APPLICATION FORM
FOR UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTRES THAT INVOLVE
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS FROM MORE THAN ONE FACULTY
Notes:
Please note that this form must be signed off by the Head(s) of Department(s) within
which the lead academic member(s) of staff proposing the establishment of the Centre
is based AND the signatures of the Directors of Research and Innovation for the
Faculties involved in the proposed new Centre.
Please note that a Business Plan must accompany this application form.
An application should be discussed prior to submission with the Head of Department
and appropriate Faculty Director(s) of Research and Innovation. It is also highly
recommended that the relevant Research Strategy Manager(s) in Research and
Innovation Services is/are also involved at an early stage in the development of the
application.
The completed application form should be returned electronically to Richard Hudson,
Manager of the Quality & Skills team in Research and Innovation Services
(r.j.hudson@sheffield.ac.uk, New Spring House, 231 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2GW) and
a signed, paper copy of the application form should also be sent to Richard.
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1.
NAME OF PROPOSER(S)
2.
PROPOSED RESEARCH CENTRE NAME
3.
PRINCIPAL DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED
4.
SOURCE OF CORE FUNDING
This question only applies to “Externally-Funded” Research Centres
Questions to consider:
At what stage are negotiations with the research funder?
Is the funding secured (i.e. by signed contract) or promised?
Is there a requirement for the University to provide matched funding? If so,
please provide details.
Have sources for the provision of matched funding been identified?
5.
BACKGROUND TO THE FORMATION OF THE RESEARCH CENTRE
(e.g. existing collaborations, pooled resources)
6.
CORE ACTIVITIES
Give examples: e.g. collaborative networking with external partners;
interdisciplinary research; international networking; knowledge transfer.
7.
BUSINESS PLAN
Please attach a Business Plan to this form.
Application for Research Centre status: 30.01.14
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The Business Plan should include:
* Strategic aims and objectives.
* Critical success factors / SWOT analysis and management structure.
* Commentary on resources.
* Internal and external partnerships.
* Sustainability.
* Income generation and sharing.
* Should expand upon the relevance of the research centre’s core activities
(listed above under question 6) and their impact on and relevance to University
and departmental strategies and competitiveness.
* Any additional space requirements or the need to refurbish of existing space
should be clearly highlighted.
8.
EXIT PLAN (this may be incorporated into the Business Plan).
Questions to consider:
What is the realistic lifetime of the proposed research centre?
Is the research centre’s aim to fulfil short or long-term needs?
Is the research centre responding to external factors that may be short-lived?
How will the research centre wind down, and how will research centre activity be
absorbed back into departmental activities?
What are the research centre’s contingency plans if the core funding
terminates? (applicable to an “Externally-Funded” Research Centre)
If approved, then it is expected that every three years the Research Centre will
be required to provide a progress report to the relevant Faculty Director of
Research and Innovation, who in turn will report back to the University.
Signature of Proposer(s)
……………………………………….
Date………………………
Signature of Head(s) of Department
……………………………………….
……………………………………….
Date………………………
Date………………………
Signature of Faculty Director(s) of Research & Innovation
……………………………………….
……………………………………….
Application for Research Centre status: 30.01.14
Date………………………
Date………………………
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