionary researcher ready to accelerate a transformative idea and deliver meaningful patient impact.

Eligibility: The principal applicant will usually hold a tenured post or be able to demonstrate secured salary support for the duration of the grant.

Budget: £150k per year for years 1-3 (total £450k), with a formal Year 3 review with potential for 2 years additional funding for up to £300k (£150k per year).

Rosetrees will fund directly incurred costs associated with the project, including salaries, consumables and other running costs. Travel costs will be considered. Directly allocated costs, indirect costs or PhD tuition fees are ineligible.

Full details: please see

Only one application can be made per institution. If you are interested in applying please complete the attached application form and submit to grantsacademy@abdn.ac.uk by 16:00 17^th April 2026. An internal triage committee will be convened to consider all expressions of interest.

Dates:

Internal deadline: 12 noon, 3 November 2025

Funder deadline: 12pm, 6 March 2026

The Leverhulme Trust Centenary Doctoral Scholarship scheme will make ten awards of up to £5M to UK Universities, with each award supporting up to a maximum of 30 doctoral scholarships in an interdisciplinary priority research area for that Institution. Full details of the scheme are available at .

Key details:

• Each award will fund 18 four-year studentships at home fees and six four-year studentships at international/overseas rates across three cohorts, with an additional six studentships to support low income and/or Black students that includes an additional year to allow a combined research Masters plus doctoral programme.  All studentships include stipend (at UKRI base levels), tuition fees (at UKRI base levels) and £10,000 for research and training support expenses. Support for administrative costs and cohort building activities is also available. In addition, the Leverhulme Trust will provide an additional £400,000 to support a programme of postdoctoral opportunities that will help the graduates of the studentship programme to transition to academic or non-academic careers.
• The awards are offered in any subject area or thematic area that applicant universities have identified as a research priority. The chosen area should be sufficiently broad to sustain up to 30 doctoral students but should also have a clear and coherent overarching thematic identity. However, Leverhulme does not fund applied medical research, some policy-driven research, research mainly aimed at producing data sets or immediate commercial application, and research involving advocacy (see for detail). Leverhulme also prefers not to support research areas currently identified for priority by the UKRI research councils or other significant public funders.
• The Leverhulme Trust will consider applications from a single University or a consortium of a maximum of two Universities. The University may submit only one application as lead, but may partner in multiple applications, provided they are in different disciplinary areas. 
• There is an expectation of a robust internal selection process for lead applications to comply with the details of the scheme and quality of the application. The selection procedure to identify the University submission will involve a two-stage process:

1. Applicants should complete the and return it to pgrs-studentships@abdn.ac.uk by 12 noon on Monday, 3 November 2025.  The form must be signed by Heads of School of all disciplines involved.
2. Following initial review by an internal panel shortlisted candidates will be invited to discuss their proposal with the panel on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.

Following selection of the University bid to go forward to the Leverhulme Trust, the lead applicant will work closely with the Postgraduate Research College to develop the application ahead of final submission by 12 pm on Friday 6 March 2026.

The PGR College needs to be informed of any consortia applications where the University is not the lead, as there are terms and conditions associated with multiple bids being submitted.  Please flag these to pgrs-studentships@abdn.ac.uk.

Given the scale of the award, it is strongly recommended that applicants consider and discuss interdisciplinary opportunities across the University. The Interdisciplinary Institute Directors can help identify opportunities and support and facilitate discussions as required (Interdisciplinary Institute | Research | The 51cg).

AXA Chair 2026

Deadline: Internal identification of nominees – 12 noon, 25 March 2026

Nominations submitted to funder (EoI) – 9 April 2026

Full application (for shortlisted candidates only) – 14 May 2026

Scope: Nominations for the are now open. The University can nominate only one AXA Chair application per call and can only apply for the Global Category. This category supports international, transdisciplinary research networks addressing major risks and challenges at the intersection of:

• Risks to People Health and Human Well-Being,
• Risks to Societies, and
• Risks to the Planet.

