British Election Study 2027 to 2032 (Grant)

This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility, and organisations who are based overseas. Check if your organisation is eligible.

International researchers

As ESRC is a lead funder for this opportunity, international researchers can apply as ‘project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))’. You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

• career breaks

• support for people with caring responsibilities

• flexible working

• alternative working patterns

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

Aim

The aims of this opportunity will be:

• to identify a team and host institution to lead the BES between 2027 and 2037.

• to deliver data collection on the anticipated 2029 UK General Election in Great Britain, and surveys aligned to local elections.

Our objectives for the successful applicant will be to:

• produce high-quality data that meets the needs of the research, policy and practice communities, building on the existing politically independent time series data, and ensure those communities have timely access to the data

• promote the use of the data by the research and wider stakeholder communities, including to maximise the public benefit of the data through informing policy, practice and the public

• collaborate with the other UK election studies to facilitate meaningful comparison of elections in the UK and the views and behaviour of UK electorates

By delivering the objectives, BES will support the delivery of ESRC’s data infrastructure strategy. In particular building and sustaining a foundation, impact and public benefit and leadership and connectedness.

Applications should clearly outline how their project objectives and work packages contribute to the above ESRC funding objectives for BES. Applications will be assessed and prioritised based on how well they deliver the funding objectives and the funding opportunity specification.

We are keen to capitalise on recent major developments in the capability of artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to social science data infrastructure. You should consider how you might utilise AI to more effectively deliver the study objectives and how you can enable users to use AI techniques when working with BES data.

We strongly encourage collaboration to address this, with work to incorporate AI proportionate to the investment.

Scope

BES will collect high-quality, politically independent data at scale to inform research into British politics, elections and voting behaviour. It will contribute to the understanding of political attitudes and behaviour in Great Britain and the wider UK as they are today, and how they change over time. It will facilitate comparative research within the UK and internationally.

The data will support academics and other key stakeholders in the UK democratic system. Key stakeholder groups include:

• academics (domestic)

• academics (international)

• polling industry

• the media

• political parties

• policymakers

• lobby groups and charities

• educators

The successful applicant(s) and host institution will lead BES between 2027 and 2037 (subject to likely future election dates). You should provide your strategic vision for the study up to 2036.

Initial funding is available from October 2026 up to 2032, up to 60 months. We will invite the successful applicant(s) and host institution to apply for funding to cover the anticipated elections for the remainder of the 2027 to 2037 period, subject to performance, funding availability and sufficient consistency in the delivery team and host institution.

This initial application should describe your approach for delivery up to 2032.

This funding will support:

• consultation with stakeholders to inform study design

• data collection, processing and publication

• promoting the use and impact of the data

• preparatory activities for the remaining period up to 2037 where relevant

As an investment from the ESRC infrastructure team, academic research using the data is not within scope of this funding opportunity, for further details on this please see the ‘What we will fund’ and ‘What we will not fund’ section.

Activities funded from our contribution must be used for the delivery or improvement of the study as a data infrastructure for use by the wider research community. However, applicants are welcome to conduct aligned activities using different funding sources, these can be discussed in the application where they provide additional value to BES.

The team must have the ability to successfully engage with stakeholders in the relevant political systems and act as a trusted source of impartial political data in the UK political system. This includes having a strong understanding of the political context of the data collection activity.

It is important to recognise that BES does not collect data in Northern Ireland and that we are currently running a commissioning exercise for a Northern Ireland Election Study (NIES). Both BES and NIES (alongside the other UK election studies) all contribute to our understanding of UK elections and the electorate. However, both NIES and BES have a primary data collection on the UK general election.

We encourage activity across the UK, but applicants should consider the sensitivities of the work they do on the UK and how this relates to Northern Ireland and NIES.

You should outline why your decided approach is the best way of delivering the study.

