Research Grants & Contracts Office

Research SeminarDepartment of Media and Cultural Studies

Liz Francis & George Eyre

Summary

Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) Funding schemes and Funding bodies FEC and Costing Internal procedures for approving

applications

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

Peter WestleyDirector of Finance

Liz FrancisHead of RGCO

Craig BryceDeputy Head

Sharon BellResearch Accounts Officer

Rassi Pelpola / Steve SmithResearch Accounts Assistant

George EyreResearch Support Officer

Marion BarthramResearch Grants Assistant

Theresa BallCosting & Pricing

Accountant

Research Grants & Contracts Office, Finance Department

Liz FrancisHead of RGCO

Craig BryceDeputy Head

Sharon BellResearch Accounts Officer

Rassi Pelpola / Steve SmithResearch Accounts Assistant

George EyreResearch Support Officer

Marion BarthramResearch Grants Assistant

Theresa BallCosting & Pricing

Accountant

• Research applications• Arrangements with partners• Approval of posts

Research Grants & Contracts Office structure – M&CS

• Project accounting

Research Funding at Birkbeck

2009/10 – 209 applications (33%) Income £10,170,195 in 2009/10 (12.5%) Apr ‘11 contract value £53,051,584 66 different funding bodies 162 active research projects, throughout all Schools

Media and Cultural Studies 2009/10 - 2 applications (1 successful) Income 2009/10 – £64k 2 Active projects, Contract value £267k

Research Funding at Birkbeck

Funder Type No. of apps

% of apps

Successful Unsuccessful %

Research Councils, Royal Soc, British Academy

115 55% 30 85 26%

UK Based Charities 46 22% 12 34 26%

UK Govt 13 6% 8 5 62%

UK Industry , Commerce

2 1% 2 0 100%

EU 23 11% 12 11 52%

Overseas & Other 10 5% 6 4 60%

Total 209 70 139 33%

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

Funding Information

Arts & Humanities Research Council Economic & Social Research Council Leverhulme Trust British Academy Others…

AHRC (1)

Research Grants Scheme Standard route £20k - £1m, Early Career route £20k -

£200k Recently changed – no speculative route or practice-led /

applied route. Up to 5 years duration 80% Full Economic Costing (FEC) No closing dates Apply via J-eS Note page limits for attachments Submit at least 9 months before proposed start date.

AHRC (2)

Fellowship Scheme For early career, mid-career and senior researchers Aim is not to develop a new project from scratch, but to

build on a project that is already defined Maximum £120,000 FEC for salary and associated costs 3 - 9 months in duration 80% FEC No closing dates Apply via Je-S Submit between 9 and 18 months before proposed start

date.

AHRC (3)

Research Networking Scheme For networks, workshops or seminars To support collaboration and the exchange of ideas Up to £30k FEC (additional £15k to cover international participants/activities) Up to 2 years duration 80% FEC No closing dates Apply via Je-S Decision within 4 months from the end of the month in which

you apply

AHRC (4)

AHRC Responsive mode 2009/10 – Standard Grants 48/258 – 19%

Research Leave 114/595 – 19%

BBK Responsive mode 2009/10 – Standard Grants 0/0 – 0%

Research Leave 1/8 – 12.5%

ESRC (1)

Research Grants Scheme £200k > £2m Recently changed – no small applications <£200k

considered Up to 5 years duration Flexible re subject area as long as within ESRC's remit 80% FEC No closing dates Apply via Je-S 6 sides of A4 for research proposal Most decisions within 26 weeks

ESRC (2)

Recent revisions to Funding Schemes, “fewer but more flexible research schemes”

Future Leaders scheme – to be announced in May 11 Will replace postdoctoral fellowship and first grants scheme.

