NFCC Research Funding Call 2026

Invitation for Research Proposals

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is inviting research proposals that address the sector’s published Areas of Research Interest (ARIs).

Funding between approximately £10,000 and £50,000 per project is available to support high-quality research that will strengthen the evidence base for policy, practice and service improvement across the UK fire and rescue sector.

Research Focus

Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the project aligns with one or more of the NFCC/ACER Areas of Research Interest and contributes to improving public and firefighter safety through evidence-based learning and decision-making.
Priority will be given to topics covering the following areas:

• Contaminants
• Health & Wellbeing
• Command Competence
• Climate Change
• Lithium-Ion

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants from universities, research institutes and other recognised research organisations are invited to apply.
All proposals must:

• Be sponsored by an NFCC Lead Officer
• Include a detailed methodology and project delivery approach
• Set out the experience and roles of the research team
• Provide a project timeline with key milestones and dependencies
• Include full project costings
• Demonstrate how findings will be translated into practical recommendations and outputs for the fire and rescue sector
• Show how equality, diversity and inclusion principles will be embedded within the research approach
• Demonstrate engagement with relevant stakeholders and end users

If you do not currently have an NFCC Lead Officer sponsor, then please email: research@nfcc.org.uk

Funding Available

The minimum project grant awarded will be £10,000; the maximum award will be £50,000 although proposals requiring additional funding will be considered.

Projects should represent clear value for money and deliver outputs that are relevant and applicable to the UK fire and rescue sector.

Projects must be a maximum of two years in duration.

Full conditions of the grant can be found on the application form.

Further Information

Successful projects will be expected to contribute to the development of evidence and learning across the UK fire and rescue community, with findings shared through NFCC and ACER knowledge exchange activities and research dissemination channels.

We welcome innovative and impactful proposals that will help address the sector’s most pressing challenges and support continuous improvement across fire and rescue services.