Deadline: 10-Jul-2026
The UK Impacts of the US-Iran Conflict Rapid Response Research Fund supports timely research and analysis on the economic and social effects of the 2026 conflict involving the United States, Iran, Israel and the wider region. The fund focuses on how disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz may affect UK energy markets, inflation, supply chains, households, businesses and policy decisions.
Up to eight projects are expected to be funded through a total budget of up to £300,000. Eligible applicants include UK-based universities, research institutes, think tanks, policy institutes, research consultancies and other organisations with relevant expertise and analytical capacity.
Fund Overview
The UK Impacts of the US-Iran Conflict Rapid Response Research Fund supports rapid empirical and applied research on how the 2026 US-Iran conflict is affecting the United Kingdom.
The fund is designed to generate timely evidence for policymakers as the crisis evolves.
It supports research that examines economic impacts, social consequences, household behaviour, energy markets, supply chains, business pressures and policy options.
Main Objective
The main objective of the fund is to produce timely, rigorous and practical evidence on the UK impacts of the 2026 conflict and related disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The fund aims to:
- Support rapid-response research
- Understand economic and social impacts in the UK
- Analyse energy market volatility
- Examine rising fuel and energy costs
- Assess supply chain disruption
- Identify impacts on households and businesses
- Support practical policy responses
- Evaluate trade-offs, fiscal costs and opportunity costs
- Provide accessible evidence for policymakers
Key Focus Areas
The programme focuses on real-time policy-relevant analysis.
Key focus areas include:
- Rising costs
- Potential shortages
- Targeted support measures
- Household behaviour
- Energy demand
- Energy markets
- Supply chains
- Business support
- Social consequences
- Resilience and preparedness
- Policy trade-offs
- Fiscal implications
- Opportunity costs
- Scenario modelling
- Distributional analysis
- Behavioural analysis
- Rapid-response research
- Real-time data collection
- Policy evaluation
Context: Why the Fund Was Created
The 2026 conflict involving the United States, Iran, Israel and the wider region has created uncertainty for global energy markets and international trade routes.
Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has contributed to energy market volatility and inflationary pressures.
In the United Kingdom, these pressures are reflected in higher fuel costs and expected increases in energy bills.
The fund responds to the need for timely research that can help policymakers understand what is happening, who is affected and which responses may reduce harm.
What Is Rapid-Response Research?
Rapid-response research is research designed to provide evidence quickly during an evolving crisis.
It prioritises:
- Timely analysis
- Use of available or real-time data
- Clear policy relevance
- Practical recommendations
- Transparent uncertainty
- Fast dissemination to decision-makers
In this fund, rapid-response research must be rigorous but also feasible within tight timelines.
What the Fund Supports
The fund supports research that can inform UK policy decisions during and after the crisis.
Supported research may include:
- Empirical research
- Applied policy analysis
- Synthesis studies
- Qualitative research
- Real-time data collection
- Scenario modelling
- Distributional analysis
- Behavioural analysis
- Policy evaluation
- Economic impact analysis
- Social impact analysis
- Monitoring tools or data tools
Projects should deliver practical insights that can be used by policymakers and stakeholders.
Priority Research Areas
Applications must address one or more priority research areas identified by the fund.
Rising Costs and Shortages
Projects may examine how the conflict affects prices, inflation, fuel costs, energy bills and availability of essential goods.
Research may also assess which households, sectors or regions are most vulnerable to rising costs or shortages.
Household Behaviour and Energy Demand
Projects may study how households respond to energy price pressures.
This may include changes in energy use, transport behaviour, spending patterns, coping strategies or demand reduction.
Energy Markets and Supply Chains
Projects may analyse impacts on energy markets, logistics, imports, shipping disruption and supply chain resilience.
Research may also examine how businesses and public services are affected by increased costs or delayed supplies.
Social Consequences
Projects may examine the social impacts of the crisis on households, workers, communities and vulnerable groups.
This may include inequality, wellbeing, hardship, access to essentials and public trust in policy responses.
Resilience, Preparedness and Policy Trade-Offs
Projects may assess how prepared the UK is for economic shocks linked to international conflict and energy disruption.
