Developing a successful research grant application

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Dr David Young (Research Funding Development Manager)Research and Business Services

Developing a Successful Research Grant

Application

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Welcome!Introductions

Where are you?Aims

StructureHandouts

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Here’s the plan…Research funding landscape

Discussion 1How to find and apply for

research fundingBreak

Playing the research funding game

Discussion 2 & 3Exercise

Final questions and follow-up

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Time is limitedApologies for brevityPlease ask questions

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What’s out there?An overview of

research fundingDual support

Funders and remitsCurrent policy and strategic

directions

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Dual supportResearch is funded in two ways:

HEFCE QR block grantResearch grants and contracts

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• RAE/REF• Relatively predictable• Flexible• Long-term• £1.9bn

QR Block Grant

• Range of funders• Competitive• Mainly shorter-term• Relatively inflexible• £4.4bn

Research grants & contracts

Figures for 2010/11 for UK HE sector from HESA

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•£2.4MQR Block Grant

•£4.4MResearch grants & contracts

Figures for 2010/11 for Northumbria from University’s financial statements/HEFCE

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Research Councils7 councils

Different remits but increasing crossover

Mix of calls: some open, some targeted

From “blue sky” to appliedCollaborative and individualCompetitive and prestigious

£1,558M in 2010/11

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Other UK Governmente.g. DEFRA, MOD (CDE), NIHR,

DFID, NHSGenerally much more targeted

Generally more appliedGenerally tighter deadlines

£807M in 2010/11

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Industrial FundingConsultancy and contract

researchMeeting the needs of the

businessCan be good pay-off…

…but check contracts and IPR£293M in 2010/11

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Charities & Trustse.g. Wellcome, Leverhulme,

CRUK, Joseph RowntreeVast range of funders

From small to hugeFrom targeted to open

Independent of governmentDon’t pay overheads

£920M in 2010/11

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Academies & Societiese.g. British Academy, Royal Society, Royal Academy of

EngineeringPart-funded by parliamentary grant, but more independent

than Research CouncilsMix of fellowships, prizes and

grantsCompetitive and prestigious

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EuropeFramework Programme 7 -

€50bnInternational collaboration……but some individual grants

availableCan be time-consuming to write

Success rates vary widely£513M in 2010/11

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Funding EnvironmentThe Big Squeeze…

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/150

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Research grants Studentships Fellowships TOTAL

EPSRC spend by type of award over current spending review period

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Strategic DirectionsImpact

Longer and largerInterdisciplinary and

collaborativeSolving “grand challenges”

Concentration of fundingDemand management

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But there is hope…Be realistic

Be informedBe innovative

Be rigorousBe targeted

Be connectedBe prepared: know the game

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Discussion 1Target Practice: finding the right funder for you

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How to find and apply for funding

Finding fundingResearch application process

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Research ProfessionalGo to:

http://researchprofessional.comRegister

Log inFunding search

Practice!Set up email alerts

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Other sourcesUKRO: http://www.ukro.ac.uk/

RDInfo/Funding: http://www.rdfunding.org.uk/

Research Support Blog (Northumbria):

http://research.northumbria.ac.uk/support/

The Nugget (Northumbria): http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/researchandconsultancy/sa/funding/nugget/

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Find funding opportunity

Read guidance

Contact RBS/School

administratorContact partners

Draft bid (including budget with RBS support)

Peer review and feedback Revise draft

RBS coordinates bid registration &

approval

Sign off & submit!

Research Application Process

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Any questions?

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Coffee time!…back in 10 mins

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Playing the research funding game

The bottom lineLearning the game

Discussion 2Raising your game

Discussion 3Mastering the game

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The bottom lineA well written and constructed

proposal won’t necessarily mean that poor research gets

funded……but a poorly written and

poorly constructed proposal often prevents good research

getting funded

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Learning the gameThis is a competition: “It’s not a

test; it’s a contest”

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Learning the game: basic elements

Research project structure:Who?

What?How?

(…Why?)

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Learning the game: Who?

Principal InvestigatorCo-investigator

Partners

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Learning the game: What?

Research problems/questionsMethodology

Outputs Impacts

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Learning the game: How?

BudgetProject plan

Management

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Learning the game: the call

Funders issue calls for proposalsThese can be open or targeted

The call will include guidance notes on context and how to put

the application togetherIt may also tell you the review

criteriaYOU MUST: address the remitYOU MUST: follow these rules

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Learning the game: the application

Lay summary/abstractAims & objectives

Academic beneficiariesPathways to impact

Case for supportStaff responsibilities

Justification of resourcesCVs

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Discussion 2Help! I’m a researcher: overcoming

barriers to your research

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Raising your gameFollowing the rules is not

enough……you need to answer “why?”

