This is an invite-only opportunity for funding to run one of the UK census longitudinal studies research support units.
The permissible full economic cost of applications is set out in the ‘What we’re looking for section’.
Funding is available from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030.
This is an invite-only funding opportunity.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has issued these invitations. The invite is issued to research organisations, not individuals.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.
For full details, visit Eligibility as an individual.
Read more about this in the ESRC eligibility guidance for applicants.
Project leads from non-UK organisations are not eligible to apply for funding for this opportunity.
Project co-leads based in non-UK research organisations can be included in grant applications. Read project co-lead (international) policy guidance for details of eligible organisations and costs.
Business, third sector or government body project co-leads based in the UK can also be included on research grant applications as a project co-lead. Read Including project co-leads from business, third sector or government bodies for details of eligible organisations and costs.
We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.
The UK’s census longitudinal studies (CenLSs) are data resources created by linking individuals’ data between censuses. The CenLSs have extremely large samples and a high degree of population coverage and geographical granularity. The data is research-ready and the quality of linkage is high. They can be linked to other datasets including education outcomes, health outcomes and service usage, and environmental and other place-based data. This makes them well-placed to address a range of important research questions, including Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) priority themes such as health and social care and addressing place-based challenges.
ESRC currently funds the following researcher support units (RSUs) that enable access and use of the CenLSs:
The units also work closely with their respective statistical agencies, that is NISRA, NRS and ONS, to develop the CenLSs and to provide secure access through Trusted Research Environments accessed in-person or remotely. England and Wales (created by ONS), Northern Ireland (NISRA) and Scotland (NRS) have separate censuses, and hence separate CenLSs. The local partnerships between the RSUs and the statistical agencies are invaluable and justify the continued funding of three separate services.
The units work across the five pillars of the ESRC Data Infrastructure Strategy, particularly by ensuring researchers can access and use data (pillar 1) and have the skills and capacity for data use (pillar 5).
ESRC’s strategic priorities for the UKCenLS portfolio in the 2025 to 2030 period are:
Applications should set out how they will contribute to achieving these priorities.
The core functionality expected of each Researcher Support Unit is to:
Each Researcher Support Unit is expected to develop and improve the services and resources it offers to users.
ESRC expects that costs for the following, or for activities of equivalent impact, will be included in applications:
Each unit should be closely engaged with the maintenance and further development of its respective CenLS and any ancillary datasets. The nature of this will vary between Researcher Support Units, reflecting the different origins and governance of each CenLS. Applications should clearly set out roles and responsibilities relating to this, and what activities ESRC is being asked to fund.
Collectively, the Researcher Support Units should:
It is acceptable for one of the Researcher Support Units to lead on a collective activity, UK-wide.
ESRC’s funding is available from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030. All applications must have this duration.
The maximum permissible full economic cost of applications is as follows:
ESRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC). Certain costs can be funded as exceptions at 100% FEC. See the ESRC research funding guide for further details.
In addition to the above requirements, ESRC can fund costs relating to research staff, for example postdoctoral research associates, who will work to maximise the impact of the CenLS, particularly by building on established and new partnerships with government and third sector organisations. This may include the production of research outputs, but the focus of this should be on increasing the impact of the CenLS and its use by researchers not funded through this opportunity. This latter activity should constitute at least 50% of the researcher’s time
We will not fund:
For detailed guidance on eligible costs please see the ESRC research funding guide.
ESRC will set out monitoring and reporting requirements in the terms and conditions of the award. Grant holders will be required to produce an updated timeline, deliverables list and risk register at the start of the grant, for regular discussion with ESRC.
The grant holders will be expected to provide ESRC with a short, written, quarterly update on activities. More frequent updates will be expected on important activities, risks and major project changes if they present a risk to the grant meeting its objectives.
The grant holders will be required to submit metrics on an annual basis. The format will be like those collected in the 2020 to 2025 period. This will be agreed at the start of the award.
