Research funders

UK Research and Innovation

UKRI · United Kingdom

UK Research and Innovation is the UK government body that funds research and innovation through its seven research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. It was set up in 2018 and funds research grants, fellowships and doctoral training across every discipline.

Arts and Humanities Research Council

AHRC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Arts and Humanities Research Council is the UKRI council that funds research in the arts and humanities, from history, languages and philosophy to design, music and the creative economy.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

BBSRC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is the UKRI council that funds bioscience research and training, including agriculture and food, industrial biotechnology and the biology of health.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

EPSRC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is the UKRI council that funds research and doctoral training in engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science and materials.

Economic and Social Research Council

ESRC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Economic and Social Research Council is the UKRI council that funds research and training in the economic, social, behavioural and human data sciences.

Innovate UK

Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

Innovate UK is the UK innovation agency within UKRI. It funds businesses and research partners to develop new products, services and technologies.

Medical Research Council

MRC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Medical Research Council is the UKRI council that funds medical and biomedical research, from basic science to clinical trials, and runs its own research units and institutes.

Natural Environment Research Council

NERC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Natural Environment Research Council is the UKRI council that funds environmental science, including climate, oceans, polar research, biodiversity and natural hazards.

Science and Technology Facilities Council

STFC · Part of UKRI · United Kingdom

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is the UKRI council that funds particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics, and runs large national facilities such as ISIS and the Central Laser Facility.

Wellcome

United Kingdom

Wellcome is an independent charitable foundation in London that funds research in science, health and the humanities. It supports researchers worldwide through fellowships, awards and discovery research schemes.

The Royal Society is the UK national academy of sciences, founded in 1660. It funds research fellowships, international collaboration and research grants for scientists at many career stages.

The British Academy is the UK national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It funds postdoctoral fellowships, small research grants and international research in these fields.

Leverhulme Trust

United Kingdom

The Leverhulme Trust is a UK charity founded in 1925 under the will of William Lever. It funds research grants, early career fellowships and doctoral scholarships in every academic discipline.

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK

United Kingdom

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK runs Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships for people from Commonwealth countries to study in the UK. It is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Chevening is the UK government's international scholarship and fellowship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It funds one-year master's degrees in the UK for future leaders from around 160 countries.

The Gates Cambridge Trust awards full-cost scholarships for postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge to applicants from outside the UK. It was founded in 2000 with a gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rhodes Trust

United Kingdom

The Rhodes Trust, based at Rhodes House in Oxford, awards the Rhodes Scholarship for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. The scholarship was established in 1902.

European Research Council

ERC · Part of Horizon Europe · European Union

The European Research Council funds frontier research by individual researchers of any nationality working in Europe, chosen on scientific excellence alone. Its main grants are Starting, Consolidator, Advanced and Synergy Grants, under Horizon Europe.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

MSCA · Part of Horizon Europe · European Union

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions are the European Union's programme for doctoral and postdoctoral training and researcher mobility, part of Horizon Europe. They fund doctoral networks, postdoctoral fellowships and staff exchanges in any field.

Horizon Europe

European Union

Horizon Europe is the European Union's research and innovation programme for 2021 to 2027, run by the European Commission. Its calls are published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

German Academic Exchange Service

DAAD · Germany

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) is Germany's organisation for international academic exchange. It funds scholarships for international students and researchers to study and research in Germany, and for Germans abroad.

German Research Foundation

DFG · Germany

The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) is Germany's main research funding organisation. It funds research projects, research training groups, collaborative research centres and the Emmy Noether and Heisenberg programmes in all disciplines.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

AvH · Germany

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation funds researchers from abroad to work in Germany, mainly through Humboldt Research Fellowships for postdoctoral and experienced researchers, and awards research prizes.

The French National Research Agency (Agence nationale de la recherche) funds project-based research in France across all disciplines, through its yearly generic call and targeted calls.

The Swiss National Science Foundation is Switzerland's main funder of basic research. It funds research projects, careers from doctorate to professorship, and infrastructure in all disciplines.

Dutch Research Council

NWO · Netherlands

The Dutch Research Council (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) is the Netherlands' national research funder. It runs the Talent Programme (Veni, Vidi, Vici) and funds research across all fields.

