The success rate for most ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) grant applications typically falls within a range of 10% to 30%.
Understanding ESRC Grant Funding Outcomes
When evaluating the likelihood of securing an ESRC grant, it's important to understand that the success rate is not a single, fixed figure but rather a spectrum influenced by various factors.
- General Success and Fundable Rates: For the majority of applications, both the success rate (the proportion of applications that receive funding) and the fundable rate (the proportion deemed worthy of funding, even if not all receive it due to budget constraints) are observed to be between 10% and 30%. This indicates a competitive environment where a significant portion of high-quality proposals are recognized.
- Impact of Research Organisation (RO) Size: The institution submitting the grant application plays a notable role in funding outcomes:
- Largest Research Organisations: Institutions with a high volume of funding decisions (typically 50 or more) tend to achieve a much higher funded rate. These larger ROs also exhibit a considerably lower unfundable rate, suggesting that their experience, infrastructure, or strategic support may contribute to greater success.
- Smaller Research Organisations: In contrast, smaller ROs generally experience a lower funded rate, facing a different set of dynamics in the competitive landscape of ESRC grant applications.
This variability underscores that while a general range exists, specific outcomes can differ based on the institutional context from which an application originates.
