We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the development of the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant:
- use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
- insert each new image onto a new line
- provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
- files must be smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).
You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.
Deadline
AHRC must receive your application by 18 July 2024 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
As part of the Mission Funding Opportunity your personal data will be anonymised, aggregated and shared with the Thrive team for the purposes of comparing Mission with our standard responsive mode approach.
Publication of outcomes
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 500
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the challenge the project addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL)
- project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
- project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
- specialist
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
Only list one individual as project lead.
This is a team-based application, and the title of project lead is not intended to denote seniority. Please nominate the accountable individual who will be responsible for reporting and award administration as the project lead. Members of the team involved in the collective leadership of the project should be listed as project co-leads, with leadership of the project shared appropriately across this group and clearly set out in the main body of the application.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Discipline classification – primary
Word limit: 5
Please provide the primary research area of your application.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You must select from one of these research disciplines.
This information will be used for the purposes of processing your application and in the selection of appropriate assessors. The research disciplines are:
- archaeology
- area studies
- classics
- cultural and museum studies
- dance
- design
- development studies
- drama and theatre studies
- education
- history
- human geography
- information and communication technologies
- languages and literature
- law and legal studies
- library and information studies
- linguistics
- media
- music
- philosophy
- political science and international studies
- social anthropology
- theology, divinity and religion
- visual arts
Discipline classification – secondary
Word limit: 50
Please describe, using keywords, the research area of your application and where relevant the approach, time period or geographical area.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
This will further help with the selection of appropriate assessors.
Outline vision
Word limit: 550
What is your proposed research agenda and how would your team use a Mission award to advance it?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You will need to explain the nature of your research agenda, the scale and nature of the transformation you will enact and why you need a Mission award to do it. Assessors will be looking to see that your vision:
- is aligned to the scope and programme aims of this funding opportunity
- is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
- has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
- is timely given current trends, context and needs
- impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment
- is genuinely novel and only achievable in the context of a Mission award
- meaningfully engages with how a team convening approach will add value in delivering your vision
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
Outline approach
Word limit: 550
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Outline your team’s current thinking on how you will use the team-convening principles listed below to deliver your project. Specifically, you will need to articulate your initial thinking on how your approach will:
- identify individuals with the appropriate expertise to collectively deliver the project
- establish collective leadership, empowering team members to lead in their area of expertise
- design inclusive governance practices and clear decision-making processes
- identify ways to embed development for all, realised through the delivery of the project
- engage in reflexive practice, enabling adaptive ways of working and continuous learning
As this is an outline stage, we do not expect you to have full detail on every element of your approach. Assessors will be looking for a credible plan relative to your current stage of project development. Assessors will want to understand your approach and have confidence in your ability to realise a full stage application that embraces the team-convening principles within your specific context.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
Outline team capability to deliver
Word limit: 750
Who are the project team and what skills, experience and knowledge are they bringing to the project?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Evidence of how the team, will:
- identify a complete set of appropriate skills and expertise needed to address the mission, and plan to recruit the right expertise to fill any gaps
- combine expertise of all members of the team to achieve research excellence
- ensure careers of all team members are strengthened by this collaborative and inclusive approach
- ensure accountability through collective leadership
- ensure inclusion and diversity through the team-convening process
There will be an opportunity to expand your team if invited to complete a full stage application. This could include new collaborators or adding further details where appropriate.
The word count for this section is 750 words: 550 words to be used for ‘Who are the project team and what skills, experience and knowledge are they bringing to the project?’ (including references) and, if necessary, a further 200 words for Additions.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the Funding Service.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
Additions
Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 200 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your outline team capability to deliver (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
References may be included within this section.
