Research Grants & Contracts Office Research Seminar Department of Media and Cultural Studies Liz Francis & George Eyre

Summary Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) Funding schemes and Funding bodies FEC and Costing Internal procedures for approving applications

Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) The RGCO, part of Finance Dept, provides administrative, financial and support services related to externally funded research projects Pre award: funding information, help with applications, approval, contract negotiation Post award: project accounting, approval of posts, allocation of overheads, financial reporting, contracts with partners Policy development Management information Training and events

Peter Westley Director of Finance Liz Francis Head of RGCO Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer Rassi Pelpola / Steve Smith Research Accounts Assistant George Eyre Research Support Officer Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant Theresa Ball Costing & Pricing Accountant Research Grants & Contracts Office, Finance Department

Liz Francis Head of RGCO Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer Rassi Pelpola / Steve Smith Research Accounts Assistant George Eyre Research Support Officer Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant Theresa Ball Costing & Pricing Accountant Research applications Arrangements with partners Approval of posts Research Grants & Contracts Office structure – M&CS Project accounting

Research Funding at Birkbeck 2009/10 – 209 applications (33%) Income £10,170,195 in 2009/10 (12.5%) Apr 11 contract value £53,051, different funding bodies 162 active research projects, throughout all Schools Media and Cultural Studies 2009/ applications (1 successful) Income 2009/10 – £64k 2 Active projects, Contract value £267k

Research Funding at Birkbeck Funder TypeNo. of apps % of apps SuccessfulUnsuccessful% Research Councils, Royal Soc, British Academy 11555%308526% UK Based Charities4622%123426% UK Govt136%8562% UK Industry, Commerce 21%20100% EU2311%121152% Overseas & Other105%6460% Total %

Help with Applications Costing - salaries and overhead-type costs – done on web-based costing system pFACT Approval – done using workflow system on pFACT Electronic submission – may need to set up an account, e.g Research Councils Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system Contractual arrangements Copies of previously successful applications for most schemes

Funding Information Arts & Humanities Research Council Economic & Social Research Council Leverhulme Trust British Academy Others…

AHRC (1) Research Grants Scheme Standard route £20k - £1m, Early Career route £20k - £200k Recently changed – no speculative route or practice-led / applied route. Up to 5 years duration 80% Full Economic Costing (FEC) No closing dates Apply via J-eS Note page limits for attachments Submit at least 9 months before proposed start date.

AHRC (2) Fellowship Scheme For early career, mid-career and senior researchers Aim is not to develop a new project from scratch, but to build on a project that is already defined Maximum £120,000 FEC for salary and associated costs months in duration 80% FEC No closing dates Apply via Je-S Submit between 9 and 18 months before proposed start date.

AHRC (3) Research Networking Scheme For networks, workshops or seminars To support collaboration and the exchange of ideas Up to £30k FEC (additional £15k to cover international participants/activities) Up to 2 years duration 80% FEC No closing dates Apply via Je-S Decision within 4 months from the end of the month in which you apply

AHRC (4) AHRC Responsive mode 2009/10 – Standard Grants 48/258 – 19% Research Leave 114/595 – 19% BBK Responsive mode 2009/10 – Standard Grants 0/0 – 0% Research Leave 1/8 – 12.5%

ESRC (1) Research Grants Scheme £200k > £2m Recently changed – no small applications <£200k considered Up to 5 years duration Flexible re subject area as long as within ESRC's remit 80% FEC No closing dates Apply via Je-S 6 sides of A4 for research proposal Most decisions within 26 weeks

ESRC (2) Recent revisions to Funding Schemes, fewer but more flexible research schemes Future Leaders scheme – to be announced in May 11 Will replace postdoctoral fellowship and first grants scheme. Large grants and centres – to be announced in May 11 will be integrating large grants and centre competitions opportunities/

ESRC (3) - Fellowships Professorial Fellowships support leading social scientists working in the UK Fellow given freedom to pursue their own innovative and creative research agendas Provides; Fellows time (up to 60%) additional research assistance costs PhD studentship Up to 3 years 80% FEC Usually announced in October, closing date in December, peer review February to April, interviews are in May and decisions made by end of July. Awards are expected to commence the following October at the earliest. Knowledge Exchanges/Placement Fellowships private, public and civil society sectors

