Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change launches third funding round

Researchers across the University of York can apply for up to £36,000 to deliver policy-focused research with Born in Bradford.

The Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change at York (BiB CSC) has opened its third funding round. It invites researchers from any department or faculty to put forward projects that improve health, wellbeing and social outcomes for communities in Bradford, Yorkshire and the Humber, and beyond.

The Centre brings together Born in Bradford (BiB), one of the world's leading research programmes, with the Healthy Livelihoods team in Health Sciences at York and The York Policy Engine (TYPE). The first two rounds funded 11 projects. Round 3 aims to build a stronger body of policy relevant evidence that makes a practical difference to people's lives.

What's on offer

Projects can receive up to £36,000 and should run for 12–18 months. Applications open at the end of October 2026 and close on 31 January 2027.

What we're looking for

Strong applications will make use of BiB's data and research resources, involve communities as active partners, and name the policymakers and stakeholders they plan to engage. We are particularly interested in projects that build on existing BiB CSC-funded work, connect to live policy agendas, and could lead to larger external funding bids.

This round has eight strategic themes:

• Youth and Young Adult Opportunities and Transitions
• Mental Health
• Schools Trial Platform (Age of Wonder Data Dashboard)
• Healthy Urban Places
• Fuel Poverty and Environmental Child Health
• Tolerance, Justice and Discrimination
• Vaccination Uptake and Hesitancy
• Citizen Science and Innovative Methodologies to Connect to Action

We would especially like to hear from researchers new to the BiB–York partnership, including those working in the Arts, Humanities and Creative Industries, whose methods can make policy questions more accessible to the communities they affect. Early-career researchers are warmly encouraged to apply.

Talk to us first

Each theme has a named contact at BiB, and we strongly encourage applicants to get in touch with them before submitting. The full guidance, including theme contacts, eligible costs and what to include in your application, is available here: BiB CSC third funding call 2026 - guidance and criteria.docx (MS Word , 3,024kb)

For general enquiries or for an informal conversation, please get in touch with Centre Manager Emma Ratyal-Brooks at emma.ratyal-brooks@york.ac.uk

Apply here