Internal Funding

Putative next central application deadline - 31st July 2012. Your department will wish to receive applications for approval prior to this date.

Introduction

The University has a number of different funds that it makes available to staff to support a range of research priming activities. These include the Research Pump Priming Fund, the Strategic Equipment Fund, the Research Visitors (including Distinguished Visitor Scheme) and the Large Grants Support Fund.

Why are we making a change?

It has become clear that departments and academic staff are often unsure as to which fund is most appropriate to apply to. A review has been undertaken of the different activities that are covered by the different funds which showed that whilst the aims of the various funds and the reasons for undertaking various activities were different, the actual activities that were funded were similar. For example, nearly all the funds supported workshops, visitors, equipment and travel costs.

What funding is available?

In addition to supporting Research Priming with its core funding, the University has been awarded an EPSRC Institutional Sponsorship Grant (2011-12) and a Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (WT ISSF) award (2011-2014), which, together with some of the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) income, it will use to fund priming activities.

What is the EPSRC Institutional Sponsorship Grant?

The University has received funding this year to provide to support the delivery of activities that meet the EPSRC strategic plan goal of Shaping Capability. The EPSRC shaping capabilities theme is to shape the research base to ensure it delivers high quality research for the UK, both now and in the future and to retain the capability to tackle future challenges and capitalise on new opportunities. The University intends to use the funds to provide a step change in encouraging research staff to put forward new and novel research ideas which map to the EPSRC portfolio and strategic themes. There is an express expectation that there will be specific outcomes at the end of the project, including a grant application to EPSRC and that applications will need to match with the departmental research strategies and priorities as well as those of EPSRC.

What is different from the previous scheme?

In order to reduce the administrative burden on departments and to ensure that funding is utilised most effectively, University Research Committee (URC) has agreed to consolidate the different funds so that, where possible, there is a single application process and a similar approval process.

The following changes with respect to previous Research Priming Funds should be noted.

The accounting period will change to match the University Financial Year (Aug-July)

In order to ensure good financial oversight, it has been agreed to move the accounting period for the funds from a February to February annual award to a University Financial Year (ie August 1st to July 31st). Due to previously funding allocations as yet being unspent (deadline for expenditure is Feb 2012), this is likely to significantly reduce the funds available to be awarded in 2011/12 provided by the core University funds. However, this should be considered against improving the overall financial management and is likely to reduce the amount of funding unspent at the end of the financial year. Additional priming funds are also provided from the WT ISSF and the BTG support, meaning the financial blow is considerably softened.

Devolved research priming funds will no longer be allocated

In previous years, a proportion of the research priming fund was devolved to departments using a formula based on the number of ‘CatA’ staff in a department. It has been recognised that there have been significant difficulties in encouraging some departments to spend their devolved awards within the remit of the fund and within the timescale. As such the Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and URC have agreed to suspend the devolved element and to encourage departments to apply to the central fund as appropriate. Departments will be allowed to apply to the Central fund for a block of money to support a variety of priming activity in their department (akin to that supported by the Devolved fund), which need not describe the exact project/s to be supported, but which would need to explain the link to their departmental research strategy and clear intended outcomes of the priming activity.

There will be two calls for applications per annum

With the exception of the current financial year, the normal timetable for applications each year will be as follows:

May deadline, June decision meeting, Aug 1st start date, July 31st end date
Jan deadline, Feb decision meeting, Feb 20th start date, July 31st end date

It should be noted that additional calls for applications will be made for the Wellcome Trust ISSF and that applications received by the Research Priming Committee that are suitable for ISSF support will be passed on for consideration by this committee.

The deadlines for applications is:

Application deadline = 28 Feb 2012. The Committee will meet in early March and funding allocated shortly afterwards. Funds must be spent by July 31st 2012 without exception.

Information for staff