Who to contact in the Internal Funding and Programmes Team

The Stables
University of York
York
YO10 5DD
re-internal-funding-team@york.ac.uk

The IFPT Team: Managing Internal Funds and PGR Finance

The Internal Funding and Programmes Team (IFPT) plays a crucial role in managing and coordinating two vital areas of institutional finance: internally-distributed funds and Postgraduate Research (PGR) finance.

Internally-distributed Funds

We manage the administration of internally-distributed funds designed to support key institutional research priorities. These funds are typically made available through seasonal funding calls and are used for:

Impact activity: Funding initiatives that ensure our research makes a real-world difference. This includes developing partnerships to focus our research on actual challenges and helping to translate our findings into tangible benefits.
Knowledge Exchange funding: For projects that actively share research and expertise with external partners to generate tangible economic and societal impact.
Pump-priming research: Funding for novel, early-stage research to test ideas, build collaborations, and establish sustainable research avenues that can secure future external funding.
Capital purchases: Supporting the acquisition of strategically important capital assets.

Funding Enquiries

If you are considering applying for internal funding, the best first step is to consult with the relevant Fund Manager.

However, the IFPT team is your primary contact for:

General enquiries about the application process.
Information on current funding calls and availability.
Specific questions regarding a previously awarded project.

Postgraduate Research (PGR) Finance

We also manage and coordinate PGR finances across the institution. This includes overseeing funding from major external bodies such as UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and various charity-funded training grants. Our work ensures the effective financial administration of these critical PGR funding streams.

Contacts

Team / Contact	Responsibilities
Vicky Wren Programme Manager vicky.wren@york.ac.uk	Leads the Internal Funding and Programmes Team, overseeing all pre-award, post-award functions, the Research Development Fund (RDF) and Postgraduate research finance activity. Vicky manages and coordinates funding calls, budgets, governance, and internal/external reporting (including evaluations, outputs, and impact) across all internally-distributed and training grant funds.
Internally-distributed Funds Pre Award Team
Leigh Kristensen Team Coordinator leigh.kristensen@york.ac.uk	Leads and manages the pre-award internal funding function. Leigh manages the funding application process, collaborating with IFPT colleagues, Faculty Impact Managers, Fund Managers, and Academic Leads.
Jackie Gitahi Team Administrator jacqueline.gitahi@york.ac.uk	Contact Jackie for all general pre-award enquiries, including funding call updates, eligibility checks, panel meeting arrangements, and application submissions.
Internally-distributed Funds Post Award Team
Lana Scoot Post Award Grant and Funds Coordinator lana.scoot@york.ac.uk	Delivering post-award financial management of funds administered by the IFPT. Contact Lana for queries on projects funded by HEIF, PCKE, YIAF, URP, PACE, Mahidol-York Seed Grant and RDF.
Karen Kaye Post Award Grant and Funds Coordinator. karen.kaye@york.ac.uk	Delivering post-award financial management of funds administered by the IFPT. Contact Karen for queries on projects funded by the Research Councils (BBSRC, EPSRC, MRC, ESRC, STFC) and the Centre for Future Health.
Research Development Fund (RDF)
Zaynab Seedat Research Development Fund Administrator zaynab.seedat@york.ac.uk	Zaynab is responsible for administering the Research Development Fund and the PVC-R approval process. Zaynab's responsibilities include tracking funding requests, maintaining an up-to-date record of live projects and commitments, and managing communications between relevant parties.
Postgraduate Research Finance Team
Sarah Ramshaw Grants and Scholarships Coordinator sarah.ramshaw@york.ac.uk	Works across both the pre and post-award PGR finance functions. Sarah supports the delivery of studentship competitions and manages the day-to-day financial administration of training grant funding awards.
Nikki Waygood Post Award Grant and Funds Coordinator nikki.waygood@york.ac.uk	Focuses specifically on PGR finance post-award. Responsibilities include managing training grant budgets, setting up new awards, reconciling accounts, and preparing the necessary information for funder claim submissions.