Research Funding Opportunities in KLS
Brian LingleyFaculty Funding Officer
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Basics…
• Basically two types of funding available…:– ‘Responsive Mode’ Grants & Fellowships
For research on a subject suggested by you
– ‘Managed Programme’ Grants & Contracts For research on a subject suggested by the funder Programme Grants are similar to other grants; Contracts tend to have more onerous
terms and conditions and generally result in ‘deliverable’ product/report
• …and five sources of funding:– Research Councils– Charities– Professional and Learned Bodies– Government– Industry
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Research Councils
• Benefits of applying to RCs:– Prestige– fEC – generous funding
• What to watch out for:– Cuts – and ‘politics’
• Themes, demand management, ‘longer, larger, fewer’
– Impact
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Research Councils
• Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (26% - £795m)
• Science & Technology Facilities Council (20% - £624m)• Medical Research Council (19% - £606m)• Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council
(14% - £427m)• Natural Environment Research Council (13% - £392m)• Economic & Social Research Council (5% - £165m)• Arts & Humanities Research Council (3% - £103m)
EPSRC STFC MRC BBSRC NERC ESRC AHRC0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
AHRC v ESRC
• “AHRC supports research into the content, procedures, theory, philosophy and history of the law. This includes studies of legal systems and legislation in all periods of history and in all parts of the world. ESRC supports socio-legal studies, which are concerned with the social, political and economic influences on and impact of the law and the legal system.”
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AHRC
• 70% of Funding Open• 30% Themed
– ‘Connected Communities’– ‘strategic need’: modern languages, design and heritage– AHRC’s own multidisciplinary themes: Care for the Future;
Translating Cultures; Digital Transformations; Science and Culture
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Main AHRC Schemes
• Research Grant– £50k to £1M (EC flavour
- £50k to £250k)– Up to 60 months – PI plus 1-2 Co-Is– Open Call
• Fellowships– £50k to £250k– 6 to 18 months– At least 50%
commitment– (EC flavour – at least 2
years post doc experience)
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• Research Networks – up to £30k for costs
• EC? – within 8 years of PhD, or 6 years of first academic appointment
Main ESRC Schemes
• Research Grant– £200k to £2M– Open Call
• Future Research Leaders– Up to £312,500– Up to 3 years– Up to 60% of time– October Deadline– Within 4 years of PhD
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• Research Seminars - up to £15k costs• Opens mid-December
Delivery Plans: Themes
• AHRC– ‘Connected Communities’– ‘strategic need’: modern languages, design and heritage– AHRC’s own multidisciplinary themes: Care for the Future;
Translating Cultures; Digital Transformations; Science and Culture
• ESRC– Economic performance and sustainable growth– Influencing behaviour and informing interventions– Vibrant and fair society
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Cross-Council Themes
• Global Uncertainties• Living with Environmental Change• Ageing: Lifelong Health and Wellbeing• Digital Economy• Energy• Global Food Security
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Charities
• General–Leverhulme Trust–Wellcome Trust–Nuffield Foundation
• Specialist–Joseph Rowntree Foundation–Often medical – e.g. Cancer Research UK–AMRC (www.amrc.org.uk)
• Represents 111 health-related charities, with a combined expenditure on medical research of £630m per annum.
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Leverhulme (£53m)
• Funds all fields, except social policy and welfare, medicine and education
• Supports original, risk-taking research that often transcends traditional discipline boundaries
• Rough split:– Sciences: 40%– Soc. Sciences: 40%– Humanities: 20%
Leverhulme
• Fellowships– Up to £45k– 3-24 mths– Call Sept, deadline Nov– EC version – 03/13 deadline
• International Academic Fellowship– Up to £22k– Up to 12 mths– Same deadline as above– Employed FT >5 yrs
• Grants– Up to £500k– Up to 5 yrs– Most > £250k, 2-3 years– 2 part process– Open call, assessed
quarterly
• Success Rates– Fellowship: 10-15%– SA Fellowship: 30%– Grants: 15-20%
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Leverhulme
• Benefits of applying to Leverhulme– Not ‘restricted’ by demands of distributing public money
• no ‘political agenda’• reporting not as onerous
• What to watch out for:– Research has to appeal to broad general audience
• Trustees all ex-Unilever employees• Depend for advice on:
– ‘Advisory Committee’ (for smaller grants): 9 professors– ‘Advisory Panel’ (for larger grants): 32 academics
– Interdisciplinary – but not ‘last resort’– Risk taking– Individual ‘vision’
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Wellcome (£642m)
• ‘To foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health’
• Supports– Biomedical research– Technology transfer– Medical Humanities:
• History of Medicine & Biomedical Ethics
– Public engagement with science• Does not support
– Clinical trials– Generally, cancer research
Wellcome
• Benefits of applying to Wellcome– Wide range of funding– More useful feedback following rejection– Supportive once you have received funding
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Nuffield (£10m)
• Aims– ‘To improve social well-being through education,
research and innovation.’– Themes:
– Children & Families, Education, Law & Society– Also ‘open door’
– Project Grants £10-250k– Most between £50-150k
Nuffield
• Benefits of applying to Nuffield– 2 part process: initial application very simple, and
can apply any time (Mar, Jul & Nov deadlines)• What to watch out for:
– Look at previously successful grants– Strong social policy element– Importance of ‘methodology’– Engagement with beneficiaries
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Rowntree (£5m)
• 3 aims:– Poverty: to examine the root causes of poverty
and disadvantage and identify solutions. – Empowerment: to find ways in which people and
communities can have control of their own lives. – Place: to contribute to the building and
development of strong, cohesive and sustainable communities.
