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St George's University of London
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
St George’s Researcher Development Support Scheme
Incorporating funding from the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF)
and from HEFCE for Human Resources Bridging (HRB)
1. INTRODUCTION
The St George’s Researcher Development Support Scheme provides short term funding for
researchers to help with the recruitment, career progression and retention of academic and
research staff who are key to the implementation of the SGUL research strategy. The
Scheme aims to:

provide interim financial support to retain staff in employment where it is anticipated
that there will be a short period between the end of one external funding agreement
and the likely commencement of another. This, in turn, will:
o
enable St George’s to maintain continuity of work and support programmes of
research.
o
help to retain experienced staff and so help sustain research teams and retain
expertise built up over a period of years.
o
enable staff to avoid a break in employment where further funded work, for
which they have appropriate skills and experience, is likely to become
available in the near future.

provide salary funds for new recruits until a St George’s post or fellowship becomes
available.

provide short-term support for non-biologists who wish to experience working in the
biomedical field.
The funding is from two streams:
Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF): St George’s has elected
to allocate a proportion of this annual award to salary bridging and other support for key
research personnel.
Human Resources Bridging: St George’s will match ISSF spend in the Scheme, using
HEFCE funds.
The overall purpose of the ISSF award is, specifically, to add value to the Trust’s support of
St George’s research and, generally, to support the SGUL biomedical research strategy.
2. CONDITIONS AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
2.1 The area of research of the intended beneficiary of the funding must be a priority for St
George’s Research Strategy, and he/she must make a significant contribution to this.
Therefore, except under exceptional circumstances, the beneficiary should be allocated to a
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Research Institute.
2.2 For any individual application, it is not essential that relevant research group or Research
Institute is (or has been) receiving Wellcome Trust support. However, over the whole
Scheme, existing and prior Wellcome support will be taken into account.
2.3 Funds may not be used to support: undergraduates; PhD students who are writing up;
general Divisional technicians; animal maintenance costs. Other project-related expenses
may be covered if they can be fully justified as part of a strategic package.
For existing SGUL employees:
2.4 The intended beneficiary must have been employed by St George’s for a period of at
least 12 months (this may be aggregated service where there have been short breaks
between contracts due to the absence of bridging funds in the past).
2.5 The Director of the Research Institute confirms that all other sources of funding have
been explored, and that efforts were made to secure further funding at least three months
before the expiry of the current funding.
2.6 The relevant Research Institute has prepared an appropriate work programme on which
the intended beneficiary will be employed, between the expiry of the present funding and the
anticipated work on any new project. Funding should not be used to support work on an
earlier grant award which has simply overrun.
2.7 Every effort has been made to agree the earliest possible start date with a prospective
funding body, in order to minimize the period for which funding will be required.
2.8 St George’s Joint Research and Enterprise Office has been notified of a grant or other
source of funding on which the intended beneficiary will subsequently be employed.
Evidence must be supplied of either acceptance of the pre-proposal stage of a funding
application, or evidence of a new award which has been delayed due to circumstances
outside St George’s / the Research Institute’s control.
OR
It can be demonstrated that, for reasons beyond St George’s / the Research Institute’s
control, the result of an application to a funding body has been delayed.
3.
CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS
Calls for applications will usually be issued in July, January and April of each year. While it is
the intention to make the funding available throughout the academic year, funding is limited
and could be exhausted by earlier application rounds. Further details will accompany each
call for applications.
4.
DECISION MAKING
4.1 Applications must be reviewed initially by the relevant Research Institute Director, taking
into account both the Institute and SGUL research strategies. The Research Institute
Director will confirm whether the Institute supports the application.
4.2 All applications should be made using the attached form, signed by the intended
beneficiary of the funding, the current Grant Holder, and the relevant Research Institute
Director. Completed forms should be submitted electronically to,
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Research@sgul.ac.uk, Joint Research & Enterprise Office, Ground Floor, Hunter
Wing, who will coordinate all applications.
4.3 Decisions on the allocation of funds will be made by a subcommittee of the Research
