Category / Funding opportunities

Revised Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Award Criteria

Funding opportunities

KTP diagramThe Technology Strategy Board has made some revisions to the criteria a project has to meet in order to receive a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) grant. This has caused some confusion. In order to obtain clarification, Neil Grice, the local Adviser visited the University last week for a meeting with School representatives.

Listed below are the current key award criteria:

  • Project is for the development of a company capability, not a product.
  • On completion, the company is left with a legacy, e.g. a new capability or process.
  • Innovative – leading edge knowledge is transferred to the company. Can’t be done by employing consultants, needs research.
  • Impact – the project makes a significant difference to the company which would not have happened without the KTP. University also receives significant results.
  • Challenge – Stretching for University and company.
  • Fits in with company strategy.
  • Company is financially sound.
  • Science and technology focussed. Difficult to obtain awards for social care, marketing and business development projects.
  • Awards are most likely to be granted for projects with small/medium sized organisations.

 

If you require any further information on KTPs in general please contact Peter Delgado, Commercialisation and KTP Officer, e-mail – pdelgado@bournemouth.ac.uk

Vice-Chancellor Doctoral (Fee Waive) Scholarship

Funding opportunities, PG research

We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2012 Vice-Chancellor Doctoral (Fee Waive Scholarships) which will offer support to up to 60 outstanding postgraduate research students.  The Scholarships will provide a full fee waive for up to 36 months in the case of full-time students and exceptionally 48 months in the case of part-time students.  Stipends (to cover living expenses) are not included in the scholarships and these must be provided by the student themselves or by a sponsor. 

This Scholarship programme will open on 1 March 2012 and will roll until 30 June 2012.  There are up to 60 scholarships available, which are nominally split evenly between the 6 Academic Schools.  However, individual schools may take up more or less than their allocated 10 scholarships as available.  There is no requirement for a School to accept candidates.

The focus of the Vice-Chancellor Doctoral (Fee Waive) Scholarships is on the outstanding nature of the candidate who must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • All candidates must demonstrate truly outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD in 3 years full-time or 4 years part-time.
  • All candidates must satisfy the University’s minimum doctoral entry criteria for studentships of an honors degree at First Class (1) and/or an appropriate Masters degree or equivalent .
  • An IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 minimum is essential for candidates for whom English is not their first language.

In addition to satisfying basic entry criteria, BU will look closely at the qualities, skills and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project in order to ensure successful and timely completion.  It is important to consider that in most cases the interpretation of ‘truly outstanding’ is likely to be those candidates with a First Class (Hons) degrees and/or a distinction at Masters, with clear documented evidence of drive, commitment and relevant skills.

Only the most outstanding candidates will be supported.  Full details and criteria are set out in the BU VC Scholarship 2012 – Policy document. Staff and potential candidates are asked to check the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. 

The scholarships will be awarded, via the process set out below, to candidates who meet the eligibility criteria, have the support of their supervisory teams, are accepted by the relevant Academic School and must be approved by the School’s Dean and UET.  The process will be managed by the Graduate School.  The Vice-Chancellor Doctoral Scholarships applications (on the appropriate application form downloaded from the Graduate School website from Thursday 1 March 2012) should be submitted to Dr Fiona Knight (Graduate School Academic Manager) no later than 30 June 2012 who will circulate to each School for approval.

JISC offer advice on making your grant application stand out

Funding opportunities

JISC funds a wide range of infrastructure, services, innovative projects and studies.  As competition grows for funds, JISC have offered some advice on successful bidding that can help you make a strong application that stands out from the crowd.  Their advice is worth considering for all grant applications.

Sarah Porter, Director of Innovation at JISC, said:  “We want to attract bids from a wide range of universities and colleges, those that know JISC well and others that might be bidding for the first time or need additional help with their application. We know bidding for funds is a time-consuming process and we are therefore aiming to give organisations the best possible chance of being successful in their applications.”