Consultation requirements

Effective consultation should take place with key stakeholder groups ensuring that the study considers and addresses user needs from academic and non-academic communities, while ensuring the studies make a distinct contribution to polling in the setting.

Non-academic user communities include the media, policymakers, political parties, the polling industry, lobby groups and charities, and educators. Stakeholders should also be considered at the different levels of the UK such as sub-national and local levels as well as internationally (where appropriate).

Consultations should meaningfully inform the design of the study and its wider activities, described under ‘Scope’.

Data collection, processing and publication requirements

To maintain a degree of consistency in the long-term data series it is expected that the data collected will include:

• post-election survey of a probability-based sample for the UK general election. This survey is the primary data collection activity and should take place as close to the election as practicable

• inter-election surveys, including pre- and post-general election survey(s) for the UK general election and surveys aligned with local elections in England, Scotland and Wales

In addition, we allow data collection at other points of the election cycle where you can evidence strong scientific need or potential impact and appropriately balance this with the core data collection within the available budget.

Previous inter-election data collection was conducted during the campaign period of the general election, local elections, and post-general election.

You should review the previous questionnaires and related documentation, which are available from the UK Data Service.

For the data collection, applicants must ensure that:

• samples are nationally representative of both voters and as far as possible non-voters

• the data collected effectively enables research across Britain and meets the needs of the community

• methods produce high quality data efficiently and effectively, including minimising non-response bias

• the approaches carefully balance maintaining the integrity of the time series with the need for gradual evolution. This includes both content, through balancing previous questions with important topical or future themes, and methods, through balancing the benefits of innovating with maintaining comparability with previous data

Though we welcome innovative approaches to the design of the study, building on and extending the previous BES, you should carefully consider the degree to which any changes will maintain consistency with prior data collection.

Where changes are proposed, these should be clearly described, and you must explain the potential benefits, trade-offs and risks, alongside how continuity will be ensured. For example, continuity can be balanced with the inclusion of questions on themes and issues of topical concern and importance.

We recognise that following the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a substantial shift in fieldwork methodologies, for example a growing number of studies are utilising mixed mode approaches. We are open to methodological changes, however if changes are proposed, appropriate assessment and care must be undertaken to ensure methodological comparability.

You are asked to consider whether to collect data on social media consumption and exposure, and its impact on political behaviour.

As a data infrastructure, BES must ensure stakeholders can easily access and use the data. You should also consider how they can enable user-led AI application on BES data.

For the data processing and publication, applicants must ensure that:

• a schedule for data release is published within one month of the start of data collection

• final data is safely openly available for use as close to the relevant election as possible, strictly no later than one year after the election and preferably within nine months

• data is deposited with the UK Data Service as per the ESRC Data Policy

• additional routes to safely publishing the data are considered where this may promote the use of the data amongst broader stakeholder groups

• user-friendly data formats are considered

• users can easily access data documentation to support use of the data. This should include a statement on the coverage of data collection, specifying clearly the population that the study is intended to represent and any known deficiencies in the resulting data

In line with the ESRC research funding guide, all subcontracted social surveys must be subject to normal competitive purchasing principles. ESRC requires that surveys over £10,000 (£8,333 exclusive of VAT) are subject to external competition to ensure best value for money through competitive purchasing processes. Where surveys are expected to exceed £25,000 (£20,830 exclusive of VAT) the research organisation’s full tendering procedures must be followed.

You must ensure sufficient time is built into the project timeline to enable a competitive tender process. You should seek out quotations for a minimum of three potential fieldwork providers and provide these estimates in the ‘Resources and cost justification’. Otherwise, you must explain and evidence why this is not possible and demonstrate that you have considered alternative approaches to procuring some or all aspects of the fieldwork.

ESRC reserves the right to reject applications whose subcontracted social surveys are not subject to external competition or do not provide the necessary evidence prior to expert review.

Promoting use and impact

As a community resource, the BES must actively demonstrate and promote the value and potential of its data to a wide range of users. The election studies have a unique user base that extends beyond academia and policy, as described in the consultation section.

