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Cohort-based bidding approach- AHRC Catalyst

Funding opportunities

We are excited to introduce a new approach to enhance the quality of grant applications, inspired by the success of our BA Small Grants internal peer review process. Over the past two years, this process has delivered excellent results, and we aim to adapt it for specific UKRI calls that are relevant to this approach, such as the AHRC Catalyst and Curiosity (in later rounds) awards.

Going forward, we will adopt a cohort-based approach that leverages the repetitive nature of these calls (four times a year up to cohort 6), and potential other similar calls. 

Key elements include:

  1. Mandatory Training Workshop: A session to discuss call requirements with interested academics and establish cohort-based support (If you are not able to attend the planned Mandatory Training, please get in touch via PreAwardEnquiries@bournemouth.ac.uk)- the workshop will address the catalyst application sections, support available and the internal process.
  2. Faculty Pre-Approvals: Faculty-level quality approvals will be mandatory before initiating costings or ITBs.
  3. Additional Funding Development Support: Where relevant, cohort members may also seek other external funding development support to enhance their applications
  4. Internal Peer Review Panels: Applications will undergo review by nominated internal reviewers, with assessor allocation managed in consultation with DDRs.

Pilot
As the pilot, we have identified the end of round six of the AHRC Catalyst call and with the current update of opening of the calls to no deadlines, we have set the pilot internal deadline to the end of April.

You can also find all relevant information about the new scheme on the RKE Sharepoint site.

If you have any questions, please contact Eva Papadopoulou

 

Mandatory Training

Date: 30 January 2025, Thursday

Time: 10am to 11.30am

Microsoft Teams link to join the Mandatory Training – Join the meeting now

 

 

Horizon Europe

Funding opportunities

Horizon Europe

12 February 2025

Looking to secure European funding? Then this Horizon Europe event is for you!

This session will cover:

  • Introduction to Horizon Europe
  • Where and how to find EU funding opportunities
  • Panel discussion – What are the most effective ways of building international partnerships and getting involved with peers across Europe?
  • Q&A session

For further information on this event please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk

Book here

AHRC call – New Generation Thinkers 2025 – webinar reminder, Thurs 12th December, 2:30pm

Funding opportunities

This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to be ‘researchers in residence’ where they will work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4 and produce a piece of writing to be recorded for radio.

 

If selected, you’ll also take part in learning and development opportunities with AHRC around working with the media, engaging the public with research and how to work with policy makers.

You’ll be an up-and-coming early career researcher with a passion for sharing ideas with the largest possible audience.

For further details: AHRC’s New Generation Thinkers 2025

Scope

AHRC are looking for applications from a diversity of backgrounds, research disciplines and institutions, particularly candidates who can demonstrate:

  • how one area of their research could make a strong, clearly expressed and engaging piece of writing for BBC radio. The scheme will match researchers with programmes or BBC units, so we are looking for discussion ideas for those programmes which draw upon your own research or your knowledge of trends in your subject area
  • how this research could have the potential to either change public opinion or influence policy
  • creativity, originality and the potential to talk and write about other areas within the arts and humanities in an accessible and interesting manner, particularly to a wider audience
  • that they are comfortable talking and writing about ideas from beyond their own research area in an accessible and interesting way
  • a wide range of interests through their review and description of their current research
  • high standards of scholarship: clear explanations in interesting, well-written, jargon-free language, that is editorially and stylistically suitable for a BBC audience

To get a good idea of what we’re looking for, we recommend you listen to work by previous New Generation Thinkers on the BBC website before you apply.

Who is eligible to apply

To apply for the New Generation Thinkers scheme, you must be:

  • a UK resident
  • over the age of 18
  • currently working or studying at a UK research organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UKRI. See Eligibility of your organisation
  • studying a relevant area of research. See ‘Your research history’

You must also be either:

  • currently studying for your first PhD and having made considerable progress on your research, for example within one year of submission
  • within eight years of the award of your first PhD, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic
  • within six years of your first academic appointment at an organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UKRI, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic. This must be a paid contract of employment, either full-time or part-time, which lists research or teaching as the primary function, including research assistantships

You do not need to have a permanent contract of employment to be eligible, provided you meet the conditions at the time of your application.

