Sandpit

21st – 22nd May 2026
Mercure Hotel Fairfield Manor, York

We can fund 4 small-scale projects (e.g., to test the feasibility of an idea, scope the literature / survey views of residents, etc.) which must be completed within 6 months of the award. Two of which can cost up to £30,000 and two can cost up to £65,000 (at 100% full economic cost; we will fund 80% of this). We hope that these projects will lead to larger scale funding applications in the future. We are looking to fund research projects that will broadly be based around enabling healthier indoor home environments for everyone, and focus on health, technologies, and equity and justice. We will fund research projects looking at:

1. Existing technologies used in homes (e.g. smart meters, air cleaners), and how they might help towards meeting low carbon / net zero targets and promote human health, considering affordability and those who might be most vulnerable (e.g. older people, those with existing physical/mental health difficulties, and low-income households).
2. The impacts of climate change on housing, and how homes can be ‘future-proofed’ to be resilient to extreme conditions (e.g. extreme heat/cold, air pollution), in a way that is low carbon and promotes human health, and is affordable/cost-effective.
3. Co-producing healthy homes with communities affected by poor quality housing.

We welcome attendance from diverse applicants, including those from under-represented groups. To help with this, we will reserve 25% of places for people from under-represented groups and have additional funds to support people with caring costs / accessibility requirements to attend (in addition to travel, accommodation and food costs for all attendees). Please note that that we can only support UK-based travel and accommodation. We will practice indoor air inclusion at the sandpit venue, including through displaying indoor air quality, and using portable air cleaners.

We will prioritise early career researchers (ECRs) to lead proposals, and will also provide webinars and drop-in sessions to support development of the applications.  For the purposes of the HESTIA sandpit, we define an ECR as those that are immediately post doctorate, and/or transitioning to become an independent researcher. For example, this includes postdoctoral researchers and/or Lecturers/Assistant Professors. Unfortunately, this does not include PhD researchers as per UKRI rules they are ineligible to receive funding.

After the sandpit, the sandpit attendees will be invited to develop funding applications for these collaborative projects. They can bring in people who did not attend the sandpit, but the project must be led by a researcher who attended the sandpit (and whose contract at a UK-based higher education institution is until at least 30th September 2027), involve at least one non-academic organisation, and meaningfully involve individuals from communities affected by poor quality housing (including recruiting a local public member to the project, with support from the HESTIA team). Full application guidance and rating criteria will be provided to sandpit attendees and made available on the HESTIA website along with regularly updated FAQs.

If you are unable to attend the sandpit, but would like to be involved in a collaborative project, please complete this form, and we will make sure that sandpit attendees are aware of your potential contribution.

Key dates:

• 23:59 UK time on 30^th March 2026: Expression of interest submission deadline
• 24^th April 2026: we will inform you of the outcome of your application. 
• 21^st – 22^nd May: the sandpit (please pencil this date in your diary if you apply)
• 17^th July 2026: full application deadline
• End of October 2026: results of applications announced
• 1^st January 2027: projects start.

If you have any questions please contact the HESTIA Network Coordinator: D.S.Groves@leeds.ac.uk