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Research Development manage restricted calls and support researchers through funding streams.
Internal Funding Opportunities
The Research Development Strategic Fund (RDSF)
Funding is available to support early stage activities leading to the submission of an external research grant application supported by your Research Development Manager. This may include, but is not limited to, activities such as consortia building, visits to a partner institution and/or collaborative meetings to prepare a grant application. Attendance at conferences and seminars must be directly related to a specific research grant application.
Funding for the 2025-2026 financial year, will be available from the 1 August 2025 from your Faculty ring-fenced budget. Each faculty will therefore consider and process applications for consideration of funding and final sign off for all applications will be by the Head of Research Development.
Restricted Calls
What are Restricted calls?
In order to ensure that external research grant applications submitted by Ulster University are of the highest quality, we are sometimes required to initiate a process for restricted calls or demand management.
Restricted calls are a funder requirement and managed in line with the funder guidelines and capped number of applications. Non-adherence to the funder requirement may result in all applications being rejected.
EPSRC (UKRI) - Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships: Outline Applications
This opportunity is for established researchers from across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) remit, without a background in core artificial intelligence (AI) research, who want to build domain relevant AI capability and develop advanced AI approaches to tackle a specific research challenge in their chosen field.
Projects FEC can be costed between £500,000 - £2,187,500 (UKRI funding 80% FEC). Applicants holding a full-time position must dedicate between 50-100% of their time over the duration of the 36 months. Fellowships can also be held on a part time basis, with a minimal level of 50% FTE required and project durations extended proportionately. All projects must start on 1 October 2026.
In developing your application to this funding opportunity, you may wish to carefully consider the guidance and eligibility criteria for this call located on the calls webpage.
Each institution is limited to four bids only.
AI Fellowship Outline Applications must be submitted via email to Andrew Harbinson by 5pm Wednesday 10 September 2025.
