Category / pre-award

Horizon Europe – ERC CoG and MSCA SE webinars

EU, Events, Funding opportunities, pre-award

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.

RDS Academic & Researcher Induction

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Post-award, pre-award, R & KE Operations, Research Ethics, research staff, RKE development framework, Training

RDS Academic & Researcher Induction – Weds 16th October 10:00 – 11:00, online

The primary aim of this event is to raise participants’ awareness of how to get started in research at BU or, for more established staff, how to take their research to the next level.  It will provide participants with essential, practical information and orientation in key stages and processes of research and knowledge exchange at BU

You’ll be made aware of the support available at each stage of the research lifecycle and get an introduction to the Research, Development & Support Team, who are here to help! It will be hosted by our experts who are responsible for strategy, outputs, ethics, public engagement, knowledge exchange, project management & training.  It will include:

  • A brief overview of research excellence at BU and how RDS can help/support academic staff
  • How we can support your impact, public engagement, knowledge exchange & output activity and why it’s important – essential to quality bids and the REF
  • How to find funding opportunities and access support for the application process
  • How to manage an awarded RKE projects, incl aspects on intellectual property & commercialisation
  • Key points on research ethics and governance
  • Where to find what training is available, incl other BU support and internal networks

Come along, join in, get some important insights – hopefully see you there!  Book your place HERE

If you are new to academia, it may be helpful for you to meet with your faculty mentor to guide your familiarisation of research at BU and expectations of an early career researcher before attending this induction. You can also join the Early Career researcher (ECR) Network.

For some background and more immediate information on RDS, please head to the RKE SharePoint

For further information on this event or joining the ECRN, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk

ERC grants – series of webinars

EU, Funding opportunities, pre-award

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 call: Online Guidance session

BU research, pre-award, research opportunities, research staff, RKE development framework

British Academy Small Grants will be opening soon

Join us Online

Wednesday 24 July 2024, 10:00-12:00

 

to review the guidance and discuss your proposal for the upcoming BA/Leverhulme Small grants call.

Slides will be available after the session while the timeline schedule for this call can be found here.

 

Join Teams link here

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

Last reminder – MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 internal deadline next week

EU, Funding opportunities, pre-award

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.

RKEDF: New Generation Thinkers 2025 – AHRC/BBC Radio 4

BU research, Events, PG research, pre-award, Research Centres, Research news, research opportunities, RKE development framework, Training

RKEDF: New Generation Thinkers 2025 – AHRC/BBC Radio 4 – Thursday 11th July – 11:00-12:30 – F112 – Fusion Building – Talbot Campus

Facilitated by: Professor Richard Berger

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

New Generation Thinkers is a career development scheme for early career researchers to:

  • develop their communication and media skills
  • get their research in front of the general public

The scheme is a partnership between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC.

If your application is successful, you’ll learn how to communicate research findings to the widest possible audience.

The scheme gives participants the opportunity to:

  • create programme ideas with experienced BBC producers at workshops
  • work with the team at BBC Radio 4 to get your ideas on air
  • get media training
  • take part in a workshop around engaging policymakers
  • get involved with the AHRC-funded Being Human Festival

New Generation Thinkers has run since 2010. Each year a number of applicants are invited to create ideas with the BBC, of which we select the next cohort of New Generation Thinkers.

You can: read about the scheme’s achievements over the first 10 years – find the currently open New Generation Thinkers funding opportunity on the UKRI funding finder once it’s launched.

Previous winners: see a list of previous winners – listen to content created by previous winners on BBC Sounds (search for New Generation Thinkers) – read New Generation Thinkers magazine

Book your place here – under “New Generation Thinkers 2025″ in the drop-down menu

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Development Framework

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 – internal deadline approaching

EU, Funding opportunities, pre-award

A while ago I posted a blog about preparations for MSCA PF 2024 call. The deadline date is  11 September 2024 17:00:00 Brussels time, you can find more information by visiting the EU Funding and Tenders Portal call page.