Research may also examine policy options, trade-offs, costs and unintended consequences.
Policy Relevance Requirement
Projects must provide clear policy relevance.
A strong proposal should explain:
- Which policy decisions the research will inform
- Which stakeholders will use the findings
- How evidence will be translated into practical recommendations
- What decisions or interventions may be improved
- How the research will support timely action
The fund is not intended for research that has limited practical application.
Fiscal Implications and Trade-Offs
Applicants are expected to consider the fiscal implications and opportunity costs of proposed measures.
This means projects should examine:
- Cost to government
- Budgetary implications
- Who benefits and who pays
- Distribution of costs and benefits
- Possible unintended consequences
- Trade-offs between short-term relief and long-term resilience
- Alternatives to proposed interventions
This helps ensure that recommendations are realistic and useful for decision-makers.
Data and Methodology Requirements
Projects must use rigorous analytical methods.
Applicants should use available data or present a clear and realistic plan for collecting new data.
Strong applications should include:
- Clear research questions
- Appropriate methods
- Realistic data sources
- Transparent assumptions
- Consideration of uncertainty
- Explanation of data limitations
- Feasible delivery timelines
- Policy-focused outputs
Transparency and Uncertainty
Because the crisis is evolving, researchers must be transparent about uncertainty.
Projects should clearly explain:
- What is known
- What is uncertain
- What assumptions are being made
- What data gaps exist
- How limitations affect findings
- How conclusions should be interpreted
This helps policymakers use the findings responsibly.
Expected Outputs
Supported projects are expected to produce timely and accessible outputs.
Expected outputs may include:
- Concise policy briefs
- Practical recommendations
- Direct and indirect impact analysis
- Analysis of intended and unintended effects
- Cost and trade-off assessments
- Scenario modelling outputs
- Data tools or monitoring approaches where appropriate
- Stakeholder-facing summaries
- Rapid dissemination materials
Outputs should be directly useful to policymakers and other decision-makers.
Funding Available
The total funding budget is up to £300,000.
Up to eight projects are expected to be funded.
Applicants should prepare budgets that reflect rapid delivery, practical analysis and high-quality policy outputs.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include UK-based organisations with relevant expertise and analytical capacity.
Eligible organisations may include:
- Universities
- Research institutes
- Independent research organisations
- Think tanks
- Policy institutes
- Research consultancies
- Other organisations with relevant expertise
Applicants should demonstrate that they have the skills, methods and capacity to deliver rigorous research within tight timelines.
Suitable Applicants
The fund is suitable for organisations with expertise in:
- Economics
- Energy policy
- Social policy
- Public policy
- Supply chain analysis
- Behavioural research
- Data analysis
- Scenario modelling
- Crisis response research
- Fiscal analysis
- Distributional analysis
- Policy evaluation
Applicants should be able to produce accessible outputs for policy audiences.
Why This Fund Matters
The effects of international conflict can reach UK households, businesses and public services through energy prices, supply chains, inflation and policy uncertainty.
Rapid evidence is needed because the situation is changing quickly.
This fund matters because it supports research that can help policymakers act earlier, target support more effectively and understand the wider consequences of different policy choices.
It also helps ensure that responses consider vulnerable groups, fiscal costs, social impacts and long-term preparedness.
Expected Impact
Funded projects are expected to improve understanding of the UK impacts of the crisis.
Expected impacts may include:
- Better evidence for policy decisions
- Improved understanding of energy and inflation pressures
- Clearer analysis of household and business impacts
- Stronger preparedness for supply chain disruption
- More targeted support measures
- Better understanding of social consequences
- More transparent policy trade-off analysis
- Practical recommendations for decision-makers
How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Proposal
Applicants should prepare a focused, feasible and policy-relevant research proposal.
Step 1: Identify the Priority Research Area
Applicants should select one or more priority areas.
These may include rising costs, shortages, household energy behaviour, energy markets, supply chains, social consequences, resilience, preparedness or policy trade-offs.
Step 2: Define the Policy Problem
The proposal should clearly explain the policy problem being addressed.
Applicants should state why the issue is urgent, who is affected and what decisions the research will inform.
