Research funding to understand the barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive society.
The UK’s racial composition has changed considerably since the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, marking the beginning of the post-war settlement of citizens from Britain’s former colonies. Today, the UK’s growing racial diversity and continuing racial disparities bring both opportunities and challenges.
There is a substantial body of research evidencing racial inequalities in most areas of UK life; from health to housing, education to employment, crime and policing to criminal justice. There is less evidence for why some of the UK’s differential racial outcomes persist while other disparities have closed. Nor is there much evidence about what works to end racial disparities, nor of when, how or if policy and programme interventions are effective in achieving this, and little research has focused on the wider benefits and opportunities that racial diversity can bring.
Our Racial Diversity UK Fund (RDUK) supports research on racial diversity within the UK.
This programme is funded by an endowment that supports work relating to the Commonwealth. As such, our interest is in the future of UK society as shaped by its colonial past, specifically by the migration of people from former British colonies to the UK. This migration and the accompanying dynamics of racialisation, resources and power have produced the UK’s distinct racial diversity and its patterns of racial discrimination and inequality. Within this context we take a broad view of racial diversity as covering all racial or ethnic groups living in the UK, including White populations.
Grants from £15,000 to £500,000 are available, though most awards are expected to be less than £300,000.
The priority theme for the RDUK autumn 2025 application round is migration, arrivals, and legacies.
Our particular areas of interest within this theme are:
We may also consider proposals for high-quality, innovative studies that are not included within these topics.
In addition to the RDUK programme, we welcome applications to our main grants fund (the Research, Development and Analysis Fund) on building an inclusive society, which focus on or incorporate themes of racial inequalities, discrimination, and pathways to racial justice; particularly those that take an intersectional approach. Read more in the Guide for Applicants.
As for all our grant programmes, we welcome applications proposing any methodological approach, including applied methods and participatory research.
We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, particularly from individuals and organisations from racially minoritised communities. We strongly encourage partnership applications which bring together researchers and racially minoritised communities to explore challenges and develop solutions.
To begin your application, click the apply now button. Applications will be via the main grants fund form. Select Racial Diversity UK as your main focus at the start.
There are two stages to the application process:
Read our Guide for Applicants to find out more about our funding requirements and key dates.
Get in touch with queries. Email us at RDUK@nuffieldfoundation.org.
The Foundation is commissioning an evidence review of racial demography and racial disparities in outcomes in the UK from 1948 to 2048.
The evidence review is commissioned by, and will help inform development of, the Foundation’s Racial Diversity UK (RDUK) programme. RDUK was launched in 2024 to fund research investigating the barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive society.
The evidence review will bring together quantitative data and analysis of the UK’s racial demography and racial disparities in outcomes, from the beginnings of colonial and ex-colonial migrations and settlements in the UK (roughly from 1948) to the present day, along with projections for the next few decades (roughly to 2048).
The evidence review will be seeking to answer these questions:
The study should include data on racial demography (i.e. population size, composition, location etc) and racial differences in outcomes (to include education, employment/unemployment, income, wealth/poverty, health, crime and justice, housing). The final list of outcomes will be agreed with the contractor.
The deadline for submissions is 11am Friday 3 October 2025.
The deadline for clarification questions is 11am Friday 5 September.
Clarification questions should be sent by email to RDUK@nuffieldfoundation.org. Responses to clarification questions will be shared by all prospective bidders in regular email updates.
Proposals should be within the range of £40,000 to £60,000 (excluding VAT). Some additional budget may be available for exception proposals to deliver the required online research output.
We are seeking a suitably experienced researcher or research team to carry out this evidence review. We welcome bids from individuals, organisations, or consortia.
Proposals must be submitted using the Foundation’s application form. We will not consider proposals which are submitted in any other format.
To obtain an application form, please complete this Expression of Interest.
Download the invitation to tender for more information