If you have applied to the scheme before, you may apply again provided you have never been selected as a new generation thinker in any given year.

Each person is allowed to submit only one application. The application will ask how your research aligns with one of the programmes or units. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and BBC may then match you to any one of the five programmes or units.

Who is not eligible to apply

You cannot apply if:

  • you work for the BBC, AHRC or UKRI
  • you are a senior academic

Webinar for potential applicants

AHRC will hold a webinar on:

These will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

We ran a workshop at BU late last academic year, slides available- give us a shout and if needed, we can run this workshop again at BU.

Let Eva Papadopoulou know if you are interested via email please.

Leverhulme Visit- 4th December

Last Wednesday we had the pleasure of hosting the Director of Leverhulme at Bournemouth.

Professor Anna Vignoles talked to us about the small but mighty team she leads (one of the most responsive funder teams), the Trust’s approach to funding and all the various funds they offer, gave us valuable insights and tips on making our cases heard at the applications and left us all inspired to think big.

Really important to hear from Funding leaders such as Anna during these difficult times for the sector and the high number of attendance made that very clear as well.

Please get in touch with the Research office if you have any ideas you wish to discuss, no matter how much out there your idea might be, you will get a sympathetic ear from us and support to find the most fitting funder.

Thanks to Anna and those who attended our session,

Eva

MSCA Staff Exchanges 2024 Call – internal deadline

Funding opportunities

As you may already know, BU has been a successfully applying for the Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges (MSCA SE, previously Horizon 2020 MSCA RISE). The 2024 call of the MSCE SE action is open for applications until 5 February 2025.

We would appreciate it if all academics considering applying for this call submit their ItB by 9 December 2024.

This is not a formal deadline, however, given the number of bids we support and the extended Christmas break, we may not be able to support your application if your intention to bid comes in too late.

This is the Horizon Europe 2024 call, so all eligible UK institutions can apply as beneficiaries and lead a consortium. Please note that competition for Horizon Europe grants is significantly increasing this year and you must ensure the highest quality of your proposal to be successful.

Here are some useful links for those who are less familiar with MSCA Staff Exchanges call or willing to explore more about this funding scheme:

All necessary documents and guidance may be found on the call page. With any questions related to Horizon Europe funding opportunities feel free to get in touch with me and we can discuss your ideas and specific questions individually.

The Leverhulme Trust Visit to BU, 4th December now open for bookings-

Funding opportunities

Online event – 4 December 13.00-14.30

Join us at our upcoming virtual visit from The Leverhulme Trust, The Trust has been funding research for almost 100 years and has an essential role in the UK research funding landscape via its support for fundamental and higher-risk research, which has become much scarcer in some disciplines in recent years.

We will hear from the Director of Leverhulme about the funding schemes they offer, advice for applicants, Strategy and Looking into the future.

You are all welcome to join us and you will get a chance to raise your questions – to make the process easier can you please sent Eva Papadopoulou your questions in advance so we can coordinate them.

For more information about Leverhulme Trust visit https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/ and if you have any questions, please contact RDS.

Please book here: The Leverhulme Trust – funding development Tickets, Wed 4 Dec 2024 at 13:00 | Eventbrite

Applications are now open for 2025 ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships!

Funding opportunities, PG research

The ESRC invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships (PDF) to be based at the SWDTP institutions of University of Bath, University of Bristol, University of Exeter, Plymouth University, University of West of England, Bath Spa University, Bournemouth University and Plymouth Marjon University.

Fellowships are aimed at providing a development opportunity for social science researchers in the immediate postdoctoral stage of their career, to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, their networks, and their research and professional skills.

At Bournemouth University, we run a dual stage application process. Candidates must be aligned to one of the pathways to which BU belong. For BU, this means that we would be able to support applicants in one of three pathways:

In the first instance we ask potential candidates to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) and an Equal Opportunities form. The deadline for submitting the EOI & Equal Opportunities forms is January 31 2025. Both forms are available from the pathway leads.

Prior to submission of your EOI it is a good idea to have identified a mentor who will support you to develop your application. If you are uncertain on how to identify a mentor, then please contact one of the pathway leads listed above.

