Mathematical Sciences Small Grants

Document research last revised 2026-08-12.

Grant Name

Mathematical sciences small grants

Maximum Full Economic Cost

Up to £100,000 FEC

Maximum EPSRC Contribution

Up to £80,000, representing 80% of £100,000 FEC

Last Updated

25 November 2025

Individual Eligibility

Project leads and project co-leads must meet UKRI/EPSRC standard eligibility requirements and demonstrate the capability needed to deliver the proposed research.

Submission Responsibility

Only the lead research organisation can submit the application to UKRI.

International Collaboration Requirement

International collaboration is permitted subject to UKRI rules. A Project Co-Lead (International) may be based at a Norwegian institution under the UKRI-Research Council of Norway Money Follows Cooperation agreement.

International Applicant Restriction

EPSRC does not generally accept Project Co-Lead (International) applicants outside the applicable Norway or UKRI-IIASA agreements.

Primary Research Area

Mathematical Sciences

Research Category

Mathematical sciences research

Eligible Research Areas

The majority of the proposed research must fall within the EPSRC Mathematical Sciences theme. The Discipline Hopping route additionally permits movement into or from Mathematical Sciences research areas while developing interdisciplinary expertise.

Discipline Hopping

Applicants can use the Discipline Hopping route within Small Grants for research in any area relevant to the UKRI remit, provided they are moving into or from an EPSRC Mathematical Sciences research area.

Mathematical Sciences Areas for Discipline Hopping

Algebra; Geometry and Topology; Logic and Combinatorics; Number Theory; Mathematical Analysis; Numerical Analysis; Non-Linear Systems; Continuum Mechanics; Mathematical Physics; Mathematical Biology; Statistics and Applied Probability; Operational Research.

Equipment Eligibility

Equipment costing £25,000 or more including VAT is not available through this opportunity. Individual equipment items below £25,000 should be included under Directly Incurred - Other Costs.

FEC Requirement

The project can have a full economic cost of up to £100,000.

Award Range Clarification

UKRI lists the award range as £10,000 to £80,000, while the maximum project FEC is £100,000 because EPSRC funds 80% of FEC.

Institutional Contribution

The host organisation must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities.

Project Partner Contributions

Direct and in-kind contributions from third-party project partners are encouraged but are not a mandatory institutional match.

Research Organisation Funding

EPSRC provides 80% of the eligible FEC to the lead research organisation.

Subcontractors

Not specifically restricted in the opportunity; any subcontracting must comply with UKRI/EPSRC funding rules and be appropriately justified.

Previous Platform

Je-S is no longer used for this opportunity.

Application Process

Applications are prepared and submitted through the UKRI Funding Service. The Project Lead completes the application, sends it to the research office for checking, and the research office submits the final application to UKRI.

Submission Frequency

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Assessment Basis

Applications are assessed on a rolling basis.

Application Stage

Single full-application stage

Application Batching

Full applications are batched for assessment by a panel drawn from the Mathematical Sciences community.

Vision and Approach

Applicants must explain the importance and quality of the research, how it advances knowledge, its timeliness, potential benefits and beneficiaries, and how the proposed approach is feasible, appropriate and capable of delivering the intended outcomes.

Vision and Approach Document

Maximum 3 sides of A4, single-spaced, using 11-point Arial or equivalent sans serif font, with margins of at least 2cm. Must be uploaded as a single PDF of no more than 8MB.

Applicant and Team Capability

Maximum 1,500 words, including the relevant Research Contributions and Responsibilities (R4RI) information and optional additions.

Resources and Cost Justification

Maximum 1,000 words. Applicants should justify significant costs including project staff, significant fieldwork/collaboration travel, exceptional consumables, facilities/infrastructure and exception costs.

Facilities

Maximum 250 words. Applicants requiring facilities must provide the facility name, proposed use/costs and confirmation of agreement where required.

Project Partner Support

Project partners must provide letters or emails of support confirming commitment, value/relevance of the project and their additional contribution. These are uploaded as a single PDF of no more than 8MB.

Project Partner Eligibility

Project partners may be from industry, academia, the third sector or government organisations, in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

Expert Review

No separate expert peer review is conducted before the panel. Each application is assessed by at least two panel members.

Right to Reply

No right to reply under the current assessment process.

Panel Assessment

Panel members assess applications, rank them against the assessment criteria and make funding recommendations.

Assessment Tiers

Applications are placed into three tiers following assessment.

Top Tier

Applications in the top tier receive funding priority.

Middle Tier

Applications in the middle tier may be recommended for funding through partial randomisation, with funding continuing until the available budget is exhausted.

Bottom Tier

Applications that do not meet the required competitive threshold will not be funded.

Final Decision

EPSRC makes the final funding decision.

Interview Stage

No interview stage specified.

Feedback

A light-touch feedback approach is used, with brief feedback provided to applicants following evaluation at a panel.

Key Requirements

The majority of the research must fall within EPSRC Mathematical Sciences remit; the project must be primarily original research; the applicant and organisation must meet EPSRC eligibility requirements; and the proposed resources must be appropriate and justified.

Grant Holding Rule

A Project Lead or Project Co-Lead can hold only one Mathematical Sciences Small Grant at any one time.

Institutional Submission Limit

There is no limit to the number of submissions from a single institution.

Previous Award Rule

Applying to this opportunity does not automatically prevent applicants from applying to opportunities where previous awards affect eligibility, such as New Investigator Awards. Such cases may be assessed individually.

Resubmission Rules

Uninvited resubmissions are not accepted for projects previously submitted to UKRI or another funder.

Application Changes

Once submitted, an application cannot be changed or returned for amendment.

Office Rejection

If an application is office-rejected due to substantive errors, it cannot be resubmitted to this funding opportunity.

Closing Date Clarification

Although a closing date may appear in the Funding Service because of system requirements, applicants should not wait for that date. UKRI processes applications throughout the year.

Rolling Assessment

Applications are assessed throughout the year rather than against a single annual deadline.

Important Notes

This opportunity is designed for smaller, timely research projects, rather than projects requiring the scale of funding normally associated with standard EPSRC research grants.

Current Status Check

Open as of the latest UKRI information available.

Current UKRI Update

Latest update listed by UKRI: 25 November 2025, concerning the Discipline Hopping guidance.

Opportunity Contact

maths@epsrc.ukri.org

Funding Service Support

support@funding-service.ukri.org

Application deadline in source document

Open - no closing date

Official source

Read the funding authority guidance