The Nuffield Foundation

Charity Number: 206601

Annual Expenditure: £23.1M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org

Phone: 0207 631 0566

Email: info@nuffieldfoundation.org

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £28.4 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Recently reduced by 4 weeks (exact timeline not specified)
  • Grant Range: £15,000 - £750,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK-based organizations only

Contact Details

Website: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org

Email: info@nuffieldfoundation.org

Phone: 0207 631 0566

Address: 28 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JS

Overview

Founded in 1943 by Lord Nuffield during World War II, the Nuffield Foundation is one of the UK's largest independent charitable trusts with over 80 years of experience in social research funding. With a charitable spend of £28.4 million in 2024 (one of their highest ever totals), the Foundation supports research and innovation projects in education, welfare, and justice. The Foundation is financially and politically independent, governed by trustees who meet quarterly, and maintains a portfolio of over 200 active grants. Their mission centers on advancing educational opportunity and social well-being through rigorous research that can demonstrably improve people's lives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Main Grants (Research, Development & Analysis Fund): £15,000 - £500,000 (up to £750,000 in special cases by prior agreement). Most grants awarded are below £300,000. Two-stage application process with Spring and Autumn deadlines.
  • Racial Diversity UK Fund: £15,000 - £500,000. One annual deadline in Autumn. Priority theme for autumn 2025 is migration, arrivals, and legacies.
  • Strategic Fund: £15 million fund for ambitious, interdisciplinary research projects over £750,000 (currently paused for consultation).

Priority Areas (2025 Focus Questions)

Applications must address one or more of these questions:

  • How can we build a prosperous and fair society, where people are secure and can fulfil their potential?
  • How can we build an inclusive society, where people thrive and feel they belong, in the context of changing demography and ways of life?
  • How can we ensure that developments in science and technology work for people and society?
  • How can policies to address climate change be developed in a way that promotes a prosperous, fair and inclusive society?
  • How can we build and maintain the effective, accountable and trustworthy institutions that our society and democracy need?

What They Don't Fund

  • Applications from school, undergraduate or Masters students
  • Projects where the main purpose is to support a PhD
  • Organizations not based in the UK
  • Applicants not employed by or affiliated to the grant-receiving organization

Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Gavin Kelly (appointed 2024, succeeding Tim Gardam who served 2016-2024)

Chair of Trustees: Sir Keith Burnett

Tim Gardam, the former CEO, emphasized the Foundation's central principle: "It is a central principle of Nuffield Foundation research that it should have the capacity to make a demonstrable difference to people's lives.“ He stressed that successful applications must demonstrate ”a rigorous methodological approach while at the same time allowing researchers to articulate original questions, reframe public policy arguments and take account of and engage with the experience and perspectives of the communities who are the focus of that research."

The Foundation has established several important independent bodies including the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, and the Ada Lovelace Institute.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Two-stage online application process:

  1. Outline Application: Initial submission through their website
  2. Full Application: Invited submissions for shortlisted applicants only

Decision Timeline

The Foundation recently streamlined their process, reducing the time from application deadline to final decision by four weeks (exact total timeline not publicly specified). Applications undergo external peer review when they meet quality thresholds.

Success Rates

The Foundation does not publicly disclose specific success rates or acceptance percentages.

Reapplication Policy

Policy not explicitly stated in public materials. The Foundation provides limited feedback on unsuccessful Outline applications but offers constructive advice to those invited to submit Full applications.

Application Success Factors

Assessment Criteria:

  • Impact: Clear path to how research might make a difference to people's lives
  • Conceptual framework: Clear and robust theoretical foundation
  • Rigour: Appropriate and rigorous research methodology
  • Experience: Team has appropriate experience, expertise and potential
  • Value for money: Budget is appropriate and offers good value

Key Success Indicators:

  • “Original and robust ideas” using “rigorous methodology credible to policymakers and practitioners”
  • Comprehensive proposals that demonstrate capacity to “stand back from the noise of day-to-day debate”
  • Projects that reflect “contemporary pressure points of uncertainty and insecurity”
  • Research that engages with “the experience and perspectives of the communities who are the focus of that research”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Demonstrate Real-World Impact: Applications must clearly articulate how research will make a demonstrable difference to people's lives
  • Focus on Rigour and Originality: The Foundation values original thinking combined with methodologically robust approaches
  • Engage with Communities: Successful projects account for and engage with the perspectives of affected communities
  • Address Strategic Questions: Proposals must directly address one or more of the Foundation's five priority questions for 2025
  • UK-Based Only: Only organizations based in the UK are eligible for funding
  • Use Two Deadlines: Plan applications around Spring and Autumn deadlines for maximum opportunity
  • Build Credibility: Methodology must be credible to both policymakers and practitioners

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References