BU Research Blog

The scheme to invest in research capacity for externally-funded projects with prestigious research funders was launched in August 2017 and has been revised in February 2018.  The revised policy document can be found here or on the BU staff intranet under ‘policy/ research/ pre-award’.

The main changes are as follows:

• Applications to prestigious funders when BU is non-lead, i.e. Co-Investigator, will now be considered as long as the value threshold for BU income is met (see below).  This is available for both pathways.
• The BU income value threshold for ECRs applying to external prestigious research funders has been lowered to £75k (before full economic costing (fEC)) for both pathways: PGR studentships and Postdoctoral research staff.
• The value threshold for all those requesting a PGR student when applying to an external prestigious research funder has been lowered to £75k (before fEC).
• Other funders (from those listed in the scheme document) will be considered when projects are valued as BU income over £350K (before fEC) or £75k (before fEC) for ECRS for the PGR studentship pathway only.  A case will need to be made to the Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (see scheme notes for case criteria).
• The value threshold for the postdoctoral research staff pathway remains at £350k or £75k for ECRs (both before fEC).  Only funders listed in the scheme document are considered for this pathway.
• Information on how to include details of the BU funding in your application for external funding have been made clearer.
• No retrospective requests will be considered.

Please read the full scheme document for clarification of the above.