JISC advice for successful bidding includes:

 

  • Describe how your proposed project meets the criteria set out in the call

 

  • Demonstrate how your idea  is aligned with the objectives of your college or institution, including what buy-in you have from senior management

 

  • Carry out an initial assessment of the risks of undertaking the project – and then mention this in your bid

 

  • Include an initial project plan and show how the project will be managed

 

  • Think ahead – include information about dissemination, embedding and evaluation mechanisms

 

  • Show that your project is sustainable once the funding has ceased – not just financially but also in terms of the skills sets of the people involved, and any data/software preservation

 

  • Go green – show that you have considered the environmental impact of your project, eg. server power and data storage space you need

 

  • Consider the wider benefits of the project  for UK education and research to show that your project is good value for money.  You might think about generating workshops, briefing papers or web pages to help disseminate the findings of your project more widely

 

  • Don’t let your bid fail on the easy stuff: make sure you stick to the page limit and get your bid in on time

 

More information on specifically what JISC are looking for and the funding available can be found on their website.

 

SMART Awards – University as Sub-contractor

Funding opportunities

Pre start-ups, start-ups, and small and medium-sized businesses, from all sectors, may apply to the Technology Strategy Board  for three types of grant :

– Proof of market grant

– Proof of concept grant

– Development of prototype grant

While universities may not apply directly, they may act as a sub-contractor to an applicant. Consequently this is a further source of  funding for business/university collaborations.

The purpose of these awards is to assist businesses engage in research & development projects in the strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology, from which successful new products, processes and services can emerge. 

 The maximum grants vary between £25k and £250K. The Government will fund up to 60% of the project costs.

 For an overview of the SMART programme click here:

For more detail click here:

 

 

NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC)

Funding opportunities

NETSCC is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and was established at the University of Southampton in 2008.

UK government support for medical research is channelled primarily through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Broadly speaking, the NIHR funds later-phase health research, which has the potential to influence the delivery of healthcare to patients, while the MRC supports basic and early clinical research. (http://www.netscc.ac.uk/)

NETSCC manages four evaluation research programmes:-

EME   – Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme

 Upcoming dates for EME 

  1. Researcher-led workstream deadline for the next round: Friday 9 March 2012 (before 1pm)
  2. Commissioned workstream is now looking for research in Neurodegenerative disorders and       myopathies and also Point of care tests. The deadline for applications is 13 February 2012 (before 1pm)

To find out more about EME, visit http://www.eme.ac.uk/index.asp

HTA    –  NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme 

Upcoming dates for HTA

  1. Commissioned call for proposals now open: Deadline for application is Thursday 9 February 2012 by 1pm.

To find out more about HTA, visit http://www.hta.ac.uk/

PHR    –  NIHR Public Health Research programme

Upcoming dates for PHR

  1. Commissioned Research calls now open
  • Creative enterprises in open access settings, deadline is 23 April 2012 by 1pm
  • Newly licensed drivers, deadline is 23 April 2012 by 1pm

2.   Researcher-led outline call closing date is 2 April 2012 at 1pm. Highlight notices include:

  • Local Sustainable Transport Fund, deadline is 2 April 2012 at 1pm
  • Evidence Synthesis, deadline is 2 April 2012 at 1pm.

For more information about PHR, please visit http://www.phr.nihr.ac.uk/

HS&DR          –  NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research programme (a merger of the existing programmes HSR and SDO)

Upcoming dates for HS&DR

  1. Researcher-led calls now open, deadline is 15 March 2012 by 1pm; 19 July 2012; and 15 November 2012.
  2. Commissioned-led, open date is February 2012, deadline is 17 May 2012 by 1pm.

For more information about HS&DR, please visit http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/

If you are interested in applying for any of these funding schemes, please get in touch with the RKE Ops Senior Officers:-

 

UK-India Education & Research Initiative – funding opportunities

Funding opportunities

UKIERI (UK-India Education & Research Initiative) is now accepting proposals for the following strand activities:

Strand 2: Innovation Partnerships
a) UKIERI Thematic Partnerships:
The sub-strand will strengthen engagement and encourage future potential collaborations between the Indian and UK higher education institutions by facilitating collaborations along with promoting and assisting registered PhD students and post-docs in India and the UK to undertake short-term visits to work on research projects. All Indian HEIs which are recognised under the Section 2(f) and 12 B of the UGC Act) can apply.Click here to download the Application form, Guidelines, Financial Sheet and Work Plan.

