With funding from UK Research and Innovation, DARE UK (Data and Analytics Research Environments UK) has launched a new funding opportunity to support new community interest groups and working groups.
This opportunity builds on the success of the 2024 pilot funding round and the 2025 funding round, which collectively supported eleven community groups—comprising eight interest groups and three working groups—now delivering outputs aligned with the DARE UK vision.
Available funding
Two separate funding opportunities are now open:
1. New DARE UK community interest groups
New interest groups may apply for up to £140,625 to support community engagement, coordination, and networking activities over an 18-month period, from October 2025 to March 2027. Funding will be provided at 80% of the full economic cost (up to a maximum of £112,500).
2. New DARE UK community working groups
New working groups may apply for up to £125,000 to deliver specific, community-defined outputs over a 12-month period, from October 2025 to October 2026. Funding will be provided at 80% of the full economic cost (up to a maximum of £100,000).
Who can apply
Organisations under the following categories, among others, can apply:
- Higher education institutions
- Research institutes
- NHS bodies
- Public sector research establishments
- Independent research and technology organisations
A full list of eligible organisations is available on the UKRI website.
Please note:
- Existing DARE UK-funded community groups are not eligible to apply.
- New community groups or existing groups not currently in receipt of DARE UK community group funding, are welcome to apply.
Public Involvement and Engagement
DARE UK is committed to meaningful Public Involvement and Engagement (PIE) across all areas of the programme. All DARE UK community group applications and their proposed activities must comply with the DARE UK PIE Guidelines and include:
- A clear plan for public participation in the community group’s governance and activities, including having at least one member of the public (a public contributor) as a co-chair.
- Specific PIE activities, particularly in working group applications, such as workshops or focus groups, to incorporate public perspectives into group outputs.
- A commitment to support efforts to capture and share community group activities and outputs with the public and across the DARE UK community.
How to apply
- To apply for an interest group, complete and submit an interest group application form along with an interest group charter using the interest group charter template.
- To apply for a working group, complete the working group application form along with a working group charter using the working group charter template.
Send your completed application form and group charter to communities@dareuk.org.uk. Applications will be assessed according to the DARE UK community groups funding application scoring criteria.
More information on the application process can be found in the call specification documents below:
Key dates
- Applications open: 9 June 2025
- Application deadline: 4 August 2025 at 18:00 (BST)
- Applicant webinar: 16 July 2025; 11 – 12 pm (BST) – Register to learn more about the funding opportunity and ask any questions.
DARE UK will continue to offer funding opportunities for community groups throughout Phase 2 of the programme. We encourage all interested applicants to take advantage of this opportunity and contribute to the ongoing development of a vibrant UK data research community.
For further information or enquiries, please contact communities@dareuk.org.uk or register for the upcoming applicant webinar.
We look forward to receiving your application!
FAQs
Can I request additional funding to cover extra time needed to complete tasks due to a disability, and how should this be included in the project budget?
In cases where a disability results in longer task completion times, you may be eligible to request additional funding as a “disability uplift” to cover the associated costs. This uplift is typically categorized as an “other direct cost” and is accompanied by a note explaining that the extra costs are related to the applicant’s disability, ensuring these expenses do not count toward any funding cap.
Do we need to name a public contributor as co-chair in our application for funded interest groups, and we want to ensure we have the right person in place?
No, the public contributor co-chair does not need to be named within the application. However, you should include an assurance in your application that this role will be filled by the start of the funding period.
If the topic of our community group is technically complex, can the co-chair role be fulfilled by a public engagement professional, or could we use a named panel for public input instead of a public contributor co-chair?
A public contributor must serve as the co-chair of the group, as it’s essential to translate even complex topics into terms accessible to the public. However, we welcome additional public involvement structures, such as a public engagement professional who translates discussions to a public panel or a named panel that reviews key decisions. These approaches can complement the public contributor’s co-chair role.
