Astronomy observation and theory small awards 2026
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) · United Kingdom
Funding to support theory, modelling, simulation, software development, observations, experiments and technology research across all areas of astronomy and astrophysics beyond the Solar System. (UK Research and Innovation)
Summary
Deadline
10 Mar 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
Funding to support theory, modelling, simulation, software development, observations, experiments and technology research across all areas of astronomy and astrophysics beyond the Solar System. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Astronomy and astrophysics research beyond the Solar System, including theoretical astronomy, observational astronomy, instrumentation and laboratory astrophysics.
Match funding
No institutional matched funding required beyond the standard 20% FEC contribution.
Eligible applicants
Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding. Applications may be submitted by a single research organisation or a consortium of eligible UK research organisations. (UK Research and Innovation)
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Not specified
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
STFC funds 80% of the Full Economic Cost (FEC).
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
Supports research in stellar physics, transient phenomena, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, particle astrophysics, laboratory astrophysics, modelling, simulation, software development, observations, experiments and technology development at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 to 4. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligible expenses
- Research staff, directly incurred and directly allocated costs, travel, subsistence, consumables, equipment, high-performance computing resources and facility costs where justified. (UK Research and Innovation)
Ineligible costs
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Not specified
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
Eligibility check, independent expert peer review, applicant response to reviewer comments and final assessment by the STFC Astronomy Grants Panel. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application sections
- Vision, approach, applicant and team capability, ethics and responsible research and innovation, resources and cost justification, project partners, data management and sharing, trusted research and innovation, international collaboration and classification of application. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application components
Not specified
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if eligibility requirements are not met, guidance is not followed or the proposal falls outside the programme scope. (UK Research and Innovation)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
16 Dec 2025
Project duration
Up to 3 years
Project start
1 Oct 2027
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
Not specified
Consortium requirements
- Not specified. Collaborative applications involving multiple eligible UK research organisations are permitted.
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-06.
International Collaboration Requirement
International collaborators and project partners may participate where scientifically justified under UKRI international collaboration policies. (UK Research and Innovation)
Research Category
Astronomy observation and theory research.
Research Organisation Funding
Eligible research organisations receive 80% of Full Economic Cost (FEC).
Subcontractors
Not specified.
Interview Stage
Not specified
Key Requirements
Applications must contain a single research project, comply with staffing limits, start on 1 October 2027, and remain within the STFC Astronomy observation and theory remit. Applicants may submit up to two applications across the Small Awards competitions, but only one as Project Lead. (UK Research and Innovation)
Important Notes
Status: Closed. The application deadline was 10 March 2026. Next round: STFC has not yet announced the next Astronomy Observation and Theory Small Awards competition. Future rounds are typically published through the UKRI Funding Finder and STFC funding opportunities. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application deadline in source document
10 March 2026, 4:00 PM UK time
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 10 Mar 2026
- Funding amount
- Not specified
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Astronomy and astrophysics research beyond the Solar System, including theoretical astronomy, observational astronomy, instrumentation and laboratory astrophysics.
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 5 Dec 2025