Deadline: 15 March 2012
 b) DST-UKIERI Thematic Partnerships:
The sub-strand will strengthen engagement and encourage future potential collaborations between the Indian and UK higher education institutions by facilitating collaborations along with promoting and assisting registered PhD students and post-docs in India and the UK to undertake short-term visits to work on research projects. The partnerships will be for Science & Technology projects jointly funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and UKIERI under the 5 key subject areas of:

  1. Stem Cell Research and Animal Biotechnology
  2. Next Generation Networks in Telecommunication
  3. Advanced Materials including Nanotechnology
  4. Weather Science and Climate Change
  5. New Energy Technologies including Hydrogen

Click here to download the Application Form, Guidelines, Financial Sheet and Work Plan.
 
Deadline: 15 March 2012
 c) Trilateral Research In Partnership:
The sub-strand aims to support the development of mutually beneficial partnerships between higher education institutions in the UK, US and India. The funds will support the strengthening of PhD students and post-docs in all three countries in developing international team work, problem solving and innovation in research and increasing mobility of PhD students and post-docs between India, the UK and the US.Click here to download the Application Form, Guidelines and Financial Sheet.

Deadline: 13 April 2012

 

Strand 4: Enhancing Mobility
a) UKIERI India UK Staff Exchange Programme
The programme will promote staff exchanges between Higher Education Institutions /Schools/Further Education institutions across India and the UK. The exchanges are valid for up to 4 weeks and should aim to share and deliver best practices on curriculum and pedagogy and learn from each others systems.Click here to download the Application Form and Guidelines.

Deadline: 15 March 2012
 
b) UKIERI India UK Study Missions
This sub strand activity will enhance mobility of students in the two countries through collaborations between UK and Indian Higher Education/Further Education institutions. Joint partnerships will work towards developing, facilitating and managing study tours for students at undergraduate and post graduate level.Click here to download the Application Form, Guidelines, Financial Sheet and Work Plan.

Deadline: 15 March 2012
 
c) Study India Programme
The sub-strand aims to foster mobility of UK students to India to encourage them to undertake further study, work placements or pursue other opportunities in India. Through these student mobility programmes students would gain experience and a greater understanding of culture, education and economy of both countries. The strand also aims to strengthen cultural links between India and the UK by creating mutual opportunities for student mobility.The Study India Programme is supported by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The programme enables school leavers, students from UK universities and colleges to visit India for three / four weeks to gain experience of Indian culture, way of life, people, arts, politics, economy and language which sign post to and may open up opportunities for further study or work in India. The three / four week programme includes a one-week work placement or internship.

Click here to download the TORs

Deadline: 15 March 2012

 

For further details, see the UKIERI website – http://www.ukieri.com/call_for_bids.html

For support in submitting a proposal, contact the RKE Operations team – http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/contact/rke-operations/.

Santander Universities USA programmes 2012

Funding opportunities

For the second year, Santander Universities UK is pleased to be able to inform you of the details about 6 key summer programmes supported by Santander at Harvard, Brown, UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania, with the opportunity to participate being made available to all partner institutions within of our Santander Universities global network.

These initiatives are designed to attract a distinguished audience interested in issues such as global law, sustainability, leadership and research.

Students, alumni and academic staff from your university, as part of the Santander Universities network are eligible for these opportunities, and we believe, with an opportunity like this not to be missed, we would really like to see a strong contingent from UK students and staff benefiting from this support.

US PROGRAMS 2012 

US PROGRAMS 2012

1) BROWN BIARI – Brown – Updated Flyer

Brow International Advanced Research Institutes – BIARI Program Dates:

9th – 23rd June 2012 Deadline for applications: 17th February 2012

The Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (BIARI) is directed to young faculty and professionals from around the world to address pressing global issues through innovative research and pedagogy. The program takes place from June 9th-23rd, 2012.

2) HARVARD IGLP Workshop – Harvard – US PROGRAMS

Harvard Law School – Institute for Global Law&Policy IGLP Workshop

Program Dates: May 30th – June 8th 2012 Deadline for applications: Feb 15th

The Harvard Law School offers the IGLP program: The Workshop is designed for doctoral and post-doctoral scholars and aims to promote innovative ideas and alternative approaches to issues of global law,economic policy and social justice in the aftermath of the economic crisis. The program dates are from May 30th to June 8th 2012.

3) UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA  Trendlab on Sustainability – UPenn – US PROGRAMS

THE WHARTON SCHOOL Trendlab on Sustainability Program Dates: April 9th – 13th 2012 Deadline for applications: March 1st The Pen Lauder CIBER Summer Institute Program

Dates: June 10th – 15th 2012 Deadline for applications: April 16th 2012

Through the Lauder Institute, the University of Pennsylvania offers two programs. One is a workshop and conference from faculty and researchers designed to bring together a group of scholars and policy makers with backgrounds in science, engineering, management, and the social sciences. The program dates are: April 9th-13th, 2012

The other program is the CIBER Summer Institute, which trains educators in curriculum and lesson planning oriented toward professional content and contexts, focusing on a learner-centred approach to business language instruction. This workshop takes place from June 10th-15th, 2012. 

CIBER Summer Institute – UPenn – US PROGRAMS

4) ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT UCLA Negociations Program – UCLA – US PROGRAMS

Negotiation Program for Administration in University Program Dates:

May 9th – 11th 2012 Deadline for applications: March 26th 2012

W50 Leadership Program for Women W50 Program – UCLA – US PROGRAMS

Program Dates: June 10th – 15th 2012

Deadline for applications: March 26th 2012

Leverhulme session – slides available

Funding opportunities

Jean Cater, assistant director at the the Leverhulme Trust was at BU yesterday. 

At a well-attended event,  Jean talked about the range of funding opportunities available for academics, and outlined the Trust’s ethos and criteria.  She also fielded an hour’s worth of  questions.

Jean’s slides are now available – just click here to access them.

Please contact Caroline O’Kane if would like to find out more about the Leverhulme and their schemes, and to find out how we can support the development of your funding proposal.

Leverhulme Trust visit – 1st February – venue change

Funding opportunities

This is a reminder that Jean Cater from the Leverhulme Trust  is coming to BU on 1st February.

** Venue change!!  The event will now take place in the Allesbrook Lecture Theatre **

 

There are limited places available – if you would like book a place please click here.

What’s happening?

Jean Cater from the LT is coming to BU, and its a great opportunity to find out more about how the Leverhulme works,  what they are looking for in a proposal and what they fund.    

The Leverhulme Trust offers a range of funding opportunities – across all disciplines.   This includes research grants, international networks, early career fellowships, research fellowships and more. 

The session will cover:  

  • where the Leverhulme sits in the funding spectrum
  • schemes and application procedures
  • things to bear in mind if applying
  • plenty of time to ask questions too.  

This session is for you if:

  • you have a research idea and wonder if the Leverhulme Trust might be an appropriate funder
  • you are developing a funding proposal for the Leverhulme Trust
  • you don’t know much about the Leverhulme Trust and would like to find out more

Details:

  • Date:Wednesday, 1st February 2012
  • Time: 2-4pm
  • Place:  Allesbrook Lecture Theatre
  • Refreshments will be available.

** To book your place please click here. ** 

If you have any questions please contact Caroline O’Kane

Knowledge Exchange Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

The scheme provides the opportunity to apply for funding for knowledge exchange activities at any stage of the research lifecycle, and is aimed at maximising the impact of social science research outside academia.

The flexibility built into the scheme is intended to encourage applicants to think creatively about knowledge exchange, and applications are welcomed for either a single activity or a combination of activities; be it setting up a network to help inform the development of a research proposal, arranging an academic placement with a voluntary or business organisation, or developing tools such as podcasts and videos aimed at communicating the results of research to non-academic audiences.

The next call will open on 14 December 2011 and close at 16.00 on 7 February 2012. 

Applicants can apply for projects up to one year in duration. However, the proposed start date should be no earlier than 1 September 2012.

The aim is to inform applicants of a decision on all applications within 26 weeks of the closing date for the call.

Please note, from the next KE call the Knowledge Exchange Opportunities and Follow on Fund Schemes will be amalgamated into a single funding opportunity (funded at 80 per cent fEC). Applications can still follow on from previous research, however an important change will be the requirement for all applications to involve co-funding from user stakeholders.

Call documents, including the scheme guidance can be found at:

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/collaboration/knowledge-exchange/opportunities/index.aspx

Research within the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

Funding opportunities

In previous blogs we have described how BUCRU can help in developing grant applications. In this blog we describe some of the funded projects we are involved in.