ESRC will assign an investment manager as a lead contact for each funded investment. Contact will include a monthly catch-up meeting and a twice-yearly meeting between ESRC and the three units.
Applications should include sufficient time for project leads and, where relevant, co-leads to meet these monitoring requirements.
UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.
As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
Further guidance and information about TR&I, including where you can find additional support.
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.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You should:
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
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. You should use your 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.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) must receive your application by 8 October 2024 4:00pm UK time.
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.
ESRC, 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.
ESRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at its Board and Panel Outcomes web page.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
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:
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
Only list one individual as project lead.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Word limit: 1,500
What are you hoping to achieve with the proposed infrastructure?
Explain how the proposed infrastructure will:
Within the Vision section we also expect you to:
Where indicated, you can also 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.
Word limit: 2,000
What are your plans to manage and deliver the proposed infrastructure?
Your application should include:
Given the significant differences between the three3 units and the complex relationships with the statistical agencies, applications should clearly set out the roles and responsibilities of themselves and partners. This should include clearly stating who is responsible for maintaining the CenLS, enabling data access, and providing user support. It should be clear to assessors what costs ESRC is being asked to fund.
Within this section we also expect you to discuss the project’s main dependencies. These could, for example, include depending on the statistical agencies to supply data or services. Proposals should, as far as possible, give assurance that these dependencies can be successfully negotiated. This could include providing a letter of support (see the ‘Project partners’ section, below).
All applicants planning to generate data as part of their award must complete the separate Data management question.
References may be included within this section.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Word limit: 1,650
Why are you the right team to deliver and manage the proposed infrastructure?
Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:
Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you, and if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on), have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.
Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed below. You should use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:
The word count for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.
Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).
You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Word limit: 500
What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
All proposals have to comply with the ESRC Framework for Research Ethics which includes guidance for applicants and links to related web resources.
All necessary ethical approvals must be in place before the project commences, but do not need to have been secured at the time of application.
If you are generating data as part of your project, you should complete the Data management question and should cover ethical considerations relating to data in your response.
If you are not generating data and have not completed the Data management question you should address any legal or ethical considerations relating to your use of data here.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Character limit: 2,000
What will you need to deliver and manage the proposed infrastructure and how much will it cost?
Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:
Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:
For detailed guidance on eligible costs please see the ESRC research funding guide.
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.
Add the following project partner details:
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’. Each letter or email you provide should:
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Word limit: 500
How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed work?
All applicants planning to generate or acquire data as part of their award must complete this section. If you will not do this, you do not need to complete this section.
Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Demonstrate that you have designed your proposed work so that you can appropriately manage and share data in accordance with ESRC’s research data policy and ESRC framework for research ethics (if applicable).
Within the ‘Data Management’ section we also expect you to:
If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
We will assess your application using the following process.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) reserves the right to amend this assessment process as the opportunity progresses.
ESRC will appoint an assessment panel comprising experts spanning the breadth of the funding opportunity’s scope. For this funding opportunity, there will be no separate peer review stage.
The assessment panel members will individually review and score your application against the questions and expectations outlined in the ‘How to apply’ section. The panel will then meet to agree a final score and any conditions for each application.
There will be a chance to respond to assessors’ written comments before the panel meeting.
The panel and ESRC will take a portfolio approach, whereby funding decisions are informed not only by the panel’s assessments of individual applications, but also the need to ensure that ESRC’s strategic needs are met at a portfolio level.
The panel will make funding recommendations to ESRC. ESRC will make the final funding decisions.
We will give feedback with the outcome of your application.
We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.
Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.
The assessment areas we will use are:
Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the Application questions heading in the How to apply section.
If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UKRI Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.
For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.
For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact datainfrastructure@esrc.ukri.org
Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.
Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490
Our phone lines are open:
To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.
For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email datainfrastructure@esrc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process if required.
We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:
Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.
Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.
