Funding opportunities to kickstart your 2026

January 2026

Check out this list of funding opportunities from a range of different government-backed organisations and official bodies. These opportunities cover a wide range of disciplines.

Use the link with each to access the full list of terms and conditions. For more information on funding opportunities involving academic collaboration with the University of Surrey, please contact Kat Mack.

• Defence
• Environment
• Space
• Health Care

Defence

The Ministry of Defence has share a range of opportunities spanning a range of disciplines and expertise. 

Please note that this is not confirmation that these will launch. This is a list (not extensive) of potential upcoming challenge areas.

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Upcoming / Potential Challenges

Autonomous Sensor Management and Sensor Counter Deception Phase 2 - GOV.UK

• Closing date: 10th February 2026, 12pm.

• Duration:  20 months

• Award Value: £1m

 UKDI-DASA seeks autonomous sensor solutions to detect and counter ISR deception

This competition seeks solutions for autonomous sensor management in scenarios where deception is present. Building on Phase 1, which focused on developing algorithmic solutions and simulated demonstrations, Phase 2 of this competition is looking for:

• autonomous sensor management solutions to counter activity which intends to deceive ISR operations

• solutions to be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 by project completion which can be demonstrated using real sensing networks.

• use of open standards to interface with the wider ISR enterprise via the SAPIENT standard

• innovations capable of being brought to market by an appropriate collaboration between development partners

• suppliers to look beyond Phase 2 by using collaborative demonstration opportunities with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Environment

Funding | Enduring Atmospheric Platforms

• Closing date for Concept paper: 19th January 2026, 2:00pm GMT
• Full proposal window opens: 20th February 2026
• Full proposal deadline: 2nd April 2026, 12:00pm BST
• Call for proposals solicitation PDF

We are funding the development of atmospheric platforms capable of a specific, galvanising demonstration: keeping a payload aloft and powered for seven days while maintaining precise station-keeping.

The first stage of the application process is the submission of a concept paper (3-page maximum), which will allow applicants to receive feedback from the programme team. The call for full proposals will then open in February – you do not need to have submitted a concept paper to submit a full proposal.  

Closing date: 25th March 2026, 11am

Award Range: £500k -£3m (research organisation can share up to 30%)

Duration: 21 months

Contact: Michael Kohn (m.kohn@surrey.ac.uk)

The funding is for the development and demonstration of solutions to increase public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging provision for longer journeys on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). 

Engineering Ecosystem Resilience - Opportunity Seeds

• Closing date: 2nd February 2026
• Duration: Up to 36 months
• Award Range: £10k to £500k

Outside of programmes, we award seed funding to individuals or teams pursuing research aligned with our opportunity spaces. With smaller budgets and less structure than programmes, seeds support researchers to uncover new pathways that might otherwise fall through the cracks.

We’re looking to fund high potential proposals with up to £500k each. We initially expect to fund around 10 opportunity seeds in this space.

Proposals should either align with or challenge the assumptions of the Summary, Beliefs, or Observations in this opportunity space, but sit outside of the scope of the Accelerated Adaptation programme thesis.

More details on what is in and out of scope can be found in the call for proposals 

Rolling Opportunity Seeds: Nov 2025

• Open Continuously: ARIA may close applications for an opportunity space at any time
• Duration: Up to 36 months
• Award Range: £10k to £500k

Building on our previous funding calls for opportunity seed projects, we’re launching an open rolling call for proposals as an experiment across multiple opportunity spaces. We’re keen to learn from this process and use the lessons to make future calls stronger and more effective. We're looking to fund projects within the Mathematics for Safe AI, Nature Computes Better and Scoping Our Planet opportunity spaces, with up to £500k each.

Following your submission, we aim to inform you of the outcome of your proposal by the end of the next month. For example, if you submit your proposal in December 2025, you can expect to hear from us by the end of January 2026. The only exception is that for applicants submitting at the end of November 2025, you will be notified by the end of January 2026. 

Space

Astronomy solar and planetary small awards 2026 – UKRI

• Closing date: 10th March 2026
• Duration: Up to 36 months

Apply for funding to support theory, including modelling, simulation and related software development, observation, experiment and new technology research, relevant to all aspects of solar system science.

This funding opportunity covers applications for solar system and planetary studies. We welcome applications for funding to support theory, including modelling, simulation and related software development, observation, experiment and new technology research, relevant to all aspects of the solar system.

Applications to the Small Award scheme must contain a single project (requests for multi-project small awards will be rejected) which must follow the following resource guidance. 

Astronomy observation and theory small awards 2026 – UKRI

• Closing date: 10th March 2026
• Duration: Up to 36 months

Apply for funding to support theory, including modelling, simulation and related software development, observation, experiment and new technology research, relevant to all aspects of astronomy and astrophysics beyond the solar system.

This funding opportunity covers applications for astronomy observation and astronomy theory. We welcome applications for funding to support theory, including modelling, simulation and related software development, observation, experiment and new technology research, relevant to all aspects of astronomy and astrophysics beyond the solar system.

Applications to the Small Award scheme must contain a single project (requests for multi-project small awards will be rejected) which must follow the following resource guidance. 

Pre-announcement: EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships 2027
 
•    Opening date: TBC (early February 2026)
•    Closing date: TBC
•    Duration: up to 5 years 
•    Funding: Project must apply for at least £500k 
 
The aim of the opportunity is to support ambitious, collaborative research programmes which are business-led, co-created and co-delivered by business and academic partners. By investing in these projects, EPSRC aims to create long-term prosperity for the UK, for example by bringing jobs and revenue growth, or addressing broader societal and sustainability issues.
 
EPSRC will fund 80% of the FEC of the application. The business cash contribution must at least match the amount funded by EPSRC.

Health Care 

Gap Fund: single-step support for medical product development

• Closing date: 11th March 2026
• Max award: £300k fEC
• Duration: 6 - 18 months

Apply to the MRC ‘Gap Fund’ for single-step support in developing a new or repurposed medicine, medical device, diagnostic, or other medical product.  Projects must target a high-risk development step backed by prior funding, generating critical data to de-risk onward progression or determine failure. 

Experimental medicine stage one

• Closing date: 15th April 2026
• Max Award: £4.76M fEC

Apply for funding to bring together academic researchers, business stakeholders, and policy partners to investigate the drivers and dynamics of antifungal resistance (AFR) in the environment. The network will adopt a systems approach, focusing on how AFR develops and spreads through the environment (air, land and water).

The network is interested in AFR that is derived from the healthcare, agricultural, and household cleaning product sectors. By integrating expertise across disciplines and sectors, the network will address the growing challenge of AFR and its impact on ecosystems and society, with the aim of informing future research, innovation, and policy. The network will address the growing challenge of AFR and its impact on ecosystems and society, with the aim of informing future research, innovation, and policy.