The ItB submission deadline this year is Monday 15 July, although we encourage you to submit the ItB as soon as you are ready.

With queries related to MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 Call please contact Research Facilitator International. Please note that I have already contacted those on my list of potential applicants. If I have missed any academics considering applying, accept my apologies and remind me about your intention to submit an application this year to send you more details regarding application support.

RKEDF: UKRI Assurance and compliance for externally-funded grants

BU research, Events, pre-award, Research communication, Research news, research staff, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training

Thursday 20th June – 10:00-11:30 – Hybrid – Poole House, Talbot Campus

Thursday 20th June – 13:00-14:30 – Hybrid – Gateway Building, Lansdowne

UKRI Assurance and compliance for externally-funded grants

This workshop is aimed at staff who have active UKRI-funded grants, or are in the process of applying for UKRI-funded grants. The workshop will cover; how UKRI conduct its assurance and compliance visits (audits), what you as a principal investigator or co-investigator need to be aware of, how to prepare, and the support you can expect to receive from Research Development & Support. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be aware of the common pitfalls and what you can do to ensure a positive outcome if UKRI pick your project as part of their assurance and compliance process.

The external facilitator for these sessions is Charles Shannon

Please note there is an AM and a PM session on the same day. You are invited to attend online or in person.  

Book your place here – under “UKRI Assurance” in the drop-down menu

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Development Framework

Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing

BU research, Events, pre-award, research staff, RKE development framework, Training

Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing

In person event – 21st June 2024 – 11:00 – 13:00 – Create Lecture Theatre, Fusion building, Talbot campus.

This workshop is aimed at anyone trying to formulate funding proposals for grants that primarily follow a practice research method. It will look at how to formulate a practice research project, starting with the framing of the initial idea in relation to peers and relevant prior research/art, how to describe the methodology in a way that meets funding bodies requirements for transparency and rigour, and how to translate outputs into impact.

Attendees can be at any stage of a bid writing process, but should come with an idea that they want to work on, or past experiences that they can reflect on.

Book your place here under ‘Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing – 21/06/2024’ in the drop-down menu.

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Dev Framework 

RKEDF: AHRC and ESRC – How to write an application in the New Format

BU research, ESRC, Events, Funding opportunities, pre-award, research staff, RKE development framework, Training

‘How to write an application in the new format for the Funding Service’

Friday 14th June and Thursday 4th July 2024 – 11:00 – 13:00 – Online

These sessions are aimed at to all interested in finding out about the new funding service, from ECRs to Professors.

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.

Outcomes:

  • Understanding of the new application format and how to write the sections within it
  • Understanding of AHRC and ESRC

General understanding of best practice for writing an application for external funding.

The facilitator for this event is Sally Baggott – Find out more here.

Book your place here under ‘AHRC & ESRC – How to write an application in the new format for the funding service’ and select either: 14/06/ 2024 or 04/07/2024’ in the drop-down menu.

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Dev Framework 

Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing

BU research, Events, pre-award, research staff, RKE development framework, Training

Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing

In person event – 21st June 2024 – 11:00 – 13:00 – Create Lecture Theatre, Fusion building, Talbot campus.

This workshop is aimed at anyone trying to formulate funding proposals for grants that primarily follow a practice research method. It will look at how to formulate a practice research project, starting with the framing of the initial idea in relation to peers and relevant prior research/art, how to describe the methodology in a way that meets funding bodies requirements for transparency and rigour, and how to translate outputs into impact.

Attendees can be at any stage of a bid writing process, but should come with an idea that they want to work on, or past experiences that they can reflect on.

Book your place here under ‘Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing – 21/06/2024’ in the drop-down menu.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024

EU, Funding opportunities, pre-award

The 2024 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) Call is expected to open on the Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal on 23 April 2024, with a deadline of 11 September 2024. The appropriate information including guidance documents and Standard application form are available on the MSCA PF call page.

This will be the first MSCA call after the UK has joined the Horizon Europe programme, so the competition may even increase. From the last call BU got two fellowships awarded and we are looking forward to having other success stories.

