Grant Applications Made Simple(r)

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Grant Applications Made Simple(r)

• Rose Wiles, David Martin, Sue Heath
• National Centre for Research Methods
• University of Southampton

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Overview

• Sources of funding
• How to convert a research idea into a grant
  application with a good chance of success
• Who and what you need to know
• How costings work
• How the application process works
• Dos and donts of grant applications useful tips
• Small print this guidance based on past
  experience offered in good faith and without
  guarantees!

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Who we are

• Rose Wiles, Principal Research Fellow, NCRM 8
  NHS grants, 5 charity grants, 2 ESRC grants
• David Martin, NCRM co-director, ESRC Census
  Programme coordinator 16 ESRC awards, plus
  others
• Sue Heath, NCRM co-director, Centre for
  Population Change co-director 6 ESRC grants,
  plus 2 others

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Out of scope

• What makes a good research idea
• Why seek research funding
• How to manage a grant once youve got it

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Funding opportunities

• ESRC opportunities
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
• Research Grant Scheme
• Research Fellowship Scheme
• Other early career opportunities
• Nuffield foundation small grants scheme new
  career development fellowships
• Leverhulme early career fellowships

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ESRC post-doctoral fellowships

• For those just about to complete a PhD or who
  have no more than 3 years active postdoc
  experience (career breaks for family or health
  reasons allowable)
• Applications in 2008 specifically encouraged in
  priority discipline areas economics education
  management and business studies advanced
  quantitative methods social work socio-legal
  studies
• Not confined to UK citizens
• Apply any time
• 1 year FT or 2 years PT funding on research
  salary scale plus limited expenses

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Post-doctoral fellowships objectives

• Time to gear up for a successful academic
  career
• To produce publications to help secure a track
  record in your chosen specialisation to improve
  opportunities for long-term employment in the HEI
  sector
• To disseminate your research findings to both
  academic and non-academic audiences
• To improve research and related skills through
  specialised training
• To carry out further limited research linked to
  your PhD and through developing proposals for
  further funding

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ESRC research grants scheme

• Single projects from 15K to 1.5M
• Up to five years funding
• Small grants lt100K good starting point for
  funding
• Basic criteria quality, timeliness, track record
  and value for money

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ESRC Research Fellowship Scheme

• A period of concentrated research activity a
  significant career development opportunity for
  promising researchers
• Open to applicants in all disciplines and at all
  stages of postdoctoral research career
• Open to applicants in established posts and
  contract researchers
• If lt10 years experience, a mentor will be
  appointed, career development must be a strong
  theme
• Full salary plus research expenses
• Can apply at any time

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Research Fellowship Scheme Objectives

• A programme of work, not a single project
• Focus on career development - 2-3 years funding
• To include training in, eg, advanced methods,
  teaching, research management
• To consolidate previous research and
  theoretical/methodological development

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Nuffield Foundation Social Science Small Grants
Scheme

• Up to 7.5K or exceptionally 12k
• For those new to social science research for
  outstanding small or pilot projects or for
  projects linked to the advancement of social
  well-being
• Can apply at any time

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Nuffield Foundation New Career Development
Fellowships

• Aimed at post-doctoral researchers who have the
  potential to become outstanding in their field
• Collaborative scheme postdoctoral researchers
  and established researcher
• Up to 170K over 3 years money for partner
  researcher
• Designed to facilitate a change in direction
  for exceptional new scholars
• Date for 2009 to be announced

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Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

• To provide career development opportunities for
  people at an early stage of career but with a
  proven research record
• not in an established post
• Normally under 35 (unless career break or late
  starter)
• 2-3 years funding 50 salary costs, 50 from
  institution, plus 5K expenses per annum
• Next round January 2009

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Turning a research idea into a grant proposal

• (Assuming you already have a great idea)
• Be clear about what will make your application
  unique
• Ensure promised outputs are in proportion to the
  inputs
• Get all the details of the proposal spot-on
• A research grant proposal has to combine a small
  business plan with an academic research paper

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Programme call
Research idea
Response mode
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Programme call
Costing
Research idea
Develop project proposal
Response mode
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Programme call
Costing software (pfact)
Costing
J-eS
Research idea
Develop project proposal
Response mode
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Focus of this presentation
Programme call
Costing software (pfact)
Costing
J-eS
Submission
Research idea
Develop project proposal
Response mode
To research councils
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Developing a workplan

• Workpackages, timescales, start and finish dates,
  sequencing of work
• Who is going to do the work?
• How much academic direction?
• What can be done by RAs/tech/admin?
• What are the interdependencies?
• Beware risky elements beyond own control
• Inter-institutional will take (much) longer!