Large grants and centres – to be announced in May 11 will be integrating large grants and centre competitions

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/

ESRC (3) - Fellowships Professorial Fellowships

support leading social scientists working in the UK Fellow given freedom to pursue their own innovative and creative research

agendas Provides;

Fellow’s time (up to 60%) additional research assistance costs PhD studentship

Up to 3 years 80% FEC Usually announced in October, closing date in December, peer

review February to April, interviews are in May and decisions made by end of July. Awards are expected to commence the following October at the earliest.

Knowledge Exchanges/Placement Fellowships private, public and civil society sectors

ESRC (4) Research Seminars - multi-institutional groups of academic

researchers, PG students and non-academic users who meet regularly to exchange information and ideas with the aim of advancing research within their fields non-fEC and are limited to £15,000 travel and expenses for speakers and participants secretarial costs stationary postage copying and telephone hire of rooms and facilities.  Another £3k available if strong case for

enhancing knowledge transfer impact for non academic users and/or the inclusion of international academics at events and/or the holding of

events abroad. WILL be running 2011/12 details to be announced in May 11 2009 – 146/41 – 28%

ESRC award rates

ESRC Responsive mode; 2009/10 – Standard Grants 94/682 – 14%

Small Grants 124/653 – 19% 2010/11 - Standard Grants 61/541 – 11%

(to date) Small Grants 81/340 – 24%

Birkbeck responsive mode Success rate for 09/10: 2/6 (33%) Success rate for 08/09: 2/5 (40%) Success rate for 07/08: 2/8 (25%) Success rate for 06/07: 4/8 (50%)

Leverhulme Trust (1)

Research Project Grants “support for innovative and original research projects of high

quality and potential, the choice of theme and the design of the research lying entirely with the applicant”

Up to 5 years; < £500k for research assistance, PhD Students, replacement teaching, other direct costs

Most awards ~250k for 3 years Any topic 2 stage application process, outline must be accepted prior

to submitting full application (up to 12 weeks) full appl deadlines Sept, Dec and March

Leverhulme Trust (2) Research Fellowship

open to experienced researchers up to £45k research expenses ‘over and above normal living costs’ including reasonable

replacement teaching 3 – 24 months Next round announced Sept ‘11

Major Research Fellowship Open well-established and distinguished researchers Provides a replacement staff member to cover the period of the Fellowship

and £5k p.a. expenses. 2 –3 years 4.00pm on 6 May 2011 (result December)

Early Career Fellowship 2 year award, Trust pays up to 50% of the employment cost (up to max of

£23k), plus research expenses up to £6,000 pa, deadline 10 March

Leverhulme Trust (3)

Programme awards Call date & topic set each year by LT. £1.75m up to 5

years

International Networks Max £125,000, up to 3 years, 3 deadlines per year

Artists in Residence Max £15,000 for 10 months, 2 deadlines per year

Leverhulme Trust (4)

Success Rates Research grants

2007 – Outline – 43%, Full – 47%, Combined – 20% 2008 – Outline – 44%, Full – 49%, Combined – 22% 2009 – Outline – 48%, Full – 39%, Combined – 19%

Research Fellowships 2007 – 18% 2008 – 16% 2009 – 15%

Major Research Fellowships 2007 – 14% 2008 – 13% 2009 – 14%

Early Career Fellowship 2007 – 13% 2008 – 12% 2009 – 13%

British Academy (1)

Humanities and social sciences

Postdoctoral level

Applicants resident in the UK

Complement the schemes of the AHRC and ESRC

Major focus on individuals through Postdoctoral and

Mid-Career Fellowships

New International partnerships and mobility

British Academy (2)

Small Grants SCHEME CLOSED

BA Research Development Awards (BARDA) CURRENTLY SUSPENDED

Conference Support and O/S Conference Grants SCHEMES CLOSED

British Academy (3)

Postdoctoral Fellowships (3 years) For outstanding early career researchers. 2-stage application, deadline: October applicants are expected to be at an early stage of their academic career. Provides fellow’s salary plus limited research expenses and FEC costs (directly

allocated costs, including mentor’s time, estates, and indirect costs). 45 awards

‘New’ British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship Scheme (6 – 12 months) aim is to free applicants from normal teaching and administrative commitments support outstanding individual researchers with excellent research proposals, and to

support outstanding communicators awards to individuals employed at UK universities, particularly to support mid-career

scholars , normally within no more than 15 years from the award of their doctorate deadline March It is not expected that the total value of an award will exceed £200,000 FEC 35 awards

Senior Research Fellowships (1 year) to complete major programme of research: privately funded, non-FEC, 7 awards

Newton International Fellowships (2 years) In conjunction with the Royal Society, Early career: for overseas scholars, deadline

April

British Academy (4) Full list

British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships and Thank-Offering to Britain Fellowship

Country-specific Agreements International Partnerships  Mid-Career Fellowships Postdoctoral Fellowships Special Funds UK-Latin America and the Caribbean Link Scheme Visiting Scholars

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

Applications….

Over the last 2 years the department has submitted applications to:

AHRC, British Academy, Technology Strategy Board.

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

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

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

Directly Incurred costs

These are actual costs

Project dedicated staff: e.g. Research Assistants Travel and subsistence Consumables New equipment, up to £50,000

*Research Councils allow virement between headings

Directly Allocated costs

PI costs: based on max 1650hrs/yr Estates costs: Premises costs, cost per FTE of

academic and research staff, current rate for office-based research is £6,448

Shared staff time, e.g. support staff who work across more than one project

These are based on estimated costs, not actual

Directly Allocated costs cannot be vired

Indirect Costs

Costs that are incurred by the College in providing the necessary infrastructure and support for the project. This includes central services such as recruitment, personnel, financial accounting and payroll services; central provision of libraries; computing services; committees; and departmental support.

cost per FTE of academic and research staff, currently £34,597

DI Costs - Salary costs (1)

Salary costs are the payroll cost to the College, inc. employers NI and pension, e.g. RES2 pt 31 for 1 year: Annual Salary £30,870 London Allow £2,934 National Insurance £2,418 Pension scheme £5,409 TOTAL annual cost £41,631

Salary costs (2)

What is the appropriate salary scale? May need to contact HR

London Allowance? Full-time or part-time? Start and end dates? Incremental date (1 Oct) Which funder? Inflation?

Salary costs (3)

Principal & Co-investigators’ time Research Assistants Technical and Admin staff Hourly rates may apply for small grants;

School to advise

Possible need for timesheets, e.g. EU

DI costs - Non-salary costs Travel and subsistence for fieldwork, visiting colleagues, other

premises, conferences Project workshops, meetings, dissemination Office consumables (stationery etc) Photocopying and printing Post, phone, fax Specialist books and journals Computer software and consumables Laboratory consumables/materials Subscriptions Equipment and any special adaptations needed for its use Insurance and maintenance for special equipment Advertising and recruitment of new posts Casual/agency assistance – e.g. for data entry, transcription, translation Consultants' fees or bought in services 

Examples of budgetsEXAMPLE 100% FEC 80% FEC Pre-FEC Charity

DirectlyIncurred (DI)

Research Assistant

41,631 33,305 41,631 41,631

Consumables 6,000 4,800 6,000 6,000

Travel 4,000 3,200 4,000 4,000

Total DI 51,631 41,305 51,631 51,631

Directly Allocated

(DA)

Principal Investigator

11,360 9,088 0 0

Estates 7,480 5,984 0 0

Total DA 18,840 15,072 0 0

Indirect Costs 40,133 32,106 19,150 0

Total 110,604(100%)

88,483(80%)

70,781(64%)

51,631(47%)

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

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

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

www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco

Contact information

Research Grants Office: www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco

Liz Francis: extn 3146 l.francis@bbk.ac.uk

George Eyre: extn 3144 g.eyre@bbk.ac.uk

Steve Smith / s.smith@bbk.ac.uk

Rassi Pelpola : extn 3149 r.pelpola@bbk.ac.uk

Financial statements and reports