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UKRI Smart Data Research UK Fellowships 2026

Scholarship
UK
On-site
Published Jul 21, 2025

Overview

Smart data refers to digital footprints generated by individuals and organizations during everyday activities. Examples include smartphone usage, wearable devices, GPS data, loyalty card transactions, mobile applications, and social media interactions. Importantly, the definition excludes data from regulated systems such as open banking.

This data is rich with behavioral insights and holds transformative potential across a range of disciplines, from health and education to sustainability and digital technology.

Description

Smart data refers to digital footprints generated by individuals and organizations during everyday activities. Examples include smartphone usage, wearable devices, GPS data, loyalty card transactions, mobile applications, and social media interactions. Importantly, the definition excludes data from regulated systems such as open banking.

This data is rich with behavioral insights and holds transformative potential across a range of disciplines, from health and education to sustainability and digital technology.

Additional Information

What Is Smart Data

Smart data refers to digital footprints generated by individuals and organizations during everyday activities. Examples include smartphone usage, wearable devices, GPS data, loyalty card transactions, mobile applications, and social media interactions. Importantly, the definition excludes data from regulated systems such as open banking.
This data is rich with behavioral insights and holds transformative potential across a range of disciplines, from health and education to sustainability and digital technology.

Degree Level

UKRI Smart Data Research UK Fellowships 2026 is available to undertake Fellowship level programs at UK Universities.

Thematic Focus Areas

Projects must align with at least one of the following priority areas:

Productivity and Prosperity for All
Research that addresses barriers to economic inclusion, skills development, or workforce productivity.
Health and Wellbeing
Studies using smart data to improve healthcare delivery, mental health outcomes, or public health interventions.
Digital Society
Projects focusing on the social implications of digital technologies, data ethics, or digital participation.
Sustainability
Research into climate resilience, sustainable behaviors, or environmental policy using digital behavior data.

Expectations And Deliverables

Fellows are expected to devote a minimum of 20% of their time to impact activities. This includes public engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and policy communication. The goal is to develop long-term capabilities within the UK social science research ecosystem.

Applications must include:

A clear research vision
An interdisciplinary approach
A data access and management plan
Career development goals
Evidence of institutional support
Cost justification and ethical considerations

Benefits

Maximum Funding: £200,000 per project (ESRC funds 80% of full economic cost)
Applicants must be affiliated with an eligible UK research organisation . International applicants are not eligible unless they are employed by a UK institution. Researchers currently holding an active SDR UK award are also ineligible.

Eligible Nationalities

Open to applicants of all nationalities.

Who Is Eligible To Apply

Open to researchers at all career stages (early, mid, and established).
Early career researchers are particularly encouraged to apply.

Researchers new to using smart data are welcome:

Must include mentoring and capacity building plans as part of their fellowship.
Applicants must be based within a UK research organisation eligible to receive UKRI funding.

Suggested time commitment:

Minimum of 0.6 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) for the fellowship.
Proposals with lower FTE may be accepted but should justify reduced commitment.
Applicants on part-time contracts must commit FTE at a proportionate level.
Fellows are encouraged to fully utilise the data and funding opportunities available under this program.

Who Is Not Eligible To Apply

Researchers who are named leads or co-leads with more than 0.2 FTE on SDR UK’s Data Service grants.
Accelerator award holders under SDR UK with more than 6 months left on their current award as of 31 January 2026.
Applicants from non-UK organisations.
International project leads, co-leads, and international fellows are not eligible.
You must be based within an eligible UK institution for the entire duration of the fellowship.

Application Procedure

All applications must be submitted via the UKRI Funding Service . Institutions must ensure the application is reviewed and submitted by the institutional research office before the deadline.
Applicants are encouraged to engage with the Smart Data Research UK team during the application phase to clarify scope, eligibility, and data usage intentions.

Why Apply

This fellowship provides more than just financial support. It offers researchers an opportunity to:

Build national and international research profiles
Engage with cross-sector partners
Translate research into actionable policy
Influence the next generation of data-driven social science

What Is The Difference Between Smart Data And Big Data

Smart data refers specifically to data generated through personal and organizational digital activities such as smartphone use, social media, and wearables. While both smart data and big data deal with large volumes of information, smart data emphasizes actionable insights derived from behavioral data in real-world settings.

Can Early Career Researchers Apply For This Fellowship

Yes. The fellowship is open to researchers at all career stages, including early career academics, provided they are based at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding.

What Kind Of Impact Activities Are Expected

Applicants must allocate at least 20% of their fellowship time to impact-related activities. These may include public engagement, policy briefings, stakeholder events, media contributions, and other forms of research translation that benefit society or inform decision-making.

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Funding

Partial Funding

Organization

UK Universities

Degree

Fellowship

Subjects

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Nationality

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Country

UK

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