NetDRIVE: Pathways to Value and Change Third Funding Call Part A
NetDRIVE: Pathways to Value and Change
Funders: | NetDRIVE, University of Leeds |
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Funding source: | Grant UKRI910 |
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Funding Type: | Flexible Fund |
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Total Fund: | £320,000 |
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Award Range: | £50,000 - £120,000 |
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Collaboration Building Event: | Oxford, Friday, July 17th 2026 |
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Deadline to register for Collaboration Building Event | Wednesday July 15th 2026, 3pm |
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Closing Date: | Monday, September 7th 2026, 10:00am |
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Contact: |
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Apply for funding to explore the individual, organisation, and societal opportunities and challenges confronting UKRI and the research community in the transformation to a net zero digital research infrastructure.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.
This is an open call.
This call is part of the Network for sustainable Digital Research Infrastructure Vision and Expertise NetDRIVE project which is providing a forum for managers, software engineers, academics and others to come together to build a common vision for a sustainable future and to incite a transition to sustainable working practices in the Digital Research Infrastructure communities.
We are looking for proposals from investigators with social science qualifications which can be applied to these challenges.
Potential investigators are encouraged to attend the collaboration building workshop in Oxford on July 17th.
Call documents
Please review all guidance documents carefully.
Registration for Workshops: Online registration form
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I can’t make the Collaboration Building Event on the 17th - any chance it will be recorded?
We will be sharing the presentations from the project team on our call website and will also share a high-level summary which we will endeavour to make as informative as possible. We will not be sharing a recording as we believe it is important that those present can interact freely in the room.
We will add an option on the registration form for people who cannot attend to express an interest. We are also extending the deadline for registration until Wednesday 15th July. All delegates, whether attending of not, will be asked to provide a slide introducing themselves and their interest, and we should be able to share these between registered delegates (subject to agreement from the delegates) and also share contact details.
Q: Is there support for travel?
Yes, we can cover travel costs if requested
Q: What has changed in the updated guidance for applicants published on July 10th?
There are three changes: (1) the deadline for registration for the collaboration building event is extended until 3pm on Wednesday July 15th; (2) there is clarification that the four assessment areas are equally weighted; (3) a spurious phrase about decision categories has been removed: the decision categories are unchanged and are described in the guidance for the review panel.
Q: Some earlier announcements listed the closing date for this call as September 5th, is this correct?
The correct closing date is Monday 7th September at 10:00am
Q: I’ve seen the new NetDrive call (pathways to value and change), and had couple questions about PI eligibility. The call says that you’re looking for researchers with Social Science qualifications. I was wondering if you had any more specifics about what would count here? E.g., a researcher with a PhD from an interdisciplinary field who utilised social science methods within their PhD? Would the PI for this need to have a full-time contract? Or would it be fine to apply as a fixed term post-doc?
We do not have more specific guidance than that given in the call, but in general we would expect all qualifications and experience to be specific to the individual and simply working with others would not count. The application needs to be submitted on behalf of a UK research institution which is eligible for UKRI funding. There is a full list here (links to UKRI website). Concerning your personal eligibility, you will have to check with the relevant institution whether you are eligible to lead a grant on their behalf.
Q: If we want to work with a DRI facility in a project should they be partners or is a letter of support enough?
A letter of support is enough. In the end, it is up to the facility in question whether they want to be a partner or not. Given the scale of the funding it is likely that many would prefer to engage simply by a letter of support.
Q: Can NetDRIVE help us to get in touch with DRI facilities?
There are several NetDRIVE champions that have positions in DRI facilities. We recommend contacting the champions directly.
Q: What exactly needs to be done on the September 7th deadline?
The completed application template should be returned to netdrive@eng.ox.ac.uk by the lead investigator. We do not require formal approval by institutional finance departments, but it is likely that your institution requires you to get approval before submitting an application in their name. Please check what the procedure is in your institution.
Q: If investigators in multiple institutions are working together, do they submit separate applications?
A single application should be submitted by the lead investigator. If the proposal is succesful, there will be a single contract between the University of Leeds and the institution of the lead investigator. Funds for other partners will then need to be passed onwards from that institution.
Q: We are considering making applications related to data centre design, and waste heat reuse projects. Are these in scope for the Pathways to Value and Change call?
A: This call is for social science projects, so data centre design and waste heat reuse would be out of scope.