Research Grants & Contracts Office: Funding Schemes Summary

1. Research Grants & Contracts Office Research Seminar Dept of History of Art and Screen Media Craig Bryce

2. Summary • Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) • Funding Schemes • FEC and Costing (briefly!) • Internal procedures for approving applications • Finding further information

3. Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) • The RGCO, part of Finance Dept, provides administrative, financial and support services related to externally funded research projects • Pre award: funding information, help with applications, approval, contract negotiation • Post award: project accounting, approval of posts, allocation of overheads, financial reporting, contracts with partners • Policy development • Management information • Training and events

4. Research Grants & Contracts Office structure Peter Westley Director of Finance Liz Francis Head of RGCO Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer Vacant Research and Enterprise Support Officer George Eyre Research Support Officer Rassi Pelpola Research Accounts Assistant Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant

5. Research Grants & Contracts Office structure Liz Francis Head of RGCO Applications Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer Vacant Research and Enterprise Support Officer George Eyre Research Support Officer Rassi Pelpola Research Accounts Assistant Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant

6. Research Grants & Contracts Office structure Liz Francis Head of RGCO Project Accounting Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer Vacant Research and Enterprise Support Officer George Eyre Research Support Officer Rassi Pelpola Research Accounts Assistant Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant

7. Research Grants & Contracts Office Dept of History of Arts & Screen Media Liz Francis Head of RGCO Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer Vacant Research and Enterprise Support Officer George Eyre Research Support Officer Rassi Pelpola Research Accounts Assistant Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant

8. Birkbeck: research funding 2010/11: • 239 applications (83 successful to date) • Research Income £9,101,067 • 63 different funding bodies • 206 active research projects throughout all Schools • May 2012 contract value £57,911,029 • Dept of History of Art and Screen Media: • 2011/12: 4 applications, 1 successful to date • Income 2010/11 – £46k • Currently 2 active projects, contract value £110k

10. Birkbeck: research applications 2010/11

11. Help with Applications • Costing - salaries and overhead-type costs – done on web-based costing system pFACT • Approval – done using workflow system on pFACT • Electronic submission – may need to set up an account, e.g Research Council’s Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system • Contractual arrangements • Copies of previously successful applications for most schemes

12. Funding Information • Arts and Humanities Research Council • British Academy • Leverhulme Trust • Others…

13. Arts and Humanities Research Council • The Arts and Humanities Research Council [AHRC] supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. • From ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content.

14. Arts and Humanities Research Council • Research Grants • Standard route £20,000 - £1,000,000 FEC, up to 5 years. OPEN call • Early Career route £20,000 - £250,000 FEC, up to 5 years. OPEN call • Research Networking Scheme For networks, workshops or seminars. Up to £30,000 FEC (additional £15,000 to cover international participants/activities), up to 2 years . OPEN call

15. Arts and Humanities Research Council • Research Grants - Decision take approximately 30 weeks. Earliest start date for a project should be no earlier than 9 months after submission to the AHRC • Eligibilty - PI’s contract should go beyond project or assurance required from HEI that, if the proposal is successful, contract, or formal commitment to provide support if not employed at the organisation, will extend to beyond the end date of the grant • From 1 April 2012- applications must include a PI and at least one co-I jointly involved in the proposal. • AHRC funding guide -www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Documents/Research%20Funding%20Guide.pdf

16. Arts and Humanities Research Council • Fellowship Scheme - Standard & Early Career, 50-250k FEC for salary and associated costs, 6--24 months. OPEN call • Follow on Funding (Pilot scheme) Supports engagement with non-HEI partners, based on research previously funded by the AHRC. Max £120,000 FEC, up to 12 months. OPEN call

17. British Academy The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences (inc. psychology). 2011/12 programmes budget: £25m Strategic priorities 2008-2013 • Ideas, individuals and intellectual resources • International engagement • Communication and advocacy • Fellowship

18. British Academy • BA / Leverhulme Small Research Grant scheme Up to £10,000 research expenses. • Postdoctoral Fellowship 3 year Fellowships, FEC. Deadline for outline applications is usually in October, 5% success rate • Mid-Career Fellowship £160,000 FEC. 6-12 months funding available. Deadline for outline usually March and November. • BA / Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship Replacement teaching costs, 1 year. (not FEC) Deadline is usually in November

19. Leverhulme Trust Scholarship for the purposes of research and education Annual budget £60m Suitability of research applications to Leverhulme: • the originality of the proposed work • courageous research (avoidance of the incremental; and the applicant’s ability to take informed risk/blue skies research) • a mixture of disciplines (blurring boundaries/lateral impact) • individual exploration (hesitation with data banks/cataloguing) • the impact of the research outcome on other fields of study and within the immediate field of research • research design transcends traditional boundaries • a departure from the established working patterns either of the individual or of the discipline

20. Leverhulme Trust • Research Project Grants Up to 3 years, £10,000 - £250,000; Up to 5 years, £250,000 - £500,000, three deadlines per year. • Programme Awards Up to 5 years, £1,750,000 max. Call date & topic set by funder. • International Networks UP to 3 years, max £125,000, three deadlines per year. • Artists in Residence UP to £15,000 for 10 months, two deadlines per year.

