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Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

EPSRC

Funds engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials and computer science. The portfolio runs from responsive-mode standard grants through fellowships to Centres for Doctoral Training and large programme grants, and it is the main route for university-led engineering research.

Funding opportunities ↗Main site ↗
Kind of funder
Research council
Where it funds
UK-wide
Indicative award size
£100k – £10m
Approx. annual research spend
£1.2bn
Who can apply
Universities, Research institutes
Career stages
PhD / doctoral, Postdoctoral, Early career, Established researcher

Standard grants typically £100k–£1.5m; programme grants and CDTs run considerably higher.

Research areas

EngineeringPhysical sciencesAI & digitalMaterials & manufacturingEnergy & net zeroSpace & aerospace

Named schemes (12)

12 schemes

  • NQS Mission 2: Components, systems and architectures ↗

    Apply for funding to advance research supporting the UK National Quantum Strategy Mission 2, strengthening UK leadership in quantum networking and communications and the future quantum internet. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.

    Upcoming24 Nov 2026up to £2.6m per award£11m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-09-17

  • NQS Mission 2 Coordination Network ↗

    Apply for funding to establish a national coordination network supporting the UK National Quantum Strategy Mission 2. The network will connect researchers, industry partners and network operators to advance quantum communications. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.

    Upcoming24 Nov 2026up to £631k per award£631k total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-09-17

  • Materials Innovation Programme Digital Materials Sandpit ↗

    Apply to attend a four-day sandpit to develop high-impact projects addressing digital integration to accelerate materials research translation. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding. Industry partners may participate but are not eligible for EPSRC funding through this opportunity.

    Open26 Nov 2026£7.1m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-10-29

  • Doctoral focal award: chip design and verification ↗

    Apply for funding to establish a doctoral focal award in chip design. This supports interdisciplinary training in very large-scale integration design and systems-on-chip. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.

    Open2 Dec 2026up to £6m per award£6m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-10-07

  • Physical sciences NRF portfolio refresh (invite only) ↗

    This is an invite only funding opportunity to support national research facilities (NRFs) for research across EPSRC Physical Sciences within the scope of the funding opportunity. Facilities may be outside the UK for national use. Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.

    Open16 Dec 2026£15m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-10-08

  • Open-source semiconductor security ↗

    Apply for funding to develop new secure-by-design hardware security technologies, methods and tools, strengthening the UK’s capability to design, test and assure secure hardware, using a new open-source research platform. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.

    Upcoming14 Jan 2027£2.4m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-11-09

  • Doctoral focal award: chemical threat reduction ↗

    Apply for funding to deliver a doctoral focal award (DFA), offering high quality, cohort-based doctoral training in chemical threat reduction skills related to the defence section of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy and the protection of UK national security.

    Open19 Jan 2027up to £13m per award£13m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-11-03

  • National research and training hub: electromagnetic environment ↗

    Apply for funding to deliver a research and training hub, offering both high quality research and cohort-based doctoral training in electromagnetic environment skills related to the defence section of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy and the protection of UK national security.

    Open19 Jan 2027up to £14m per award£14m total fundpulled from UKRI 2026-11-05

  • Centres for Doctoral Training ↗

    Cohort-based doctoral training centres funding multiple PhD studentships around a research theme. Competitions run periodically rather than continuously and are institution-led.

    UpcomingCheck funder site for current round£3m – £10m per awardchecked 2026-05-01

  • EPSRC standard research grant (responsive mode) ↗

    Open, no-deadline route for investigator-led research in engineering and the physical sciences. No upper limit in principle, though most awards land between £100k and £1.5m.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current round£100k+ per awardchecked 2026-05-01

  • New Investigator Award ↗

    First grant for academics starting their independent career, with lighter expectations on track record. Open with no fixed closing date.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current round£100k – £500k per awardchecked 2026-05-01

  • Pre-announcement: NMIP sandpit: Digital materials for accelerated innovation ↗

    Apply to attend a three to five-day sandpit to develop high-impact projects that address the challenges and opportunities of integrating digital approaches to accelerate the translation of materials research. Attendance at the sandpit does not guarantee UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.

    UpcomingCheck funder site for current roundpulled from UKRI 2026-09-12