The LSEHI Activity Fund 2026 to 2027

Funding

You can apply for between £3,000 and £5,000 in funding and your project can last up to 12 months. We want to fund as many projects as possible: applications that ask for less than the maximum amount are more likely to be funded, but we will fund at least one £5,000 project.

We encourage exploring options for match funding where possible, such as those provided by LSE’s Research Engagement and Impact team.

Timeline

The scheme will be open to receive applications from Monday 28 September to midnight (23:59) on Friday 13 November.

All applications received within the stated deadline will be reviewed by a selection panel and awards will be confirmed by the end of the Autumn Term 2026.

Successful applicants will be required to provide a designated/ ring-fenced project code, so that transfer of funds can be arranged and expenditure can be monitored and tracked. All awards will be transferred by the start of the Winter Term 2026/27.

Late applications will not be accepted.

If you need assistance with your application or have any questions, please get in touch with the fund manager at Executiveoffice.lsehi@lse.ac.uk.

Your proposal should be no more than 1500 words and should outline the following:

Who is working on the project, including details of any external organisations involved and confirmation of their willingness and commitment to participate

What they plan to do

How they plan to do it

A project budget (see template for a budget here)

Why there is a need for the proposed project

What they hope to achieve

How they will measure the impact of the project

Whether match-funding is available

Whether they require support/guidance from LSEHI

You and your application must also satisfy the following criteria: 

Your are a member of LSE staff or are student with at least 12 months remaining before the end of your studies or employment.

The costs for your project must be admissable under the guidelines set out for the LSE Seed Research Fund. Further templates can be found here and a budget template can be found here.

If you are a student, you must not be suspended or have temporarily withdrawn from your studies.

If you are a student, you must be able to provide written evidence of agreed supervisory support for your proposed project alongside your application.

Projects must be completed within 12 months, but all allocated funds must be spent and documented by 31 July 2027.

Finally, please note that only one award can be granted per person.

If you need assistance with your application or have any questions, please get in touch with the fund manager at Executiveoffice.lsehi@lse.ac.uk.

We seek a balance between projects with tangible outcomes, directly aimed at generating change, and research projects, focusing on identifying longer-term solutions.

Awards will be decided based on the following:

The balance of expected outputs (research vs impact-focused projects)

The inclusion of lived experience

The level of innovation/ originality involved

The presence of a tangible impact on our community

The sustainability of the project and its long-term prospects

Homelessness is a London-wide and national issue. We want to make sure that the outcomes of these projects are not only relevant to the LSE community but also across the UK.

As a result, we are particularly interested in projects focused on the following four areas:

Making better use of data, evidence and artificial intelligence – how can we improve the quantity and quality of digital tools available to government bodies, charities and organisations focused on homelessness?

Homelessness Prevention (in general and for specific groups) - what support measures and changes are required to prevent homelessness before it occurs, both in general and for those groups identified as being at particular risk?

Youth Homelessness – how can society better meet the specific needs of children and young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness?

Student Homelessness – how can LSE, the Higher Education sector and society and government in general better meet the specific needs of students who are or are at-risk of homelessness?

We will also be more interested in projects that are geographically focused on the Greater London area, that take an intersectional approach, and that that look at past, present and future of our understanding of homelessness and how we tackle it.

The above has been shaped by the Government’s recently published ‘A National Plan to End Homelessness’, as well as the Government’s plan to tackle child poverty (Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty) and the Mayor of London’s goals in his Plan to end Rough Sleeping by 2030.

The selection process will be managed through the establishment of a dedicated Panel, composed of the following:

The LSEHI Co-chairs (from LSE and LSESU)

An academic colleague

A professional service colleague

A representative from the LSE Volunteer Centre

An external Panel member

Award transfers and virements will be arranged by the Fund Manager.

These points will be discussed in greater detail should you be awarded funding, but please note that award holders will be required to:  

Provide written confirmation that they have the support of their supervisor and host academic unit.

Manage the award in line with LSE Financial Regulations.

Comply with LSE Policies for research governance, ethics, data management and intellectual property policy.

Ensure projects comply with good research practice, transparency and accountability.

When incorporating lived experience, ensure that any possible safeguarding considerations have been taken into account.

We also expect Project Leads to: 

Produce an Evaluation Report within three months of completion of the project and be willing to provide short, interim updates to the Fund Manager.

(The report should be around 1500 words and cover activities and outputs, deviations from plan and rationale, reflections on impact and lessons learned, as well as next steps (e.g. publications, external funding bids, possible follow-up application for year 2 of the fund). A detailed summary of expenditure should also be included.)

Be willing to be contacted to contribute to a short case study or blog for publication on the LSEHI webpage and other appropriate channels