Apply to be recognised as a Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (Grant)

Who is eligible to apply

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) standard eligibility rules apply. Before applying for funding, check the Eligibility of your organisation.

UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.

For full details, visit Eligibility as an individual.

Who is not eligible to apply

Project leads and project co-leads from non-UK organisations are not eligible to apply for funding for this opportunity.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

• career breaks

• support for people with caring responsibilities

• flexible working

• alternative working patterns

Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.

Business, third sector or government body project co-leads

Business, third sector or government body project co-leads based in the UK can also be included on research grant proposals as a project co-lead. Read including project co-leads from business, third sector or government bodies for details of eligible organisations and costs.

Resubmissions

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI.

Find out more about UKRI’s resubmissions policy.

Background

Policing in the UK is increasingly relying on science and social science evidence and methods to shape its practices. As policing tackles neighbourhood crime, serious violence, knife crime, violence against women and girls (VAWG) and anti-social behaviour (ASB), it relies on research evidence to find effective preventative approaches, evaluate its existing practices, and identify new opportunities. The grounding of practice in evidence and data is central to continuing efforts to build and maintain public trust in policing and the wider criminal justice system.The Research and Innovation (R&I) system has a central part to play in generating, synthesising and making accessible the best research evidence on preventative approaches and trust building initiatives, and identifying science and technology innovations that could benefit policing. However, engaging with the R&I system can be challenging for policing.Existing research on policing varies in quality, and police stakeholders can struggle to navigate the R&I landscape, identify the most suitable academic partners, and understand evidence quality and approaches to evidence application. With limited resources to identify and appraise options, changes are needed to help policing navigate the system, engage more closely with research evidence and developments, and identify the best approaches, technologies, interventions and strategies.A closer set of relationships with the R&I system will also help policing drive forward investments in innovation for the future. Technologies and techniques developed in various non-policing science domains that could offer benefits are not currently being applied in a policing context or sometimes require further testing for benefits to be realised fully. For example, advances in body-warn cameras and sensors can offer a means of increasing officer safety and improving approaches to the detection and collection of evidence.Similarly, recycled materials and low carbon practices developed for other sectors could offer improvements in sustainability for policing. New techniques and technologies can minimise victimisation, increase safety and security in product development and the built environment, and reduce demand for the police.NPCC and UKRI are forming a partnership to establish up to nine Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (P-ACEs). P-ACEs will better establish policing’s relationship with the R&I system and provide specialist expertise aligned with Policing’s Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) and evidence needs.By increasing the accessibility of activity and expertise in priority areas, supporting academic experts to engage with police priorities, and improving routes for knowledge mobilisation, technology transfer and industry engagement, the P-ACEs will make it simpler for users of research in policing to connect with the best academic expertise and evidence that the UK has to offer.

Aim

By funding a network of P-ACEs, UKRI and the NPCC are aiming to:

• galvanise a community of researchers addressing policing’s issues, encouraging world-class, open access research that has the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of UK policing

• enhance the quality and scale of policing research and related postgraduate training undertaken in the UK

• improve connections between academic researchers, industry and research users in policing, to create shared understanding and improved partnerships

• make it easier for users of research to identify the best research evidence, science, and technologies that the UK has to offer

• encourage interdisciplinary perspectives on policing challenges, recognising there are economic, social scientific and technical elements to all

• establish and enhance fast track knowledge mobilisation pipelines between leading academic researchers and frontline policing

• ensure that there is retained, agile research capability in key fields, and that there are routes for PhD and postdoctoral researchers to contribute to the policing knowledge base

• ensure that high quality research evidence is underpinning the professional development and training of current and future policing professionals

• help to develop a shared vision among the UK’s policing and prevention research community, inside and outside academia

Functions

P-ACEs will bring together academic researchers with relevant expertise and connect them directly with policing stakeholders. NPCC and UKRI Policing Academic Centre of Excellence status will be a prestigious recognition of the specialisms and expertise of an academic group, and the P-ACEs will be promoted across the policing sector as an accessible source of leading academic expertise.The P-ACEs will carry out the following functions:

• engage with the evidence needs and Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) (PDF, 785KB) in policing and organise specialist academic expertise against certain topics.

• summarise, make accessible and showcase key findings from the P-ACE’s existing work and industry engagement in these areas, which should include: mobilising knowledge through written reports, findings syntheses, and demonstration of practical applications; running or contributing to workshops and seminars; presenting at stakeholder meetings; and producing materials designed to improve knowledge and skills among policing professionals.