BUCRU led research

Fatigue management in multiple sclerosis (MS):  We have just completed a multi-centre randomised trial of a cognitive behavioural approach to fatigue management in people with multiple sclerosis1. This project was funded by the MS Society (http://www.mssociety.org.uk).

Improving activity and wellbeing in people with MS: We are just starting a MS Society funded pilot study to look at the Nintendo Wii home gaming system as a method of helping people with MS increase their activity levels and wellbeing.

Systematic review of psychological interventions for people with MS: A small grant to update our existing Cochrane review2

BUCRU collaborative projects

IDvIP: A National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) (http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/RfPB/Pages/home.aspx) funded project. This is a multi-centre trial comparing 2 methods of pain relief for women in labour; diamorphine and pethidine3. The Chief Investigator is a Consultant in one of the local hospitals and a member of the Bournemouth University Visiting Faculty. BUCRU staff were involved in the design of the study, applying for the grant, data management, statistical analysis and interpretation, and advice on project management.*

WEIGHTED: A small grant from the College of Emergency Medicine held by a local Consultant/ member of the Visiting Faculty. This study is about to start and aims to develop a robust method of estimating the weight of patients attending a hospital emergency department. Many patients require a weight dependent dose of potentially life saving medication, but are too ill to be actually weighed.  BUCRU were involved in designing the study and securing funding, and will be involved in ongoing advice on project and data management, statistical analysis and interpretation.

PEARLS: A large multi-centre trial of training maternity staff in assessing and repairing tears to the perineum acquired during labour and delievery4. This project is funded by the Health Foundation (http://www.health.org.uk) and run under the auspices of the Royal College of Midwives. BUCRU has been involved in data management, statistical analysis and interpretation.

PREVIEW: A pilot randomised trial comparing two methods of looking after tears to the perineum. The Chief Investigator is based in Birmingham, and the study is funded by the NIHR RfPB funding scheme. This study has recently started, and BUCRU was involved in the design of the study and the funding application. Further involvement will be in advising on project management, data management and statistical analysis.

Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship: (http://www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk). Award held by BU and won by a radiographer based at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. The project involves tracking and measuring spinal motion. The research may have important implications in diagnosing people with chronic lower back pain. BUCRU were involved in the study design and funding application, and 2 members of staff are supervisors for her PhD.

Contact us:

In the first instance please contact

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

BUCRU@bournemouth.ac.uk

Tel: 01202 961939

 http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/bucru/

1 Thomas, P.W., Thomas, S., Kersten, P., Jones, R., Nock, A., Slingsby, V., et al., 2010. Multi-centre parallel arm randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group-based cognitive behavioural appoach to managing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis. BMC Neurology, 10:43

2 Thomas, P.W., Thomas, S., Hillier, C., Galvin, K., and Baker, R. (2006). Psychological interventions for multiple sclerosis. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Vol. Issue 1, pp. Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004431. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004431.pub2): John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

3 Wee, M.Y.K., Tuckey, J.P., Thomas, P., Burnard, S. 2011. The IDvIP Trial: A two-centre randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing intramuscular diamorphine and intramuscular pethidine for labour analgesia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 11: 51

4 Bick, D.E., Kettle, C., MacDonald, S., Thomas, P.W., Hill, R.K., Ismail, K.. 2010. PErineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS): protocol for a matched pair cluster trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 10:10.

New round of the Research Development Fund – large grants scheme – now open!

Funding opportunities

This week BU is proud to launch a new round of the BU Research Development Fund (large collaborative grants scheme)!

The deadline for applications to have been received by the RDU is: Friday 17 February 2012

The Fund is open to BU academics and will provide selective support to research initiatives considered to be of strategic importance to BU. This call is for the Large Collaborative Grants Scheme (up to £25k per annum, must include two or more Schools). The Small Grants Scheme is also currently open with a closing date of 28 February – further details are available here:

The RDF – Large Collaborative Grants Scheme aims to provide funding for the development of large-scale, complex, inter/multi-disciplinary collaborative research activities leading to external funding. Applications must involve academic staff from at least two BU Schools. Priority will be given to applications that meet the following criteria:

