research funding opportunities in kls

Research Funding Opportunities

in KLS

Phil WardResearch Funding Officer

September 2007

Funding Opportunities in KLS

• Identifying the right funder & scheme

• Sources of funding

• Preparing an application

• Getting approval

Identifying the right funder & scheme

• Types of funding ‘Responsive Mode’ Grants & Fellowships

For research on a subject suggested by you ‘Managed Programme’ Grants & Contracts

For research on a subject suggested by the funderProgramme Grants are similar to other grants; Contracts

tend to have more onerous terms and conditions and generally result in ‘deliverable’ product/report

Other typesConference FundingOverseas Collaboration: Travel & Visiting FellowshipsLinks with Industry/exploitation


• Other points to consider: Remit

o Aims (un/stated) What costs are covered?

o Full Economic Costs (fEC) Deadline – does it fit in with your timetable? Success Rate


• Sources of funding Research Councils

o AHRCo ESRC

Charitieso Leverhulme Trusto Wellcome Trusto Nuffield Foundation

Professional and Learned Bodieso British Academy

Government Industry

Research Councils 2007-08

• Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (26% - £721.1m)

• Medical Research Council (20% - £546.5m)

• Science & Technology Facilities Council (19% - £527.8m)

• Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (14% - £381.8m)

• Natural Environment Research Council (13% - £367.2m)

• Economic & Social Research Council (5% - £150.3m)

• Arts & Humanities Research Council (3% - £97m)

AHRC

• Funds research ‘from traditional humanities subjects, such as history, modern languages and English literature, to the creative and performing arts’

• Success Rates 2006-07: Research Grants

o Standard 27%o Speculative 31%o Practice-led 19%

Fellowships in the Creative & Performing Arts 18% Small Grants in the Creative & Performing Arts 44% Research Leave

49% Networks & Workshops 33%

AHRC

• Research Grants Recently reconfigured

o Emphasis on supporting ‘teams’ of researcherso 4 ‘routes’ to applying:

– Standard (£20k - £1m)– Early Career (£20k - £200k): <8yrs of PhD, or <6yrs 1st

appt– Speculative (£20k - £200k): ‘outcomes uncertain’– Practice-led (up to £20k): ‘practice as integral component’

Deadline: June and Nov

• Research Leave Most popular AHRC scheme; high success rate Matching term of leave Deadline: March and Sept

AHRC

• Benefits of applying to AHRC: Prestige fEC – generous funding

• What to watch out for: Research Leave:

o Deadline eligibility o Terms contiguous o Completion

Research Grants: ‘Team’ research Try and avoid cross-panel research

ESRC

• ‘the UK's leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns’

• Success Rates 2006-07: Fellowships 15% Standard Grants 19% First Grants 21% Small Grants 39%

• Benefits of applying to ESRC are similar to AHRC

• What to watch out for: The ‘lure’ of programmes ‘Communication plan and user engagement’ Ethics Small grants/standard grants assessment: better to be

seen by individual or whole Board?

Charities

• GeneralLeverhulme TrustWellcome TrustNuffield Foundation

• SpecialistOften medical

o eg Cancer Research UK

Leverhulme Trust

• Funds all fields, except social policy and welfare, medicine and education

• Supports original, risk-taking research that often transcends traditional discipline boundaries

• 2006 expenditure £44.3m, split between: Sciences 45% Humanities 36% Social Sciences 19%

Leverhulme Trust

• Success Rates Visiting Professorships 50% Emeritus Professorships 48% Study Abroad Fellowships 24% Research Fellowships 22% Research Grants 20% Philip Leverhulme Prizes 19% Major Research Fellowships 13% Early Career Fellowships 11%

Leverhulme Trust

• Benefits of applying to Leverhulme Not ‘restricted’ by demands of distributing public

money o no ‘political agenda’o reporting not as onerous

• What to watch out for: Research has to appeal to broad general audience

o Trustees all ex-Unilever employeeso ‘Advisory Committee’: 9 professors from a range of

disciplines Interdisciplinary – but not ‘last resort’ Risk taking Individual ‘vision’

Wellcome Trust

• ‘To foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health’

• Funding expenditure in 2005-2006 £484.1m

• As well as Biomedical Research, also supports ‘Biomedical Humanities’ (£8m in 05/06) Broad remits:

o History: ‘the historical study of all factors affecting the medical and health experience of people and animals in all countries, at all periods.’

o Ethics: ‘ethical issues that arise in the development and delivery of healthcare, or that arise from the use of medical techniques. This includes ethics of research (involving either humans or animals) .’

