1

Grant Applications Made Simple(r)

Rose Wiles, David Martin, Sue HeathNational Centre for Research Methods

University of Southampton

2

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 don’ts of grant applications: useful tips

– Small print: this guidance based on past experience offered in good faith and without guarantees!

3

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

4

Out of scope• What makes a good research idea• Why seek research funding• How to manage a grant once you’ve got it

5

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

6

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

7

• ‘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

Post-doctoral fellowships: objectives

8

• Single projects from £15K to £1.5M• Up to five years funding• Small grants = <100K: good starting point for

funding • Basic criteria: quality, timeliness, track record

and value for money

ESRC research grants scheme

9

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 <10 years experience, a mentor will be appointed, & career development must be a strong theme

• Full salary plus research expenses• Can apply at any time

10

• 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

Research Fellowship Scheme: Objectives

11

• 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

Nuffield Foundation: Social Science Small Grants Scheme

12

• 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

Nuffield Foundation: New Career Development Fellowships

13

• 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

Leverhulme Trust: Early Career Fellowships

14

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

15

Programme call

Response mode

Research idea

16

Programme call

Response mode

Research idea

Costing

Develop project

proposal

17

Programme call

Response mode

Research idea J-eS

Costing

Develop project

proposal

Costing software

(pfact)

18

Programme call

Response mode

Research idea J-eS*

Costing

Develop project

proposal

Subm

ission

Focus of this presentation

Costing software

(pfact)

*To research councils

19

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!

20

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.

21

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

22

Costings: homework• Make a complete list of what you need

– Staff, travel, equipment, services, etc.– Use own University rates – that is how you’ll 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.

23

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.

24

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

25

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 it’s OK

26

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…

27

Do…• Familiarise yourself with the funding body’s

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 you’re applying (and check with them if you’re unsure)

28

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)

29

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

30

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 people’s expertise (e.g. that of

staff in the research office)

31

Don’t…• 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)

32

Don’t…• 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)

33

And finally…

Even though the odds may be against being funded, DON’T give up!