You are asked to propose a framework to both support non-academic stakeholders and promote the data for academic use. Ongoing engagement with stakeholders to refine the framework is encouraged.

Applicants must ensure that their proposed activities:

• allow for some rapid dissemination of initial data or findings, and facilitate and accelerate impact, following an election

• facilitate initial learning from the data to meaningfully inform stakeholders, particularly those outside academia

• include structured and proactive engagement with stakeholders at UK and, where appropriate, more local contexts to inform politics and policy development

• highlight the schedule for data releases to facilitate the planning of potential users

• clearly highlight and signpost the data to the key stakeholder groups, particularly in advance of and at the time of data releases

An effective approach is to publish initial findings that highlight the data’s utility to a broad and diverse audience. These findings should be developed promptly to accompany the data release and must not delay it. They should be specifically designed to showcase the data’s potential.

Accessibility must be prioritised over research quality or value.

The objective of initial findings for non-academic audiences is to accelerate impact, including in the period shortly following elections. The analysis and its presentation must be sufficiently simple for users to quickly and easily understand how they can use the information, and only as complex as required to ensure stakeholders can be confident to use it.

Accessibility and utility to the stakeholders is the focus.

Initial findings should be presented such that they do not compromise the actual and perceived rigour of the final data.

Applicants are encouraged to explore additional innovative approaches to showcase the value of the data to a wide range of users.

Collaboration

Collaboration within the ESRC election studies portfolio is essential to facilitate meaningful comparison of UK elections and the views and behaviour of UK electorates. For example, collaboration on questionnaire design is strongly encouraged, whether via common themes, questions or standards.

Coordination should be targeted at areas where comparative research would be of particularly high value, whilst retaining sufficient flexibility to tailor the study to its electoral context.

Collaboration to tackle shared challenges or opportunities is also encouraged. The successful applicant will be required to collaborate with the other ESRC election studies portfolio to increase the value of elections data for the community and meet the needs of the community.

You should outline your approach to collaborating with the other ESRC election studies and their anticipated benefits. Please see the ‘supporting documents’ in the ‘Additional information’ section for potential areas of collaboration.

Applicants should also consider engagement and collaboration opportunities with other ESRC investments and the wider social science community, where activities and learning may overlap (such as other data collection projects and on challenges and opportunities such as the use of AI in social science data infrastructures).

You should outline any other planned collaborations and their related benefits.

We encourage relevant collaboration with other international election surveys to enable comparison of British data in the international context. BES has taken part in the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems in five out of six modules from 1997. This value of this comparative analysis should be considered by you when designing the delivery of the next BES.

If you believe resources are more effectively used elsewhere, this should be outlined in the application.

Capacity building

We encourage you to consider capacity building in your approach and application. You can highlight any plans to support capacity building. Approaches could include utilising opportunities to diversify the BES team and offering opportunities for training and networking.

Governance

The successful applicant will be required to appoint their own independent advisory board which will advise on the activities of the award and the development of the award’s strategy and programme of work. The award will provide the administrative support for the advisory board meetings.

The Chair will be appointed in consultation with ESRC and its membership is discussed at an early stage with the ESRC investment manager. Membership of the advisory board should be in accordance with the terms specified in the ESRC Research Funding Guide.

Award holders should publish details of their advisory board on their websites. Information must include membership details, terms of reference and frequency of meetings.

ESRC investment managers should not be members of the advisory board but should be invited to attend meetings as observers. ESRC investment managers should receive copies of meeting agendas, papers and minutes/notes when requested.

Applicants should outline their plans for an advisory board and any other governance arrangements. How these arrangements will support their work and integrate communities’ views should be outlined.

Investment monitoring

We will set out monitoring and reporting requirements in the terms and conditions of the award. Award holders will be required to produce an updated timeline, deliverables list and risk register at the start of the grant, for regular discussion with us.

