UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Opportunities 2026 | Fellowships, Grants and AI Research Funding Worth Millions
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Opportunities 2026 | Fellowships, Grants and AI Research Funding Worth MillionsResearchers, innovators, academic institutions, and businesses can now access a wide range of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding opportunities for 2026, with several new grants, fellowships, loans, and research support programmes currently open.
The latest funding calls include opportunities worth up to £21.6 million, fellowships valued at £180,000–£280,000, innovation loans of up to £5 million, and AI research support through access to one of the UK’s most powerful supercomputers.
These opportunities support research, innovation, climate science, health, artificial intelligence, policy development, agriculture, and economic growth.
About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the United Kingdom’s national funding agency for research and innovation.
UKRI brings together:
- AHRC
- BBSRC
- ESRC
- EPSRC
- Innovate UK
- MRC
- NERC
- Research England
- STFC
The organization invests billions annually to support world-leading research, innovation, and economic development.
Featured UKRI Funding Opportunities 2026
1. Innovation Loans Expression of Interest
Funding Available
💰 Total Fund: £20 Million
Award Size
💰 £100,000 – £5 Million
Eligible Applicants
UK-registered:
- Micro Businesses
- Small Businesses
- Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
The programme supports close-to-market innovative projects with strong commercial potential and societal impact.
Status
✅ Open
Deadline
No closing date currently announced.
2. Future Data Services Sandpit: Transforming Discovery and Access
Funding Available
💰 £21.6 Million
Funder
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
The programme supports projects designed to improve access to social science data infrastructure and research discovery systems.
Application Deadline
📅 16 July 2026
3. UKRI Policy Fellowships 2026
Funding Available
💰 £180,000 – £280,000
Funding Type
Fellowship
The fellowship supports knowledge exchange between academia and policy sectors.
Researchers will work at the intersection of:
- Research
- Government Policy
- Public Sector Decision-Making
Application Deadline
📅 10 September 2026
4. AI Open Access Compute Opportunity
Funding Benefit
Researchers receive access to:
🖥️ 50,000 – 1.4 Million GPU Hours
on the Isambard-AI Supercomputer.
Eligible Applicants
- Universities
- Research Institutions
- Industry Researchers
- Public Sector Organizations
- AI Developers
Research Areas
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Deep Learning
- Data Science
Application Deadline
📅 17 July 2026
5. Aviation Climate Research Programme
Funding Available
💰 £2.31 Million
Maximum Award
💰 £385,425
The programme supports research into aviation’s non-CO₂ impacts on climate change.
Application Deadline
📅 8 September 2026
6. Early Independence Career Development Fellowship
Funder
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The fellowship supports researchers seeking to establish independent research careers.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Hold a PhD or equivalent
- Demonstrate research productivity
- Show plans for building an independent research programme
Opening Date
📅 23 June 2026
Closing Date
📅 15 September 2026
7. Early Independence Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Target Applicants
Healthcare professionals with research backgrounds.
Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be registered healthcare professionals
- Hold a PhD or equivalent
- Demonstrate strong research achievements
Application Deadline
📅 2 September 2026
8. ACTASAP Pilot Programme
Funding Available
💰 £800,000
Eligible Applicants
UK Registered Academic Institutions
The programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered through Innovate UK.
Application Deadline
📅 28 July 2026
9. Full ADOPT Grant – Round Eight
Funding Available
💰 £5 Million
Eligible Applicants
Farming, growing, and forestry businesses based in England.
The grant supports:
- Agricultural Innovation
- On-Farm Demonstrations
- New Technologies
- Sustainable Farming Practices
Application Deadline
📅 29 July 2026
10. STFC Core Summer Schools 2027
Funding Available
💰 £500,000
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is funding major summer schools in:
- Astronomy
- Theoretical Particle Physics
- Solar Physics
- Nuclear Physics
- High Energy Physics
Application Deadline
📅 17 September 2026
Funding Opportunities by Category
Research Grants
- Future Data Services Sandpit (£21.6M)
- Aviation Climate Research (£2.31M)
- ACTASAP Pilot (£800K)
Fellowships
- UKRI Policy Fellowships (£180K–£280K)
- Early Independence Fellowship
- Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Innovation Funding
- Innovation Loans (£100K–£5M)
- ADOPT Agricultural Innovation Grant (£5M)
Artificial Intelligence
- AI Open Access Compute Opportunity
- Isambard-AI Supercomputer Access
Who Can Apply?
Depending on the funding opportunity, applicants may include:
✅ Researchers
✅ Postdoctoral Fellows
✅ Academic Institutions
✅ Universities
✅ SMEs
✅ Healthcare Professionals
✅ Innovators
✅ Agricultural Businesses
✅ AI Developers
✅ Research Organizations
Why These Opportunities Matter
UKRI funding provides:
- Major research funding
- Career development support
- International collaboration opportunities
- Access to advanced research infrastructure
- AI and computing resources
- Policy engagement opportunities
- Innovation commercialization support
These programmes help researchers and innovators translate ideas into real-world impact.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should:
- Review eligibility requirements.
- Select the most appropriate funding programme.
- Prepare supporting documents and proposals.
- Submit applications through the UKRI Funding Finder Portal before the relevant deadline.
Related Opportunities
- STEG Small Research Grants 2026 (£10,000–£25,000)
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 2026
- World Bank Scholarships Program 2026
- DAAD Scholarships in Germany
- IMF Economist Program 2026
- UNDP Research and Innovation Opportunities
- Gates Foundation Research Funding Opportunities
- UNFCCC Climate Fellowships
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