Following review of all EOI received, we will nominate successful applicants and support the development of a full application to the ESRC (via the SWDTP). The full application is due on 25 May, 2025. Only nominated applicants are able to complete this second stage.

For further information, please take a look at the SWDTP web pages dedicated to the postdoctoral fellowships award. Note that this includes important Eligibility criteria.

Please also note that you can register for an online information event hosted by the SWDTP. This takes place at 2-3 pm on Wednesday 20 November 2024. Register here. (A recording will be available from 25 November).

 

New Generation thinkers 2025 – call now open – AHRC and BBC Radio4

Funding opportunities

This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to be ‘researchers in residence’ where they will work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4 and produce a piece of writing to be recorded for radio.

If selected, you’ll also take part in learning and development opportunities with AHRC around working with the media, engaging the public with research and how to work with policy makers.

You’ll be an up-and-coming early career researcher with a passion for sharing ideas with the largest possible audience.

 

 

 

 

Full info on the scheme can be found here

Scope

AHRC are looking for applications from a diversity of backgrounds, research disciplines and institutions, particularly candidates who can demonstrate:

  • how one area of their research could make a strong, clearly expressed and engaging piece of writing for BBC radio. The scheme will match researchers with programmes or BBC units, so we are looking for discussion ideas for those programmes which draw upon your own research or your knowledge of trends in your subject area
  • how this research could have the potential to either change public opinion or influence policy
  • creativity, originality and the potential to talk and write about other areas within the arts and humanities in an accessible and interesting manner, particularly to a wider audience
  • that they are comfortable talking and writing about ideas from beyond their own research area in an accessible and interesting way
  • a wide range of interests through their review and description of their current research
  • high standards of scholarship: clear explanations in interesting, well-written, jargon-free language, that is editorially and stylistically suitable for a BBC audience

To get a good idea of what we’re looking for, we recommend you listen to work by previous New Generation Thinkers on the BBC website before you apply.

Who is eligible to apply

To apply for the New Generation Thinkers scheme, you must be:

  • a UK resident
  • over the age of 18
  • currently working or studying at a UK research organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UKRI. See Eligibility of your organisation
  • studying a relevant area of research. See ‘Your research history’

You must also be either:

  • currently studying for your first PhD and having made considerable progress on your research, for example within one year of submission
  • within eight years of the award of your first PhD, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic
  • within six years of your first academic appointment at an organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UKRI, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic. This must be a paid contract of employment, either full-time or part-time, which lists research or teaching as the primary function, including research assistantships

You do not need to have a permanent contract of employment to be eligible, provided you meet the conditions at the time of your application.

If you have applied to the scheme before, you may apply again provided you have never been selected as a new generation thinker in any given year.

Each person is allowed to submit only one application. The application will ask how your research aligns with one of the programmes or units. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and BBC may then match you to any one of the five programmes or units.

Who is not eligible to apply

You cannot apply if:

  • you work for the BBC, AHRC or UKRI
  • you are a senior academic

 

Webinar for potential applicants

AHRC will hold webinars on:

These will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

 

We ran a workshop at BU late last academic year, slides available- give us a shout and if needed, we can run this workshop again at BU.

Let Eva Papadopoulou know if you are interested via email please.

 

 

Horizon Europe – ERC CoG and MSCA SE webinars

Funding opportunities

A couple of useful free webinars have been announced recently. Please take a look and see if you are interested in participating.

ERC 2025 Consolidator Grant Call Information Webinar

17 October 2024 10:00 to 12:30 UK time

The webinar will provide participants with a detailed practical overview of the ERC Consolidator Grant scheme. Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the proposal format and the key issues they are required to address in planning, writing and costing a proposal. The session will be delivered using the Zoom webinar facility.

The session will be recorded and a copy of the recording alongside the presentation slides will be posted on this event page afterwards. Click on this link to register.

Networking and Brokerage Event – MSCA Staff Exchanges Call 2024

17 October 2024 10:00 to 13:30 UK time

The European Union and India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have launched a new co-funding initiative for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges. Through this scheme, CSIR will top up selected MSCA Staff Exchanges projects, enabling its institutes to engage in joint research projects with European and international partners and second their scientific and technical staff to European research organisations for knowledge sharing and research activities.