The award holders will be expected to provide ESRC with a short, written, six-monthly update on activities, including risk, finance, progress, and where applicable impact including data usage statistics. More frequent updates will be expected on important activities, risks and major project changes if they present a risk to meeting its objectives. Researchfish reporting is also required.

We will assign an investment manager as a lead contact for each funded investment. Contact will include a twice-yearly meeting between ESRC and the project lead, as well as other members of the team where appropriate.

Applications should include sufficient time for project leads and (where relevant) co-leads to meet these monitoring requirements as well as any governance arrangements.

Applications must comply with the ESRC research funding guide.

Duration

The duration of this award is a maximum of 60 months.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be up to £4,900,000.

ESRC will fund 80% of the FEC (exceptions including subcontracted social surveys are funded at 100% FEC).

What we will fund

This funding can be used for:

• staff costs

• data collection, distribution and promotion

• engagement and collaboration activity

• travel and subsistence

What we will not fund

This funding cannot be used for:

• standard research projects (even if they are utilising the data)

• writing up previous research

• preparation of books and publications

• literature surveys

• general conference attendance that is not related to conducting the proposed work

• studentships

Contributions of the host research organisation

We will be looking for a strong statement of support from your research organisation to contribute to a successful delivery of the BES.

We expect applications to include details of support including why this organisation is well-placed to host the BES. The statement should demonstrate its commitment to hosting and running this strategic investment and detail any aligned funding that will be provided to support the activity and additional support that might add value to the work.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.

ESRC data infrastructure

We support a range of data infrastructure. Where relevant, we encourage applicants to consider whether the use of these resources could add value to the project. See Facilities and resources for information on finding and using ESRC datasets which are available across the UK.

Where relevant, details of datasets and infrastructure to be used in your project should be given in the Facilities section.

Data requirements

We recognise the importance of data quality and provenance. Data generated, collected or acquired by ESRC-funded research must be well-managed by the grant holder to enable their data to be exploited to the maximum potential for further research.  See our research data policy for details and further information on data requirements. The requirements of the research data policy are a condition of ESRC research funding.

Where relevant, details on data management and sharing should be provided in the Data Management section. See the importance of managing and sharing data and content for inclusion in a data management plan on the UK Data Service (UKDS) website for further guidance.

We expect applicants to provide a summary of the points provided. The UKDS  will be pleased to advise applicants on the availability of data within the academic community and provide advice on data deposit requirements datasharing@ukdataservice.ac.uk

Impact, innovation and interdisciplinarity

We expect you to consider the potential scientific, societal and economic impacts of their research. Outputs, dissemination and impact are a key part of the criteria for most expert review and assessment processes. We also encourage applications that demonstrate innovation and interdisciplinarity (research combining approaches from more than one discipline).

Knowledge exchange and collaboration

We are committed to knowledge exchange and encouraging collaboration between researchers and the private, public and civil society sectors. Collaborative working benefits both the researchers and the individuals/organisations involved. Through collaboration, partners learn about each other’s expertise, share knowledge and gain an appreciation of different professional cultures.

Collaborative activity can therefore lead to a better understanding of the ways that academic research can add value and offer insights to key issues of concern for policy and practice.

Knowledge exchange should not be treated as an ‘add-on’ at the end of a project but considered before the start and built into a project.

Research ethics

ESRC requires that the research we support is designed and conducted in such a way that it meets ethical principles and is subject to proper professional and institutional oversight in terms of research governance. We have agreed a Framework for Research Ethics that all submitted proposals must comply with. Read further details about the Framework for Research Ethics and guidance on compliance.

Assessment process

We reserve the right to amend this assessment process as the funding opportunity progresses. If this is the case we will publish details of the amended process.

We will assess your application using the following process.

Panel and interview

We will appoint a panel of experts spanning the breadth of the funding opportunity’s scope to assess the quality of your application against the assessment areas.

