Economic research on the returns to R&D investment

Open UKRI funding opportunity · Grant. Closes 2026-11-19. Total fund £2.46 million. Opportunity page: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/economic-research-on-the-returns-to-rd-investment/

Apply for funding to support research that can help develop new measurements of the return on investments in research and development (R&D).

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding, however, collaborations with international researchers are strongly encouraged.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £308,000. UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC.

The duration of this award is 24 months. Projects should start no later than 1 April 2027.

What we're looking for Aim

UKRI is seeking to support research that can help develop consensus estimates of the economic and social return on investments in research and development (R&D). This funding opportunity aims to spur rigorous, empirical studies that can narrow the range of existing estimates and inform public and private R&D investment decisions.

This funding opportunity is solely supported by UKRI but has been developed in collaboration with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Coefficient Giving as part of an international research challenge. UKRI award holders will be encouraged to engage with award holders funded directly by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Coefficient Giving.

Scope

This funding opportunity is supported through the UK Metascience Unit. Metascience is a rapidly expanding research field that draws on a wide range of disciplinary expertise to understand how research is conducted, funded and supported, and how these practices can be enhanced or improved. For a deeper understanding of what metascience means to UKRI, please see the UK Metascience Unit’s report.

Coined after economist Zvi Griliches, ‘the Griliches Question’ explores the social and economic return on investment in R&D, a measure that has significant policy implications.

The UK…