As usual, the internal deadline for ItB submission is expected to be no later than mid-July. We would appreciate if potential BU supervisors inform their Funding Development Officers or Research Facilitator International about their intention to submit an application as soon as possible. As usual, we will have very busy period in August-September supporting your applications, so we need to plan resources to provide appropriate support.

Where necessary, we will provide individual support to BU academics starting from mid-June. In the meantime, please consider joining training sessions organised by our UK Research Office (UKRO) based in Brussels. UKRO, in its capacity as UK National Contact Point for the MSCA, will hold information webinars for prospective applicants. There have been two online webinars already announced:

The agenda for each webinar is to be confirmed shortly, however UKRO strongly advise participants to register for and attend both sessions. To access the above links, UKRO portal login details may be needed (if you do not have access to the portal, more details on how to register are provided here).

The webinars will be delivered using the ‘Zoom’ online conference facility, prior registration is mandatory. Upon registering, a confirmation email will be sent with joining instructions.

Please note that UKRO sessions usually cover all aspects of application, so specific BU-hosted training sessions will not be organised and we expect that BU applicants have basic understanding about the funding scheme.

With queries related to MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 Call please contact Research Facilitator International.

New Intention to Bid (ItB) Form

BU research, ECR Network, Guidance, pre-award, Research news, research staff

Since the introduction of workstreams in October 2022, the Transformation team and the Research Development and Support (RDS) team have been working collaboratively on three workstreams to improve BU’s Research & Knowledge Exchange (RKE) service provision. Feedback from the academic community at BU suggested there is a need to reduce bureaucracy and to streamline processes. As part of these efforts, and with the support of IT Services, we have reviewed  and improved the Intention to Bid (ItB) form. The form has been developed and tested with input from the academic community and the Business and Knowledge Exchange Managers.  

The new Intention to Bid (ItB) form launched on 8 April and is available to access

on our RED Public site.  

 Key improvements include: 

  • More user-friendly and easy to navigate form 
  • Ability to save progress on the form and return to it later 
  • Shorter form 
  • Costing information is no longer required as part of the ItB form submission process 
  • Form allows for collaboration – a member of the research team can create the form on the behalf of the PI 
  • Form now incorporates Knowledge Exchange aspects 

 

There are only 6 very simple questions needed to notify RDS of the intention to bid. This will trigger notifications to RDS and to the Faculty (DDRPP, HoDs, DHoDs or Exec Deans). Following this early notification process, further information can be continually developed on the form in stages. This includes information about the research team, project requirements, project goals and aims, as well as confirmation on how the mandatory Faculty Quality Approval requirements will be fulfilled. Once RDS are notified through the early notification, a member from the Funding Development Team will be in touch to work collaboratively with the PI on developing the project for submission.  

 

Short notice application route  We recognise that some projects and calls are open for short periods of time, and that other circumstances may dictate when the intention to bid form is completed. If the submission deadline is in less than 4 weeks, the form will first seek approval from RDS (in collaboration with the DDRPP) through the short notice application route. As part of the process, you will be required to submit a draft application or a 2-page concept note (excluding tenders). 

All submissions with a deadline over 4 weeks will automatically be processed.  

 We have developed some user guides on the RKE SharePoint site and will also offer drop-in sessions on MS teams.

The next scheduled session is Wednesday 24th April 12:30pm 

Click here to join the meeting

Horizon Europe News – December 2023

BU research, EU, pre-award

Last Horizon Europe update this year and also the last one we were not associated to the programme. As stated previously, from 1 January 2024 the UK will be fully associated to almost all parts of the HEU programme.

Now to the news. The European Commission has adopted the European Innovation Council (EIC) Work Programme for 2024, an area BU has not been involved before. Perhaps, worth to explore it in 2024? The European Innovation Council, officially launched in March 2021, provides a coherent and connected system of innovation funding that supports projects with market potential. Its schemes, piloted at the end of Horizon 2020, are principally targeted at Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and industry, but also have opportunities for academic involvement. You can find more information about EIC funding opportunities and upcoming online information days on the UKRO webpage (UKRO login details required).