  • In line with BU’s emerging Research Themes
  • Include external organizations (particularly SMEs and/or international organizations)
  • In line with the strategic priorities of major funding bodies (such as the UK research councils, European Commission, etc)
  • Clearly beneficial to BU’s submission to REF2014

Examples of research activities covered by the RDF include:

  • Pilot projects
  • Pump-priming
  • Meeting expenses
  • Travel to proposed collaborators
  • Attendance at external networking events with the aim of expanding the network
  • Preparation of specialist material or data
  • Short-term Research Assistant support or replacement teaching
  • Consumables and equipment (providing it is clear these would not normally be purchased by the School)
  • Fees for external proposal support and review

Awards will only cover direct costs (i.e. overheads and established staff costs will not be reimbursed). Applications need to include a precise breakdown of costs calculated using full economic costing (fEC) methodology – this will be calculated for you by the RKE Operations team.

For further information please read the Research Development Fund policy – Large Grant Round 2.

To apply for a Large Collaborative Research Grant, please complete the RDF Large Grant application form.

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) Events and Services

Funding opportunities

BUCRU incorporates the Dorset Office of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service – South West (RDS-SW). This means that in addition to the support outlined in previous blogs, we can also provide access to the following:

RDS Grant application workshop.

This workshop is going to be held at Bournemouth University on the 29th February 2012 (http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/grant_workshop.htm). Although the official deadline for applying has recently passed, it is worth contacting us to see if there are any remaining places. The workshop will also be held in other locations in the South-West region in the near future.

This is a one-day workshop for researchers who are developing proposals with the intention of applying for a grant. The workshop does not provide detailed training in research methodology; rather it more generally covers the full range of issues inherent in developing a successful grant application. It will be of relevance to researchers applying to any of the major health research funders, but particularly the NIHR funding schemes.

Researchers will need to send in advance the latest draft of their research proposal. As a minimum they should have a plan for a project but, ideally, a worked up proposal, perhaps even one that has been previously rejected. All proposals will receive detailed written feedback from the RDS team.

Topics include

  • The application as a marketing document, selling the topic, selling the method, and selling the team;
  • The balanced team;
  • Clarity of description and explanation;
  • Feasibility issues;
  • Identifying and avoiding potential pitfalls

 

RDS Residential Research Retreat

The Residential Research Retreat (http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/rrr_home.htm) provides an opportunity for research teams to develop high quality health related research proposals suitable for submission to national peer-reviewed funding schemes. The aim of the Retreat is to provide the environment and support to promote rapid progress in developing proposals over a relatively short time period.

This Research Retreat is open to health professionals and academics working within the South West. Applications to attend the Retreat should be submitted by a team of three people with varied skills. Applications are reviewed competitively and places awarded to the most promising team proposals. The deadline for the next Research Retreat has passed, but it is anticipated that applications will be invited again later in the year.  

At the retreat participants are supported by a range of experts while developing their research proposal. They work intensively on their proposal, while learning how to maximise its chances for successfully securing a grant.

In addition, the Residential Research Retreat helps participants develop the key skills needed to conduct research in a clinical setting as well as nurturing presentation skills and giving them the confidence to tackle research problems. 

 

RDS Scientific Committee

The RDS Scientific Committee (http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/scientific_committee.htm) provides an excellent opportunity for researchers in the south-west to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before it is sent to a funding body. The Committee brings the benefit of seeing the proposal with “fresh eyes”, replicating as far as possible the way the real funding committee will consider the application. Committee members include senior research consultants who have considerable experience of obtaining research funding, resulting in comprehensive comments and advice fed back.

Committee meetings take place approximately 9 times per year. To submit a study for review at the meeting, study paperwork must be provided to the Committee via BUCRU two weeks prior to the meeting date, and preferably a couple of months before the intended funding deadline.

 

Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education (CoPMRE) Annual Symposium

In addition to events aimed at supporting the development of grant applications we also host an event geared towards dissemination. The CoPMRE Annual Symposium will be held on the 11th September 2012 at the Bournemouth University Talbot Campus. These successful annual conferences have been running for the past nine years and have featured themes such as ‘Professionalism and Collaboration’, ’Research Innovation’ and ‘Interprofessional Learning’. This year’s theme will be on using ‘Social media techniques in healthcare research and education’.  The conference is open to all healthcare professionals and academics.  More information will be posted on our website in due course and you will be able to register online nearer the time.  For further information on the symposium please contact Audrey Dixon, Conference Manager (adixon@bournemouth.ac.uk ).

