Research Grants & Contracts
Office
Applying for research funding
Liz Francis
l.francis@bbk.ac.uk
Head of Research Grants & Contracts
Finance Department
First Floor, Egmont House
Research Grants and Contracts Office
(RGCO), Finance Department
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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:
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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
Summary
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University research funding
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Major research funders and their schemes
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A successful application?
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Sources of information
Who funds university research?
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UK Government through HEFCE: qualityrelated (QR) funding through the ‘block grant’
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BIS Research Councils
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Charities – UK and overseas
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UK Government departments, eg. DoH, DfE
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Commercial sponsors
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European and others
Birkbeck research funders 2010/11:
£9.1m
£000s
566
196
170
4,143
Research Councils
1,641
UK charities
Govt depts
EU govt & other
Industry
Overseas & other
2,386
Types of funding
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Fellowships
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Project / programme grants
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Small grants
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Travel & Subsistence / conference
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Other, e.g. large scale equipment grants
Social Sciences
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Economic and Social Research Council
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British Academy
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Leverhulme Trust
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Wellcome Trust – Biomedical Ethics
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Others…
Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC)
2009/10 Research budget: £211m
Thematic Priorities 2011-2015:
 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.
Future Research Leaders scheme
(Early career researchers)
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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
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 2008-2013
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Ideas, individuals and intellectual resources
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International engagement
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Communication and advocacy
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Fellowship
British Academy
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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
Leverhulme Trust
Scholarship for the purposes of research and education
Annual budget £60m
Suitability of research applications to Leverhulme:
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the originality of the proposed work
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courageous research (avoidance of the incremental; and the
applicant’s ability to take informed risk/blue skies research)
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a mixture of disciplines (blurring boundaries/lateral impact)
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individual exploration (hesitation with data banks/cataloguing)
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the impact of the research outcome on other fields of study and
within the immediate field of research
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research design transcends traditional boundaries
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a departure from the established working patterns either of the
individual or of the discipline
Leverhulme Trust
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Early Career Fellowship
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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
www.leverhulme.ac.uk
Project grants, programme grants, etc. – Post doc
Research Assistant
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
Other current social science
funders at Birkbeck
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Arts and Humanities Research Council (check subject
eligibility with funder before applying)
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Subj
ectstatement.aspx
Nuffield Foundation
European Union
Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
Bridging Trust
Socio-legal Studies Association
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
A successful application:
What the funder looks for
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High-quality research: an original contribution
to knowledge in the field
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Outputs: what will be the impact of the
research?
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Academic record: evidence of research
potential
A strong proposal (1)
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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
A strong proposal (2)
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Anticipates potential problems – how will you
deal with them?
Has realistic ambitions
Identifies and addresses training needs
Specified outputs and dissemination plans
Practical points (1)
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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
Practical points (2)
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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
Proposal writing guides
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ESRC – Advice on writing proposals.
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchFunding/HowToApply/
WritingProposals.htm
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EPSRC: ‘How to Apply’
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchFunding/HowToApply/d
efault.htm
Funding Information
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Funders’ websites
Supervisor
Research grants website http://www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco/
for funding information and list of forthcoming
deadlines for major funders
www.ResearchProfessional.com