Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Backs Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the United Kingdom's leading public funder for engineering and physical sciences.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is one of UK Research and Innovation's nine councils and the UK's main public funder of engineering and physical sciences research. Its remit covers digital technologies, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, mathematics, materials, and chemistry, and the council's mission is to create knowledge in engineering and physical sciences for the benefit of society and the economy. It is based at Polaris House in Swindon and works as part of UKRI.

EPSRC funds academic research, fellowships, collaborative industry partnerships, and large hubs and facilities. The record includes ACT Proof of Concept, Prosperity Partnerships, Network Plus, Quantum Technology Research Hubs, Manufacturing Research Hubs for a Sustainable Future, Healthcare Technologies, and the Centre for Quantum Commercialisation Skills. Award caps run from £500,000 for proof-of-concept activity to £19.5 million for quantum hubs, with several programmes aimed at consortia rather than single applicants.

The council is especially useful where fundamental research needs a path into industrial collaboration, national capability, or major shared infrastructure. Applications go through the UKRI Funding Service, and the portfolio suggests a strong preference for scale, partnership, and long programme horizons rather than small one-off awards. Teams with deep technical work and a credible route to capability-building will read best against this council's remit.