ESRC (4) Research Seminars - multi-institutional groups of academic researchers, PG students and non-academic users who meet regularly to exchange information and ideas with the aim of advancing research within their fields non-fEC and are limited to £15,000 travel and expenses for speakers and participants secretarial costs stationary postage copying and telephone hire of rooms and facilities. Another £3k available if strong case for enhancing knowledge transfer impact for non academic users and/or the inclusion of international academics at events and/or the holding of events abroad. WILL be running 2011/12 details to be announced in May – 146/41 – 28%

ESRC award rates ESRC Responsive mode; 2009/10 – Standard Grants 94/682 – 14% Small Grants 124/653 – 19% 2010/11 - Standard Grants 61/541 – 11% (to date)Small Grants 81/340 – 24% Birkbeck responsive mode Success rate for 09/10: 2/6 (33%) Success rate for 08/09: 2/5 (40%) Success rate for 07/08: 2/8 (25%) Success rate for 06/07: 4/8 (50%)

Leverhulme Trust (1) Research Project Grants support for innovative and original research projects of high quality and potential, the choice of theme and the design of the research lying entirely with the applicant Up to 5 years; < £500k for research assistance, PhD Students, replacement teaching, other direct costs Most awards ~250k for 3 years Any topic 2 stage application process, outline must be accepted prior to submitting full application (up to 12 weeks) full appl deadlines Sept, Dec and March

Leverhulme Trust (2) Research Fellowship open to experienced researchers up to £45k research expenses over and above normal living costs including reasonable replacement teaching 3 – 24 months Next round announced Sept 11 Major Research Fellowship Open well-established and distinguished researchers Provides a replacement staff member to cover the period of the Fellowship and £5k p.a. expenses. 2 –3 years 4.00pm on 6 May 2011 (result December) Early Career Fellowship 2 year award, Trust pays up to 50% of the employment cost (up to max of £23k), plus research expenses up to £6,000 pa, deadline 10 March

Leverhulme Trust (3) Programme awards Call date & topic set each year by LT. £1.75m up to 5 years International Networks Max £125,000, up to 3 years, 3 deadlines per year Artists in Residence Max £15,000 for 10 months, 2 deadlines per year

Leverhulme Trust (4) Success Rates Research grants 2007 – Outline – 43%, Full – 47%, Combined – 20% 2008 – Outline – 44%, Full – 49%, Combined – 22% 2009 – Outline – 48%, Full – 39%, Combined – 19% Research Fellowships 2007 – 18% 2008 – 16% 2009 – 15% Major Research Fellowships 2007 – 14% 2008 – 13% 2009 – 14% Early Career Fellowship 2007 – 13% 2008 – 12% 2009 – 13%

British Academy (1) Humanities and social sciences Postdoctoral level Applicants resident in the UK Complement the schemes of the AHRC and ESRC Major focus on individuals through Postdoctoral and Mid-Career Fellowships New International partnerships and mobility

British Academy (2) Small Grants SCHEME CLOSED BA Research Development Awards (BARDA) CURRENTLY SUSPENDED Conference Support and O/S Conference Grants SCHEMES CLOSED

British Academy (3) Postdoctoral Fellowships (3 years) For outstanding early career researchers. 2-stage application, deadline: October applicants are expected to be at an early stage of their academic career. Provides fellows salary plus limited research expenses and FEC costs (directly allocated costs, including mentors time, estates, and indirect costs). 45 awards New British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship Scheme (6 – 12 months) aim is to free applicants from normal teaching and administrative commitments support outstanding individual researchers with excellent research proposals, and to support outstanding communicators awards to individuals employed at UK universities, particularly to support mid-career scholars, normally within no more than 15 years from the award of their doctorate deadline March It is not expected that the total value of an award will exceed £200,000 FEC 35 awards Senior Research Fellowships (1 year) to complete major programme of research: privately funded, non-FEC, 7 awards Newton International Fellowships (2 years) In conjunction with the Royal Society, Early career: for overseas scholars, deadline April

British Academy (4) Full list British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships and Thank-Offering to Britain Fellowship British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships and Thank-Offering to Britain Fellowship Country-specific Agreements International Partnerships Mid-Career Fellowships Postdoctoral Fellowships Special Funds UK-Latin America and the Caribbean Link Scheme Visiting Scholars

Europe Research mainly funded via 7 th Framework Programme Co- operation - Collaborative Research Programme Co- operation - Collaborative Research Programme Collaborative/multi-national requirement Call driven Ideas - Frontier Research (European Research Council) Ideas - Frontier Research (European Research Council) Starting Grants (call opens July 11) 1.5m over 5 years PI must have PhD awarded in last years PI expected to spend min 50% of time on project (funded) Advanced grants 2.5m over 5 years SSH deadline 6 April No PhD time eligibility but only exceptional research leaders PI with track record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years PI expected to spend min 30% of time on project (funded) People - Marie Curie Schemes People - Marie Curie Schemes 'mobility' requirement

Applications…. Over the last 2 years the department has submitted applications to: AHRC, British Academy, Technology Strategy Board.