Wellcome Trust

• Benefits of applying to Wellcome Wide range of funding More useful feedback following rejection Supportive once you have received funding

• What to watch out for Bringing in electronic submission in Medical

Humanities Bewildering choice of funding schemes

Nuffield Foundation

• Aims ‘To advance social well being…by supporting work which

will bring about improvements in society.’ To support the development of research and professional

capacity

• Research expenditure (2006): £9.5m

• Benefits of applying to Nuffield 2 part process: initial application very simple, and can

apply any time 2 of the 3 project grant areas are close to KLS interests

o Civil justice/family law

• What to watch out for: Strong social policy element Small scale funding Importance of ‘methodology’ Look at previously successful grants

Nuffield Foundation

• Project Grants Types

o Research Projects: should have implications for practice or policy rather than simply advancing knowledge

o Development Projects: either involve trying something new, or involve some facility that will be of practical value

Programme areaso Child protection, family law and justiceo Access to justiceo Older people and their familieso Open door

• Social Science Small Grants Up to £12k Not restricted to policy/practical projects, although do look

for ‘social relevance’

Professional & 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. Socio-Legal Studies Association

• Learned Societies Represent, and act as a forum for, a

particular subject or discipline e.g. Royal Society, British Academy

British Academy

• Funds research in Humanities & Social Sciences

• Govt funding 06/07: £21.3m

• funding strategy is focused on providing small-scale support, including project grants (up to £100k fEC), fellowships, conference grants and agreements with other countries for international projects

British Academy

• Success Rates 2005/06:

Small Grants 69% Larger Grants* 59% Overseas Conference Grants 50% British Conference Grants 50% Fellowships 9% Postdoc Fellowship 5%

*NB Has now been replaced by ‘Research Development Awards’, with emphasis on ‘mid-career’ funding for developing an ‘innovative line of research.’

British Academy

• Benefits of applying to BA Higher success rates than other funders Relatively simple forms ‘useful’ pots of money – eg conference funding,

collaboration etc

• What to watch out for: Quite a ‘traditional’ funder Liable to SOOH (but Larger Grants fEC)

Government

• National Government Departments

o Usually managed programmes, e.g. DH, DEFRA, DFIDo Some responsive mode – e.g. DEFRA’s Darwin

Initiative County Councils Other Government-funded organisations

o British Council – collaborative grantso NESTA

• International Europe

o Framework Programme USA

o Federal Grants & National Institutes of Health

Other National Government Funding

• County Councils Commission surveys etc.

• British Council Have collaborative agreements with a number of

countries

European Funding

• European Commission ‘driving force’ behind EU Drafts laws, manages day-to-day business of EU Organised into 37 Directorates General & Services,

includingo Justice, Freedom & Security

eg ‘Daphne II Programme’ to combat violence against children, young people and women

o Research Framework Programme

o Regional Policy Interreg Programme

DG Research

• Framework Programme European Union’s main method for funding research

and innovation Has been running since 1984; currently ‘FP7’ Budget €50bn over 7 years (FP6 €17.5bn over 4

years)

Framework Programme: FP7

• Framework Programme: EU’s main method for funding research and innovation

• FP7 started in January this year

• Budget €50bn over 7 years

• Organised into 4 pillars: Cooperation

o Funds collaboration in 10 key areas Ideas

o Funds basic research via European Research Council People

o Funds Marie Curie Fellowships Capacities

o Funds infrastructure, facilities etc

FP7: Cooperation Themes

• Health

• Food, agriculture and biotechnology

• Information and communication technologies.

• Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies

• Energy

• Environment (including climate change)

• Transport (including aeronautics)

• Socio-economic sciences and the humanities

• Security

• Space

FP7 - SSH

• 1. Growth, employment and competitiveness in a knowledge society: the European case

• 2. Combining economic, social and environmental objectives in a European perspective: Paths towards sustainable development