It has been announced that the ESRC and the AHRC, in their capacity as the UK National Contact Point for the Horizon Europe Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society), are holding an online session to support applicants in writing successful proposals for Cluster 2 calls. The Zoom event will take place on 17 January 2024 (13:00-16:00 UK time). Please note that prior registration is required. More information and registration forms are available here.

On this note, I am finishing and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Updated information about EIC funding (03/01/2024): the UK entities take part in this pillar, with a small exception of one stream under the EIC – the EIC Fund, which provides equity funding for SMEs. So far, the UK universities have been particularly keen on EIC Pathfinder calls and also use the other mechanism – the EIC Transition.

European Innovation Council online Info Day dedicated to Work Programme 2024 is scheduled for 15 January 2024. There is no need for registrations as the event will be web streamed live – watch the event live following the link. Programme of the event is available here.

For more information you can also refer to the EIC’s frequently asked questions section.

Reminder – MSCA Staff Exchanges 2023 Call Info Session

EU, Events, Funding opportunities, pre-award

This is a reminder that the European Research Executive Agency invites those interested in applying for the next call to join the online info session on 8 December 2023 (9 am UK time) and learn more about MSCA Staff Exchanges.

The 2023 call of the Horizon Europe Staff Exchanges action is open for new proposal applications until 28 February 2024.

Please note that this is a 2023 Work Programme call. If a proposal is successful, UK institutions will not be eligible to coordinate the project and funding will be provided from the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee. To claim this funding from UKRI, UK applicants must apply for funding from the EU as beneficiaries and not as Associated Partners.

You can download the agenda from the dedicated webpage library or navigate directly to the streaming page.

In the meantime, the European Commission has announced the submission rates for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks 2023 call, which closed on 28 November 2023. The European Research Executive Agency received 1066 proposals, which is an increase compared to the 946 applications received in the previous call.

Standard Doctoral Networks received 920 proposals, two of which are with BU academics participating – good luck to our colleagues!

Horizon Europe News – November 2023

BU research, EU, pre-award

There’s only one month left until the university closes for Christmas break. I am glad to tell you all that our academic colleagues have successfully submitted another four proposals to Horizon Europe (HEU) call closing on 23 November 2023. In this case, all of these were from the Computing and Informatics department.

Since mid-September, the total number of proposals submitted to HEU by at least one BU academic participating is 18. Next week we expect two more bids to be finalised and sent to the European Research Executive agency for evaluation. So far for BU, in 2022 and 2023, 8 Horizon Europe proposals have been successful.

As many of you have already heard, from 1 January 2024 the UK will be fully associated to almost all parts of the HEU programme.

Please note that some calls from the 2023 work programme close in 2024 and if successful, those will be funded using UK government guarantee and UK participants will still not be eligible to coordinate those projects. You can identify 2023 work programme calls from the call ID, for example, HORIZON-MSCA-2023-SE-01 (MSCA Staff Exchanges) or HORIZON-MSCA-2023-COFUND-01 (MSCA COFUND).

On the RKE SharePoint site you can find the latest funding opportunities and recently updated information about EU funding, here are some links for your convenience:

In the meantime, the Research Professional (RP) has published the news regarding Switzerland’s association to the Horizon Europe programme. According to the latest information, after blocking the country from joining for almost three years, the European Commission has announced that it is ready to start talks on the Swiss association to the EU’s research and innovation programme. Maroš Šefčovič, Commission vice-president for inter-institutional relations, announced on 21 November that the Commission had endorsed a “common understanding” with the Swiss government that ‘will frame the negotiation of a broad package’ between the two sides. The scientific community across Europe has received this as good news.

If you have EU funding-related questions, do not hesitate to contact personally Research Facilitator International Ainar. If you have general pre-award queries, please use this link.

On that note, let me wish you a successful December!