Application windows for 2027 and 2028 announced for ADR UK Research Fellowship scheme

The timeline for the next two rounds of the ADR UK research fellowship scheme has now been confirmed, giving prospective applicants advance notice to prepare. Each round will include funding for 15 new fellowships. 

ADR UK fellowships offer funding for researchers using ADR UK flagship datasets to undertake projects that aim to uncover new insights for policy or practice with positive real-world implications for the UK public. Last month, we announced 17 new fellowship projects spanning topics from education and health to crime and justice, which were funded through the most recent round. 

UK-wide data: A brand new opportunity for research

The next funding round will mark the first UK-wide round of the fellowship scheme, with datasets spanning the four nations of the UK in scope for project applications.

Full details of the opportunities will include the full list of datasets in scope, applicant webinars, and links to Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) and other policy-related information to support strong applications. 

Application window one: Spring 2027

The first application window will open in spring 2027, and is anticipated to run from March to June. Researchers can look out for a pre-announcement in early 2027, including advance details of the opportunity to support early project development and planning. Successful applicants from this round can expect their fellowships to begin in April 2028.

Application window two: Summer 2028

A second application window is expected to open in summer 2028. Prospective applicants are encouraged to check back for updates and final dates nearer the time.

Supporting your application

Ahead of both windows, the ADR UK team will run a programme of activities to support prospective applicants to submit strong project plans, including opportunities to learn more about the scheme, specific application requirements such as public engagement plans, and considerations relating to dataset selection, access and use.

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Anyone considering participating should familiarise themselves with ADR UK's flagship datasets, which must be used in any fellowship application. Exact datasets in scope will be announced with each fellowship call, but you can look ahead at details of all our flagship datasets:

Explore the datasets

Anyone with questions about the fellowship scheme can contact the commissioning team at: adrukopportunities@esrc.ukri.org.