The webinar is open for European academic and non-academic stakeholders who want to enhance their organisation’s innovation capacity through interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration with Indian partners.

The event is virtual and free of charge, but registration is required.

ERC grants – series of webinars

Funding opportunities

Since the UK joined the Horizon Europe programme this year, many academics have shown interest in applying to different streams of ERC grants. I am always happy to speak with you individually, however, I would also encourage those interested in applying to participate in events organised by UKRI/UKRO. UKRO as the ERC UK National Contact Point is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.

UKRO has announced a series of webinars to cover the following topics:

Webinars are free of charge, to access more details by following the above links, you may be required to provide login details to access the UKRO portal.

The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. More information about funder may be found on ERC webpage.

The ERC offers 4 core highly competitive grant schemes:

For more information regarding ERC grants feel free to get in touch with Research Facilitator International.

BA Small Grants Guidance session

Funding opportunities, Guidance

BA Small Grants will be opening soon

We are welcoming your proposals for the upcoming BA/Leverhulme Small grants call.
To ensure that the pre-award team can provide all interested academics with optimal support we are inviting you to participate to British Academy Guidance session
 

 Wed 24th July 2024, 10:00-12:00 Online

Join us to review the guidance and then start work on your application. Slides will be available after the session and the timeline schedule for this call can be found here.

To book onto this session, please complete the Booking Form under “BA Small Grants Guidance session – 24/07/2024” in the drop down menu.

If you have any queries, please contact Eva Papadopoulou epapadopoulou@bournemouth.ac.uk or your Funding Development Officer.

BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants

Funding opportunities

BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants

We are welcoming your proposals for the upcoming BA/Leverhulme Small grants call.

The below deadlines will be in place to ensure that the pre-award team can provide all interested academics with optimal support.

 

Wednesday

24 July 2024

 

 Guidance Session via Teams 24/07, 10:00-12:00

 

Join us to review the guidance and then start work on your application. Slides will be available after the session.

To book your place just email us at akakaounaki@bournemouth.ac.uk
24 Jul – 4 Sep Work on your proposal

If you need help, speak to RDS for support and to your peers/mentors, organise your team, start a Flexi-Grant account, start an application in the system
4 Sep – 18 Sep Internal Peer review taking place
4 September 2024          Call Opens

–        Latest date to submit your ITB (Intention To Bid form)
18 September 2024 –        Advise your referee that you will be sending them your completed application on FlexiGrant and they will need to provide their supporting statement by 21 October. Note that the earlier you complete you application on FlexiGrant, the more time the referee will have to review your bid and provide the supporting statement

–        If you are Grade 8 or below and you wish to use the support of an External Application Reviewer (EAR), you must submit your quality approved by the Faculty draft application to RDS by this date.
 

21 October 2024

 –        Nominated referee supporting statement to be completed via FlexiGrant.

–        Submit your draft proposal to RDS preawardenquiries@bournemouth.ac.uk
28 October 2024 Your final application must be submitted on Flexi-Grant by this date at the latest.

 

Once you have uploaded all relevant documentation and your referee and CoI’s have completed their parts too, the “submit” button will appear on your screen. You can click ‘submit’ and the form will be sent to BU’s accounts for RDS checks.
28 Oct- 6 Nov Institutional checks to take place by RDS
6 November 2024 Final submissions

 

If you have any queries, please contact Eva Papadopoulou at epapadopoulou@bournemouth.ac.uk or Katerina Kakaounaki at akakaounaki@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Last reminder – MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 internal deadline next week

Funding opportunities

Dear colleagues,

This is a kind reminder that next Monday, 15 July 2024 is the deadline for submission of ItB if you plan to submit an application to MSCA PF 2024 call.

We have already received a large number of ItBs which is close to the capacity RDS can handle, so any late ItBs submitted after Monday will be rejected.

This year we have planned that all proposals are completed and submitted to the funder on 10 September, a day before the call deadline.

British Academy Global Professorships 2024 Internal competition

Funding opportunities, international

 

British Academy has launched their Global Professorships

The British Academy Global Professorships scheme aims to support internationally recognized scholars by funding four-year research projects in the UK as an opportunity to undertake high-risk, curiosity-driven research in the humanities and social sciences in a UK research institution.