• be responsive to the evidence needs and questions raised by policing, and be accessible for enquiries from policing stakeholders. To deliver this function, 50% of the total available budget should be ringfenced and used as a flexible fund to support activities developed during the course of the funding period through engagement with policing such as: new small scale research projects, evidence synthesis, or technology testing activity in the P-ACE’s areas of specialism; and workshops, events, or knowledge exchange activities covering new activity.

Applications should make clear what the process will be for managing and deploying the flexible fund. This process should ensure the P-ACE can respond to the evolving needs of policing, build on their existing activity, and provide opportunities for academic staff at all career stages involved in the P-ACE to grow their experience and develop professionally.

Focus

The P-ACEs will possess expertise in service line domains described in the Policing Areas of Research Interest (PDF, 785KB).Every P-ACE must demonstrate expertise in the following two required Areas of Research Interest (ARIs):

• enduring challenges – building and maintaining public trust: delivering innovation that is proportionate, fair, ethical, legal, and supported by the public

• crime prevention: applying expertise to questions of how to prevent criminality and victimisation, as well as how to investigate offences that have occurred

P-ACEs should also cover two or more of the following ARIs, and draw upon this coverage to shape some of their activity under the two required ARIs:

• enduring challenges: responding to the climate crisis: ensuring policing is delivering a sustainable future for the UK

• personal safety: the ability to protect the police workforce and members of the public

• mobility: the ability to move to/from locations quickly to prevent, detect or respond, including to access difficult locations safely to maximise intelligence and minimise risk

• identification and tracing: the ability to trace, attribute and confirm the identify of a person, location or activity to evidential levels

• surveillance and sensing: the ability to lawfully monitor and collect data from people, activity, movements, behaviours, objects and data overtly and covertly

• analytics: the ability to synthesise information to draw insights that can lead to actionable decisions

• interconnectivity: the ability to pass information quickly, accurately and securely, and the ability to intercept or disrupt communications of others

You should review the ARI publication (PDF, 785KB) carefully and consider how best to align and mobilise expertise relevant to these priority areas.Applications must make explicitly clear which ARIs their P-ACE will cover. You are encouraged to consider carefully the volume of ARIs your P-ACE will cover and avoid spreading resources too thinly. The funders are not expecting a single P-ACE to cover all ARIs with the available funding. Rather, the funders are anticipating that each P-ACE will offer critical mass and national leadership in several areas, with the P-ACE network collectively offering good coverage of policing’s priorities.

Design

P-ACEs will be platforms for organising and amplifying existing research evidence and for further developing the policing research base in the UK. To achieve this, applications should propose bringing together leading relevant expertise from academic researchers at different career stages and make clear how this combined expertise and experience provides coverage of the selected ARIs. We expect you to evidence considerable experience and existing work in the selected fields.Half of the available funding should be used to support the scientific leadership and administration of a P-ACE, and activities that will synthesise, make accessible and disseminate the existing work of those involved in the P-ACE.The remaining half of the funding should be ringfenced and used as a flexible fund to support new activities developed during the course of the funding period through engagement with policing.A P-ACE’s leadership team (that is, the project lead and project co-leads) should possess social science expertise relevant to the two required ARIs as well as expertise relevant to the other ARIs that the P-ACE will cover. Teams may also draw in part on wider public safety expertise, since we recognise that policing works closely with a range of partners to prevent crime, rehabilitate offenders, and support victims.Although business, third sector or government body project co-leads are permitted on applications, this should not occur at the expense of sufficient academic leadership covering the priority areas, which is the primary requirement for the P-ACE leadership group.P-ACEs must provide routes for PhD and postdoctoral researchers to contribute to core activity and through the P-ACE’s activities to the policing knowledge base.Applications can be from one research organisation (RO) or from multiple research organisations working in partnership. Academic Centre of Excellence status will be held by all ROs involved in a successful P-ACE application. Applications must make clear which individuals, departments, academic schools and research groups will be part of a P-ACE and explain how those involved will be coordinated to deliver the P-ACE’s key objectives. However, Academic Centre of Excellence recognition will be held at the HEI/Research Organisation level based on the combined capabilities of the whole organisation(s), rather than being applied to a particular faculty, school, department or research group only.P-ACEs should bring together and amplify all relevant work and industry engagement from the RO or ROs involved, irrespective of whether the individuals involved in this work will be funded directly through the P-ACE award. Where other funding has supported this work or is supporting the ongoing knowledge exchange efforts of those involved in the work, applications must make clear how the P-ACE funding would add to and enhance existing activity.P-ACEs should be designed to ensure they are considering science and technology needs and developments that are relevant now and in the future. Part of this will require suitable means of horizon scanning and identifying emerging technological opportunities and threats.Although there is no formal requirement for P-ACEs to appoint an advisory group, you should make clear how the design and structure of your P-ACE provides appropriate leadership, governance, staff resource and expertise, and routes for critical reflection and peer feedback.

