UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is facing criticism over grant calls with extremely short application windows, which critics say place unfair pressure on university research offices and can exclude top applicants. Kirsty Grainger, a former UKRI director and now director of research and impact services at the University of Bath, warned that one Innovate UK call opened May 29 and closed June 3—leaving only a few working days for bids. The concern is not only administrative burden but potential quality and equity impacts. Grainger argues the process conflicts with funder expectations that calls remain open at least eight weeks, pointing to other recently shortened windows, including a Fundamental AI Research Lab call with a one-month timeframe. She frames the issue as a quality and EDI problem: research offices under extreme strain may not be able to assemble competitive proposals, which could disadvantage institutions with fewer staffing resources or less existing grant infrastructure.