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Raising your game: Why is this important?

“National importance”What is the risk of not funding

this research?

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Raising your game: Why this funder?

Matching the funder’s strategic remit

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Raising your game: Why you?

Could anyone else do this?What is unique or innovative

about your approach?Identify weakness and get the

right team in place

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Raising your game: Why now?

What is timely about your research?

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Discussion 3It’s not rocket science: the art of the

project summary

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Mastering the game: 10 common traps and

pitfalls to avoidIt’s not a research paper!

Get to the point!Justify, justify, justify

No details on plan/methodologyWatch your language

Spelling and grammarInconsistencies between sections

Promising too much/too littleIgnoring funder priorities

Tell a convincing “story”

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Mastering the game: peer review

Ask someone else to read your proposal before you submit!

…and not just read, but critique

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Mastering the game: practice, practice,

practice…

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ExerciseSumming up: writing up your own

research project

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Workshop SessionsFriday 1st June, 2pm-5pm

Wednesday 20th June, 9am-12pmTo book:

laura2.mcmahon@northumbria.ac.ukEmail completed outlines to me:

david.g.young@northumbria.ac.uk At least three days before your session

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Thank you for listening…any questions?

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Image Credits (1)Welcome Mat by Jeni Rodger (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittymghee/4437368431/Plans by Jeff Hitchcock (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/arbron/1043115842/Time by lett (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/07anycolouryoulike/4536619509 /Binoculars portrait by gerlos (CC BY-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerlos/3119891607/Money by 401K (CC BY-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/68751915@N05/6848823919/Swindon by cinto2 (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/cinto2/544510546/The House of Commons by UK Parliament (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_parliament/4642915654 /Factory by Biczzz (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/biczzz/1570699867/Collection Box by Leo Reynolds (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/7496500/Graduation Day by Jase Curtis (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/25722571@N08/6385852693/

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Image Credits (2)European flags flying in front of the Berlaymont by TPCOM (CC BY-NC-ND)http://www.flickr.com/photos/tpcom/3246111473/Signpost by thepicturedrome (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/55637931@N03/6334628811/Hope by Darren Tunnicliff (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrentunnicliff/4232232092/Bullseye by nicole cho (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/nchoz/243216008Magnifying Glass by Rafael Anderson Gonzales Mendoza (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/andercismo/2349098787 /G Love and the special sauces by Janellie (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/janellie23/5671495178 /Question Mark by Ryan Milani (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/51029297@N00/5275403364/Coffee Cup by Doug Wheller (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/2953428679 /Chess by Konstantin Lazorkin (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/slayer23/2508790690 /Lily and lines by timlewisnm (CC BY-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/gozalewis/3489734986 /

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Image Credits (3)Hurdles by Julie Vuitton (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/julie-v/4638951855/Molecule by Simon Goldenberg (CC BY-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/simon999/2731507778/The ILGWU women's basketball team at the Bronx Branch Athletic Club by Kheel Center (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/kheelcenter/5279013761/Question mark by Ciccio Pizzettaro (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/cicciopizzettaro/4297936934/Anyone understand spreadsheets…? by Simon James (CC BY-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/bearpark/2882102644/Recent purchase: megaphone by Gene Han (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/larimdame/2575986601/Passport application by Ben Ward (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/benward/2248330869/Communication by P Shanks (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshanks/411196422/Rules of the Inn 1786 by Dan Brady (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbrady/1205847589/Skills by Delarge (CC BY-NC 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/delarge/3786268069/

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Image Credits (4)Roller skating high jump by Zoulou (Free art license)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roller-skating-high-jump-zoulou.jpgInterval running (race track) 16 by Michael Lokner (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/lokner/3740260369/Ready Steady Go by purplemattfish (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/purplemattfish/3020016417/1950’s Rocket Ship by studio hades (Public Domain)http://openclipart.org/detail/157477/1950s-rocket-ship--by-studio_hadesTrap by Tom Heller (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomopteris/5173028844/Exam by Alberto G (CC BY 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertogp123/5843577306/Outline juggling by Pedro Moura Pinheiro (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedromourapinheiro/2122754745/Writing by Tony Hall (CC BY-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/anotherphotograph/2276607037/Workshop by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (CC BY-SA 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/boellstiftung/5803926253/Thank you by Russ Morris (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)http://www.flickr.com/photos/russmorris/2486506322/