Demonstrating your potential to be a P-ACE

To achieve Academic Centre of Excellence recognition, specific standards are required of an RO. When completing your application, it is essential that you provide and use clear signposting to present information that demonstrates:

• leading specialist expertise and existing work in the required and selected ARI domains. This expertise would be demonstrable through: a critical mass of academic staff at all career stages engaged in leading research in the specialist areas; and a proven track record of impactful research in the specialist areas

• an extensive record of, and an ongoing commitment to, supporting and investing in policing research capacity and capability, with particular focus on early career researcher opportunities and development

• an ongoing commitment to, and demonstrable record of, knowledge mobilisation, partnerships, and impacts with policing and criminal justice stakeholders and industry

• a commitment to collaborate with other P-ACEs

• commitment from researchers involved in the P-ACE to undertake new research and innovation activities in the specialist priority areas through other projects to ensure the continued generation of new knowledge, evidence and technologies that can be utilised by the P-ACE

Evidence must be explicit in the applications as assessment will be conducted using the information in the applications only.

Benefits of becoming a P-ACE

The funders recognise that there are existing academic research centres, groups and collaborations in the UK with long term, successful partnerships with policing. This funding provides an opportunity for existing partnerships to be enhanced and for new partnerships to be formed, and comes with the following benefits:

• P-ACE recognition funding: recognition funding and academic centre of excellence status lasting for three years

• fast track knowledge mobilisation pipelines: The P-ACEs will benefit from direct connections with policing organisations and knowledge mobilisation platforms ensuring a fast track, efficient route to practice impact

• new collaborations, data, samples and intervention testing grounds: P-ACEs will be connected with police constabularies interested in providing researchers with access to data, samples and environments for testing interventions

• new interdisciplinary partnerships: this funding opportunity will facilitate novel interdisciplinary collaborations and provide the opportunity for researchers from across the R&I landscape to work with social scientists and apply their work to a policing context.

• PhD student placements: UKRI-funded PhD students at institutions involved in the P-ACEs will be able to apply for placement opportunities offered by policing stakeholders. The process for this will be discussed with the successful applicants.

• community: the P-ACEs will galvanise a broad supportive community through a shared mission and will bring together a new community of early career researchers.

Working with policing and the funders

Strategic engagement between the P-ACEs and national policing will occur via the Police National Research and Innovation Network and its National Science and Innovation Board. Each police constabulary has an identified Research and Innovation (R&I) Lead, who is a member of a regional committee. A representative from each region is part of the National Science and Innovation Board. This coordinating network provides the voice of priorities and scrutiny for each constabulary and region, which is published annually in the Areas of Research Interest. There will be ongoing dialogue between the R&I Leads, the National Science and Innovation Board and the P-ACEs.As a P-ACE identifies itself as having a critical mass against an ARI it will engage with the R&I network so policing can support new activities in the areas it covers. NPCC and UKRI will monitor the volume and frequency of activity through this process to ensure it remains manageable and appropriate.Where appropriate, P-ACEs should also plan to mobilise evidence via the College of Policing and its Crime reduction toolkit, Practice Bank, and Research Map ensuring that standards for research and systematic reviews are met. See more information about crime reduction toolkit and EMMIE framework.P-ACEs are expected to maintain and enhance their existing partnerships with policing and other relevant stakeholders. You should make clear your existing links with policing, industry and other relevant stakeholders, the achievements that these have enabled, and the activities planned to develop them further.P-ACEs are expected to be responsive to the new opportunities that P-ACE status will bring about. For example, senior representatives from each P-ACE may be invited to join advisory groups, attend national policing coordination meetings, or engage directly with a policing stakeholder interested in their specialisms. There should also be efforts made to connect activity with and mobilise evidence for Police and Crime Commissioners.The funders will work with each P-ACE to establish robust progress monitoring arrangements. This will be discussed in detail at a kick off meeting between the successful P-ACEs and the funders within the first few weeks of the funding period. This is likely to involve P-ACEs providing ‘light touch’ written progress updates, meeting with funders, and attending meetings designed to help the P-ACEs connect and collaborate (for example, a P-ACE annual conference).

