Research & Innovation Services

The two central objectives for the fund are:

• To support the development of early-stage projects in the arts, humanities and social sciences that are seeking to deliver sustainable impact at scale via potential commercial opportunities. This can be done through potential new ventures, licensing opportunities, or other commercial possibilities that support creative, community, policy, economic, social or technological impact.
• To extend collaborative activity between the UofG, the GSA, the RCS and GCU and their staff, and to develop innovative ways of working in partnership on projects with an entrepreneurial outlook.

* Venture in this context is defined as a company backed by the academic institution and underpinned by academic research or academic expertise.

You can apply for the Creative and Social Futures Fund by completing the Creative and Social Futures Fund Application Form and emailing it to the following institutional offices:

• University of Glasgow: Paige Mccaleb innovationandenterprise@glasgow.ac.uk

• Royal Conservatoire: Deborah Keogh D.Keogh@rcs.ac.uk

• Glasgow School of Art: Nicola Duncan n.duncan@gsa.ac.uk 

• Glasgow Caledonian University: Susan Armstrong innovationexchange@gcu.ac.uk

To learn more about the fund, join us for our online application information sessions on the Thursday 3rd September 2026 (2pm-3pm) Eventbrite sign up link - 03/09/26 (online) and Tuesday 8th September 2026 (11am-12pm) Eventbrite sign up link - 08/09/26 (online).

We are also hosting an in-person Ideation & Application Drafting Workshop interactive session where you can receive guidance on refining your idea and drafting your application, on Wednesday 30th September 2026 (9:30am-12:30pm) Eventbrite sign up link - 30/09/26 (in-person ARC 223).

This fund is intended for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences researchers within the University of Glasgow, The Royal Conservatoire for Scotland, the Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow Caledonian University. Arts and Humanities eligibility is defined by the disciplines in the AHRC criteria but also includes visual, performing and production arts. Social Sciences eligibility is defined by the ESRC criteria.

Eligibility requirements for the fund are as follows:

• Applicants must be eligible to apply for a research grant or KE project funding under their respective institutional rules and have an employment contract that extends beyond the end of the project.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate their ability to engage with alternative funding models and opportunities, such as ventures, licensing and social enterprise.
• The idea, concept, or opportunity must not be committed to a third party to ensure a clean slate regarding the intellectual property.

The Creative and Social Futures Fund will provide up to £10,000, depending on the stage of the project and the activities that are being undertaken.

The funding may be used to pay for the direct costs of developing the scope of an idea, concept or opportunity; undertaking a proof-of-concept study; research to develop the business proposition including validation of interest from stakeholder; and/ or external research associated with developing the project.

Please note that the fund cannot be used for academic research, the development of tools exclusively for use in further research; PI salary costs; or PhD costs associated with studentships.

Please contact the below offices for further advice on eligibility, suggested activities, and financial costing:

• University of Glasgow: Paige Mccaleb innovationandenterprise@glasgow.ac.uk

• Royal Conservatoire: Deborah Keogh D.Keogh@rcs.ac.uk

• Glasgow School of Art: Nicola Duncan n.duncan@gsa.ac.uk 

• Glasgow Caledonian University: Susan Armstrong innovationexchange@gcu.ac.uk

For more information on applications, please refer to the Creative and Social Futures Fund application guidance below.

Creative and Social Futures Fund 2026-27 - Application Form

Creative and Social Futures Fund 2026-27 - Application Guidance

Creative and Social Futures Fund 2026-27 - Privacy Notice

CSFF - UofG Staff Costing Template 2026-27

Applicants should write their proposal for a non-specialist audience and avoid using discipline-specific terminology and acronyms.

Applications will be processed in two stages:

• Stage 1: The applicant’s institution will carry out an initial review of the proposed project to determine its eligibility for the fund.
• Stage 2: Applications deemed eligible by the applicant’s institution will be subsequently reviewed by a panel consisting of the fund partners and external experts.

Applications will be assessed according to a set of criteria, which broadly encompass:

1. Suitability of the project for the Creative and Social Futures Fund
2. Entrepreneurial potential and scaling impact
3. Realism of the project plan
4. Project deliverables

There are two central qualities that we welcome in your applications:

• Engagement with an entrepreneurial outlook, even at the early stages, for example being willing to have discussions with potential users and customers and giving consideration to potential ways of de-risking the project.
• A focus on partnerships, especially those involving co-creation and collaboration between the Glasgow School of Art, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Glasgow

Successful applicants will be required to participate in four development workshops during the project delivery period. These workshops will provide critical venture development opportunities, skill development and cohort & network building for programme participants.

Depending on the requirements of the respective institutions, successful applicants may be - 

• Invited to a 1-2-1 update meeting at the midway point of project delivery phase.
• Required to submit a succinct report detailing expenditure and project outcomes by July 30, 2027.
• Receive contact once a year from the Creative and Social Futures Fund team to hear how your project is progressing, the impact the funding has had and any key developments that are relevant to share.