• Benefits of applying to JRF:– Prestigious
• What to watch out for:– Very prescriptive calls for proposals– Relatively small amounts of funding
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Learned Societies
• Generally provide some small scale support for visits, conferences, fellowships or smaller research projects
• Professional Bodies Represent people working in a specific area e.g. The Law Society, Socio-Legal Studies Association
• Learned Societies Represent, and act as a forum for, a particular subject or
discipline British Academy funds research in Humanities & Social
Sciences
British Academy
• Small Research Grants– Up to £10k over 2 years– Flexible (workshops,
travel, some RA etc)– Not PI salary or overheads– Feb and Sept deadlines
• Postdoctoral Fellowship– 3 year salary – Within 3 years of PhD– Attractive, but very
competitive (< 5% success)– October deadline
• Mid-Career Fellowship– 6 to 12 months– Within 15 years of PhD– September deadline
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Government
• National– Government Departments– County Councils– Other Government-funded organisations
• British Council – collaborative grants• NESTA• Lottery
• International– Europe
• Framework Programme – USA
• Federal Grants
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European Funding
• Framework Programme: – EU’s main method for funding research and
innovation– Budget €50bn over 7 years (Horizon 2020 £80bn!)– Organised into 4 pillars:
Cooperation Ideas
People Capacities
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Cooperation
People
Ideas
Capacities
JRC
FP7
€7 460
€4 728
€4 217
€1 751
€32 365
Values in
€ Millions
FP7: European Research Council
• Starting Researcher – Up to €1.5M over 5 years– 2 to 7 years post PhD– Call closes October
• Advanced Researcher– Up to €2.5M over 5 years– 10 year track record– Call closes October
• Consolidating Researcher– Up to €2.0M over 5 years– 7 to 12 years post PhD– Call opens in November,
closes February.
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• Responsive Mode• No requirement for collaborative groups
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Industry
• Does fund research– In-house R&D– Contracts for research services– Grants or award programmes
• …but tends to be more restrictive
• If specifically seeking industry support, talk to Kent Innovation & Enterprise (KIE)
• Beth Flowers([email protected])
Early Career Opportunities
Main ECR Opportunities
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Scheme Duration Funding ECR?
AHRC Early Career Research Grant
Up to 60 months £50-250k < 8 years PhD
AHRC Early Career Fellowship
6 to 18 months £50-250k 2 years post doc, < 8 years PhD
ESRC Future Research Leaders
Up to 3 Years £250k < 4 years post PhD
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship
3 years 50% of salary, max 23k pa
<5 years post PhD
BA Post Doc Fellowship
3 years 3 years salary < 3 years post PhD
ERC Staring Grant 5 years €1.5M 2-7 years post PhD
...about the Specifics
• What will you do? (objectives, plan, timescale)• Why now? • Why you? (expertise, track record, contacts)• What impact? (beneficiaries, dissemination)• What kind of resources do you need?
(reasonable, accurate, eligible)
Recap…
• 2 types of funding:– Managed– Responsive Mode
• 5 types of funder:– Research Councils– Charities– Learned Societies and Representative Bodies– Government– Industry
Considerations
• Eligibility – Employment status and
residency– Career stage
• Costs– Will it cover all your costs?– Overheads
• Internal Pressures– School budget– Teaching needs
• Remit– Subject– Aims of scheme – ‘Politics’
• Timetable– Deadline – Duration
• Success Rate– Is it worth it?– Back up plan
Perspective
• Put yourself in the funder’s position– Can you understand what is proposed?– Is it worth spending money on?
• Are the objectives important?• Are they achievable? • Is the timeframe realistic?• Does it offer value for money?
– Can the applicant deliver?• Do you have the necessary track record?• Can you manage a project?
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Panellists
• Not specialist in your area• Time poor• Eminent• Having to filter 100+
applications at a time
Make It Easy for Them
• Make it simple– Avoid jargon– ‘intelligent 14 yr old’– Simple structure/
format/language
• Make it urgent– Why should we care? – Back it up with evidence
• Make it realistic– Programme and costs– Concentrate on
methodology– Write defensively
• Repeat key messages– ‘we need to know...’– ‘this will tell us...’
