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Internally managed calls

Find details of funding calls that require a UCL internal selection process or other internal coordination managed by our Research Coordination teams, and information about the application process.

Sometimes funders will limit the number of applications an institution can submit for a particular call, or require applications to undergo an internal review and approval process before submission. UCL has an internal selection process for such calls. 

Details of upcoming internally managed funding calls are listed below along with supporting guidance for applicants. Also listed are calls where other internal selection activities have been put in place to support UCL staff interested in leading or participating in a funding bid. Closed calls over the past 12 months can also be viewed using the link below for reference. 

If you are aware of an external funding opportunity where the number of proposals UCL can submit is limited, and which isn’t listed here, contact a member of your local Research Coordination team supporting your faculty.

Open calls

AMS Springboard Award 2025: Round 11 | Deadline: 31 March 2025

Scope

The Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) Springboard Award supports non-clinical biomedical researchers at the start of their first independent post who are yet to receive substantial funding support to help launch their research careers. The award offers a bespoke support package, including access to the Academy’s mentoring and career development programme. Proposals are welcomed from all biomedical research fields, including:

  • Molecular, cellular, and structural biology
  • Anatomical, physiological, psychological, epidemiological, and public health research
  • Maths, physics, or engineering approaches, as long as the research aims to improve human health.

Details

  • Funding: Up to £125,000
  • Duration: 2 years
  • Number of UCL applications allowed: 4
  • UCL deadline: 10am, 31 March 2025

Further Information and how to apply

Visit the AMS website for the full call details and eligibility criteria. UCL applicants are asked to complete an internal Expression of Interest form following the guidance below. If you have any questions regarding this call, contact Ruth Wainman at r.wainman@ucl.ac.uk.

Supporting documents

Mental Health Research UK PhD Scholarships 2026 | UCL Deadline: 1 April 2025

Scope

Mental Health Research UK, incorporating the Schizophrenia Research Fund, has announced funding for 3 PhD Scholarships, starting September 2026:

  • Ivan Baines PhD scholarship: Optimising pharmacotherapy in the treatment of young people experiencing psychosis
  • John Grace QC PhD scholarship: Transdiagnostic approaches to schizophrenia and related conditions
  • Clair Chilvers PhD scholarship: Epidemiology to impact mental health

Awards cover fees and stipends only and will be based on the Medical Research Council’s minimum stipend and fees for UK students. Only eligible Principal Investigators and subsidiary supervisors (Co-Investigators) can apply. Applications from individual students are not permitted.

Details

  • Funding: Fees and stipends only 
  • Duration: 4 years or on submission of the PhD thesis, whichever is earlier
  • Number of UCL applications allowed: 1 per scholarship
  • UCL internal deadline: 4pm, 1 April 2025

Further information and how to apply 

Visit the Mental Health Research UK website for the full call details and eligibility criteria. Interested applicants should complete the Expression of Interest form below and submit it as a single PDF document to Rebecca Downing at rebecca.downing@ucl.ac.uk by the UCL deadline, using the subject line ‘Mental Health Research UK PhD Competition 2026’ in the email.

Supporting documents

UKRI Creating opportunities: rethinking economic (in)activity | Deadline: 6 May 2025

Scope

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is inviting proposals for its ‘Creating Opportunities: Rethinking Economic (In)activity’ call. This initiative aims to boost economic activity in UK areas with high rates of ill health, disability, and informal care. Interdisciplinary proposals that cross multiple research council boundaries and use mixed-method approaches are especially welcomed.

Our Research Coordination teams held an internal roundtable on 26 February for interested UCL staff, chaired by Professor Rosalind Smyth. The meeting provided an overview of the call and UKRI's requirements and offered a platform for sharing ideas and fostering collaboration. You can access the meeting presentation recording by contacting our Research Coordination teams using the details below.

To support UCL's response, applicants working on a bid are invited to submit an internal Expression of Interest (EOI) form. EOIs will be used to help facilitate collaboration between UCL teams either planning to submit a bid or interested in contributing to a bid led by someone else.

Details

  • Funding: up to £1.2million over 2 years
  • Number of awards available: 1
  • UCL roundtable: 1:30-3pm, 26 February 2025 via teams 
  • UCL EOI deadline: 5pm, 10 March 2025
  • Funder deadline: 4pm, 6 May 2025

Further information and how to apply

Visit the UKRI website for full call details and eligibility criteria. Applicants should submit an EOI using the form below. Should you have any questions about this call or would like to access the roundtable presentation recording, contact:

Supporting documents

EPSRC Strategic Infrastructure | UCL deadline: open

Scope

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Strategic Infrastructure scheme supports research infrastructure in UK universities. There are 2 routes within the opportunity:

  1. Funding for new strategic infrastructure of value over £400,000
  2. Resources to support existing strategic infrastructure when invited by EPSRC.

