Faculty of Science and Faculty of Architecture and Design
Small Grants Scheme – Principles and Application Process
The Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Architecture jointly operate a Small Grants
scheme through the Science Faculty Research Committee (SFRC) to provide small
levels of funding to assist staff and graduate students from the Faculty of Science and
the Faculty of Architecture and Design in their research programmes. The available
funding is modest and therefore cannot be considered as base funding for staff or
student research programmes. Such base funding should be provided by the School or
external grants.
The available funding will be apportioned approximately evenly between staff and
postgraduate students.
Applications for funding will be considered against the principles and criteria detailed
below, and on a competitive basis if applications exceed available funding. Heads of
Schools may be asked to rank applications from their School.
There will be two rounds of applications per year. The closing dates will be 31 March
and 31 August. Applications for Summer Research Assistants will be considered in
the August round. Up to approximately two thirds of the available funding will be
allocated in the 31 March round.
Applications must be made on-line using the University Grants Management System
(GMS) and the appropriate template. A GMS account will be set up for successful
applications and expenditure that can be invoiced through the University system can
be debited directly to this account. Reimbursements can only be actioned following
the normal University process of furnishing a claim supported by receipts.
Allocated funds must be spent within the specified timeframe and within the year of
granting. For summer research assistants a portion of the funding will be allocated
from the current year’s funds and a portion from the following year’s funds. However
the sum allocated in each year must be spent within that year. No carry over of funds
to the next year or beyond the specified completion date will be permitted unless
otherwise agreed by the Deputy Dean (Research). Unspent funds will be returned to
the SFRC for further allocation. Over expenditure is not permitted and any overspent
funds will be recovered by the SFRC from the School or grant holder.
Successful applicants are required to provide a brief report using GMS on the
outcomes of the research that was supported by the SFRC grant, within 3 months after
the specified completion date.
Postgraduate Students.
Applications by graduate students must be made through their Research Supervisor
after discussion and agreement with the Head of School who will be asked to
comment on the merit of the application and the proposed budget.
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Applications can be for a maximum of up to $600 for a MSc(II) student for one
year only, and a maximum of up to $1800 per year for three years for a PhD
student.
The monies granted must be used to cover direct expenditure in the research
programme such as minor equipment, consumables, fieldwork, travel and
accommodation.
PhD students who have had their enrolment confirmed, may in one year request
funding of up to $1800 to provide assistance to attend an international conference
and present a paper or poster; attend an international workshop directly relevant
to their research programme; carry out fieldwork or use equipment outside New
Zealand; or some other similar international activity directly relevant to the
research programme.
A detailed budget must be provided in the application showing how the funding
requested will be spent and how it relates to the overall funding of the student’s
MSc or PhD research programme as agreed to by the Head of School. This
budget should show the source(s) of direct funding including the amount
requested in this application and the direct expenditure for the programme.
Infrastructure costs, overheads, costs in kind and indirect costs should not be
included.
It is expected that a reasonable level of direct funding support will be provided by
the School or other (external) source(s).
Allocated funds must be spent by 31 December in the year of granting the
application unless otherwise agreed by the Deputy Dean (Research). Such
agreement will only be provided in exceptional circumstances.
The Head of School may be asked to rank applications from the School. The
ranking will be primarily based on merit and the fit with the strategic research
plan of the School. For PhD students making a second or third request, the
ranking will include a consideration of the progress of their research relating
particularly to that for which previous SFRC funding was provided. Not all
applications will necessarily be funded.
Staff
Applications by staff should be to support research programmes that are consistent
with the strategic research directions of the School as detailed in the School’s
Research Plan.
1. Applications can be for:
a. The employment of research assistants over the summer trimester. The
maximum sum that can be requested is $6000. As the employment period
is usually from about November of one year through to about the end of
February of the following year, an appropriate fraction of the grant will be
provided from the SFRC budget for one year and the other fraction from
the budget for the following year.
b. Commencing or progressing a research activity that is likely to lead to the
applicant successfully securing external research funding eg. Marsden,
FRST, HRC, industry or international sources. This also includes
establishing linkages with government or private sector organisations in
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order to secure research grants, TEC Enterprise Scholarships for graduate
students etc. The maximum sum that can be requested is $2000.
c. The purchase of non-capex items of equipment (<$2000), specialist
consumables, travel, accommodation, fieldwork etc. The maximum sum
that can be requested is $2000.
A detailed budget for the proposed research is required. This must show the
source(s) of direct funding and direct expenditure. Infrastructure costs, overheads,
costs in kind and indirect costs should not be included.
Allocated funds must be spent by 31 December in the year of granting the
application unless otherwise agreed by the Deputy Dean (Research). Such
agreement will only be provided in exceptional circumstances.
The Head of School may be asked to rank their applications and not all
applications will necessarily be funded. The ranking will be primarily based on
merit, the fit with the strategic research plan of the School and the potential to
improve the University’s PBRF ranking.
Applications to supplement research and study leave and conference leave will
not be considered.
Science Faculty Research Committee
December, 2005