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Other considerations

• Ethics approval School/University processes?
• Collaborators and letters of support?
• Inclusion of studentships? (esp. timings)
• NB ALWAYS follow any funder- and
  programme-specific rules!
• Nominated reviewers?
• Implications for own workload? If so, discuss
  very early with Head of School/dept.

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Costings the FEC wonderland

• FEC Full economic costing
• Used to be overheads
• Main driver is academic/research staff time
• Investigators own time must be costed
• FEC based on financial analysis of costs to
  institution (estate costs, heat/light, etc.)
• Research councils only currently pay 80 of FEC

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Costings homework

• Make a complete list of what you need
• Staff, travel, equipment, services, etc.
• Use own University rates that is how youll
  claim
• Collate staffing details start and end dates,
  time worked, salary points for new staff
• NB technical/admin no institutional drivers
• Get exemplar costs for all travel, equipment etc.
  and be prepared to justify
• No general office expenses etc.

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J-eS

• Have to be registered first and use annually!
• Online grant application website for UK research
  councils
• Most elements completed by applicants
• Approved costings information to be uploaded
• Need to organize and chase everyone involved CVs
  of collaborators and named staff approvers to be
  ready on the day, etc.

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Structure of a J-eS bid

• Simple questions PI, Co-Is, previous apps, etc.
• Short text answers (summary, objectives, ethics)
• NB character counts not the same as Word!
• Attachments typically Case for support,
  applicant CVs, Justification of resources,
  Bibliography, Letters of support etc.
• All completed in shared online workspace
• Submission and approval sequence leading to
  submission to research council

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Submisson of a J-eS bid

• All documentation completed
• Submitted by PI to School/dept. approvers
• Submitted by School/dept. approver to University
  approver (usually finance dept.)
• Submitted by university approver to research
  council
• All electronic, but requires chain of people who
  are expecting it in advance and already know its
  OK

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How the application will be judged

• Receipt acknowledged by research council registry
• Checked by office against funding rules and
  specifics of call
• Despatched to reviewers and assessors
• Grades considered by commissioning panel,
  decisions made and ratified
• Contract negotiated with university
• The real work begins

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Do

• Familiarise yourself with the funding bodys
  strategy and ethos
• Familiarise yourself with the specific
  requirements of a funding body or a specific call
• Make sure that you are eligible for the scheme
  for which youre applying (and check with them if
  youre unsure)

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Do

• Start the application process in good time
• Make the case for your project directly and
  strongly why should your project be prioritised
  (given that it will be in competition with
  others)?
• Set out your research questions and objectives
  clearly (a research proposal is not a literature
  review get right the balance of background and
  proposal)

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Do

• Set out your methodology clearly, and flag up
  where it is cutting edge and interdisciplinary
• Ensure that methods address the research
  questions set out
• Acknowledge awareness of potential problems and
  possible criticisms of approach chosen
• Include a timetable for your activities

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Do

• Use the bibliography to show up-to-date knowledge
  of the field
• Choose an appropriate and reliable nominated
  reviewer
• Engage with potential research users
• Address the issue of knowledge transfer
• Draw on other peoples expertise (e.g. that of
  staff in the research office)

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Dont

• Promise to solve all the problems in your field
  in one project
• Assume that key points are too obvious to need
  stating explicitly (referees can comment only on
  what is before them)
• Undersell yourself or your project (the total
  cost will look dauntingly big)

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Dont

• Miss the opportunity to spell out how well your
  project fits the scheme/call
• Give up at the first hurdle, or be put off by the
  odds of success of the average application
• Be afraid to ask colleagues to see applications
  they have made (successful and unsuccessful, with
  comments)

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And finally

• Even though the odds may be against being funded,
  DONT give up!