ESRC has announced the Doctoral focal award plus: innovating in data-driven research.

ESRC will fund one doctoral focal award plus worth £5,850,000. The purpose of the award is to develop a cadre of social scientists from doctoral studentships and across career stages with the skills needed to use data-driven research approaches in innovative ways. This means that the award must deliver both doctoral training as well as targeted training and capacity building (TCB) activities for mid-career and senior researchers. ESRC advise allocating £3,100,000 of the award to support doctoral students, with funding to support cohorts of 8 doctoral students per year for three consecutive cohorts, and £2,750,000 for mid-career and senior researchers. Please note that ESRC encourages novel and imaginative approaches to data-driven research and its use, and expects a broad range of disciplinary perspectives, within the social sciences and beyond, to be involved in the award.

Additional funding equivalent to at least 2 students per cohort must be secured from other sources (in addition to the 8 ESRC-funded studentships per cohort, with a total of 10 studentships minimum per cohort). Applicants will need to indicate their commitment to meeting this requirement and provide evidence of the sources for additional funding. Applicants may apply as a single-institution bid or as part of a multi-institutional consortia. ESRC welcomes involvement from a wide range of project partners across sectors including but not limited to government, business, third sector, industry and civil society.

For more information, please see the scheme page here.

University Internal selection:

Institutions can only submit 1 lead application. Therefore, this call will be managed according to the University’s restricted calls procedure. Institutions can be a collaborator on any number of applications. Your Department’s Research Grants Team and/or Departmental Administrator (or equivalent) must be made aware of your internal application, and a support letter signed by the Head of Department is required.

To take part in the internal selection as a project lead, please complete our online form by 10 August, 2026 (NB: if asked to log-in, please use your CRSID/Raven details; note that a Form cannot be saved and returned to).  

You will need the following documents and information to complete the Form: 
•    a document that includes an indicative list of team members including collaborators and project partners and their names, departments and institutions and roles in the application (lead, co-lead, project partner)
•    project summary that addresses the following three criteria (1,000 words total maximum):
o    1. Vision and approach: What are the vision and objectives of this training investment and what positive outcomes will it achieve? How will the training programme, that you deliver through this grant, support your vision? 
o    2. Positive culture and environment and equality, diversity and inclusion: How will you create and maintain an inclusive and supportive culture and environment for all those involved? What approaches and activities do you have planned that will embed EDI into your proposed work?
o    3. Capability to deliver: What is the leadership's track record of experience and skills needed to deliver the proposed vision, including track record in delivering doctoral training and supporting the training and development of others? 
•    Please upload a support letter from the Head of the Department that will host the award confirming their support for the project and agreement to host the award (max 3 pages). Additional funding equivalent to at least 2 students per cohort must be secured from other sources (ESRC will provide funding for 8 studentships per cohort). Within this letter, please confirm the commitment to meeting this requirement, and provide evidence of the sources for this additional funding.

Internal Assessment Criteria: