ESRC Gambling Harms Research Grants

Gambling Harms Research Grants

Supports United Kingdom research on gambling harms with social innovation for prevention-focused outcomes.

The Economic and Social Research Council's Gambling Harms Research Grants are funded from the UK statutory gambling levy, which came into force in April 2025 and directs 20% of levy receipts to UKRI for research. The programme supports interdisciplinary research deepening understanding or advancing solutions for the prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. Single-discipline proposals are accepted, but cross-disciplinary teams are preferred. All work is coordinated with the Gambling Harms Research UK Evidence Centre, which was established alongside the levy to provide a unified evidence infrastructure for the field.

Awards reach up to £2,000,000 at full economic cost, with ESRC funding 80% of FEC and host institutions covering the remaining 20%. Projects run for three years, with the earliest permissible start date in July 2027. The process is two-stage: applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest via the UKRI Engagement Hub by 17 July 2026, with the full application window opening 21 September 2026 and closing 8 December 2026. Panel meetings are scheduled for March 2027 with decisions expected by end of April 2027. Gambling industry co-funding is explicitly prohibited — applicants cannot simultaneously hold any funding from entities subject to the statutory levy.

The project lead must be at a UK research institution eligible for UKRI funding (higher education institutions, UKRI institutes, independent research organisations, or public sector research establishments). Co-leads may come from charities, third sector, government, social enterprises, or UK businesses. Teams are required to include people with lived and learned experience of gambling-related harms, and applications must demonstrate robust ethical oversight. Successful applicants will need to show a clear pathway from research findings to policy and practice impact, particularly in prevention and treatment services.