Applications receiving sufficiently supportive reviewer’s comments will be invited to interview. The score threshold will be informed by the level of demand and the quality of the applications received.

Each panel member will individually assess and score your application against the questions, and expectations, outlined in the ‘How to apply’ section. The panel will conduct interviews with invited applicants, agree a final score and make a funding recommendation to ESRC.

ESRC will make the final funding decision, based on the advice provided by the panel.

We expect interviews to be held mid to end of July 2026 virtually. ESRC reserves the right to adjust timelines should that be required.

For more information on how we prioritise applications for funding please visit How we make decisions.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in expert review

Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment, including to correct language, spelling, grammar and formatting. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• vision

• approach

• applicant and team capability to deliver

• ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

• resources and cost justification

• engaging stakeholders and enabling them to use the data

• collaboration

• your organisation’s support

• data management and sharing

• trusted research and innovation (if applicable)

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Click here to start an application on the UKRI Funding Service https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP1161/apply/1190

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

To apply

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

1. Confirm you are the project lead.

2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.orgPlease allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.

3. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.

4. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.

5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.

6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Please be aware that Research Office and Finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.When including images, you must:

• provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)

• insert each new image on a new line

• use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include:

• sentences or paragraphs of text

• tables

• excessive quantities of images

A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service

• how research offices use the Funding Service

• how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:

• references are easily identifiable by the assessors

• references are formatted as appropriate to your research

• persistent identifiers are used where possible

General use of hyperlinks

Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.

Deadline

ESRC must receive your application by 14 May 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.You will not be able to apply after this time.Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

Processing personal data

ESRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email datainfrastructure@esrc.ukri.orgInclude in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)

• declaration of interest

• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section

• conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

• the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Institutional Matched Funding

There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations. Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged.This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff.

Publication of outcomes

ESRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at What ESRC has funded.If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Summary

Word limit: 550  

In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:

• opinion-formers

• policymakers

• the public

• the wider research community

Guidance for writing a summary

Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:

• context

• the challenge the project addresses

• aims and objectives

• potential applications and benefits

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

• project lead (PL)

• project co-lead (UK) (PcL)

• project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))

• specialist

• grant manager

• professional enabling staff

• research and innovation associate

• technician

Only list one individual as project lead.UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Application questions

Vision

Word limit: 2,000  

Why is the British Election Study valuable and what is your vision for maximising this value between 2027 and 2037 (10 years)?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how the proposed infrastructure will meet the funding objectives as outlined in the ‘What we’re looking for’ section between 2027 and 2037 (10 years):

• produce high-quality data that meets the needs of the research, policy and practice communities, building on the existing politically independent time series data, and ensure those communities have timely access to the data

• promote the use of the data by the research and wider stakeholder communities, including to maximise the public benefit of the data through informing policy, practice and the public

• collaborate with the other UK election studies to facilitate meaningful comparison of elections in the UK and the views and behaviour of UK electorates

Also explain how the proposed infrastructure will:

• meet the evidenced needs of clearly identified user groups, such as academics, the media, policymakers and political parties at the different UK levels

• generate measurable impact

• facilitate high quality and important research

• enhance, benefit and complement the existing landscape

• be important in the UK as a whole, at the sub-national level, more local level and internationally

Applicants should also demonstrate why their vision for the infrastructure is the most effective and valuable for the community.References may be included within this section.You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Approach

Word limit: 2,750  

What are your plans to manage and deliver the proposed infrastructure over the proposed funding period (2027 to 2032 (60 months))?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

We expect you to show how your approach includes:

• clear work packages that will deliver ESRC’s funding objectives to produce high-quality data, collaborate to facilitate meaningful comparison of UK elections and electorate behaviour and promote the use of the data, described fully in the ‘Aim’ section

