Research Funding Opportunities in KLS

1. Research Funding Opportunities in KLS Brian Lingley Faculty Funding Officer

2. Basically two types of funding available…: ‘Responsive Mode’ Grants & Fellowships For research on a subject suggested by you ‘Managed Programme’ Grants & Contracts For research on a subject suggested by the funder Programme Grants are similar to other grants; Contracts tend to have more onerous terms and conditions and generally result in ‘deliverable’ product/report …and five sources of funding: Research Councils Charities Professional and Learned Bodies Government Europe Basics…

3. Research Councils • Benefits of applying to RCs: • Prestige • fEC – generous funding • What to watch out for: • Cuts – and ‘politics’ • Themes, demand management, ‘longer, larger, fewer’ • Impact

4. Research Councils • Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (26% - £795m) • Science & Technology Facilities Council (20% - £624m) • Medical Research Council (19% - £606m) • Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (14% - £427m) • Natural Environment Research Council (13% - £392m) • Economic & Social Research Council (5% - £165m) • Arts & Humanities Research Council (3% - £103m)

6. AHRC v ESRC • “AHRC supports research into the content, procedures, theory, philosophy and history of the law. This includes studies of legal systems and legislation in all periods of history and in all parts of the world. ESRC supports socio-legal studies, which are concerned with the social, political and economic influences on and impact of the law and the legal system.”

7. AHRC • 70% of Funding Open • 30% Themed • ‘Connected Communities’ • ‘strategic need’: modern languages, design and heritage • AHRC’s own multidisciplinary themes: Care for the Future; Translating Cultures; Digital Transformations; Science and Culture

8. Main AHRC Schemes • Research Grant • £50k to £1M (EC flavour - £50k to £250k) • Up to 60 months • PI plus 1-2 Co-Is • Open Call • Fellowships • £50k to £250k • 6 to 18 months • At least 50% commitment • (EC flavour – at least 2 years post doc experience) • Research Networks – up to £30k for costs • EC? – within 8 years of PhD, or 6 years of first academic appointment

9. Main ESRC Schemes • Research Grant • £200k to £2M • Open Call • Future Research Leaders • Up to £312,500 • Up to 3 years • Up to 60% of time • September Deadline • Within 4 years of PhD • Research Seminars - up to £15k costs • Opens mid-December

10. Delivery Plans: Themes • AHRC • ‘Connected Communities’ • ‘strategic need’: modern languages, design and heritage • AHRC’s own multidisciplinary themes: Care for the Future; Translating Cultures; Digital Transformations; Science and Culture • ESRC • Economic performance and sustainable growth • Influencing behaviour and informing interventions • Vibrant and fair society

11. Cross-Council Themes • Global Uncertainties • Living with Environmental Change • Ageing: Lifelong Health and Wellbeing • Digital Economy • Energy • Global Food Security

12. Charities • General • Leverhulme Trust • Wellcome Trust • Nuffield Foundation • Specialist • Joseph Rowntree Foundation • Often medical – e.g. Cancer Research UK • AMRC (www.amrc.org.uk) • Represents 111 health-related charities, with a combined expenditure on medical research of £630m per annum.

13. Leverhulme (£53m) • Funds all fields, except social policy and welfare, medicine and education • Supports original, risk-taking research that often transcends traditional discipline boundaries • Rough split: • Sciences: 40% • Soc. Sciences: 40% • Humanities: 20%

14. Leverhulme • Fellowships • Up to £45k • 3-24 mths • Call Sept, deadline Nov • EC version – 03/14 deadline • International Academic Fellowship • Up to £22k • Up to 12 mths • Same deadline as above • Employed FT >5 yrs • Grants • Up to £500k • Up to 5 yrs • Most > £250k, 2-3 years • 2 part process • Open call, assessed quarterly • Success Rates • Fellowship: 10-15% • SA Fellowship: 30% • Grants: 15-20%

15. Leverhulme • Benefits of applying to Leverhulme • Not ‘restricted’ by demands of distributing public money • no ‘political agenda’ • reporting not as onerous • What to watch out for: • Research has to appeal to broad general audience • Trustees all ex-Unilever employees • Depend for advice on: • ‘Advisory Committee’ (for smaller grants): 9 professors • ‘Advisory Panel’ (for larger grants): 32 academics • Interdisciplinary – but not ‘last resort’ • Risk taking • Individual ‘vision’

16. Wellcome (£642m) • ‘To foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health’ • Supports • Biomedical research • Technology transfer • Medical Humanities: • History of Medicine & Biomedical Ethics • Public engagement with science • Does not support • Clinical trials • Generally, cancer research

