Engineering

Designing and building the machines, structures, and systems that everyday life depends on

#1 of 29 research categories by total funding · About £173 per person in the UK

Funded awards

18,302

Published funding

£11.6B

Average published award

£722K

Active funded awards

1,972

NIHR-supported projects

Amounts are published for 16,057 of 18,302 funded awards. Data as of 16 July 2026.

InnovateUK funds the most Engineering research — 4,300 grants (23% of the topic). The busiest year was 2010, with 1,261 grants.

Top Funders by Funded Award Count

View data table

Funder	Funded awards
InnovateUK	4,300
EPSRC	3,881
BBSRC	2,453
NERC	1,523
EC	1,383
UKRI	1,263
STFC	1,186
MRC	806
AHRC	624
ESRC	605

Funded Awards by Year

View data table

Year	Funded awards
2006	393
2007	472
2008	613
2009	908
2010	1,261
2011	995
2012	835
2013	874
2014	902
2015	1,157
2016	957
2017	1,230
2018	1,077
2019	1,019
2020	1,166
2021	984
2022	1,032
2023	1,042
2024	936
2025	376

Grants


Cornerstone: Mechanical Engineering Science to Enable Aero Propulsion Futures	University of Nottingham	UKRI	£6.1M	2017	Completed
Future Engineering System	Cfms Services Limited	InnovateUK	£2.1M	2016	Completed
A-TRIS (Automated Tunnel Robotic Installation System)	Tunnel Engineering Services (U.K.) LTD.	InnovateUK	£1.5M	2022	Completed
Full Proposal for a Smiths University Strategic Partnership in Advanced Electrical Power and Actuation Systems	University of Nottingham	EPSRC	£1.4M	2006	Completed
Tailored Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure: Boosting the Innate Response to Chemical and Mechanical Threats	University of Cambridge	EPSRC	£1.3M	2017	Completed
Rapid deployment of multi-functional modular sensing systems in the soil	Imperial College London	NERC	£888K	2020	Completed
Smart Infrastructure: Wireless sensor network system for condition assessment and monitoring of infrastructure	University of Cambridge	EPSRC	£790K	2006	Completed
Digitally Assured Tunnel Assets Installation System (DATA-IS)	I3d Robotics LTD	InnovateUK	£199K	2024	Completed
The application of robotics for the automated installation of tunnel mechanical, electrical and communication systems.	Tunnel Engineering Services (U.K.) LTD.	UKRI	£67K	2021	Completed
Robotics components, systems and solutions to address the civil engineering use-cases and challenges around surveying, maintaining and deploying telec	University of Nottingham	EPSRC	Not disclosed	2021	Completed
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment	University of Cambridge	EPSRC	£4.5M	2014	Completed
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Civil Engineering	Imperial College London	EPSRC	£3.9M	2014	Completed
Trustworthy Robot Swarms to Power City-Scale Logistics	University of Bristol	EPSRC	£2.2M	2025	Active
Equipment to underpin aerospace research at Nottingham	University of Nottingham	EPSRC	£1.4M	2010	Completed
50g-Tonne 4m Diameter Civil Engineering Centrifuge: Centre for Energy & Infrastructure Ground Research	University of Sheffield	EPSRC	£769K	2013	Completed
Experimenting with robotics as a new urban infrastructure	University of Sheffield	ESRC	£510K	2023	Completed
An uncrewed ground vehicle to improve tunnel inspections/maintenance/monitoring	Xtreme Rc LTD	InnovateUK	£279K	2024	Completed
An Outside-the-Box Approach that Integrates Robots into a Company’s Existing Warehouse Infrastructure, Enabling Them to Automate Their Processes at an Approachable Price Point	Wise Software (UK) Limited	InnovateUK	£72K	2021	Completed
Infrastructure UAV Pathfinder	Costain Limited	InnovateUK	£382K	2017	Completed
Guidelines on Standards and Procedures to enable Underground Freight Transport systems.	Mole Solutions Limited	InnovateUK	£156K	2020	Completed

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Engineering

Top Funders by Funded Award Count

Funded Awards by Year

Grants

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