Preparing a good proposal Guidance notes on constructing a good proposal to the ESRC Research Grants Scheme: Part 1Allow yourself time Study your funding source Read the rules Discuss your application Justify your costings Part 2Content and presentation Part 3Dissemination and impact Check the details If you are successful If you are unsuccessful EPSRC: Preparing a Proposal: NERC: How to win money for research:

Full Economic Costing (fEC) Introduced by the Government in 2005 Used as basis to cost research projects, but very few funders will pay 100% of FEC Research Councils pay 80% of FEC Other funders pay according to their own terms and conditions We use pFACT to calculate the FEC

What makes up fEC? Directly Incurred (DI) costs Directly Allocated (DA) costs Indirect costs Exceptional items: e.g. project studentships Research Councils will pay 80% of DI, DA and Indirect Costs; 100% of Exceptional Items

Directly Incurred costs These are actual costs Project dedicated staff: e.g. Research Assistants Travel and subsistence Consumables New equipment, up to £50,000 *Research Councils allow virement between headings

Directly Allocated costs PI costs: based on max 1650hrs/yr Estates costs: Premises costs, cost per FTE of academic and research staff, current rate for office- based research is £6,448 Shared staff time, e.g. support staff who work across more than one project These are based on estimated costs, not actual Directly Allocated costs cannot be vired

Indirect Costs Costs that are incurred by the College in providing the necessary infrastructure and support for the project. This includes central services such as recruitment, personnel, financial accounting and payroll services; central provision of libraries; computing services; committees; and departmental support. cost per FTE of academic and research staff, currently £34,597

DI Costs - Salary costs (1) Salary costs are the payroll cost to the College, inc. employers NI and pension, e.g. RES2 pt 31 for 1 year: Annual Salary £30,870 London Allow £2,934 National Insurance £2,418 Pension scheme £5,409 TOTAL annual cost £41,631

Salary costs (2) What is the appropriate salary scale? May need to contact HR London Allowance? Full-time or part-time? Start and end dates? Incremental date (1 Oct) Which funder? Inflation?

Salary costs (3) Principal & Co-investigators time Research Assistants Technical and Admin staff Hourly rates may apply for small grants; School to advise Possible need for timesheets, e.g. EU

DI costs - Non-salary costs Travel and subsistence for fieldwork, visiting colleagues, other premises, conferences Project workshops, meetings, dissemination Office consumables (stationery etc) Photocopying and printing Post, phone, fax Specialist books and journals Computer software and consumables Laboratory consumables/materials Subscriptions Equipment and any special adaptations needed for its use Insurance and maintenance for special equipment Advertising and recruitment of new posts Casual/agency assistance – e.g. for data entry, transcription, translation Consultants' fees or bought in services

Examples of budgets EXAMPLE 100% FEC80% FECPre-FECCharity Directly Incurred (DI) Research Assistant 41,63133,30541,631 Consumables 6,000 4,800 6,000 Travel 4,000 3,200 4,000 Total DI51,63141,30551,631 Directly Allocated (DA) Principal Investigator 11,360 9, Estates 7,480 5, Total DA18,84015, Indirect Costs40,13332,10619,150 0 Total110,604 (100%) 88,483 (80%) 70,781 (64%) 51,631 (47%)

College Approval procedures - pFACT Set out in the College's Financial Regulations, as approved by Governors All external research grants must be authorised for submission through the pFACT system. All approval stages to be completed prior to submitting to the funding body RGCO – webpage n/authorization.shtml n/authorization.shtml

College Approval procedures - pFACT The application should only be submitted once all the stages have been completed. Each approver should be given at least three clear working days (thats NINE days prior to deadline). Paper applications that require institutional signatures should be passed to the RGCO at the same time that the applicant completes their stage of the pFACT sign-off

Contact information Research Grants Office: Liz Francis: extn George Eyre: extn Steve Smith / Rassi Pelpola : extn 3149 Financial statements and reports