Duration

Projects should be three years in duration.

We intend to issue award offers by 1 April 2025. Projects should then start as soon as possible after that date and no later than 1 October 2025.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be up to £600,000.UKRI and NPCC will fund 80% of the FEC.

Portfolio approach

The funders will ensure that the P-ACEs as a portfolio provide coverage of all the priority areas and are not overly concentrated in one part of the UK. The funders do not intend to fund multiple P-ACEs where there is considerable duplication of priority coverage and geographic location of the ROs involved These factors will be considered alongside application quality when making funding decisions.

Demand management

The funders are adopting a strict demand management approach with this funding opportunity. A research organisation cannot be involved in more than one application. ROs are therefore required to consider carefully whether they should apply alone or as part of a partnership with other ROs.

What we will not fund

• studentships

• international project co-leads

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.See further guidance and information about TR&I – including where applicants can find additional support.

ESRC data infrastructure

We support a range of data infrastructure. Where relevant, we encourage applicants to consider whether the use of these resources could add value to the project. See Facilities and resources for information on finding and using ESRC datasets which are available across the UK. Of particular relevance here are the Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) datasets:

• Ministry of Justice & Department for Education linked dataset – England – ADR UK

• Data First: Cross-Justice System – England and Wales – ADR UK

• Data First: Family Court linked to Cafcass and Census 2021 – England and Wales – ADR UK

Where relevant, details of datasets and infrastructure to be used in your project should be given in the Facilities section.

Data requirements

We recognise the importance of data quality and provenance. Data generated, collected or acquired by ESRC-funded research must be well-managed by the grant holder to enable their data to be exploited to the maximum potential for further research. See our research data policy for details and further information on data requirements. The requirements of the research data policy are a condition of ESRC research funding.Where relevant, details on data management and sharing should be provided in the Data Management section. See the importance of managing and sharing data and content for inclusion in a data management plan on the UK Data Service (UKDS) website for further guidance. We expect applicants to provide a summary of the points provided. The UKDS [email: datasharing@ukdataservice.ac.uk] will be pleased to advise applicants on the availability of data within the academic community and provide advice on data deposit requirements.

Impact, innovation and interdisciplinarity

We expect you to consider the potential scientific, societal and economic impacts of their research. Outputs, dissemination and impact are a key part of the criteria for most peer review and assessment processes. We also encourage applications that demonstrate innovation and interdisciplinarity (research combining approaches from more than one discipline).

Knowledge exchange and collaboration

We are committed to knowledge exchange and encouraging collaboration betweenresearchers and the private, public and civil society sectors. Collaborative working benefits both the researchers and the individuals and organisations involved.Through collaboration, partners learn about each other’s expertise, share knowledge and gain an appreciation of different professional cultures. Collaborative activity can therefore lead to a better understanding of the ways that academic research can add value and offer insights to key issues of concern for policy and practice.Knowledge exchange should not be treated as an ‘add-on’ at the end of a project but considered before the start and built into a project.

Research ethics

We require that the research we support is designed and conducted in such a way that it meets ethical principles and is subject to proper professional and institutional oversight in terms of research governance. We have agreed a Framework for Research Ethics that all submitted proposals must comply with. Read further details about the framework for research ethics and guidance on compliance.  In addition, the NPCC is a signature of the Research Concordat and is committed to Open Science; P-ACEs must similarly support this approach.

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Panel

We will invite academic and research user experts to assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications, after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.

NPCC and ESRC will make the final funding decision. The funders reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Timescale

We aim to complete the assessment process before the end of February 2025.

Feedback

We will provide feedback with the outcome of your application.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment (DORA) and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Sharing data with co-funders

UKRI will share the applications (including any personal information that they contain) with NPCC so that they can participate in the assessment process.

