1. Research Grants & Contracts Office
Applying for research funding
Liz Francis
Head of Research Grants & Contracts
Finance Department
First Floor, Egmont House

2. Research Grants and Contracts Office (RGCO), Finance Department
The Research Grants and Contracts Office provides administrative, financial and support services related to externally funded research projects for academic and research staff.
The main roles of the office are to:
provide funding information
assist in the preparation of applications, esp. financial details - salaries, overheads
advise on contracts and terms and conditions of awards
undertake project accounting and financial reporting
provide management information for research

3. Summary University research funding
Major research funders and their schemes
A successful application?
Sources of information

4. Who funds university research?
UK Government through HEFCE: quality-related (QR) funding through the ‘block grant’
BIS Research Councils
Charities – UK and overseas
UK Government departments, eg. DoH, DfE
Commercial sponsors
European and others

6. Types of funding Fellowships Project / programme grants Small grants
Travel & Subsistence / conference
Other, e.g. large scale equipment grants

7. Social Sciences Economic and Social Research Council British Academy
Leverhulme Trust
Wellcome Trust – Biomedical Ethics
Others…

8. Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
2009/10 Research budget: £211m
Thematic Priorities :
Economic Performance & Sustainable Growth – enable the development of robust government and private sector strategies to ensure the sustainable growth of the UK economy
Influencing Behaviour and Informing Interventions - Create a better understanding of how and why people and organisations make decisions, and how these can be managed or influences
A Vibrant and Fair Society – Develop ways to enhance the role and contributions of citizens, voluntary sector organisations and social enterprises to create a vibrant national and global society.

9. Future Research Leaders scheme (Early career researchers)
This scheme replaces the Postdoctoral Fellowship and First Grants schemes. Awards are for a maximum of 3 years with an overall limit of £215,000 (at 100 per cent full Economic Cost).
The scheme aims to: enable outstanding early career social scientists – in partnership with their host institution – to develop the skills to become future world leaders in their field
The first year of the scheme, 2011, had an open call with proposals involving secondary data analysis and the application of innovative research methodology are particularly encouraged. The ESRC fund a maximum of 60 per cent of the applicant’s time and the institution must support the remainder of the applicant’s normal salary. Early career researchers with less than four years postdoctoral experience are eligible.
A minimum of 70 awards funded

10. British Academy
The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences (inc. psychology).
2011/12 programmes budget: £25m
Strategic priorities
Ideas, individuals and intellectual resources
International engagement
Communication and advocacy
Fellowship
Ideas, Individuals and Intellectual Resources: Advance the humanities and social sciences by providing distinct career and research opportunities for outstanding scholars at all levels – including those at an early career stage. Support long-term scholarly infrastructural projects, which create the resources on which future research can be built.
International Engagement: Promote UK humanities and social sciences internationally and build international collaboration; create opportunities for UK researchers overseas, and help attract outstanding international talent to the UK; support a British research presence overseas and facilitate dialogue and understanding across cultural and national boundaries.
Communications and Advocacy: Increase the scope and impact of communications and policy work; create and support events and publications that communicate new research and perspectives; encourage public debate and demonstrate the value of humanities and social science scholarship to a wide range of audiences.
Fellowship: Strengthen opportunities and structures by which Fellows can contribute their expertise to the intellectual life of the Academy and the country.

11. British Academy Postdoctoral fellowships
3 years salary support for outstanding recent (within 3 years of
award of doctorate) postdoctoral scholars
Aims:
experience of independent research
introduction to teaching
career development
output and dissemination
Intended to improve prospects of permanent posts at the end of the fellowship
Two stage application process:
Outline application October, notification January
Second stage closing date Feb, notification May
45 awards annually, usually 5% success rate
11/12 budget is £10m for this scheme.
Applicants must be a UK or EEA national, or have completed a doctorate at a UK university. Any applicant who does not fall into one of these categories must demonstrate a strong prior association with the UK academic community, for example through already having been employed in a temporary capacity (longer than six months) at a UK university
Small Grants – closed then opened for Nov 11, another round expected in Can apply as an individual or through a HEI

12. Leverhulme Trust
Scholarship for the purposes of research and education
Annual budget £60m
Suitability of research applications to Leverhulme:
the originality of the proposed work
courageous research (avoidance of the incremental; and the applicant’s ability to take informed risk/blue skies research)
a mixture of disciplines (blurring boundaries/lateral impact)
individual exploration (hesitation with data banks/cataloguing)
the impact of the research outcome on other fields of study and within the immediate field of research
research design transcends traditional boundaries
a departure from the established working patterns either of the individual or of the discipline
The Trust tends to avoid funding bids in those disciplines which other Trusts or agencies (such as Wellcome, the MRC, Department for Education and Skills, ESRC etc. are disposed to support). In particular:
Medicine and general school education
….but might consider bids such as those which concentrate on the sociological, philosophical, economic, legal or psychological aspects of medicine or education…

13. Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship
researchers at a relatively early stage of their academic careers but with a proven record of research
3 year award – all fields are eligible
80 Fellowships available in 2012
Trust pays up to 50% of the employment cost plus research expenses up to £6,000 pa
Closing date – online submission 8th March 2012
Project grants, programme grants, etc. – Post doc Research Assistant

14. Wellcome Trust
Independent charity funding research in biomedical science, medical history and humanities, ethics and society.
Spend £600m p.a. on activities.
Research Fellowships
Post doctoral, not in established academic post
Salary and research expenses
2 stage process
Prelim applications June or December
Full applications August or February
University Awards
attract important research staff to academic positions
Gradual change from fellow to permanent staff member, must be agreed by host institution at time of application
5 year award (3 years full, 50% in 4th yr, 25% in 5th Year)
Two stage application process as above
We are a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in health by supporting the brightest minds.
Also Small Grants scheme

15. Other current social science funders at Birkbeck
Arts and Humanities Research Council (check subject eligibility with funder before applying)
Nuffield Foundation
European Union
Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
Bridging Trust
Socio-legal Studies Association
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Since both the AHRC and the ESRC will fund research projects in areas of overlap between the arts and humanities and the social sciences, applicants should not artificially seek to focus their proposals in one area or the other.

16. A successful application: What the funder looks for
High-quality research: an original contribution to knowledge in the field
Outputs: what will be the impact of the research?
Academic record: evidence of research potential
Much of this is applicable to research grant applications in general – so also relevant to when you have your first academic job.
Not all funders are the same. General principles - but always be aware of the differences.
For PDs potential to go on to a successful academic career
Evidence: degree results, any publications, references,
Original contribution – ‘High quality’
Awareness of other relevant research in your field
Contextualising your work
Who is going to use your knowledge?

17. A strong proposal (1)
Addresses the funder’s research priorities and the aims of the scheme
Clear language without jargon
Establishes the context for the research
Well-defined aims and objectives
Detailed methodology – why these methods?
Has the right people on board, i.e. mentor / co-applicant(s), host institution
Define your research question and why is it important?
How does it relate to research you’ve already done?
How does it advance knowledge? What further research might it lead to?
Is the researcher supported by appropriate experts in the field? Research Environment
Some funders will want to see how you will develop this research in future

18. A strong proposal (2)
Anticipates potential problems – how will you deal with them?
Has realistic ambitions
Identifies and addresses training needs
Specified outputs and dissemination plans
Training plans for career development fellowships
Dissemination plans – show the impact of the research.

19. Practical points (1) Allow plenty of time, months not weeks!
Read all guidelines, terms and conditions
Check your eligibility
Consider ethical aspects / approval
Check application form requirements, e.g. referee reports, signatures, length of proposal
Electronic submission – may need to set up an account prior to deadline
Eligibility of individual and of subject
Univ. will need to commit resources – space, sometimes salary, continuation of contract – make early contact with the institution.
Follow all requirements as stated – provide all information requested, font size, don’t send extra material, keep to page limits.

20. Practical points (2)
Research previously funded applications to same funder / scheme
Choose referees carefully – check they have time.
Get the finances right – check with Research Grants Office and justify costs requested
Get as much feedback on your draft proposal as possible – INTERNAL PEER REVIEW
Consult with the funder if you have any questions
Referees – make sure they’re available, know what’s required. Remind them to do it. Consider changing referees – don’t necessarily use the same ones.
Ask your referees to comment on a draft
Involve research grants as soon as possible – especially with full economic costing.
Contact the funder if you have any questions, esp. on eligibility.

21. Proposal writing guides
ESRC – Advice on writing proposals.
EPSRC: ‘How to Apply’

22. Funding Information Funders’ websites Supervisor
Research grants website for funding information and list of forthcoming deadlines for major funders
Funders’ websites on later slides.
Always go to funders websites as well to check most up to date information, not just on deadlines but also changes in policy, new schemes, information events.
Sign up to newsletters.
ResearchProfessional – University subscribes – only accessible from campus with your ID and password.
Search by discipline, type of scheme, type of funder
Travel grants, publication grants, grants for postdocs is a category
Also guides to grant writing; funding and policy news.

23. Links to you directly to the scheme information – no need to search through funders’ websites trying to find details of the particular scheme