Innovation Fund • Digit

The Digit Innovation Fund supports innovative research projects that advance our understanding of how digital technologies are transforming work.

A total of £500,000 will be awarded over the life of the Digit Research Centre (2020-2024) through this fund to complement our core Digit research programme.

We are now inviting applications for the fourth round of Digit Innovation Funding.

Application guidance

Proposals should align with our research programme and relate to how digital technologies are transforming work.

We are particularly interested to receive applications that incorporate plans to engage with stakeholders. This could include policy forums, roundtables, or other creative ways to engage those working in business, third sector and policy.

Proposals may focus on businesses and / or business needs (Digit Research Themes 2 and 3), current UK policy development (all Research Themes) and third sector organisations, particularly those focusing on inequalities and the disconnected (Digit Research Theme 4).

Funding available

In this round, funding is available for projects which cost between £10,000 to £50,000 fEC and start by 1 December 2023. Projects must fully conclude by 30 September 2024.

Projects must be costed at 100% full economic cost (fEC) and will usually be funded at 80% fEC, according to UKRI guidelines.

The fund is open to research organisations across the UK.

Application process

Please read the Guidance documents below in full before applying.

Digit Innovation Fund Guidance for Applicants (Round 4)
Digit Innovation Fund Application Form (Round 4)
Supplementary information
Digit FAQs

The FAQs are likely to answer many questions and will be updated in response to any additional questions.

Key dates

Milestone	Date
Application closing date	Wednesday, 30 August 2023 by 5pm BST
Decision communicated to applicants	Mid/late October 2024
Project start date	No later than 1 December 2023
Project end date	By 30 September 2024

Contact

For further information, please contact Megan McMichael, Centre Manager: digit@sussex.ac.uk.

Funded Projects

Projects funded in previous rounds are listed below.

Round 1 (2020-2021)

The projects funded in Round 1 are:

- Prof Gary Bosworth (Northumbria University), The Role of Co-working Spaces in Digital Rural Futures
- Dr Ayomikun Idowu (University of Sussex), Digital Entrepreneurship on Retail Platforms: A way to formalise employment for young people in the UK and Africa
- Dr Harry Pitts (University of Bristol), Co-working spaces and the urban ecosystem: the future of co-working post-Covid-19
- Dr David Robertshaw (University of Leeds), Digitalisation of employment services: a comparative case study of the UK and Australia
- Dr Francesca Sobande (Cardiff University), How Cultural Workers Negotiate Racism in the Digital Age

These projects have now concluded.

Round 2 (2021-2022)

The projects funded in Round 2 are:

- Dr Kendra Briken (University of Strathclyde), The Care Necessities – Developing Inclusive Digital Technologies for Scotland’s Post Pandemic Social Care
- Dr Josh Morton (University of Leeds Business School), A Framework for Digital Strategy Work: Exploring Inclusion and Transparency in the Strategy Process
- Dr Fabian Stephany (Oxford Internet Institute), Creative work – A “hotspot” for digital skills? Identifying digital skill developments in the UK creative online freelance industry
- Dr Daria Luchinskaya (University of Strathclyde Business School), Virtually the same thing as in-person internships? Mapping the virtual internship landscape and exploring intern and employer experience in the UK and Italy
- Dr Christine Grant (Coventry University), Disability, neurodiversity, and remote e-working: Promoting the creation of an inclusive workplace. ‘Remote for All’
- Dr Andreas Kornelakis (King’s Business School, King’s College London) Robots at the Gates? Robotic Process, Automation, Skills, and Institutions: The Case of Financial Services in the UK and Germany

These projects concluded in August 2022.

Round 3 (2022-2023)

The projects funded in Round 3 are:

Dr Cassandra Bowkett (University of Manchester), Industry 4.0 and the role of Human Resource Managers
Dr Louise Hickman (University of Cambridge), The Digitalisation of Access Work: fiction to policy recommendations
Dr Krystallia Moysidou (University of Sussex), Crowdwork in the creative industry: The case of subscription crowdfunding
Dr Rebecca Taylor (University of Southampton), Beyond organisational boundaries: Open source digital infrastructure in the delivery of products and services

These projects will conclude in August 2023.