21. Leverhulme Trust • Early Career Fellowship 3yrs, 50% salary cost (to be matched by HEI) plus research expenses. • Study Abroad Fellowship 3-12 months, up to £22,000, replacement teaching & research expenses • Research Fellowship 3-24 months, up to £45,000, replacement teaching & research expenses • Major Research Fellowship in the Humanities & Social Science 2-3yrs, replacement teaching & research expenses • Visiting Professorship 3-10 month visit to UK, travel costs & subsistence allowance

22. Europe • Research mainly funded via 7th Framework Programme • Co- operation - Collaborative Research Programme • Collaborative/multi-national requirement • Call driven • Ideas - Frontier Research (European Research Council) • Starting Grants (call opens July ’11) • 1.5m€ over 5 years • PI must have PhD awarded in last 2 - 12 years • PI expected to spend min 50% of time on project (funded) • Advanced grants • 2.5m€ over 5 years • SSH deadline 6 April • No PhD time eligibility but “only exceptional research leaders” • PI with track record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years • PI expected to spend min 30% of time on project (funded) • People - Marie Curie Schemes • 'mobility' requirement

23. Others…. • Over the last 3 years the School has submitted applications to: • AHRC, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Modern Humanities Research Association, Wellcome Trust, European Science Foundation, JISC, ESRC/AHRC joint scheme, Technology Strategy Board, Royal Society • Research Professional - http://www.researchprofessional.com

25. A successful application:What the funder looks for • High-quality research: an original contribution to knowledge in the field • Outputs: what will be the impact of the research? • Academic record: evidence of research potential

26. A strong proposal (1) • Addresses the funder’s research priorities and the aims of the scheme • Clear language without jargon • Establishes the context for the research • Well-defined aims and objectives • Detailed methodology – why these methods? • Has the right people on board, i.e. mentor / co-applicant(s), host institution

27. A strong proposal(2) • Anticipates potential problems – how will you deal with them? • Has realistic ambitions • Identifies and addresses training needs • Specified outputs and dissemination plans

28. Practical points (1) • Allow plenty of time, months not weeks! • Read all guidelines, terms and conditions • Check your eligibility • Consider ethical aspects / approval • Check application form requirements, e.g. referee reports, signatures, length of proposal • Electronic submission – may need to set up an account prior to deadline

29. Practical points (2) • Research previously funded applications to same funder / scheme • Choose referees carefully – check they have time. • Get the finances right – check with Research Grants Office and justify costs requested • Get as much feedback on your draft proposal as possible – INTERNAL PEER REVIEW • Consult with the funder if you have any questions

30. Preparing a good proposal • Guidance notes on constructing a good proposal to the ESRC Research Grants Scheme: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/guidance/applicants/how-to.aspx • Part 1 Allow yourself time Study your funding source Read the rules Discuss your application Justify your costings • Part 2 Content and presentation • Part 3 Dissemination and impact Check the details If you are successful If you are unsuccessful • EPSRC: Preparing a Proposal: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/apprev/preparing/Pages/default.aspx • NERC: How to win money for research: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/howtowin.asp

31. Full Economic Costing (fEC) • Introduced by the Government in 2005 • Used as basis to cost research projects, but very few funders will pay 100% of FEC • Research Councils pay 80% of FEC • Other funders pay according to their own terms and conditions • We use pFACT to calculate the FEC

32. What makes up fEC? • Directly Incurred (DI) costs • Directly Allocated (DA) costs • Indirect costs • Exceptional items: e.g. project studentships Research Councils will pay 80% of DI, DA and Indirect Costs; 100% of Exceptional Items

33. College Approval procedures - pFACT • Set out in the College's Financial Regulations, as approved by Governors • All external research grants must be authorised for submission through the pFACT system. • All approval stages to be completed prior to submitting to the funding body • RGCO – webpage http://www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco/researchgrants/application/authorization.shtml

34. College Approval procedures - pFACT • The application should only be submitted once all the stages have been completed. • Each approver should be given at least three clear working days (that’s NINE days prior to deadline). • Paper applications that require institutional signatures should be passed to the RGCO at the same time that the applicant completes their stage of the pFACT sign-off

35. http://pfact.bbk.ac.uk/login.aspx

36. Contact information Research Grants Office: www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco Liz Francis: extn 3146 l.francis@bbk.ac.uk Craig Bryce: extn 3141 c.bryce@bbk.ac.uk George Eyre: extn 3144 g.eyre@bbk.ac.uk Sharon Bell: extn 3139 s.bell@bbk.ac.uk Rassi Pelpola: extn 3149 r.pelpola@bbk.ac.uk Marion Barthram: extn 3138 m.barthram@bbk.ac.uk

37. www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco