EDI in Demand Management - Sector Guidelines and Resources

Demand management refers to the approaches used by funders and Research Organisations to manage the quantity of applications that are submitted to a funding opportunity. When funders set limits on the number of proposals an organisation can submit, Research Organisations may implement internal selection processes to decide which applications can proceed for external assessment.

In other cases, funding bodies may encourage institutions to monitor the quality of applications and prioritise applications for certain calls or schemes, to help manage the overall demand for funding and maximise success rates. Research Organisations may also opt to manage applications to calls which are larger-scale and strategic, very competitive, and/or where a significant financial contribution from the host organisation is required. 

The University of Oxford’s 2023 report on Equity and Inclusivity in Research Funding identified demand management as one of a number of areas of the research funding process that are at risk of bias and unaddressed inequalities. A Funding Forum was convened to discuss the sector-wide recommendations made by the report. The initial meeting of the Forum in 2024 brought together 30+ Universities and 11 funders to develop a shared action plan for a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive funding ecosystem, focussing on areas where joint action was necessary. 

As a result of this action plan, the EDI in Demand Management working group was set up by members of the Forum in mid-2024. The group is co-lead by colleagues from the Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham, and York and includes representatives from a wide range of different Research Organisations and funders. The working group has produced a set of sector guidelines and resources to help organisations address inequalities in funding selection processes.