We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
The Research to advance UK recycling capabilities opportunity application process takes part in two stages, the first stage consisting of two steps:
- An Intent to Submit and a subsequent submission of an outline proposal.
- Invited submission of a full proposal, if successful at the outline stage.
To apply
Applicants must submit a completed Intent to Submit (ItS) form by 18 March 2025 4:00pm UK time, to be considered for this opportunity. Outline proposals from applicants who have not previously submitted an ItS will not be considered. ItS information will not be formally assessed and is only required by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for planning purposes. You are not required to have finalised the details of your application when the ItS form is completed and submitted to EPSRC. We recognise that information provided in the outline proposal, including the names of the project co-leads, may differ from the information provided in the ItS form. Please use the following link to access and complete the ItS form:
Submit your intent to submit
The form will ask you to provide the following information:
- name of project lead
- name(s) project co-lead(s) at the time of ItS submission, this list can change prior to outline submission deadline
- project lead email address
- project lead UK academic host institution
- proposed project draft title
To start your application:
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You should:
- use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
- insert each new image onto a new line
- provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
- ensure files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. Applicants should use their discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors, for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).
You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.
Deadline
EPSRC must receive your application by 4:00pm UK time on 3 April 2025.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected. If an application is withdrawn prior to peer review or office rejected due to substantive errors in the application, it cannot be resubmitted to the opportunity.
Personal data
Processing personal data
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with Defra and other government departments. For more information on how Defra uses personal information, visit Defra’s website.
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, please contact tfschangeepsrc@epsrc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
- individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
- declaration of interest
- additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
- conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
- the application is an invited resubmission
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
Publication of outcomes
We expect to release outcomes by end of March 2026.
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at EPSRC Funding Application Outcomes.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the challenge the project addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications and benefits to the UK recycling sector
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
Only list one individual as project lead.
UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Outline Vision
Word limit: 500
What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how your proposed work:
- is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
- has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
- is timely given current trends, context and needs
- impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment
- meets the strategic aims of the funding opportunity
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
Within the Vision section we also expect you to demonstrate:
- how the project will accelerate UK recycling capability and deliver towards other UK national priorities
- how the proposal is driven by real world research challenges and will deliver more energy-efficient, scalable, and economic viable technologies and approaches
- how the proposed outputs will deliver the intended impacts in the current or future waste and recycling landscape of the UK
Outline Approach
Word limit: 500
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:
- is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
- will take a systems approach to the research
Within the approach section we also expect you to demonstrate:
- how stakeholders will be engaged and involved in co-creation throughout the life of the project
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
Outline Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 200
How will the application team deliver the proposed research programme?
Applicant and team capability to deliver will not be assessed at the outline stage. This information is required by EPSRC for the curation of an expert peer review prioritisation panel and to assist EPSRC in avoiding associated conflicts of interest.
Please include the name, role in the project, affiliation (Directly Allocated staff only) of applicant and team, as well as three to five keywords summarising subject matter expertise and skills of each named applicant ONLY.
Additionally, please list any project partners, organisation name only.
The core leadership team should consist of the project lead and the project co-leads (co-investigators) identified on the outline proposal. There will be scope to expand this team and include new collaborators on the full application and you will be able to add further detail.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the Funding Service. The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.
Applicant and team capability to deliver is not being assessed at outline application stage.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
Outline costs
What are the estimated expected costs of the proposed work?
Provide the approximate total values in GBP (£) for the expected directly incurred, directly allocated, indirect costs, and exceptions. If the proposal is invited to apply at stage 2: full application, we will ask for resources and cost justification. This figure should be within 20% of the values provided at outline. The maximum amount of funding per application must not exceed £1,360,000.
View the guidance on the costs you can apply for.