Research Foundation Flanders

FWO · Belgium

Research Foundation Flanders (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen) funds fundamental and strategic research at the universities of Flanders, including doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships.

Fund for Scientific Research

F.R.S.-FNRS · Belgium

The Fund for Scientific Research (Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique) funds fundamental research at the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in Belgium, including research fellowships and projects.

Research Council of Norway

Norway

The Research Council of Norway (Forskningsrådet) is Norway's national research funder and adviser to the government on research policy. It funds research and innovation in all fields.

Swedish Research Council

Sweden

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) is Sweden's largest government funder of basic research. It funds research projects, starting grants and research environments in all fields.

Research Council of Finland

Finland

The Research Council of Finland (formerly the Academy of Finland) is Finland's main government funder of scientific research. It funds research projects, postdoctoral researchers and academy research fellows.

Novo Nordisk Foundation

Denmark

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is a Danish enterprise foundation that funds research in the life sciences, health, sustainability and natural sciences, mostly in Denmark and the Nordic countries.

U.S. National Science Foundation

NSF · United States

The U.S. National Science Foundation is a federal agency that funds basic research and education in non-medical science and engineering. It supports research grants, the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and early career awards.

The National Institutes of Health is the United States' medical research agency, made up of 27 institutes and centers. It funds biomedical and health research and training at universities and hospitals, and runs its own laboratories.

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

DOE SC · United States

The Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy is the largest federal funder of research in the physical sciences. It funds research in fields such as high energy physics, fusion, materials and computing, and runs national laboratory user facilities.

Fulbright Program

United States

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's international educational exchange programme, sponsored by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It funds students, scholars and teachers to study, teach and research abroad, through binational commissions and U.S. embassies.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a U.S. biomedical research organisation that employs and funds scientists at its Janelia Research Campus and at universities, and funds science education.

Simons Foundation

United States

The Simons Foundation is a private foundation in New York that funds research in mathematics, the physical sciences, life sciences and autism research, and runs the Flatiron Institute.

The Gates Foundation, known until 2025 as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is a private foundation in Seattle. It funds work in global health, development, agriculture and U.S. education, including research grants and Grand Challenges calls.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is the federal agency that funds research and training in the natural sciences and engineering at Canadian universities and colleges.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is the federal agency that funds research and training in the social sciences and humanities.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is Canada's federal agency for health research. It funds health research and training through 13 institutes covering areas from cancer to Indigenous peoples' health.

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

JSPS · Japan

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science is a funding agency of the Japanese government. It administers the KAKENHI research grants and funds postdoctoral fellowships for Japanese and international researchers.

Japan Science and Technology Agency

JST · Japan

The Japan Science and Technology Agency is a Japanese government agency that funds strategic basic research and innovation through programmes such as CREST, PRESTO, ERATO and the Moonshot programme.

The National Research Foundation of Korea is South Korea's main government agency for funding basic research in science, engineering, the humanities and social sciences, and for international research cooperation.

The China Scholarship Council is a non-profit body under China's Ministry of Education. It funds Chinese students and scholars to study abroad and administers the Chinese Government Scholarship for international students.

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation is India's national research funder, set up by an Act of Parliament in 2023. It took over the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and funds research across science, engineering and the humanities.

The Department of Science and Technology is the Government of India's department for science and technology policy and funding. It runs schemes such as INSPIRE fellowships and the Women Scientists Scheme.

The Department of Biotechnology is part of India's Ministry of Science and Technology. It funds research, fellowships and infrastructure in biotechnology and the life sciences.

Indian Council of Medical Research

ICMR · India

The Indian Council of Medical Research is India's apex body for biomedical research. It runs a network of research institutes and funds extramural research and fellowships.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

CSIR · India

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is India's largest network of public research laboratories. Through its Human Resource Development Group it funds research fellowships, including the CSIR-UGC NET Junior Research Fellowship.

University Grants Commission

UGC · India

The University Grants Commission is India's statutory body for university education. It funds and regulates universities and awards scholarships and fellowships for students and researchers.

The Australian Research Council is the Australian government agency that funds research in all fields except clinical medicine, through Discovery and Linkage grants and fellowships such as DECRA and Future Fellowships.

The National Health and Medical Research Council is the Australian government's main funder of health and medical research, through schemes such as Investigator Grants, Ideas Grants and clinical trials funding.