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

18. Nuffield (£10m) • Aims • ‘To improve social well-being through education, research and innovation.’ • Themes: • Children & Families, Education, Law & Society • Also ‘open door’ • Project Grants £10-250k • Most between £50-150k

19. Nuffield • Benefits of applying to Nuffield • 2 part process: initial application very simple, and can apply any time (Mar, Jul & Nov deadlines) • What to watch out for: • Look at previously successful grants • Strong social policy element • Importance of ‘methodology’ • Engagement with beneficiaries

20. Rowntree (£5m) • 3 aims: • Poverty: to examine the root causes of poverty and disadvantage and identify solutions. • Empowerment: to find ways in which people and communities can have control of their own lives. • Place: to contribute to the building and development of strong, cohesive and sustainable communities. • Benefits of applying to JRF: • Prestigious • What to watch out for: • Very prescriptive calls for proposals • Relatively small amounts of funding

21. 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. The Law Society, Socio-Legal Studies Association • Learned Societies • Represent, and act as a forum for, a particular subject or discipline • British Academy funds research in Humanities & Social Sciences

22. British Academy • Small Research Grants • Up to £10k over 2 years • Flexible (workshops, travel, some RA etc) • Not PI salary or overheads • Mar and Oct deadlines • Postdoctoral Fellowship • 3 year salary • Within 3 years of PhD • Attractive, but very competitive (< 5% success) • October deadline • Mid-Career Fellowship • 6 to 12 months • Within 15 years of PhD • September deadline

23. Government • National • Government Departments • County Councils • Other Government-funded organisations • British Council – collaborative grants • NESTA • Lottery • International • Europe • Framework Programme • USA • Federal Grants

26. http://www.kent.ac.uk/researchservices/horizon2020/index.htmlhttp://www.kent.ac.uk/researchservices/horizon2020/index.html

27. European Research Council • Responsive Mode • No requirement for collaborative groups • Starting Researcher • Up to €1.5M over 5 years • 2 to 7 years post PhD • Call closes 25 March 2014 • Advanced Researcher • Up to €2.5M over 5 years • 10 year track record • Call closes 21st Oct 2014 • Consolidating Researcher • Up to €2.0M over 5 years • 7 to 12 years post PhD • Call closes 3rd June 2014

28. Thoughts on Funding Proposals

29. Perspective • Put yourself in the funder’s position • Can you understand what is proposed? • Is it worth spending money on? • Are the objectives important? • Are they achievable? • Is the timeframe realistic? • Does it offer value for money? • Can the applicant deliver? • Do you have the necessary track record? • Can you manage a project?

30. Panellists • Not specialist in your area • Time poor • Eminent • Having to filter 100+ applications at a time

31. Make It Easy for Them • Make it simple • Avoid jargon • ‘intelligent 14 yr old’ • Simple structure/ format/language • Make it urgent • Why should we care? • Back it up with evidence • Make it realistic • Programme and costs • Concentrate on methodology • Write defensively • Repeat key messages • ‘we need to know...’ • ‘this will tell us...’

32. Craft it • Give yourself time • At least a month to write • Show it to others • Academics working in same discipline • Academics working in other disciplines • Research Services

33. Good vs Bad Bad Application Unclear, esoteric question Pages of densely packed jargon Emphasis on background and literature Incomplete description of research process Ignores funder guidance Good Application • An important question • Realistic promise of an answer • Ability and track record of research team • Well designed and fully described project • Properly resourced and value for money • Well written and presented application • Fits funder priorities

34. Managing Your Research Proposals • One won’t be enough • Typical success rates 10 -20% • Reviewing and assessing a ‘lottery’ • Applications are time-consuming • Rejection is crushing • Multiple applications give you hope • Don’t wait for the rejections • Create economies of scale • Allow 1-2 years from idea to grant • Don’t exhaust your ideas • Complementary applications • Look out for spin off ideas and ‘spare’ research questions • Recycle ideas to different funders • Don’t flog a dead horse

35. Further Information • Research & Impact Strategy: https://www.kent.ac.uk/researchservices/local/documents/committees/bre/current/20130307/bre12%2017.pdf • Jacqueline Aldridge & Andrew Derrington: The Research Funding Toolkit (Sage, 2012) (http://www.researchfundingtoolkit.org/) • Research Services: http://www.kent.ac.uk/researchservices/index.html • Research Professional: http://www.researchprofessional.com/ • Brian Lingley contact details: • 01227 824427 • B.lingley@kent.ac.uk