International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF)

UKRI International Science Partnerships Fund

Supports United Kingdom researchers connecting globally through partnerships in planet, health, technology, and talent priorities via UKRI International Science Partnerships Fund.

The International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) is a multi-year UK government research fund led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and its council partners, including AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC, STFC, and Innovate UK, as well as the British Council and the Royal Society. An initial budget of £119 million was announced in December 2022, with the total programme envelope expanded since then. The fund supports UK researchers collaborating with international partners on global challenges across four thematic areas: planet, health, technology, and talent.

Partner countries eligible for ISPF-funded collaborations span Asia (India, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia), North America (United States and Canada), Oceania (Australia), and Europe (Ireland). Each UKRI council, the British Council, and the Royal Society publish their own ISPF call windows independently — there is no single centralised funding-finder entry for ISPF on UKRI's portal. Researchers must check each delivery partner's own pages to find open calls relevant to their discipline and partner country.

ISPF operates as a standing programme with calls issued on a rolling basis throughout its multi-year life. Researchers and institutions in the eligible UK partner countries should track UKRI council websites, the British Council's partnership funding pages, and the Royal Society's international grants portfolio to identify specific open ISPF calls matching their collaborative research plans.