UK funders

If you are applying for funding as part of a UK-led team, it is likely that you will be applying to one of UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) research councils. The University of Leeds (UoL) staff intranet provides useful context about UKRI, as well as other UK funding bodies: UK funder support at the University of Leeds.

UK government allocates funding to delivery partners. It is the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) who are the key government departments responsible for deciding how to allocate resources to support global research. If you want to apply for funding as part of an international team,  it is crucial to understand the priorities of these departments, as this determines the research areas that they will prioritise for funding. They use funding bodies as delivery partners. The main delivery partners for global research funding in the UK are: 

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 

UKRI supports international research collaboration through a series of lead agency agreements, and through its international co-investigator policy. More details on these opportunities can be found under the 'Funding Resources' section of the Knowledge Base. Your disciplinary focus will determine which of UKRI's research councils you apply to.

Wellcome

Wellcome funds discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and many of their opportunities are open to applicants from low and middle-income countries (LMICs), including as project leads.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

NIHR supports global health research through its Global Health Research Programme.

National Academies

The four national academies are: The Royal Society, The Royal Academy of Engineering, Academy of Medical Sciences, and the British Academy. As well as fellowships, they provide small awards to support international collaboration.

British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It offers small awards to fund mobility and to pump-prime research, but it is not a funding body. You should refer to the University's internal guidance before applying to the British Council.

British Council Guidelines for UoL staff