Contact us: For further information about, and access to, the Grant applications workshop, the Residential Research Retreat and the Scientific Committee please contact:

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

BUCRU@bournemouth.ac.uk

Tel: 01202 961939

http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/bucru/

‘I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by’

Funding opportunities

That wasn’t me, it was Douglas Adams.  Unlike Mr Adams, I’m not a big fan of the whooshing sound.   I prefer my deadlines neatly pinned down. 

The Research Councils, British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust issue calls for proposals which have deadlines at around the same time each year. 

In the interest of deadline-pinning, I have  pulled these annual deadlines together into a 2012 Deadline Guide.  Hopefully, knowing about these deadlines will help you to plan your submissions, and maximise the support available to you.   

 

What the guide includes:

  • links to specific calls
  • brief descriptions
  • expected deadlines

Why is this guide useful?

  • being aware of deadlines can help you plan
  • good planning gives you time to consider your idea and adapt it to the specific call
  • and gives you time for peer review and general bid writing support

What the guide does not include:

  • information about specific calls that appear on an ad hoc basis

How can you find out about these, and other deadlines ? 

  • Use your Research Professional account to set up personalised funding opportunity searches across all funders, big and small.   RP will also alert you about other calls from the Research Councils etc.  

Support

If you have identified a future deadline and would like some support with your proposal please let me know.  Don’t forget – the earlier I am contacted,  the more effectively I can support you by:

  • helping you through our internal peer review service
  • organising grant writing training
  • giving you examples and guidelines to follow
  • offering general bid-writing advice and answering queries

 

To find out more about RPRS, the 2012 Deadline Guide , or Research Professional please contact Caroline O’Kane.

Doctoral funding call opened by the HEA

Funding opportunities

The HEA Doctoral Programme forms part of the Academy’s strategy to undertake research to develop pedagogical knowledge and evidence-based practice in HE. Seven Doctoral studentships are available in the academic year 2012 – 2013.

The Academy invites supervisors in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to bid to host one or more of these doctoral studentships under the following conditions:

1. The proposed topic should be discipline specific learning and teaching research or interdisciplinary/generic pedagogical research and should have a clear benefit to either practice or to policy on practice. The research should be aligned with HEA themes which cover the broad areas of

  • Employability
  • Assessment and Feedback
  • Flexible Learning
  • Internationalisation
  • Retention and Success, including widening access, gender, and transition issues
  • Reward and Recognition
  • Education for Sustainable development

2. A supportive environment for the student and completion and delivery of research outcomes are a high priority for the Academy. It would be advantageous for the students to be hosted in an established group.

3. Dissemination of research outcomes are fundamental to both the Academy and the wider community and to the success of this scheme and, must, therefore be identified clearly in any application.

For further details including the guidelines, how to apply and the application form, visit the call page on the HEA’s website: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/doctoral-programme

BUCRU – Supporting the development of grant applications

Awarded & submitted bids, Funding opportunities, Post-award, Publishing, Research assessment

In today’s post we give a case study of how Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) recently supported the development of a grant application.

Case study

We recently supported a Programme Development Grant (www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/PGfAR/PDG/Pages/default.aspx) application to the National Health Service (NHS) National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Unit receives funding from the NIHR to be the Dorset Office of the NIHR Research Design Service (RDS), and thus can support local researchers in the University and the NHS to develop their funding applications. The topic of this grant application was early warning systems for use in an obstetric setting. Early warning systems are used by clinical staff in hospital to identify clinical problems before they get too serious, for example by regularly monitoring vital signs such as blood pressure. The purpose of Programme Development Grants is to fund preliminary work ahead of a larger Programme Grant for Applied Research (PGAR; www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/PGfAR/Pages/Home.aspx). 

