Research Information Day

On Grantsmanship in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

9.15 am Opening Remarks

9.30-10.30 am The Promises and Challenges of Interdisciplinary Collaboration

10.45-11.45 am Peer Review and Award Selection

12.00-1.00 pm Using Research Funding to Create Career Opportunities for Early Career Researchers

2.30-5.00 pm Funding Opportunities for Early Career Researchers

Funding Opportunities for Early-Career Researchers

Alison Richard Building, SG1+2, 26 October 2012

2.30-3.00pm: Funders, Schemes and Networks: Finding Your Way

3.00-3.30pm: Available Research Support

4.00-4.30pm: Writing Competitive Research Funding Application

4.30-5.00pm: General Question and Answer Session

Organised by the Schools of Arts and Humanities and Humanities and Social Sciences in collaboration with the CRASSH postdoctoral forum

Introduction to Research Funding for Early Career Researchers

Funders, Schemes and Networks: Finding Your Way

Dr Daniel Wunderlich

Schools of Arts and Humanities and the Humanities and Social Sciences

Main Categories of Research Funding

(1) Schemes

plus small, conference and travel grants

Type of award Mode of research Research expenses

Network Collaborative Not paid

Fellowship Individual Limited

Grant Collaborative Paid

Main Categories of Research Funding

(2) Major Research Funders

• State-funded research councils (UK: AHRC, ESRC, British Academy, also EPSRC and MRC)

• Charities/trusts (e.g. Leverhulme Trust, Wellcome Trust, Nuffield Foundation)

• European Union (ERC, European Commission)

Different with regards to funding size, ‘themes’, impact agenda and mode of award selection

Eligibility to apply

• Absolutely crucial to check eligibility!

Eligibility means:

• Affiliation

• Established/non-established

• Time since PhD (NB exemptions)

• Only limited opportunities for early career researchers

• But large grants (agreement with University or as Co-I)

On the Importance of Networking

• Intellectual exchange

• Mentorship

• Opens access to resources

How:

• Faculty Research Groups and CRASSH

• College

• Direct approach

General advice

• Funders aim to support early career researchers

• Think how proposed project will affect you as an early career researcher

• Career development

• Skills

• Support from your host institution

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship

• all Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Annual deadline for submission of outline proposals: Early October

• Results of outline stage expected: January (invitation to submit full application)

• Research beginning on or after: 1 September.

• Duration: 3 years

• Eligibility: Applicants have to be within three years of the award of their doctorate.

• Number of fellowships: Up to 45 awards to be made for research starting in 2013.

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship

• Annual competition for all disciplines

• Deadline is in early March of each year

• Duration: three years (may be held part-time)

• Costing: 50% of fellow's total salary with the balance to paid by host institution. See Isaac Newton Trust (deadline in January)

• Covers annual research expenses of up to £6,000

• Eligibility: Not more than 5 years since PhD. Applicants may not currently hold, or have already held, a full-time established (i.e. permanent) academic position in a UK university.

• Number of fellowships in 2013: There are approximately 80 fellowships.

ESRC Future Research Leaders

• Limit of funding: Grants up to £312,500 at 100% full economic costs; only 60% of salary covered with the balance to paid by host institution

• Duration: up to three years

• Timetable: deadline is in early October 2012

for start in October 2013.

• Eligibility: not more than four years of post-doctoral experience; no present UK university affiliation required but need agreement of a UK university to host applicant.

• Number of awards: ESRC aims to make around 70 awards.

AHRC standard grant – route for early career researchers

• Grants range from £50,000 to £250,000 at 100% fEC

• Duration: up to five years.

• No deadline

• any ‘blue-sky’ or applied research.

• Eligibility: applicants cannot have been PI on AHRC funded project (some exemptions apply). In contractual relationship with host university at least if grant successful

•  either within eight years of the award of your PhD or

• within six years of first academic appointment.

ERC Starting Investigator Grant

• Eligibility: time since PhD (or equivalent degree) more than two years but less than seven years prior to application.

• Any discipline

• Funding: up to €1.5 million per grant

• Duration: up to 5 years

• Calls for proposals: published annually in summer (normally late July each year) with deadlines in autumn

• For outstanding early-career researcher as PI to create their own independent research team or programme

ESRC standard grant

• Limit of funding: from £200,000 to £2.0 million at 100% fEC

• Duration: up to five years

• No deadlines

• Applications can be for ‘blue sky’, strategic or applied research, and the ESRC is keen to encourage ‘fresh ideas’ from new researchers.

• Eligibility: applicant PIs must either be employed at a University for the duration of the award, or have assurance from University that, if the proposal is successful, a contract of employment will be given that covers the period of the award plus an additional 3-6 months. This scheme lends itself for un-established researchers particularly to apply as co-investigator.