AHRC UKRI NSF-SBE lead agency: applicant-led mode

This solicitation is a collaborative research opportunity between the US National Science Foundation's Social and Behavioral Sciences (NSF/SBE) program and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), specifically involving the AHRC, ESRC, and BBSRC. The program utilizes a lead agency model where the lead agency is determined by the country where the majority of the research is conducted. The application process consists of two stages: an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) and a subsequent full research proposal. To be eligible for a full proposal invitation, the EOI must demonstrate that the project falls within the scope of the NSF/SBE program and the remit of the relevant UK research council. The EOI must be submitted in PDF format and include a project description of no more than 1,000 words or two pages, detailing the research objectives, challenges, methodologies, planned outputs, and anticipated broader impacts. Funding limits vary based on the lead agency; AHRC-led proposals allow for UK costs between £50,000 and £1,500,000, while NSF-led proposals with AHRC as the UK funder are capped at £350,000 for UK costs. If an EOI is accepted, full proposals are expected to be submitted within 12 months, and the final budget must not deviate from the EOI by more than 10% without justification. Budgetary documentation for US costs must utilize NSF Form 1030. Data shared between UKRI and SBE to process these applications is managed via a secure extranet in compliance with the respective data protection and privacy laws of each agency.