This support involved:

  • Providing methodological input in systematic reviews, surveys, qualitative designs, quantitative designs notably a sample size calculation, and trial design.
  • Patient and public involvement (PPI) – the team has a designated person supporting PPI.
  • Team development – a strong team needed to be developed with the appropriate skill mix to deliver the programme of research.  Four members of BUCRU became co-applicants on the proposal bringing methodological expertise in systematic reviews, qualitative research, quantitative research, and PPI support.  Via our link with the RDS we also have access to health economist support.   Collaborations were initiated with the Wessex Health Innovation and Education Cluster (HIEC; www.wessexhiecpartnership.org.uk/) to gain support in the educational/ training aspects of the research.  
  • Liaison – we liaised with a number of different organisations, such as Research and Knowledge Exchange Operations for costing the Bournemouth University (BU) costs, the NHS host organisation that will be responsible for the research, and the Market Research Group (MRG; https://mrg.bournemouth.ac.uk/) who were involved to support the administration and data entry for the survey component of the project.
  • Identification of appropriate funding schemes.
  • Obtained peer review from RDS colleagues across the region to provide feedback on the suitability of the funding scheme and the ‘readiness’ for submission. This service is usually provided through regular Scientific Committee meetings that act as ‘mock’ funding committees (www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/scientific_committee.htm).

Quote from lead applicant: “Without the expertise and assistance of BUCRU staff it would not have been possible to even contemplate applying for a large and competitive grant such as the NIHR Programme Development Grant” .

Please contact us for support with health research:

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

BUCRU@bournemouth.ac.uk

Tel: 01202 961939

http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/bucru/

Funding Opportunities: HEA & MS Society

Funding opportunities

We have received information on the following funding opportunities which may be of interest to staff.

Teaching Development Grants from the Higher Education Academy

1. Round 2 of the Individual Grants scheme will open on January 3rd 2012, with a maximum of £7,000 per project, with a focus on employability or internationalisation.

•          The submission deadline is February 19th 2012.

•          Unsuccessful bids from the previous round could be re-submitted if they can be revised in line with the feedback you received from the HEA.

•          However, any bids that do not satisfy the two key principles of student engagement and outputs of benefit beyond BU, or do not thoroughly address ethical issues, will not be considered by the reviewers. So it is critical to get these sections as strong as possible.

•          Successful bids from the July 2011 round are here: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/teaching-development-grants

2. The Collaborative Grants scheme opens on February 27th 2012, with a submission deadline of April 22nd 2012.

•          The maximum funding per project is £60,000, one bid per institution.

•          These can be either collaborative bids between BU and external bodies, or interdisciplinary between different departments within BU.

•          With collaborative bids, there must be a minimum of two UK HE partners, but other partners could include FECs, private providers or overseas HEIs.

•          The project must be led by a Fellow of the HEA and matched funding is required. 

•          Some further details are available here to support early thinking, but more information will be available in January.

If you would like to discuss potential projects, please contact Jennifer Taylor, Janet Hanson or Linda Byles (both Janet and Linda are TDG reviewers for the HEA).

MS Society Grants 2012

The MS Society intends to run three grant rounds in 2012:

  • Grant Round 1 – PhD Studentships and Innovative Awards
  • Grant Round 2 – Project grants and Junior Fellowships
  • Grant Round 3 – PhD Studentships and Innovative Awards

The MS Society 2012 Grant Round 1 for Innovative and PhD Studentship awards will open on the 17 January 2012, with a deadline for applications 12 noon on 10 February 2012.

For an overview of all the intended 2012 grant rounds and guidance on how to apply for an MS Society research grant please see thier website: http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-research/for-researchers/applying-for-research-grants

What do they fund?

As the largest dedicated charitable funder of MS research in the UK, the MS Society welcomes applications for projects that will increase the understanding of, and find new effective treatments for MS, as well as improve care and services for people affected by MS. The Society will consider any application that is relevant to MS. Applications are divided into two funding streams:

  1. Care and Services Research Research proposals that are focussed on relieving the symptoms of MS, developing and evaluating services for people affected by MS or exploring the social and economic impact of MS are classified as care and services research applications.
  2. Biomedical Research Research proposals that are focussed on identifying the causes of MS and/or identifying and developing disease modifying therapies are classified as biomedical research applications. In response to a strategic review the Society has issued a highlight notice for translational and clinical biomedical research and would particularly encourage applicants to submit proposals with this focus.

If you have any questions the society’s research team are happy to answer them at: research@mssociety.org.uk or on: 020 8438 0822.