Step 3: Develop Clear Research Questions
The proposal should include focused research questions.
Strong questions should be specific, answerable within the timeframe and relevant to decision-makers.
Step 4: Select the Methodology
Applicants should choose methods that match the research question.
Methods may include:
- Quantitative analysis
- Qualitative interviews
- Evidence synthesis
- Scenario modelling
- Distributional analysis
- Behavioural analysis
- Policy evaluation
- Real-time monitoring
Step 5: Identify Data Sources
Applicants should explain what data will be used.
This may include existing datasets, real-time indicators, administrative data, surveys, interviews, market data or newly collected evidence.
Step 6: Address Uncertainty and Limitations
The proposal should explain how uncertainty will be handled.
Applicants should clearly identify data gaps, assumptions and limitations.
Step 7: Analyse Costs and Trade-Offs
Projects should include consideration of fiscal implications, opportunity costs and policy trade-offs.
This makes recommendations more practical and credible.
Step 8: Plan Policy Outputs
Applicants should plan concise and accessible outputs.
At minimum, projects should be able to produce policy briefs and recommendations.
Where appropriate, applicants may also propose data tools, dashboards or monitoring approaches.
Step 9: Include Stakeholder Engagement
Applicants should explain how they will engage relevant stakeholders.
Stakeholders may include policymakers, public bodies, businesses, energy experts, civil society organisations or affected communities.
Step 10: Demonstrate Rapid Delivery Capacity
The proposal should show that the team can deliver high-quality findings within tight timelines.
Applicants should provide a realistic work plan, clear roles and a strong dissemination strategy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:
- Submitting a proposal without clear policy relevance
- Choosing research questions that are too broad
- Failing to address one of the fund’s priority areas
- Ignoring fiscal implications and opportunity costs
- Providing weak or unrealistic data plans
- Not explaining uncertainty or data limitations
- Failing to produce practical recommendations
- Proposing outputs that are too slow for rapid-response needs
- Not including stakeholder engagement
- Overlooking direct, indirect, intended and unintended impacts
- Providing analysis without clear implications for decision-makers
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should:
- Focus on a clear and urgent policy question
- Use rigorous but feasible methods
- Demonstrate rapid delivery capability
- Include realistic data sources
- Address uncertainty transparently
- Consider fiscal costs and trade-offs
- Analyse distributional and behavioural impacts where relevant
- Provide practical recommendations
- Include a strong dissemination plan
- Engage stakeholders early
- Produce concise policy briefs for decision-makers
FAQ
1. What is the UK Impacts of the US-Iran Conflict Rapid Response Research Fund?
It is a research fund supporting timely analysis of the economic and social effects on the United Kingdom arising from the 2026 US-Iran conflict and related regional disruption.
2. How much funding is available?
The total funding budget is up to £300,000.
3. How many projects are expected to be funded?
Up to eight projects are expected to receive funding.
4. What research topics are eligible?
Eligible topics include rising costs, shortages, household behaviour, energy demand, energy markets, supply chains, business support, social consequences, resilience, preparedness and policy trade-offs.
5. What types of research are supported?
The fund supports rapid-response empirical and applied research, synthesis studies, qualitative research, real-time data collection, policy analysis, evaluation, scenario modelling, distributional analysis and behavioural research.
6. Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include UK-based universities, research institutes, independent research organisations, think tanks, policy institutes, research consultancies and other organisations with relevant expertise and analytical capacity.
7. What outputs are expected?
Supported projects are expected to produce concise policy briefs, recommendations, impact analysis, cost and trade-off assessments and, where appropriate, data tools or monitoring approaches.
Conclusion
The UK Impacts of the US-Iran Conflict Rapid Response Research Fund supports urgent research on how the 2026 conflict and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are affecting the United Kingdom.
With up to £300,000 available across up to eight projects, the fund aims to generate fast, rigorous and policy-relevant evidence on energy costs, supply chains, household behaviour, business impacts, social consequences and policy trade-offs.
Applicants should prepare focused proposals that use strong methods, address uncertainty, consider fiscal implications and deliver practical recommendations that can support timely decision-making.
For more information, visit Nuffield Foundation.