• 3. Major trends in society and their implications

• 4. Europe in the World

• 5. The Citizen in the European Union

• 6. Socio-Economic and Scientific Indicators

• 7. Foresight activities

• 8. Strategic Activities

FP7 – SSH – Current Call

• Deadline 29 Nov

• Large collaborative projects (CP) - €1.5m - €4m

• Topics: Interactions between knowledge, economic growth

and social well-being Globalisation and its interaction with the European

economy

FP7: European Research Council

• Responsive Mode

• No requirement for collaborative groups

• First round focused on early career researchers: ‘Starting Independent Researcher Grant’

o 200 to be made annually, each lasting up to 5 yrso Up to €400k per yearo Applicants <10 yrs from PhDo Very over subscribed – success rate approx 5%

• Later rounds will also include ‘Advanced Research Grant’ Details to be announced

DG Regional Policy

• Interreg IIIa To stimulate interregional cooperation East Sussex and Kent & the Departments of Pas-de-

Calais, Nord, Somme and Seine-Maritime Kent currently have high success rate, but money is

running out

• Interreg IV is due to start in 2007/08 and will cover a much larger area Still being negotiated

• Kent contact: Sheila Boultbee ([email protected])

European Science Foundation

• Not part of EU (member countries include Switzerland and Turkey)

• Aims to act as a catalyst for brining together European scientists and researchers

• Includes Social Sciences & Humanities

• Schemes include exploratory workshops, Programmes and COST Networks

Industry

• Does provide funding for research, but tend to be more restrictive in the parameters of the research and use of intellectual property

• In-house expenditure on R&D e.g. Pfizer spent $7.4bn on R & D in 2005 Some of this used in collaborative projects

• Contracts for research services

• Grants or award programmes

• If specifically seeking industry support, talk to Kent Enterprise

Applying for Funding - Preparation

• A good idea – think of the specifics What will you do? (objectives, plan, timescale) Why now? Why you? (expertise, track record, contacts) What impact? (beneficiaries, dissemination) What resources do you need? Reasonable,

accurate, eligible

• Think which funder is most suited to your project

• Look out for calls for proposals

• Read previously successful proposals Successful Proposal Bank

Writing a Proposal

• Give yourself time Be aware of the deadline – don’t leave to last minute at least a month to write, at least a week for approval, on

average 6 months for outcome, plus time to recruit staff etc

• Satisfy the funder’s requirements & aims the scheme objectives

• Read additional guidance – eg ESRC, Leverhulme Also guidance from Kent’s peer reviewers

• The abstract/scheme of research is critical Communicate enthusiasm Reviewers see hundreds – make yours stand out

• Internal peer review

Applying for Funding – Je-S

• Joint Electronic Submission System

• Used by all Research Councils except MRC

• Kent already registered

• Registering: Go to https://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk/eforms/secure/Login.asp , click

‘Create Account’, and give your details

• Applications approved and submitted by Research Services

• Clear & straightforward tutorials: http://www.pparc.ac.uk/jes/JeS1/JeS_Tutorials/JeS_Tutori

als.asp

Applying for Funding - Costing

• Full Economic Costing Government requirement Have been submitting RC applications using fEC

since 1 Sept 2005

• Don’t worry – the Research Services will help! Will make calculations based on information you give But give us time (at least a week before deadline)

Applying for Funding - Approval

• All applications must have Internal Approval Form Series of yes/no questions as to risks, use of resources etc Must be signed by:

o PI and Co-I(s)o Head of Depto Research Services

If excessive demand on library/computing serviceso Head of Computing Serviceo Subject Librarian

• May also need: Ethical Approval

o Research proposals of a clinical, psychological, social or physiological nature involving human participants

o Research Ethics Advisory Groups – Ethics Committee Research Governance Approval

o need to get advice and/or approval if your research is in Health or Social Welfare

Sources of Information

• Funders www.ahrc.ac.uk www.esrc.ac.uk www.leverhulme.ac.uk www.nuffieldfoundation.or

g www.wellcome.ac.uk www.britac.ac.uk http://

www.britishcouncil.org/science-research-partnerships.htm

www.cordis.lu/fp7/home.cfm

http://erc.europa.eu/index_en.cfm

www.esf.org

• Sources of information www.researchresearch.com www.ukro.ac.uk

• Applying for funding Research Serviceswww.kent.ac.uk/res Je-Shttps://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk/eforms/

secure/Login.asp Full Economic Costingwww.kent.ac.uk/res/fec.htm

• Help and Support Phil Ward [email protected] Jacqueline Aldridge

[email protected]

research funding opportunities in kls

Documents

research leave49

research grants20

research fellowships22

risktaking research

mahrcfunds research

research grantsstandard27

medical research council

major research fellowships13