Expressions of interest (EOI) from academics or research technical professionals are welcomed. Proposals need to benefit the UK research community, including those beyond UCL. Infrastructure should be unique in the UK or proposed to be used in a unique way. Proposals need to be:

  • Strategically important to the department(s) involved
  • Evidenced by meaningful support (cash/in-kind).

Engagement with the appropriate Heads of Department and/or Research Directors is required as part of the EoI process. Where multiple EoIs are received from a department they will be asked to rank them by priority.

UCL may only submit a limited number of applications between June 2024 and June 2025 and will run an internal process with a focus on the number of submissions put forward and the timing of submissions. Institutional oversight at an early stage will facilitate later stages of the process where the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) (RIGE) is required to attend the final interview.

Details

  • Funding: Over £400,000, including VAT
  • Number of UCL applications allowed: Up to 6 by 18 June 2025
  • Deadline: Open (until June 2025)
  • Next internal batch date: 26 March 2025

We are holding a webinar and Q&A at 2pm on Thursday 24 April for those interested in applying to this call for a future batch date. Sign up to attend the webinar.

How to apply

EOIs may be submitted at any time via the EPSRC Strategic Infrastructure - UCL internal EoI Form. Contact Jon Williams (BEAMS Research Coordination team) at jon.williams@ucl.ac.uk if you have any queries about the scheme.

Further information

Visit the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) website for full call details and eligibility criteria.

Selection process

Submissions will be batched quarterly and considered at the next batching meeting by a small representative panel of Vice-Deans (Research), convened by the Research Coordination Office (BEAMS). They will assess the strategic case made by the applicant and whether the ideas are appropriate to prepare for submission to EPSRC, before deciding which submissions to put forward.

To ensure a spread of applications across UCL areas of expertise and interest the panel will look at:

  • The competitiveness of the proposal against the scheme criteria
  • Fit to department, faculty and central strategic priorities
  • Whether the proposal has already been considered by EPSRC
  • The range of remits and type of equipment being proposed.

The panel will then make one of 3 recommendations:

  • EoI to go forward as an outline proposal - Applicants will be given a submission deadline to enable UCL to manage the flow of applications. Applicants will receive support from the BEAMS Research Coordination team, alongside faculty and department input.
  • EoI not yet ready - Applicants will be given feedback on why the EoI was considered not yet ready for submission. Applicants can resubmit to the internal EoI process again when ready. Ideas can only be resubmitted once unless explicitly invited by the panel.
  • EoI not suitable to go forward - If an application is out of remit for EPSRC, not appropriate for the scheme, or is an internal resubmission which is not sufficiently improved it will be rejected.

Panel recommendations will be shared with applicants as soon as possible, following approval from the Vice-Provost (RIGE).

Proposals submitted to EPSRC as an outline are sometimes rejected and invited to resubmit by EPSRC. EPSRC-invited resubmissions will need to go through the internal EoI process again. The panel will take into account that EPSRC-invited resubmissions have been encouraged to reapply by the funder.

Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowships | UCL deadline: open

Scope

The Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowships offer talented international research leaders the opportunity to undertake a flexible 12-month sabbatical in a UK university or research institution. 

The scheme aims to enable the Visiting Fellow and host UK organisation to develop ongoing collaborative research links, and to share ideas and best practices. 

The scheme generally has 3 rounds per year, with varying deadlines usually in autumn, spring and summer. For each round, the Royal Society require UCL to manage the number of proposals it puts forward. 

Details

  • Career stage: Senior career
  • Funding: Up to £125,000
  • Duration: Up to 12 months full-time, with a minimum stay of 3 months, or flexibly over 2 years
  • UCL deadline: At least 6 weeks before the call deadline

How to apply

Expressions of interest for a scheme round should be submitted to the BEAMS Research Coordination team via email (ovpr.beams@ucl.ac.uk) at least 6 weeks before the Royal Society's deadline.

Host UCL departments that wish to nominate a candidate for the scheme should submit the candidate’s CV, as well as a supporting statement signed by the Head of Department (2 sides of A4 maximum), highlighting the:

  • Strategic case for the nomination and fit to institutional research strengths and strategies
  • Mutual benefit to UCL and the researcher, including the potential to develop ongoing international collaborative links, share ideas and practice
  • High quality and originality of the candidate’s proposed research vision and the contribution that the researcher can make to the furtherance of UK research in their field
  • Suitability of the host Department/Division/Institute/Faculty for the candidate, and its commitment to supporting the researcher during the sabbatical period.


Should a high volume of planned applications for any given round, a prioritisation process may be put in place centrally or at faculty level, with proposals considered by a small, representative academic panel against the scheme criteria.

Further information

Visit the Royal Society website for full call details and eligibility criteria.

Closed calls

View closed calls (last 12 months)

Page last updated: March 2025