British Election Study 2027-2032

This funding opportunity seeks applicants to lead the British Election Study (BES) between 2027 and 2037, with initial funding covering 2027-2032. The BES is the longest running social science survey in the UK, collecting politically independent data on British politics, elections and voting behaviour in England, Wales and Scotland. The successful applicant will be responsible for delivering high-quality data collection on the anticipated 2029 UK General Election in Great Britain and surveys aligned to local elections. The study aims to produce high-quality data that meets the needs of research, policy and practice communities, ensure timely access to data, promote use of the data by research and wider stakeholder communities to inform policy and practice, and collaborate with other UK election studies. Funding is available for a maximum of 60 months from October 2026, supporting consultation with stakeholders, data collection and processing, publication, and promoting use and impact of the data. The study will maintain the time series data while allowing for innovation, including consideration of AI capabilities in data infrastructure and analysis.