Applications are invited for the Early Career Research Fund
Deadline: Monday 3 November 2025, 12 noon (BST)
Early Career Research Fund
The fund is designed to be a flexible research fund for Early Career Researchers to support small activities that either support and develop your existing research activities, or develop your skills further.
Research activities should be aligned with the objectives of the Supergen ORE Hub, further details of which can be found here.
Applications should be directed at offshore wind, wave or tidal energy research. Multi-disciplinary or multi-sectoral proposals are welcome.
The maximum award size will be:
- £5,000 total per applicant
- Comprising £4000 award (at 80% FEC, direct costs only)
- Plus £1000 contribution from applicant's institution
Examples of What the Fund Can Support
This is a non-exhaustive list and innovative applications are welcomed.
A discrete research activity, possibly seed funding leading to a new more substantial proposal, including a research Fellowship application, or seed funding to develop a new collaboration with industrial partners.
Travel for a national or international collaboration.
Small equipment/consumables.
An industrial internship or public service secondment.
Awards to support a return from a career break.
Public awareness engagement activities and support for developing outreach events are particularly welcome.
Download the Call Document
Includes assessment criteria and how to apply
Timeline
Submission deadline: 12 noon (BST), Monday 3 November 2025
All applications will be peer reviewed with the process coordinated by the Early Career Network activity Coordinator, Prof. Richard Willden (University of Oxford), with support from the activity Co-Lead Prof. Byron Byrne (University of Oxford).
The Coordinator will oversee the peer review and ranking process leading to funding decisions. Decisions will be made within 3 weeks of the proposal deadline with award announcements made on or before Friday 21st November 2025.
The proposed activity must start within 3 months of the proposal deadline, and be completed within 9 months of commencement.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for this fund is limited to Early Career Researchers (ECRs) who are either:
Early Career Academic Staff (less than 3 years from first academic appointment),
Post-Doctoral Research Assistants.
PhD students are not eligible
Whilst the wider Hub Early Career Network welcomes final year PhD students, support for PhD student research activities should be delivered by host institutions or Centres of Doctoral Training (CDTs) as appropriate.
Industry participants - joint applications
The wider network also welcomes industry-based early career professionals. However, due to funding limitations, industry professionals are not eligible to apply as sole applicants but are strongly encouraged as co-applicants.
Joint applications that bring together university-based early career researchers and industry professionals (at any career stage) are welcomed. The lead applicant must be a university-based ECR.
Please note that industry-based professionals cannot receive funding, even in joint applications. Instead, they are encouraged to seek appropriate support from their organisation to contribute to the project highlighting access to emerging research and the opportunity to collaborate on research that directly addresses a need within the organisation.
Further eligibility details
- ECRs should be employed by an organisation that is eligible to receive EPSRC funding. A list of organisations eligible to apply to EPSRC is provided at: https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/before-you-apply/
- The proposed activity must not extend beyond the ECRs current employment (unless the requested funding does itself extend that employment).
- Due to the multiple rounds of ECR Research Funding, only in exceptional circumstances will ECR applicants receive more than one award.
- Joint applications from a maximum of two ECRs are welcomed where the inclusion of more than one ECR is justified with respect to the scheme objectives and the assessment criteria outlined below. The award limit will be raised in accordance with the number of ECRs making the joint application.
