Funding for time-critical research to support UK policymakers or frontline practitioners in public services.

The Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) pilot React Awards offer responsive funding to generate time-critical research to support UK policymakers or frontline practitioners in public services.

This is an applicant-led funding opportunity, and applications can cover any aspect of ERSC’s remit, providing at least 51% of the application is based in the social sciences.

Applications are open to researchers based in UK research organisations, UKRI institutes, NHS bodies, independent research organisations, public sector research establishments and Catapult centres.

Co-production is a crucial part of this funding opportunity, and applicants should demonstrate this both in how the application has been developed and in the programme of activity they propose. To this end, applicants have the freedom to choose the research and collaboration approaches that best enable them to deliver shared objectives with their public sector partners.

Researchers will have wide scope and freedom to propose the research activities that will most robustly address the identified evidence need and meet the project objectives.

The Full Economic Cost (FEC) of a project can be between £50,000 and £100,000. ESRC will fund 80% of the FEC.