Pre-announcement: Future Data Services: Joining up the data service workforce

The Future Data Services: Joining up the data service workforce is a presolicitation opportunity issued by the Economic and Social Research Council under UK Research and Innovation. The primary objective is to establish or support communities of practitioners to exchange knowledge and improve working practices, ultimately creating a seamless, user-centered, and federated data service landscape for social science researchers. Key goals include enhancing the researcher experience for discovering and accessing data and improving the deposition process for data owners. The solicitation was posted on October 4, 2026, with a response deadline of April 13, 2027. Eligible applicants must be based at a UK research organization and adhere to UKRI standard Grant Terms and Conditions. Evaluation is conducted by a commissioning panel that focuses on the individual's capability to deliver the proposed research rather than their previous track record, which is not an explicit award criterion. To promote inclusivity, the Resume for Research and Innovation (R4RI) is required in place of traditional CVs. Additionally, the program allows for the request of directly incurred costs for additional childcare and provides provisions for parental leave. Inquiries are directed to the Future Data Services team at FDS@esrc.ukri.org.