These pages are to give up-to-date advice on research activity affected during COVID-19. The advice will be updated each time there is an official notification from funders, when Research Development and Support (RDS) operations need to change due to lockdown/tiers, and when any other useful information is published. The date of the latest updates from the funders will be shown against each funder name. This will only show the major funders that BU applies to.
Please note that as well as funder advice, there is also advice on ethics, REF, applying for funding during this time, if you are an award holder, and anything else that RDS think will be of use. If BU staff have any queries then please contact your faculty-facing RDS colleagues for advice. Please note that RDS team members are currently working from home until further notice and so please email your RDS contact rather than telephone. Thank you.
Updated by RDS: 20/7/21
Given below are links to pages giving extensive information on each of the following sections:
International Funder (mainly European) news
Funding Development Team Guidance to applicants to external funding
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021











Geography and Environmental Studies academics – would you like to get more involved in preparing our next REF submission?
Reminder: Recharge Your Research Routine Next Week for World Wellbeing Week
Boost Your Research Toolkit: Digital Confidence & AI Literacy Workshop – Friday 26 June 10am-12pm
BU students’ publishing success
BU presentation at the University of Bristol
Horizon Europe Cluster 3 (Civil Security for Society) 2026 Calls Now Open
MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 Call Information Webinar
ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026: Application Deadline Extended to Thursday 25 June 2026
Reminder: Register for the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026 Information Session
ECR Funding Open Call: Research Culture & Community Grant – Apply now
ERC Advanced Grant 2025 Webinar
Update on UKRO services
European research project exploring use of ‘virtual twins’ to better manage metabolic associated fatty liver disease