Strategic equipment grant

Grants for strategic equipment are for researchers at UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations and NHS bodies.

Equipment could include cutting-edge technology that allows new research or increases the capacity and ability to carry out existing research.

We will support items of equipment worth £400,000 or more that improves UK scientific capability. The scheme is not intended for items of core underpinning equipment.

You can request up to 100% of the full economic cost of capital equipment. However, contributions from the host organisation are welcome. We will fund any non-capital costs at 80% of full economic cost, and the host organisation will need to fund the balance.

Applications can be submitted at any time, but there are rolling deadlines throughout the year.

Grants for strategic equipment are for researchers at UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations, Public Sector Research Establishments and NHS bodies with research capacity.

You can apply if you are resident in the UK and meet at least one of these criteria:

• are employed at the submitting research organisation at lecturer level or equivalent
• hold a fixed-term contract that extends beyond the duration of the proposed research project, and the host research organisation is prepared to give you all the support normal for a permanent employee
• hold an EPSRC, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages
• hold fellowships under other schemes (please contact EPSRC to check eligibility, which is considered on a case-by-case basis)
• are a research technical professional resourced from the central funds of your institution and have a range of responsibilities and duties of someone with substantial research experience (you must have a letter from your head of department confirming this and that your contract extends beyond the duration of the project). Holders of postdoctoral level fellowships are not eligible to apply for an EPSRC grant.

Clinical applicants must be employed or be on a fixed-term contract longer than the proposed project at an NHS trust, hospital, board, primary care trust or general practice.

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI or any other funder.