Research, Development and Analysis Fund in the UK

Deadline: 13-Mar-23

The Nuffield Foundation is inviting applications for the Research, Development and Analysis Fund.

The Nuffield Foundation’s research, development and analysis portfolio is central to the delivery of their mission to advance educational opportunity and social well-being across the UK. They expect the work they fund to improve the design and operation of social policy, especially in those domains that they have always identified as underpinning a wellfunctioning society: Education, Welfare, and Justice.

Priorities

• Their core interests focus on three broad public policy domains that they have long identified as underpinning a well-functioning society: Education, Welfare and Justice.
  • Education: The scope of their interest in education covers all life stages and phases from early years1 (including pre-natal), through school, to further and higher education and vocational learning. They are interested in all influences on educational opportunity and life chances, including educational provision, informal learning, family and home environment, genetics, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic and place-related factors. Most recently, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on education at all phases and stages is an additional perspective that would be of interest.
  • Welfare: Their Welfare framework their Welfare portfolio aims to improve economic and social well-being across the life course. Their approach is motivated by how certain individuals and groups are potentially vulnerable to adverse outcomes, and how those risks can be mitigated, or channelled in a positive manner
  • Justice: Their Justice framework their work in Justice is central to their mission to advance social well-being and to understanding the foundations and pathways to a just and inclusive society, and the restrictions to achieving it. They believe that a well-functioning, fair, and effective system of justice is essential for day-to-day life and for public trust, respect, and confidence in the law and institutions of State.

Funding Information

• Applications for grants costing up to £750,000 will be considered twice a year, with deadlines for submission of outline applications in March and September. For applications at the upper end of that range they recommend that applicants contact them to discuss in advance of submitting an application. Most of the grants they award are below £300,000.
• They also welcome applications between £750,000 and £3 million for more strategic projects, which will be considered once a year, with an outline application submitted in March.

Types of projects they support

The Foundation supports a wide range of research, development, and analysis projects.

• Primary data collection and analysis
• Pre-trial development work
• Comparison or controlled trials or evaluations.
• Developmental projects

What they look for?

• Is the research question relevant?
• Is there a clear conceptual framework?
• Are the question researchable and the methodology appropriate and rigorous?
• Does the team possess appropriate experience, expertise and potential?
• Is the budget requested appropriate and does it offer good value for money?
• Is there a clear route to use the output to positively influence future outcomes?

Eligibility Criteria

• Non-UK applications
  • In general, they award grants to a wide range of organisations including, but not confined to, universities based in the UK and for projects focused on the UK context. They do however, welcome applications from UK-based organisations to carry out collaborative projects, possibly involving overseas partners (and/or exploiting data relating to other countries), for example where:
    • These provide useful comparators for UK experience in their areas of substantive interest.
    • There are lessons to be learned from international experiences.
    • Policy or practice overseas might be adapted for the UK.
    • There is a capacity building dimension that might benefit the UK.
    • In exceptional circumstances, they might consider an application from an overseas organisation along the lines where there is no workable arrangement whereby a UK-based organisation can host the grant. In these cases, the applicant must convince them that there are adequate arrangements for dissemination, engagement and impact in the UK context.
• Other funders
  • In some circumstances they will accept applications for projects that are being considered by another funder, pending discussion with their Programme Heads. However, they are unlikely to fund proposals that have been unsuccessful elsewhere unless the project is truly outstanding and central to their areas of interest. Although the Foundation does not contribute to general appeals for pooled funding, in some circumstances they will consider partnership funding. Where applicants wish to propose a partnership funding model, they would expect applicants to argue the case for such an approach within their Outline application
• Multiple proposals
  • Where applicants wish to seek funding for more than one project, they are willing to consider more than one Outline application from the same organisation.

Exclusions

• Some specific categories are not eligible for funding from their research, development, and analysis calls:
  • Individuals without a formal employment or other relationship with the institution hosting the grant.
  • Projects led by individuals unaffiliated to any particular organisation.
  • Projects led by schools or further education colleges.
  • Projects led by undergraduates or masters students.
  • PhD fees or projects where the main purpose is to support a PhD.
  • The establishment of academic posts.
  • Ongoing costs or the costs of ‘rolling out’ existing work or services.
  • ‘Dissemination-only’ projects, including campaigning work, which are not connected to their funded work.
  • Local charities, replacement for statutory funding, or local social services or social welfare provision.
  • Requests for financial help or educational fees from or on behalf of individuals.

For more information, visit Nuffield Foundation.