Strategy Committee, in consultation with the Joint Research and Enterprise Office and
the HR Department.
4.4 The maximum term for which funding will be granted to the intended beneficiary is six
months in the first instance.
4.5 Researcher Development Support for the intended beneficiary must be planned to begin
at least three months after the deadline for submission of applications.
4.6 Applications will be assessed by the Research Strategy Committee according to the
following criteria:
4.6.1 Scientific merit of proposed project / programme of work
4.6.2 Coherence with St George’s Research Strategies, and the likelihood of
enhancing the REF return of the Research Institute
4.6.3 Track record of the intended beneficiary (as evidenced by their CV)
4.6.4 Nature of the ‘exit strategy’, i.e. how the intended beneficiary will be funded when
the Wellcome Trust ISSF/HR Bridging funding runs out (e.g. grant applications
considered favourably, confirmation of funding, etc.)
4.6.5 Relationship to Wellcome Trust funded activity
4.7
5.
The HR Department and the Joint Research and Enterprise Office will monitor
expenditure from the relevant funding streams, and will provide annual reports to the
Human Resources Committee and to an ISSF sub-group of the Research Strategy
Committee, which will report to the Wellcome Trust.
RECOVERY OF BRIDGING FUNDS
5.1 There may be occasions when a particular funding body is willing or able to bring
forward the date of commencement of an award. If grant funding is obtained or the
commencement of an award brought forward, then monies would need to be reimbursed
to the Research Development Support Scheme.
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St George's, University of London
Application for St George’s Researcher Development Support Scheme
Please read the Policy and Procedures carefully before completing the application form.
Please provide all information required and return application form electronically to,
Research@sgul.ac.uk, Joint Research & Enterprise Office, Ground Floor, Hunter Wing.
By 4pm on Friday 11th April 2014
A. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
Please answer the following;
a) Has the intended beneficiary of this
funding been employed at SGUL for less
than 12 months?
Yes / No
OR
b) Is the intended beneficiary a new
graduate?
Does your application include a request for
training costs? If ‘Yes’ please complete Sections
B, C & E(v) only.
Yes / No
B. PERSONAL DETAILS OF INTENDED BENEFICIARY:
Name:
Research Institute:
Job Title (if PhD student, please state this):
Start date at SGUL:
Start date of current appointment:
End date of current appointment/period of
funding:
Current salary grade:
Current salary and whole time equivalent
(%) to be funded:
Current funding body and internal
budget/account code:
Name of grant holder:
C. PERIOD FOR WHICH SUPPORT IS REQUESTED (dd/mm/yyyy):
From:
To:
D. DETAILS OF ANTICIPATED EXTERNAL FUNDING
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Funding Organisation:
Award Reference Number or Internal
Budget / Account Code (if known):
Start Date (if known):
E. FURTHER INFORMATION (to be completed by current grant holder, or sponsor if
this is a recruitment application):
(i) Please give reasons for seeking support from these funds, including an indication of the
contribution of the intended beneficiary to St George’s and to Research Institute and
organisational strategic research objectives including the Research Excellence Framework:
(ii) Please give details of commitments received from external funding bodies, the ‘exit strategy’
for the intended beneficiary, and efforts made to bring forward the start date of the next period of
external funding in order to minimise the demand on Researcher Development Support funds:
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(iii) Please give details of all other sources of funding you have explored (including an indication
of why the requested bridging period cannot be fully or partially met by other funds):
(iv) Please give details of the project / programme of work on which the intended beneficiary will
be employed during the requested bridging period (i.e. between the end of their current contract
/ period of funding and the receipt of further external funds):
(v) If this application is a request for training costs please provide details and attach any
supporting evidence explaining why the person should be funded and the importance of the
training to the Research Institute and St George’s
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(vi) Please give details of any related current or past funding from the Wellcome Trust, or any
other relationship with the Trust and its aims
G. AUTHORISATION & SIGN-OFF:
Intended Beneficiary:_________________________________________Date ___________
(For whom funding is being sought)
Current Grant Holder_________________________________________Date ___________
I confirm that the intended beneficiary’s research area is a priority for St George’s
Research Strategy:
Director of the Research Institute ________________________________Date ___________
PLEASE ALSO ATTACH:

A full CV of the intended beneficiary of these funds

Grant award letter or acceptance of pre-proposal application

Evidence of any efforts made to ensure the earliest possible start date of this grant

Evidence of any unforeseen delays on the part of the funding body, including,
where available, an estimate of the likely commencement date
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