Craft it
• Give yourself time– At least a month to write
• Show it to others– Academics working in same discipline– Academics working in other disciplines– Research Services
Good vs Bad
Good Application• An important question• Realistic promise of an
answer– Ability and track record of
research team– Well designed and fully
described project– Properly resourced and value
for money
• Well written and presented application
• Fits funder priorities
Bad Application• Unclear, esoteric question• Pages of densely packed
jargon• Emphasis on background
and literature• Incomplete description of
research process• Ignores funder guidance
Managing Your Research Proposals
• One won’t be enough– Typical success rates 10
-20%– Reviewing and
assessing a ‘lottery’– Applications are time-
consuming– Rejection is crushing
• Multiple applications give you hope– Don’t wait for the rejections– Create economies of scale– Allow 1-2 years from idea to
grant
• Don’t exhaust your ideas– Complementary applications– Look out for spin off ideas and
‘spare’ research questions– Recycle ideas to different
funders
• Don’t flog a dead horse
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Help from Research Services
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Cradle to Grave
Identify funders
Help with the proposal and application process
Costing
Institutional ‘sign off’
‘Accept’ award and negotiate contract
Manage Award
Financial claims
End of Award reports
Fundin
gContracts
Finance
Help in Developing Applications
• Information– Funding opportunities
• Regular, ad hoc, strategic– Background news &
insights• newsletter, website, blog• Funder visits• Grants Factory
• Aiding collaboration – bringing those in similar
disciplines together (eg Lunchtime Seminars)
• Preparing your application– Copy editing, proof reading
and advice on the text– Successful application bank– Staff costings and
calculating overheads– Advice on eligible costs– Research governance– Internal Peer Review
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Grants Factory
• Help and advice from other academics• Workshops
– Tools for writing killer applications• Masterclasses
– What the guidance doesn’t tell you• Mock panels
– Test drive your proposal
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Week Date Title Stream
2 Thurs 4 Oct 2:30-4:30pm Planning a Personal Research StrategyJenny Billings & Prof Darren Griffin
ECRN
4 Wed 17 Oct 9:20-11:30am Getting Published in JournalsProf Sally Sheldon & Prof Jon Williamson
ECRN
6 Wed 31 Oct 2-4pm Identifying an Idea: What the Funders WantProf Gordon Lynch and Prof Sally Sheldon
ADW
8 TBC ESRCProf Dominic Abrams & Prof Peter Taylor-Gooby
FF
10 Wed 28 Nov 2-4pm Constructing a Realistic ProjectProf Peter Taylor-Gooby & Prof Elizabeth Mansfield
ECRN
12 Wed 12 Dec 2-4pm The Essential Elements of a Good ApplicationProf Paul Allain & Prof Mick Tuite
ADW
13 Wed 16 Jan 12-2pm Developing CollaborationsProf Jon Williamson & Dr Peter Bennett
ECRN
15 Wed 30 Jan 12-2pm How the Peer Review Panel WorksProf Mick Tuite & Dr Simon Kirchin
ADW
17 Wed 13 Feb 12-2pm Seeking and Using FeedbackProf Darren Griffin & Prof Paul Allain
ECRN
19 Thurs 28 Feb 12-4pm EPSRCProf Sarah Spurgeon & Prof Simon Thompson
FF
21 Wed 13 Mar 12-2pm Relationships with Senior StaffProf Ray Laurence & Prof Dominic Abrams
ECRN
23 Wed 27 Mar 2-4pm Responding to Reviewers’ CommentsDr Peter Bennett & Dr Simon Kirchin
ADW
25 Thurs 9 May 12-4pm European CommissionProf Simon Thompson & Jenny Billings
FF
27 Wed 22 May 2-4pm Recycling your ProposalProf Elizabeth Mansfield & Prof Ray Laurence
ADW
29 Wed 5 Jun 12-2pm Balancing the Conflicting Demands of AcademiaProf Gordon Lynch & Prof Sarah Spurgeon
ECRN
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Internal Approval Form
• Ensures the University endorses and takes responsibility for your project.
• Internal Approval Form– Check list – risks/issues
• Need to attach a ‘Full Economic Costing’• Sign off by:
– PI and any Co-Is– HoS (or representative)– Research Services
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Sources of Information
• Research Funding Officers– Social Sciences: Brian Lingley ([email protected], xtn4427)– Humanities: Lynne Bennett ([email protected], xtn4799)– Sciences: Carolyn Barker ([email protected], xtn7957)– Medway: Karen Allart ([email protected], xtn8967)– The Guru: Phil Ward ([email protected], xtn7748)
• Websites– Funding opportunities: www.researchprofessional.com – European Funding: www.ukro.ac.uk– Jacqueline Aldridge & Andrew Derrington: The Research Funding Toolkit
(Sage, 2012) (http://www.researchfundingtoolkit.org/)– Research Services: www.kent.ac.uk/researchservices– Research Fundermentals Blog: http://fundermental.blogspot.com/
