Inequalities Early Career Researcher (ECR) Catalyst Grant Call 2025/26

UCL’s Grand Challenge of Inequalities (GCI) is delivering a five-year programme to address the complex and multifaceted nature of inequalities and identify transformational solutions. It aims to design, test and scale alternative approaches, models and ways of working that reduce inequalities in practice, at every level—from neighbourhoods and cities to national systems and global partners. 

The GCI vision is structured around three key pillars:

1. Economic inequity: examining the critical relationships between inequalities, productivity, growth, and wealth.
2. Political inequity: addressing engagement, representation, belonging and governance.
3. Cultural inequity: exploring identity, diversity, and ways of working and living together.

UCL’s Grand Challenge of Inequalities seeks to understand how digital and spatial interactions intersect with these thematic areas. Spatial is understood as ‘place’ - where people live, forge community, identities and meaning. Transformative actions and policies must be localised and responsive to diverse contexts. Digital refers to the rapidly evolving technological landscape within which inequalities are situated. Societal change is increasingly driven by quantum and AI-driven solutions. These technologies are not merely tools for accelerating processes or replacing human capabilities, but opportunities to drive progressive thinking in more critical and creative ways. 

GCI is offering catalyst grants of up to £5,000 for impactful, interdisciplinary projects that design, scope and test alternative solutions or methodologies (e.g. future casting, evidence evaluation), models, and ways of working (e.g. co-design, knowledge exchange) that reduce inequalities in practice, with the view to scaling up. Applicants should engage with at least two of the vision’s pillars and situate their work within a digital and/or spatial lens. 

Proposals may include, but is not limited to, the following activities:

• Scoping research (either primary or secondary data-led)
• Events, co-design sessions or engagement activities
• Research or policy workshops
• Roundtables, sandpits, mini symposia or conferences
• Public and community engagement activities
• Knowledge exchange activities

The call is specifically designed to support early-career researchers. Applications must include an early-career researcher (PhD student, post-doctoral researcher, or faculty member/fellowship holder within eight years of PhD graduation or six years of their first academic appointment). Later career academics can be involved as co-applicants and are encouraged to be mentors to ECRs.

Proposals are highly encouraged to include collaborations from multiple disciplines as well as, at least, one external partner.

Funding

Applications for projects costing up to £5,000 will be considered under this call. Due to the UCL fiscal year-end, all funding must be spent, and expenses must be identified and invoiced by 31st July 2026.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible collaborations must include a First and a Second applicant.
• First and Second Applicants are regarded as equal co-leads of the project. The main difference is that the First Applicants will receive the funding from the Grand Challenges and must create a new PTA account in their department to receive it.
• First Applicants must be UCL staff – either researchers in academic Faculties or Professional Services. 
• Second Applicants can be either UCL staff (researchers in academic Faculties or Professional Services), UCL PhD students or external partners – either academic (i.e. at another university) or non-academic (e.g. at a policy, third sector, charity, community, or business organisation).
• Please note, PhD students must be second applicants in this instance, due to financial purposes. 
• The Second Applicant must represent expertise from a different area of UCL and should be based in a different faculty. For this call, project proposals with co-leads from the same faculty may be considered in exceptional cases, provided the application includes a strong justification. To be considered, the application must include a short statement of interdisciplinary collaboration.
• The project team must comprise at least one early-career researcher (PhD student, post-doctoral researcher, or faculty member/fellowship holder within eight years of PhD graduation or within six years of their first academic appointment).

As part of our commitment to equity and inclusion, we would particularly like to encourage applications from colleagues who identify as underrepresented groups, including, but not limited to, women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals, the LGBTQI+ community and disabled individuals at UCL to apply for this opportunity.     

The Grand Challenges team has recently published a blog - What we’ve learnt from reviewing Grand Challenges proposals — and how this can help you - which contains tips and advice on writing a strong application. 

The full eligibility guidance for this call and instructions on how to apply are available on the Grand Challenges SharePoint (UCL login required).

Apply for the Inequalities ECR Catalyst Grants Call 2025/26

 Please note: Applications must be made using the online system. We will not accept emailed applications.

The deadline for applications is Friday 28 November 2025, 17.00 (GMT).

If you have further questions or require the form in an alternative format, please email Ethne James-Souch (e.james-souch@ucl.ac.uk).