Projects requirements

• Integrate at least two academic disciplines, including:
• at least one discipline from social sciences / humanities / economics, and
• at least one discipline from natural sciences / engineering / technology.
• Involve at least one non-academic partner (e.g. public authority, municipality, NGO, community organization, public hospital, professional association) as a codesign and co-implementation partner.
• Demonstrate scientific originality, an innovative transdisciplinary approach, and clear relevance to societal risks and human progress.
• Show how the Chair will build a long-term research network that can continue beyond the 5-year grant.

The Chairholder is expected to:

• Hold a PhD obtained at least 10 years prior to the application deadline.
• Be of the highest academic calibre, with an outstanding track record of publications and international recognition.
• Have demonstrated experience in transdisciplinary work across multiple disciplines.
• Have a strong record of engagement with non‑academic stakeholders (e.g. public authorities, NGOs, communities, practitioners).
• Be able to hold a full‑time academic position at the host institution for the full 5‑year duration of the Chair.

At equal levels of excellence and transformative potential, preference may be given to candidates who move from another institution, where this mobility is clearly justified and aligned with the host’s strategy.

Funding: One nominee will be awarded a 5-year grant, up to £1.5M

Special Conditions: An internal selection panel will be convened if more than one nominee is identified. With this in mind, we would ask you to discuss a potential nomination with your Head of School so they can inform June Middleton of any potential nominees by 12 noon on 25 March 2026. Self-nominations from individual researchers are not permitted.

Further Information: Please refer to the 

Deadline: Internal Triage - 5pm, 29 February 2024
Deadline: Outline Stage - 12pm, 7 June 2024

The Leverhulme Trust invites applications for Research Centres that will not only conduct research of outstanding originality but also aspire to achieve a significant step-change in scholarship. The Trust's aim is to encourage new approaches that may establish or reshape a field of study and so transform our understanding of a significant contemporary topic. Applicants are therefore invited to be bold in compiling their bids.

The Trust has a reputation for encouraging higher-risk research which is often therefore fundamental or curiosity-driven - so-called 'blue skies' - and multi-disciplinary. The expectation is that Centres will draw upon a range of disciplinary perspectives and expertise, perhaps bringing new disciplinary mixes to bear on a particular topic. In this new call, the Trust is looking for applications strongly led by the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. In line with the Trust's responsive-mode of working, the choice of research topic is left open, with the exclusion of studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animals, research that is intended to inform clinical practice or the development of medical applications, policy-driven research, research aimed at immediate commercial application or proposals that are heavily inclined to assembling a data bank or database.

Leverhulme Research Centres should not duplicate existing activity at a comparable scale, whether in UKRI-funded or university research centres. The Trust wishes to support research activity where it can be confident that the work will have substantial added-value compared to smaller initiatives in the same area of research. Up to £10 million is available for up to 10 years with an appropriate mid-term review.

More Info:

Special Conditions: Each UK university is permitted to make only one bid as the principal applicant. Additional involvement in partnership(s) with other universities is, however, permitted. Details of the internal selection process are noted below:

The information required from potential applicants by 5pm on 29 February 2024 is outlined below. Please submit this information by email to grantsacademy@abdn.ac.uk .

• Description of the area of research (including why this is interesting and important and suited to the Trust), key research questions to be addressed, structure of the proposed Centre and an overview of the team involved in the proposal - max two pages (Arial 11, single line spacing, 2cm margins)
• Details of any institutional commitment sought to strengthen the bid. This will be reviewed by the panel and a contribution from the institution will be discussed with the PI of the selected bid - max one half page (Arial 11)

Internal Timetable - 2024:

• Week commencing 4 March - internal panel meets to review submissions (composition will include Deans, appropriate School Directors of Research and IDR Directors and academics who have undertaken peer reviews for the Trust)
• 25 March - shortlisted candidates invited to present their potential bid to the internal panel
• 30 April - deadline for submission of outline bid to panel members for review and comments.