• a feasible project plan including objectives that align/contribute to ESRC’s funding objectives, a work plan, timeline, milestones, and deliverables in the form of a project management tool or similar (timelines should be appropriate to meet the requirements of the opportunity, including building in time for procurement, consultation, engagement and the promotion of use and impact as well as meeting the required data deposit deadline of strictly no later than 1 year after the election and preferably within 9 months)

• an effective plan for high quality representative data collection, including any methodological changes which may impact data quality or continuity, and justification for innovations or plans for additional data collection. Benefits, trade-offs and risks should be considered. Requirements for data collection are described fully in the ‘Data collection, processing and publication requirements’ section of ‘Scope’

• relevant information or preparatory actions for a second electoral term

• consideration of capacity building in your approach

• consideration of how AI could be used to more effectively deliver the study objectives and how BES could enable user-led AI application on BES data

• identification of risks and appropriate mitigation in the form of key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine the delivery of outputs and outcomes

• an effective, proportionate governance structure for the project

• details about any expected international collaboration or engagement

• a demonstration of why the proposed approach is the most effective and valuable way of delivering the study to meet the needs of both academic and non-academic stakeholders

References may be included within this section.You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,650  

Why are you the right individual or team to deliver and manage the proposed infrastructure for the funding period outlined (60 months)?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage)

• a strong understanding of the political context of the data collection activity

• ability successfully engage with stakeholders in the relevant political systems and act as a trusted source of impartial political data

• the right balance of skills and expertise

• the appropriate leadership and management skills and your approach to develop others

• contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.The word limit for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.Use the R4RI format to showcase the range of relevant skills you, and if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on), have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed below. You should use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

• contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge

• the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships

• contributions to the wider research and innovation community

• contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500  

What are the ethical and RRI considerations, implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

• the relevant ethical and RRI considerations, including both the research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of the project

• the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, whilst minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm

• how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and Responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation.

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 1,500  

What will you need to deliver and manage the proposed infrastructure and how much will it cost for the funding period outlined (60 months)?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

• project staff

• significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)

• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities

• the survey costs

• all facilities and infrastructure costs

• if applicable, disposal or decommissioning costs

• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’

• if applicable, subscription costs

Applicants should seek out quotations for a minimum of three potential fieldwork providers and provide these estimates in the ‘Resources and cost justification’. Otherwise, applicants must explain and evidence why this is not possible, demonstrating they have considered alternative approaches to procuring some or all aspects of the fieldwork. Further details on requirements and the evidence required can be found in the ‘Data collection, processing and publication requirements’ section of ‘Scope’.You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project. For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders.Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

• are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified

• represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes

• maximise potential outcomes and impacts

• if applicable, include important project partner contributions

For detailed guidance on eligible costs please see the ESRC research funding guide.

Engaging stakeholders and enabling them to use the data

Word limit: 1,500  

What is your strategy for engaging academic and non-academic stakeholders throughout the UK, including those outside the proposed host organisation(s), both to inform the development of the study and to secure the desired impacts?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Include evidence of:

• appropriate tailoring of the approach to the distinct needs of different stakeholder groups

• a clear plan for engaging stakeholders so they can meaningfully shape the study and inform its design

• how you will ensure you are responsive to the evolving needs of stakeholders

• a clear plan of timely activities to promote the data and research using it for interested communities, including proactive and structured engagement with stakeholders at UK and, where appropriate, more local contexts to inform politics and policy development, and a schedule for data release

• a clear plan supporting access and use of the data by a range of stakeholders

• consideration for how this will be done at the UK, sub-national level, and more local contexts, and where appropriate international level

• the anticipated benefits of engagements outlined

• an explanation for why the proposed approach is the most effective and valuable way of delivering the study to meet the needs of stakeholders

These key stakeholder groups should be considered alongside any other identified academic or non-academic stakeholders, such as other ESRC investments and the wider social science community.

• academics (domestic)

• academics (international)

• polling industry

• the media

• political parties

• policymakers

• lobby groups and charities

• educators

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.References may be included within this section.