1. **Eligibility**:
– Applicants should be internationally recognized mid-career and senior scholars, in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences (recognised in their field or with exceptional promise) who are currently employed outside the United Kingdom.
– Must hold a doctoral degree and have a significant publication record.
-Applicants can be of any nationality but they must be based outside of the UK at the time of application.

2. **Funding**:
– The award provides up to £900,000 over four years.
– Covers salary costs, research expenses, overheads and relocation costs.

3. **Application Process**:
– The application is submitted by the UK host institution.
– Includes a detailed research proposal, budget, and support statements from the host institution.
– The deadline for submissions and specific guidelines are detailed in the call for applications.

4. **Selection Criteria**:

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

  • The excellent research track record and/or promise of the applicant;
  • The quality, ambition and originality of the proposed research vision and programme, with the aim to support state-of-the-art applications that break new ground;
  • The distinct research contribution and added value that the applicant will be able to make to the UK host institution, and the suitability of the UK host institution for the applicant’s research project that enables the award-holders and their UK host institutions to achieve a step change in their respective research programmes;
  • Whether the gender equality statement meets or exceeds the minimum standard as set out in the Gender Equality in Research and Innovation policy;
  • Value for money
  • Support from the host institution.

For more details, refer to the British Academy’s official guidance notes (https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/global-professorships/guidance-notes/).

Application Process

Due to Demand management, set by BA for this call, BU can submit a max of 4 applications- candidates must contact Eva Papadopoulou, to express their interest request over email, and submit a draft copy of their Flexi-Grant proposal, where the above criteria will need to be addressed. Please do so by the 26th July.  Any queries please contact Eva Papadopoulou. 

RKEDF July Digest – Training opportunities for YOU!

Funding opportunities, PG research, Training

Have you heard the news!!!!!!  

We are excited to share some great RKEDF training opportunities coming up in July 2024!  

 Click on the titles to find further details and book your place!!!!  

 AHRC & ESRC: How to write an application in the new format for the Funding Service 

Thursday, July 4, 11:00 – 13:00 – Online 

The session will cover the requirements for the new UKRI application format. We will discuss the application structure focusing on AHRC and ESRC and the sections and how to complete them. The session will be framed with more general information on the various Research Councils that comprise UKRI and best practice in writing applications for external research funding. 

 Principal Investigation – Post Award for RKE 

Wednesday, July 10, 14:00 – 15:00 – Online 

This session is aimed at any researcher who is, who plans to be, a Principal Investigator for an externally funded research or knowledge exchange project.   

 New Generation Thinkers 2025 – AHRC/BBC Radio 4 

Thursday, July 11, 11:00 – 13:30 – F112 – Fusion Building – Talbot Campus 

This is our annual new generation thinkers’ workshop, where we look at the call, requirements, eligibility and having a panel chair and member’s point of view. For early career researchers and PGRs who want to share their research with the public. 

Call information: Develop your media skills with the New Generation Thinkers scheme. The scheme is a partnership between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC.  

 Building a Policy Influencing Strategy 

Friday, July 12, 9:30 – 16:30 and Thursday, July 18, 9:00 – 16:00 – Zoom 

A one-day online workshop for up to eight researchers, delivered via Zoom and facilitated by public affairs and policy consultant Carys Davis, from The Other Place.   

The session will enable participants to: 

  • develop key messages, supporting narratives and evidence, identify and map their audience, gain insight into the channels available for influencing. 

 RKEDF: ECRN: Where do you begin with Research funding? 

Friday 12th July – 10:00-12:00 – Online 

The workshop is aimed at researchers from across BU at either postdoctoral or early career stage. It will focus on funders including (but not limited to) the AHRC, UKRI, British Academy, Welcome Trust, and NIHR. 

Are you an Early Career Researcher interested in applying for research funding but unsure where to start? In this BU ERC Network special session, professional bid writing consultant Sally Baggott (PhD) offers her insights in the contemporary funding landscape for ECRs,  

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Please assist us in avoiding any waste of resources; make sure you can attend or cancel your booking prior to the session. 

 For more training opportunities, please visit the ‘SharePoint site’ here. 

 For any further information, please contact: RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk