Flexible Fund – 2025 Call Full Guidance

EDI Hub+ Flexible Fund

The EDI Hub+ Flexible Fund provides funding to support innovative projects that advance equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the engineering, physical, and mathematical sciences sectors.  

This funding is designed to scale up effective equality, diversity and inclusion interventions and initiatives, foster collaboration between academia, funders, and policymakers, and drive systemic change.  

The fund is open to a broad range of applicants, including those from non-traditional career paths, with flexible leadership models to encourage diverse participation.  

Through this initiative, the EDI Hub+ aims to create lasting impact by supporting projects that address key challenges in career pathways, research funding processes, and organisational culture. 

Flexible Fund information webinar recording

A webinar was held on 8th May 2025 to outline the Flexible Fund and give potential applicants an opportunity to ask questions. The recording can be found on our YouTube channel. Questions asked during the Q&A section of the webinar have been included in our Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Flexible Fund Round 1 

    • In addition to the EPSRC’s standard eligibility rules for individuals, we have widened the eligibility for project leads and project co-lead applicants to support different career paths within the research and innovation community.  
    • To be a project lead or project co-lead you must have the skills, knowledge and experience required. This means that you do not need to be an academic employee or have a specific qualification such as a PhD. You may have taken an alternative career path which provides the required knowledge and skills to lead or co-lead a project. We welcome people in professional enabling staff roles, grant managers, technicians and specialists as project leads and project co-leads. 
    • We have adopted a flexible leadership model that allows for up to two project leads. This enables people to bring different knowledge, skills and experience to the leadership team. Allowing more than one project lead also enables the leadership to be performed as a job share. You do not need to be in an existing job share arrangement to apply on this basis. 

  • Themes

    The Flexible Fund aims to implement, evaluate, and scale-up EDI interventions and initiatives in Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences across three themes. Applications to the Flexible Fund must clearly address one or more of these themes.

    1. Career Pathways

    We welcome proposals that focus on one or multiple aspects of career pathways, including (not exhaustive):

    • Growing diverse leadership in research and innovation.
    • Attracting and retaining diverse doctoral students and removing barriers to doctoral study for underrepresented groups.
    • Making the transition to an academic career attractive and open to everyone.
    • Providing support at key career transitions to address the ‘leaky pipeline’.
    • Making broader research and innovation roles (e.g., Research Technical Professionals, Research Software Engineers) more attractive and empowering.
    • Supporting cross-sectoral transitions (e.g., into / out of academia and industry).

    2. Research Funding and Processes

    We welcome proposals that focus on one or multiple aspects of the funding process, including (not exhaustive):

    • Inclusive pre-submission selection practices and demand management in academic institutions.
    • Reducing the burden for specific groups, such as disabled people, those with caring responsibilities.
    • Inclusive practice within EPSRC investments (i.e., EPSRC grants operating their own flexible fund).
    • Trialling and evaluating alternative approaches to a) calls for proposals, b) application processes, and c) the assessment of applications, including alternative approaches to peer review.

    3. Organisational Culture and Space

    We welcome proposals that focus on one or multiple aspects of organisational culture and space, including (not exhaustive):

    • Making our physical and virtual workspaces inclusive and accessible – with specific emphasis on research labs.
    • Challenging harassment and micro-aggression, becoming active bystanders.
    • Adopting equitable work-life balance approaches, supporting ‘family-friendly’ or ‘care-friendly’ policies and practices.
    • Ensuring everyone’s participation in the research and innovation system is fully recognised.

    Types of project

    Funding is available for three different types of project:

    1. Pilot projects

    • Aim: To support the initial implementation of projects addressing unmet needs, including those arising from EDI Hub+ needs identification and co-creation activities.
    • Pilot projects should address a specific, unmet EDI challenge facing the EPMS community. Funding should be used to test and refine the approach to tackling that challenge.
    • For Round 1, we would particularly welcome projects that focus on:
      • Developing anticipatory approaches to a) supporting neuro-inclusion and neurodiverse students and/or staff; b) accessibility, including in lab spaces, and support for disabled students and/or staff.
      • Precarity in EPMS research and innovation careers.
    • Applicants must provide an evaluation plan setting out how they will collect, collate, and curate evidence to evaluate success, including what has worked and what has not worked.
    • We expect to fund a maximum of two pilot projects per round.
    • Funding available: up to £50K (80% FEC) per project.
    • Duration: up to 12 months.

    2. Evaluation projects

    • Aim: To evaluate existing EDI interventions and initiatives that have not been thoroughly evaluated.
    • Funding can be used to develop evaluation frameworks, collect data, and/or analyse existing data. Funding can be used to support participatory design and co-creation to develop evaluation frameworks, the implementation of established tools and techniques, or engagement with independent evaluation experts.
    • Applicants must provide a logic model, setting out the project’s activities and its intended effects. Applicants will need to demonstrate a robust and considered approach to evaluation, which aims to identify both what has worked and what has not worked.
    • We expect to fund a maximum of three evaluation projects per round.
    • Funding available: up to £30K (80% FEC) per project
    • Duration: up to 12 months

    3. Scale-up projects

    • Aim: To scale up existing EDI interventions and initiatives that have proved effective in one or more settings, such as a discipline, an institution, a doctoral training award, or a research or innovation project.
    • We will provide advice, funding, and partnership-building support to progress successful EDI interventions and initiatives towards widespread implementation and adoption. The first step in this process might mean scaling up your activities across multiple disciplines, institutions, CDTs, or research projects.  Contact us for advice: EDIHubPlus@leeds.ac.uk
    • Scale-up projects will need to address one or more specific EDI challenges facing the EPMS community.
    • Applicants must provide evaluation evidence to demonstrate the success of their intervention or initiative and must provide a comprehensive plan that explains how they will scale up their activities.
    • Applicants will also be required to provide a logic model, setting out the project’s activities and its intended effects, and will need to provide a robust evaluation plan setting out how they will collect, collate, and curate evidence to evaluate success, including what has and has not worked.
    • We expect to fund a maximum of three scale-up projects per round.
    • Funding available: up to £80K (80% FEC) per project
    • Duration: up to 12 months

    All proposals should adopt a co-design approach and should explain how key stakeholders or research end users will be engaged in the project. Co-design is a participatory approach to designing solutions, in which stakeholders are treated as equal collaborators in the design process. People with lived experience* do research with staff to understand what’s needed from a project. During research, additional influence and participation methods might be used to understand what people with lived experience need and want. Learn more about resources on co-design.

    All proposals should provide a robust evaluation plan setting out how they will collect, collate, and curate evidence to evaluate success, including what has and has not worked. Learn more about evaluation and logic models.

    * Lived experience refers to the unique knowledge an individual gains through direct, first-hand experience of living their life. Lived experience refers to a person’s understanding of what life is like for them as a unique individual, how they are treated by others, and their experience of navigating the systems and processes embedded in society around them.  In an EDI context, this includes those who are underrepresented (insufficient or inadequate representation), underserved (disadvantaged because they are inadequately provided for), or minoritised (treated as distinct from and less important than the dominant population).

  • Applications open on 8 May 2025.

    Please submit a completed application form via email before the deadline of 4pm on Thursday 11 September 2025 to edihubplus@leeds.ac.uk with the subject line ‘Flexible Fund Application Submission’. You will receive confirmation via email that your application has been received. 

    Download application forms:

    Application requirements:  

    • Application information  
    • Information about your team and why they are best equipped to deliver the project (max. 500 words) 
    • Case for support, including details of co-design, and how the project engages with, or is led by, those with lived experience of marginalisation in the EPMS research and innovation space (max. 1500 words)  
    • Workplan (max. one page) 
    • EDI plan (max. 500 words)  
    • Evaluation plan (max. 500 words)* 
    • Research ethical considerations (max. 500 words) 
    • Data management plan (max. 500 words)  
    • A full breakdown of costs  
    • A justification of resources (max. 500 words)  
    • Letters of support (max one page)** 

    *Applicants for Evaluation Projects and Scale-up Projects will also be asked to provide a Logic Model (max. one page). 

    **Letters of support should: 1) confirm organisational approval to apply as either the lead organisation, or as a partner, and 2) detail access or other forms of financial or in-kind support that will be made available to the applicants if successful – please note that this is for information only and will not be considered as part of the assessment process. (Where applicants are unable to secure letters of support at the application stage, they will be required before funding is awarded.)  

    We are also requesting that lead applicants complete a short EDI survey. This will not be used to evaluate the proposals but will be used to monitor, evaluate, and ensure internal accountability for the inclusive nature of the call and the EDI Hub+.

  • The EDI Hub+ team will first check all applications to ensure that they match the eligibility requirements (see Who can apply). Those that do not meet eligibility requirements will not be considered. 

    All eligible applications will be assessed by the EDI Hub+ Opportunity Review Panel. Applications will be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers. Reviewers will be recruited through an open call. 

    Reviewers will score each application based on the criteria listed below.  

    All applicants will receive feedback from the reviewers.  

    Assessment criteria: 

    What the reviewers will look for: 

    1. The degree to which proposals will create impact e.g., improving working lives for people across the research and innovation ecosystem.   
    1. The degree to which proposals engage with, or are led by, those with lived experience of marginalisation in EPMS research and innovation space. 
    1. The degree to which proposals adopt a co-design approach, including how key stakeholders or research end users will be engaged in the project.  
    1. The quality of the EDI Plan, including the degree to which EDI considerations have been embedded in all aspects of the project.  
    1. The quality of the Evaluation Plan, and the degree to which proposals demonstrate a robust and considered approach to evaluation, identifying both what has worked and what has not worked. 

    Pilot Projects only:  

    1. The degree to which proposals address an unmet need in the EPMS research and innovation space. 

    Scale-up Projects only:  

    1. The degree to which proposals can demonstrate that the EDI intervention or initiative they plan to scale-up has proven effective in one or more settings. Evidence must be provided. 
    1. The degree to which proposals set out a comprehensive plan that explains how they will scale up their activities. 

    • Call for applications opens: 8 May 2025 
    • Deadline for reviewer applications: 6 June 2025
    • Deadline for flexible fund applications: Thursday 11 September 2025 
    • Applications sent out to reviewers: w/c 15 September 2025  
    • Reviews deadline: 10 October 2025  
    • Panel meeting: w/c 20 October 2025  
    • Applicants notified by: 31 October 2025 
    • All applicants receive feedback by: 31 October 2025 
    • Projects start by: 1 January 2026 
    • Projects completed by: 31 December 2026  
    • Final reports submitted: 31 March 2027 

  • Eligible costs  

    • Directly allocated staff costs, e.g., investigator time, and professional enabling staff or research and technical staff whose time is shared across several projects 
    • Directly incurred staff costs, e.g., postdoctoral researchers, professional enabling staff, research and technical staff 
    • Directly incurred travel, accommodation and subsistence 
    • Directly incurred consumables, including equipment (under £10,000) 
    • Directly incurred other costs, e.g., consultancy fees  

    Ineligible costs 

    Please note that estates and indirect costs are not eligible and must not be charged to the grant. Please also note that capital costs and costs for or associated with Doctoral Researchers must not be charged to the grant. 

    Full economic costs 

    Awards will be made at 80 per cent FEC. The Research Organisation(s) in receipt of this devolved funding must make up the remaining 20 per cent.  

    Access fund 

    An additional, separate, fund has been allocated for project teams requiring accessibility support. Successful projects can apply for this additional support. This will be a one-page form. 

    Payment of funds  

    Awards will be managed as standard by institutions, with payment of funds made on a quarterly basis.

  • Flexible Fund holders will be asked to present their research as part of the EDI Hub+ Seminar Series and at the EDI Hub+ Conference.  

    All successful applicants will be required to work with the EDI Hub+ team to share and (where appropriate) scale-up their findings.  

    Successful applicants will be required to meet (online) with the EDI Hub+ team once each quarter to report on project updates.  

    All successful projects will be required to produce an accessible final report at the end of their project, of no more than 5,000 words. Details will be provided to successful applicants.

  • Please note that all participants will be required to abide by the financial rules and processes that the University of Leeds and its funders require all partners to work to. Further details can be accessed in the Working with the University of Leeds guide.  

    In order to comply with EPSRC funding regulations, the lead organisation will be required to provide supporting evidence for all claims. This evidence will be treated as confidential and will be stored securely at the University of Leeds, to be used solely for the purpose of grant administration.  

    This research is being funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council. 

  • UKRI funding rules allow for those bidding to undertake projects to cost for their time.  

    On being awarded funding, all successful organisations will be required to sign an offer letter, including terms and conditions.  

    All successful applicants will be asked to submit a dissemination plan for their findings. The EDI Hub+ team will work with successful applicants to disseminate findings.  

    Projects must have full ethical clearance before beginning any data collection – successful applicants will be expected to provide a copy of their ethics approval to the EDI Hub+ team. 

    We have sought at every stage to make this call equitable and accessible. We will be monitoring and analysing data based on applicant demographics to inform future calls and EDI Hub+ activities.  

    The EDI Hub+ warmly welcomes constructive feedback for this call, which can be provided by contacting us at EDIHubPlus@leeds.ac.uk  

  • Eligibility

    Do innovators need to be based in a university or large research institution?

    Whoever leads the project will need to be employed in an institution eligible to receive UKRI funding for the duration of the project.

    Does the EDI Hub + Flexible Funding extend to postdoctoral opportunities?

    Postdoctoral students can apply as a project lead or co-lead, provided they have the expertise and experience needed to lead or co-lead the project they are proposing and have approval from a recognised institution eligible to receive UKRI funding to apply in that capacity. We advise prospective applicants to discuss their applications with relevant people within their institutions.

    There are no specific opportunities for postdoctoral researchers within the Flexible Fund.

    Can a person with lived experience of disability/neurodiversity but not in Engineering, Physical or Mathematical Sciences be the application lead?

    Yes, as long as the focus of the project is improving the working lives of people in the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences research and innovation space.

    Can professional services staff be project leads (principal investigators)?

    Yes. We do support professional services staff to lead projects. When submitting your application, it is important to demonstrate your experience and capacity to lead the project effectively. We encourage you to highlight the relevant skills and contributions of your team members, even if they don’t identify strictly as ‘researchers’.

    Can I apply for access funding to get support with writing the full application?

    We have alternative versions of the forms available. Unfortunately, we cannot provide Access Fund support for applications, only for awards.

    What would you recommend as a route for eligibility for independent consultants who have proven leadership in EDI projects that they want to bring to the Scale-up award?

    If you are not based within an institution eligible to receive UKRI funding, but have potential expertise to offer, you are welcome to share information about your expertise and interests with us, so that we can make it available to potential applicants.

    Can you work with a third party to deliver this work? I.e. a charity that supports neurodivergent individuals.

    Yes. If the charity is not an institution eligible to receive UKRI funding, you can still work with them. If they need funding to support their involvement and expertise in the project, you can cost their time as consultancy fees under ‘Directly incurred other costs’.

    Is it possible to have an EU partner on a project?

    We follow EPSRC’s standard organisational eligibility criteria. According to these criteria, you can have an international partner, but they would not be able to be the lead applicant.

    We have a master’s student in mind for this call. Who would be the one to apply for this call, us as the PIs in the host institution or the master’s student as the receiver of the support via this grant call?

    A project lead or co-lead must have the experience and expertise to lead a project.

    Can individuals be involved in more than one proposal to the Flexible Fund?

    Yes, provided that if successful, you have the time and resources to commit to all the projects you have applied for.

    Can a research organisation (such as a university) apply for more than one project?

    Yes. There are no restrictions on the number of applications that can be submitted.

    How many times can we apply? Can we apply to every round?

    There is no restriction on the number of applications you can submit, and you are welcome to apply to more than one round.

    Can a team of people apply? Hence, having more than two 2 co-leads?

    Yes, teams can apply. We have restricted the number of project joint-leads to two people, but you can also include co-leads.

    Do you have a target for how many researchers you want on a team?

    No. The goals for each individual application will vary, but teams are realistically more likely to be limited in size.

    Are industry partners allowed to support an initiative?

    Yes, we welcome industry partners on projects, who might offer in-kind or financial support. This should be detailed in a letter of support.

    Are there any restrictions around receiving other funding for the same project?

    If you are able to attract additional funding to deliver additional activities and outcomes, that would be beneficial. We cannot ‘double fund’ i.e., we cannot provide funding for a project that already has funding to complete the same work.

    Scope

    How are you defining Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences?

    Our definition of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences is based on EPSRC’s remit.  For example, AI and data science are included within our definition of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and form a core part of EPSRC remit. Geophysics/Earth sciences/Geosciences would not normally be included within the definition of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and would not normally be considered a core part of EPSRC remit.

    Do the ‘highlight areas’ apply only to Pilot projects, or will they be considered priorities in Evaluation and Scale-up also?

    The highlight areas only relate to the Pilot projects.

    Do Pilot projects have to be focussed on the ‘highlight areas’? Or can it be on other EDI topics, with justification why they are most relevant for a particular context/discipline?

    Pilot projects do not need to be on the ‘highlight areas’. They can focus on any unmet need or challenge under any one of the three themes. Evidence for the unmet need should be provided.

    Regarding the unmet need, could we perform questionnaires or focus groups to collect evidence for unmet needs?

    Yes. That would be a good way to identify and demonstrate that there is an unmet need.

    What do you mean by co-design?

    We appreciate that there are various concepts of co-design. We don’t subscribe to any narrowly conceived view, but we would expect applications to be clear and explicit about their chosen approach. We also have co-design materials on the website that can be used to support an application.

    For a Scale-up project, does the initial pilot work need to have been within academia?

    No, you can scale-up a project that has proved successful in industry for example. The onus is on the applicant(s) to demonstrate that there is a strong rationale and evidence base to scale to academia.

    For the Evaluation project, am I required to identify an existing project to which I can apply an evaluation framework? Additionally, do I need to have an established connection with the project in order to collect data and conduct the evaluation?

    Yes, you would need to be evaluating an existing project. Ideally, the evaluation will be driven by those involved in delivering that project. If not, you should have strong links to the project and both their partnership and permission to undertake the evaluation.

    Sometimes it is hard to observe and evidence the impact of interventions within a 12-month period. And generally, it is always hard to evidence impact and separate the impact of the specific intervention from other influencing factors or the broader framework. Do you have any advice or guidance on how we can evaluate and evidence effectiveness of the intervention within a 12-month period?

    We do not have specific guidance but would recommend assessing the immediate outputs and outcomes and ensuring that robust longer term evaluation framework is in place. Information on approaches to evaluation is available on the website.

    We recommend using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods and approaches.

    Does this funding call accept proposals on societal EDI issues, or should the proposal focus of improving EDI at an institutional level?

    We can only accept proposals that focus on improving the working lives of those in the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences research and innovation system. We cannot accept proposals focusing on societal EDI issues.

    Do the projects need to be research related or can they be also aimed at learning and teaching?

    Projects should focus on research and innovation, rather than teaching and learning, as per EPSRC’s role and remit.

    Will interventions spanning cross-council disciplines be considered? 

    Yes, provided that research and innovation in Engineering, Mathematical or Physical Sciences accounts for at least 50%. You must be able to demonstrate that your intervention(s) address EDI challenges specific to research and innovation in Engineering, Mathematical or Physical Sciences.

    Are the users/audiences for these projects meant to only be those based in the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences? It seems like proposed projects could have relevance to staff across an HEI. Would a project informed by the experiences of those in the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences, but with a wider relevance (and, if successful) open to those across an HEI, SHAPE disciplines as well be eligible?

    Proposed projects should focus on improving the working lives of those in the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences – that is: chemistry, engineering, ICT / computer science, materials, mathematics, and physics. Projects should address EDI issues and unmet needs, or challenges specific to those disciplines or research areas. If it can be demonstrated that those issues, needs, or challenges are the same across a wider range of disciplines, then yes, that project would be eligible.

    Would applications relating to AI and its impact be within remit?

    Yes, if the project relates to EDI and AI and its impact within the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences research and innovation space, or uses AI to support EDI in the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences research and innovation space.

    Would projects about workplace culture / networking / EDI interventions in industry rather than in research be eligible?

    Yes, we can fund projects on workplace culture in industry, provided they are related to Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences research and innovation in industry. Ideally, there should be potential for such interventions and learning to be applied more widely across the Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences research and innovation landscape.

    Our project aims to support staff who mainly enable research and may not consider themselves researchers. Does this fit within the scope of this call?

    Yes. We recognise that many individuals within the Research & Innovation sector contribute to research without being directly involved in conducting it. This includes professional services staff, research technical professionals, and research software engineers. These groups are crucial to the research ecosystem and are considered eligible under this call. We encourage you to highlight the relevant skills and contributions of your team members, even if they don’t identify strictly as ‘researchers’.

    How will the Hub go about facilitating partnerships? When should we get in touch with you regarding help with building collaborations?

    We anticipate that some Scale-up projects will need help identifying possible institutions, doctoral training awards, or projects to partner with in order to scale-up their activities. If that is the case, please get in touch with us at the earliest opportunity and we will do our best to support you.

    Assessment

    How many applications do you anticipate – is it likely to be very competitive?

    This is our first funding round, and we do not know how many applications we will receive. Thus, we cannot provide any indication as to how competitive the scheme will be.

    How will the letter of reference contribute to the final decision? Is there a set criteria for judging this?

    The letters of support will not be assessed. They are purely to demonstrate organisational approval to apply, and to confirm any additional resources that will be available to the project if successful.

    Is there a recognised advantage of going for Evaluation grants before Scale-up, or would it be ok to apply for the Scale-up if the evidence provided is robust and reliable?

    No, there is no advantage, provided the evidence provided is robust. Where robust evaluation evidence can be provided, applicants should apply for a Scale-up project.

    How can we assess if our evidence is robust enough?

    There are resources available on our website which provide more information on how to conduct an evaluation.

    Will detailed feedback be provided to unsuccessful applicants?

    Summary feedback from reviewers and the panel meeting will be made available to unsuccessful applicants.

    Eligible costs

    For staff costs: can funding cover existing staff salaries for their time?

    Yes, you can apply for funds to cover some of your salary as an existing member of staff.

    Would staff costs allow us to hire a specific staff member to carry out a project?

    Yes, you can hire a member of staff to work on the project, e.g., in a postdoctoral researcher role.

    What is the deadline for spending if successful?

    Projects are available for a duration of 12 months. All funds must be spent within that period.

    Post award expectations and requirements

    If the funding is awarded, will there be a requirement to submit information after the project ends on what has been achieved?

    Yes. In the ‘Outputs and expectations’ section of the guidance you will find information on some of expectations for successful projects. This includes presenting at EDI Hub+ events, attending quarterly online progress meeting with the team, and providing a 5000-word final report. Additional expectations are contained in the terms and conditions set out in the award letter.

    Reviewing for us

    Can a person be on both the Opportunity Review Panel and apply for funding if conflicts of interest are fully disclosed?

    No. Applying for funding would constitute a conflict of interest.

    Can someone serve as a reviewer if they are currently based at a non-UK institution (but have experience at and connections to UK institutions)?

    Yes, provided that have experience of the UK research and innovation system.

    How can I access the reviewer nomination form?

    The reviewer nomination form is available on our website.

  • The EDI Hub+ is seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to join our Opportunity Review Panel and contribute to the application review process for the Flexible Fund. To learn more please visit our Call for Reviewers news article.

  • If you have a question about the Flexible Fund which is not answered on this page – email edihubplus@leeds.ac.uk

  • The EDI Hub+ is funded by EPSRC. Our mission is to drive systemic change, to deliver an Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences (EPMS) research and innovation system that is equitable and inclusive for everyone. 

    Our vision is underpinned by five key objectives:   

    1. Build a co-ordinated and collaborative network, bringing together the full breadth of the EPMS research and innovation community (universities, business, funders) to facilitate knowledge exchange, share good practice, identify unmet needs, and co-create interventions and initiatives that seek to address those needs.  
    1. Collate and curate an interactive online resource of EDI interventions and initiatives, with robust evidence as to what works and, crucially, what doesn’t work.   
    1. Develop EDI indices and supporting material that help us to get the right intervention to the right organisation at the right time.   
    1. Pilot and evaluate interventions and initiatives embedded in EPMS research and innovation contexts.   
    1. Scale up successful interventions and initiatives towards widespread adoption, working in partnership with funders learned societies, higher education institutions, and industry to develop national-level guidelines, pledges, policies, and programmes that see the most successful activities and interventions fully embedded.  

    A total of £1M has been set aside for the Flexible Fund to enable the EDI Hub+ team to implement, evaluate, and scale-up EDI interventions and initiatives in Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences. 

    There will be three Flexible Fund calls, approximately one per year, in Spring 2025, 2026, and 2027. The total fund of £1M is split across the three calls.  

  • If we make a change to information on this page, we will acknowledge the change and date it was made in this section.

    This page was last updated on 14 May 2025 to include a link to the webinar recording and further Frequently Asked Questions following the Flexible Fund information webinar on 8th May 2025.