Collaboration

Word limit: 1,500  

What is your strategy for collaborating with the other ESRC election studies and other relevant stakeholders?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Does the application identify areas where collaboration is beneficial for the overall delivery of ESRC’s objectives for the British Election Study, and propose a pathway to achieve this? This should include:

• an effective and clear plan for how you will work in collaboration with the other ESRC election studies, to support successful delivery of the project and facilitate meaningful comparison of UK elections and the views and behaviour of UK electorates to maximise the value of elections data for the community

• plans for collaboration with other international election surveys or stakeholders, to enable comparison of British data in the international context. If collaborations with other international election surveys are not planned, an explanation as to how these resources will be utilised more effectively elsewhere is provided

• where relevant any further plans to collaborate with other ESRC investments, wider social science community, or key stakeholders where activities and learning may overlap, to support the development and successful delivery of the project and maximise the value of elections data for the community

• the anticipated benefits of collaborations outlined

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.References may be included within this section.

Your organisation’s support

Word limit: 10  

Provide details of support from your research organisation.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a statement of support from your research organisation detailing how they will support you, as the applicant, and your proposed activities. This should include details of any additional support that might add value to the work.The statement should also detail why this organisation is well-placed to host the British Election Study and demonstrate its commitment to hosting and running this strategic investment.Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of support from your research organisation. This information should have been approved for submission by an appropriate institutional authority.You must also include the following details:

• a significant person’s name, their position and office or department, or all

• office address or web link

Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.Add the following project partner details:

• the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)

• the project partner contact name and email address

• the type of contribution (direct or indirect) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Project partners: letters (or emails) of support

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’. Each letter or email you provide should:

• confirm the partner’s commitment to the project

• clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them

• describe any additional value that they bring to the project

• have a page limit of 1 side A4 per partner

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners section.For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 1,500  

How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.

Facilities

Word limit: 250  

Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you will need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.For each requested facility you will need to provide the:

• name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 42KB)

• proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list

• confirmation you have their agreement where required

Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above. If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

Word limit: 100  

Does your proposed work relate to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation principles?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate how your proposed work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation principles including:

• list any dual-use (both military and non-military) applications to your research

• if this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, please list the area(s)

• please read the academic export control guidance and confirm if an export control licence is required for this project and the status of any application(s)

• if your project involves any items or substances on the UK strategic export control list, please provide a list

We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information later, in line with UKRI TR&I principles and funding terms and conditions (RGC 2.6.2, 2.7.1 and 2.7.2).

Background

BES is the longest running social science survey in the UK, collecting and making data available to the community. Since the first study in 1964, BES surveys have taken place immediately after every general election, and between elections since 2014.Under the current design, with data collection between general elections, data has been gathered on local and mayoral elections also. BES has been managed by several different teams over this period, balancing continuity with innovation. BES collects data in England, Wales and Scotland but not Northern Ireland.ESRC is also currently commissioning the Northern Ireland Election Study (NIES) to both fill this gap in UK general elections data but also capture the Northern Ireland Assembly election. We also fund two other election studies in the UK the Scottish and Welsh election studies.We recently undertook a review of their election studies portfolio, findings from which have informed this opportunity. ESRC is developing an action plan in response to the review. Once the review and action plan are published, the successful applicants will work with ESRC and its other election studies on its implementation.

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.

Supporting documents

Collaboration opportunities to consider within ESRC election studies portfolio (PDF, 107KB)EIA for the opportunity (PDF, 287KB)

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays

• disruptive working patterns and conditions

• the loss of ongoing work

• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.

Related content

• UKRI policies and standards

• ESRC research funding guide

• ESRC guidance for applicants

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this pageThe helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility, content or remit of a funding opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your application please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact datainfrastructure@esrc.ukri.orgAny queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.Email: support@funding-service.ukri.orgPhone: 01793 547490Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm

• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries more efficiently, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.