Demystifying Funding: Reconstructing a Unified Dataset of the UK Funding Lifecycle

TL;DR

This paper reconstructs a comprehensive UK research funding dataset by integrating multiple sources, enabling analysis of the entire funding lifecycle from opportunities to research outcomes.

Contribution

It introduces a unified dataset linking UKRI funding opportunities, proposals, and decisions, addressing previous data fragmentation issues.

Findings

Created a complete UKRI funding lifecycle dataset

Facilitated holistic analysis of funding processes

Released dataset and code for public use

Abstract

We present a reconstruction of UKRI's Gateway to Research (GtR) database that links funding opportunities to their resulting project proposals through panel meeting outcomes. Unlike existing work that focuses primarily on funded projects and their outcomes, we close the complete funding lifecycle by integrating three previously disconnected data sources: the GtR project database, UKRI funding opportunities, and competitive funding decision records across UKRI's research councils. We describe the technical challenges of data collection, including navigating inconsistent publication formats and restricted access to panel decisions. The resulting dataset enables a holistic interrogation of the entire funding process, from opportunity announcement to research outcomes. We release the database and associated code.