All Research Council applications are made through the UKRI Funding Service. In December 2024, we started managing all new awards on the Funding Service so that we operate a full end-to-end service.
The Funding Service addresses many of the issues of complexity and unnecessary bureaucracy recognised by researchers and identified in various reviews of research funding such as the independent review into research bureaucracy.
Improvements in the Funding Service
The improvements include:
- a single front door: each opportunity made available through the same site and approached in consistent ways
- a clearer layout for applications, structured around questions that relate to the criteria used for deciding on an application
- an application process that asks only for the information we need to decide on an application
- an application process that asks for information once and uses this information again if needed later in the grant funding journey
- more consistent guidance to help applicants at the point of the process where that guidance applies
- an easier review process as the application questions link more directly to assessment criteria
- greater consistency across UKRI opportunities with standardised application questions and assessment criteria
Since launching the service we have continued to develop functionality and make improvements based on user-centred design and feedback, including:
- enhancing the organisation search facility when inviting other collaborators
- better visibility of expert review status and statistics
- additional features added to the rich text editor when writing an application
- improvements to how users can view an application, so they can see the full question asked and the guidance that supports it
- the ability for research office managers and administrators with administrator accounts to view and co-edit the application before submission
- enabling research organisations to manage notification groups which reflect their unique internal structures and help them manage their portfolio
Improvement through iteration
We are developing the Funding Service in an agile way. We gradually introduce functionality and pilot new features. After testing and user feedback, we continuously refine and enhance the Funding Service.
Accessibility
As part of UKRI’s commitment to making the Funding Service accessible, we are building it in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
We carry out accessibility testing with the Digital Accessibility Centre. User testing is carried out by their team, who have experienced first-hand the barriers that an inaccessible website places between them and independence.
We have also conducted a survey with the National Association of Disabled Staff Network, and we use those findings in our design.
Read the UKRI Funding Service accessibility statement.
Standardised funding types
We introduced the following standard question sets:
- applicant-led
- travel opportunities
- research fellowships
- commercialisation opportunities
- networks and hubs
- public engagement
- managing and developing infrastructure and equipment
ORCID iD on the Funding Service
We will connect the UKRI Funding Service to the ORCID registry. This will allow you to link to your ORCID iD to your Funding Service account. We expect this functionality will become available in 2027.
Additional ORCID functionality will be added later including the reviewer recognition process.
What is ORCID
ORCID provides free, unique identifiers and a platform for researchers to create and maintain a record of their activities.
For more information visit the ORCID website.
UKRI policy on the use of ORCID
You will be required to link your ORCID iD to your Funding Service account to submit a funding application if you are both:
- named as project lead, project co-lead, and fellow on a funding application
- affiliated with UK higher education institutes or providers, research institutes, independent research organisations, or public sector research establishments
If only one or neither of these apply you are encouraged to link your ORCID iD to the Funding Service, but not required to.
Applying the policy
Linking your ORCID iD to your Funding Service will become mandatory six months after the functionality becomes available.
Keep up to date
To keep up to date with developments in the new Funding Service, sign up for our ‘Simpler and Better’ newsletter.
Last updated: 25 April 2025