See more information on how NPCC uses personal information.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• Vision

• Approach

• Applicant and team capability to deliver

• Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

• Resources and cost justification

• Data Management and sharing

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Embedding environmental sustainability

• Facilities

• Trusted research and innovation

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Click here to start your application on the UKRI Funding Service https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP743/apply/760We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

To apply

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

1. Confirm you are the project lead.

2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.orgPlease allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this funding opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.

3. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.

4. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.

5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.

6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words

• insert each new image onto a new line

• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)

• files must be smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service

• how research offices use the Funding Service

• how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. Applicants should use their discretion when including reference and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.

Deadline

ESRC must receive your application by 4.00pm UK time on 3 December 2024.You will not be able to apply after this time.Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

Processing personal data

UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) so that they can participate in the assessment process. See more information on how NPCC uses personal information.

Publication of outcomes

UKRI will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at What UKRI has funded.If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Summary

Word limit: 550In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.We may make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:

• opinion-formers

• policymakers

• the public

• the wider research community

Guidance for writing a summary

Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:

• context

• the challenge the project addresses

• aims and objectives

• potential applications and benefits

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

• project lead (PL)

• project co-lead (UK) (PcL)

• specialist

• grant manager

• professional enabling staff

• research and innovation associate

• technician

• visiting researcher

Only list one individual as project leadFind out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Application questions

Vision

Word limit: 500What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your proposed work:

• is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)

• has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area

• is timely given current trends, context, and needs

• impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment

References may be included within this section.Within this section you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form, such as images, if relevant.

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words

• insert each new image onto a new line

• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)

• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Your application may be rejected if images are provided without a descriptive legend in the text box, or are used to replace text that could be input into the text box.

Approach

Word limit: 2500

How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:

• is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives

• is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed

• uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable)

• summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed (if applicable)

• will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts

• describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work

Within the Approach section we also expect you to:

• provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan including milestones and timelines

• explain what steps you will take to provide opportunities for users to benefit from your research, and to ensure that your research has maximum economic and societal impact

All applicants planning to generate data as part of their grant must complete the separate Data management question.References may be included within this section.Within this section you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form, such as images, if relevant.

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words

• insert each new image onto a new line

• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)

• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Your application may be rejected if images are provided without a descriptive legend in the text box, or are used to replace text that could be input into the text box.

Project Partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.

Add the following project partner details:

• the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)

• the project partner contact name and email address

• the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Project partners: letters (or emails) of support

Word limit: 2

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project Partner section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’. Each letter or email you provide should:

• confirm the partner’s commitment to the project

• clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them

• describe any additional value that they bring to the project

• be no more than one A4 page in length

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners’ section.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1, 650Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work

• the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work

• the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop other

• contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

The word count for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

• contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge

• the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships

• contributions to the wider research and innovation community

• contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.References may be included within this section.UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service.For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.Within this section you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form, such as images, if relevant. You will need to use an embedded image for your Team Composition table (R4RI).

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words

• insert each new image onto a new line

• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)

• files must be smaller than 8MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Your application may be rejected if images are provided without a descriptive legend in the text box, or are used to replace text that could be input into the text box.

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

• the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations

• how you will manage these considerations

All proposals have to comply with the ESRC framework for research ethics which includes guidance for applicants and links to related web resources.All necessary ethical approvals must be in place before the project commences, but do not need to have been secured at the time of application.If you are generating data as part of your project, you should complete the Data Management question and should cover ethical considerations relating to data in your response.If you are not generating data and have not completed the Data Management question, you should address any legal or ethical considerations relating to your use of data here.

Research involving human participation

Word limit: 700Will the project involve the use of human subjects or their personal information?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you are proposing research that requires the involvement of human subjects, provide the name of any required approving body and whether approval is already in place.Justify the number and the diversity of the participants involved, as well as any procedures.Provide details of any areas of substantial or moderate severity of impact.If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 1000What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

• project staff

• significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)

• any equipment that will cost more than £10,000

• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities

• all facilities and infrastructure costs

• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

• are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified

• represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes

• maximise potential outcomes and impacts

You must identify how support for activities to either increase impact, for public engagement and or to support responsible innovation is costed in this application.For detailed guidance on eligible costs please see the ESRC research funding guide.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 500How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.Demonstrate that you have designed your proposed work so that you can appropriately manage and share data in accordance with ESRC’s research data policy and ESRC framework for research ethics (if applicable).Within the ‘Data Management’ section we also expect you to:

• plan for the research through the life cycle of the award until data is accepted for archiving by the UK Data Service (UKDS) or a responsible data repository

• demonstrate compliance with ESRC’s research data policy and ESRC framework for research ethics. This should include confirmation that existing datasets have been reviewed and why currently available datasets are inadequate for the proposed research.

