We are thrilled to announce that the first SALIENT Funding Call is now live! This is a fantastic opportunity for risk and resilience research projects to receive the support they need to make a significant impact.

Key Dates:
Call opens 09 Dec. 2024
Call closes 07 Feb. 2025 @ 4pm GMT
Announcement of Results: April 2025

Apply Now: Flexigrant Portal Homepage 

Just over £2.2M is available over the next five years for research projects.

Only UK academic institutions can lead a project. A maximum of £100,000 (total project costs) is available per project. Projects must clearly align with one or more of the 5 key areas (Work Package 2-6). 

For more information on the application process, please visit Applications Process

Only UK academic higher education institutions can apply to lead a project, but can have multiple UK academic partners. Please see the Project Team information below on who can lead the team.

There is no limit on the number of applications from each institution.

Project teams can also include funded, or in-kind support from companies/ charities/ research groups etc. both international and UK based.  Relationships with external partners will be managed by the project lead institution and due diligence needs to be undertaken.  

Project teams can only apply once per call. 

Project teams cannot apply for follow on funding for their project if it is already funded through the SALIENT Hub.  However, project teams will be asked to consider next steps for their project as part of the application process.

An individual cannot be named on more than one grant.   

If a project is unsuccessful for one call, the team can reapply for future calls.  

Project leads and Co-Leads can be: 

• Academics working in a UK Higher Education Institute (HEI), or
• A researcher holding an academic position (e.g. lecturer, or equivalent) or a research fellow with an employment contract that ends beyond the end of the project end date.

We are keen to support and encourage Early Career Researcher (ECR) led projects as a means of promoting development and community building for new scholars.

AHRC’s formal definition of an ECR is as follows:

• An individual who is within eight years of the award of their PhD or equivalent professional training, or
• an individual who is within six years of their first academic appointment.

If you are defined as an ECR at your home institution then you are eligible to apply for SALIENT funding within this call.

Project members can also include project managers, project officers, administrators and technical staff.

There is no limit on the number of applications per organisation. 

We will fund two modes of projects:

Theoretically motivated projects (e.g. research that draws upon theory as the basis for enquiry, or as a means of researching a question, position, or relationship).

Empirically derived projects (e.g. research that is based on measurement and observation of real-world phenomena).

We are keen to support and encourage Early Career Researcher (ECR) led projects as a means of promoting development and community building for new scholars.

Project teams can apply for a maximum of £100,000.

Projects will be funded at 80% fEC for UK research organisation costs (with the UK Research Organisations involved in projects contributing 20% fEC).   The maximum amount SALIENT will fund is 80% fEC of the maximum budget advertised for each specific call. For example, if the maximum budget permitted is £100,000, SALIENT will fund up to 80% fEC of £100,000 (which in this case is; £80,000). The remaining 20% (in this case; £20,000) will need to be provided by the research organisation(s) involved in the project.

DI/ DA costs are permitted i.e. overheads, staff costs, consumables, travel etc.
Projects must be led by a UK Higher Education Institute (HEI) that is eligible for UKRI funding, but project teams can include international companies or charities who are eligible for UKRI funding. 

Project teams can also include in-kind support from companies/ charities/ research groups etc. both international and UK based. 

Any international or exceptional costs such as non-academic or community partner organisations will be funded in accordance to the SALIENT funding recovery rates.

Any international or exceptional costs such as non-academic or community partner organisations will be funded at 100% fEC. via the awarded institution.

Note: Inflation is not included for the costing model due to the short duration of the projects.

Projects can run between 6-9mths.  There will be a fixed start date for all projects within each call, end dates will depend on agreed project duration. The start date will be released as part of each call. Projects will need to have an award letter in place before the agreed start date of the project. The terms and conditions will form part of the application process.  

All projects that meet the eligibility criteria and correctly complete the application form will be considered.

Key eligibility criteria: projects must clearly align with one or more of the SALIENT Work packages WPs (2-6). We want to support a broad and diverse portfolio of awards and activities, while ensuring a balanced spread across the work packages. 

Visit the eligibility pages for more information: Eligibility Criteria including due diligence and governance and control