• cover any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data, including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical issues

• include any challenges to data sharing (for example, copyright or data confidentiality), with possible solutions discussed to optimise data sharing

If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

Word limit: 500What approaches and activities do you have planned that will embed EDI into your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your EDI plan:

• is effective and appropriate to embed EDI

• comprehensively identifies the key EDI challenges and how they will be addressed and/or managed

• will report and measure EDI outcomes

• will maximise awareness of and mitigate against bias in your team and the wider community in terms of gender, ethnicity or any other protected characteristic through processes, behaviours and culture

• describes how your approach will build upon and integrate existing EDI good practice into your proposed work

• will share good practice with the wider community to ensure your research has maximum impact

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.References may be included within this section.

Embedding environment sustainability

Word limit: 500How will you embed environmental sustainability within the grant activities.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your proposed work will embed environmental sustainability throughout its aims, objectives, operations, and research outcomes.You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.References may be included within this section.

Facilities

Word limit: 250Does your proposed work require the support and use of a facility?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you will need to use a facility (including access to, and use of data infrastructure), follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project. We encourage the use of secondary and linked datasets.For each requested facility you will need to provide the:

• name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 35KB)

• proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list

• confirmation you have their agreement where required

Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above. If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Trusted research and innovation

Word limit: 100Does the proposed work involve international collaboration in a sensitive research or technology area?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate how your proposed international collaboration relates to Trusted Research and Innovation, including:

• list the countries your international project co-leads, project partners and visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in

• if international collaboration is involved, explain whether this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act

• if one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act are involved list the areas

If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.We may ask you to provide additional information about how your proposed project will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help manage these risks.

Background information and context

Prevention

Policing’s Prevention Coordination Committee is leading a national coordination effort underpinned by the National Policing Prevention Strategy (PDF, 469KB) to embed preventative policing as the core police function. The Strategy’s objectives are to:

• promote cultural change in policing through embedding a preventative approach as a core function of policing

• reduce harm by tackling the root causes, drivers and vulnerabilities associated with victimisation in both the physical and virtual environment

• reduce offending by tackling the causes and opportunities that facilitate offending

• reduce demand through a systematic cost effective, evidence based problem-solving approach

National research and Innovation Network

The National Research and Innovation Network has the aim of delivering locally while coordinating nationally. This coordinating network provides the voice of priorities and scrutiny for each police constabulary and region. Regional leads from the network come together to form the National Science and Innovation Board which is uniquely positioned to identify common interest across regions and ensure join-up with partners.

Policing Areas of Research Interest

Policing’s Areas of Research Interest were developed so partners could understand the most pressing challenges faced by policing. The ARIs capture priority science, technology, analysis and research challenges that, if addressed, will significantly improve policing performance.

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.

Additional disability and accessibility adjustments

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process if required.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays

• disruptive working patterns and conditions

• the loss of ongoing work

• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.

Webinar for potential applicants

A webinar for potential applicants was held on 16 October 2024. You can access a recording and transcript of the webinar via Zoom.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The FAQ (PDF, 151KB) document brings together questions regarding the P-ACE funding opportunity sent to UKRI and raised at the applicant webinar held on the 16 October 2024.

Supporting documents

EIA for the opportunity (PDF, 182KB)

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page.Important note: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact pace@esrc.ukri.orgAny queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.Email: support@funding-service.ukri.orgPhone: 01793 547490Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm

• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.See further information on submitting an application.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email pace@esrc.ukri.orgInclude in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)

• declaration of interest

• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section

• conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

• the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Related content

• UKRI policies and standards

• ESRC research funding guide

• ESRC guidance for applicants

• Policing Areas of Research Interest (PDF, 785KB)

Updates

19 November 2024  In 'Additional info' under the 'Webinar for potential applicants' section, have replaced the content with the post webinar text and added the frequently asked questions document. New sentence added to the summary section: 'A research organisation cannot be involved in more than one application. 'Duration section updated in What we're looking for section. Project partners and Project partners: letters (or emails) of support added in How to apply section.