Category / pre-award

NIHR RDS SW Residential Research Retreat application drop-in sessions 4th April 1-3pm and 6th April 11am-1pm

BU research, Events, Funding opportunities, Fusion, NHS, pre-award, Research news

 

 

 

The NIHR Research Design Service South West (RDS SW) is holding a Residential Research Retreat 13-15th September 2022 inclusive, at Dillington House in Somerset.

It offers a fantastic opportunity for research teams to develop high quality research proposals in health and social care suitable for submission to national peer-reviewed funding streams.  At the retreat there is advice on tap from a range of methodological advisers (statisticians, health economists, patient and public involvement experts, qualitative researchers etc.) and dedicated time to work on your proposal as a team.

FHSS is offering to cover the costs of  2-3 teams. Teams of up to 3 or 4 can attend the retreat, ideally with at least one member employed in an NHS, social care or public health organisation in the Southwest.  Multi-disciplinary teams with varied research experience will be considered favourably, and a mix of clinical and academic skills and experience is preferable. Teams may include service users or carers.

Places on the retreat are competitive and there is an application process. Fees may be waived for applicants from a public health or social care background, but applicants are advised to seek advice about this before submitting an application.

This is an excellent opportunity for academics who already have a proposal developed in health and social care research that is aligned with fusion and the strategic investment areas.

The deadline for applications is fast approaching: 20th April 2022.

What to do next?

You’ll need to book a slot with NIHR RDS SW Bournemouth site lead, Dr Sarah Thomas who is holding drop-in information and advice sessions to discuss potential applications.  After your slot you will be given an opportunity to apply for FHSS funding.

The sessions are from 1-3pm on Monday 4th April or 11am-1pm on Wednesday 6th April.  Please e-mail: wardl@bournemouth.ac.uk  to book your 15-minute slot.

Further details about the Residential Research Retreat, including the eligibility criteria and application process can be found here: Residential Research Retreat

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

The NIHR RDS can advise on all aspects of developing a grant application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by NIHR RDS South West) known as the Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice.

Feel free to call Louise Ward on 01202 961939 or send an email bucru@bournemouth.ac.uk to make an appointment.

Good UK – Horizon Europe News

EU, pre-award

According to Research Professional, UK government has extended a financial “safety net” for successful UK applicants to Horizon Europe (HEU). This follows last November’s guarantee for the limited number of “first wave” of funding calls from the European Union’s €95.5 billion (£80.5bn) R&D programme.

On 15 March, 2022 science minister George Freeman extended the guarantee to awards that are expected to be signed by the end of December 2022, while efforts continued to associate to the programme. The announcement comes after yesterday’s news that the business department has allocated £6.8 billion for EU programmes during 2022-2025, supporting the UK’s eventual association with Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, and Fusion for Energy.

The extension now covers “all eligible, current applications to calls where researchers expect to sign grant agreements this year” but are unable to do so due to the ongoing delays to formalising UK association. Full details of the scope and terms of the extended guarantee are available on the UKRI website.

As usual, we encourage BU academics to apply for next Horizon Europe calls. To discuss more details about your potential HEU project, please get in touch with RDS Research Facilitator International Ainar Blaudums or your allocated Funding Development Officer.

EU funding related events – March / April 2022

EU, Events, Funding opportunities, pre-award

COST webinar

UKRO will be holding a webinar ‘An Introduction to COST” on 17 March 2022 (11:00-12:30pm UK time). COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding organisation that aims to support researchers, in any sector and at all career stages, to grow their professional research networks and boost their careers. COST Actions are open to all science and technology fields, including new and emerging fields and help to connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond.

The webinar is aimed at researchers and research support staff, interested in finding out more about COST funding opportunities. The event will also outline the different ways to get involved in a COST action and will cover UK participation in COST. Attendance is free of charge, but participants should register here.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 Call Information Webinar Series

The UK Research Office (UKRO), in its capacity as UK National Contact Point for the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), will be holding a series of information webinars for organisations and individuals interested in applying to the 2022 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships Call (call opens 13 April 2022, call deadline 14 September 2022).

Postdoctoral Fellowships help experienced researchers advance their careers and gain new skills through training, international, intersectoral and international mobility. Postdoctoral Fellowships are aimed at researchers who are already in possession of a doctoral degree, and at the call deadline have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent research experience.

BU has excellent track record in applying for MSCA fellowships and we encourage those considering to apply for the first time to register and participate in these webinar series.

I would like to remind BU academics that MSCA calls are one of exceptions regarding submission of Intention to Bid forms; RDS my require to submit ItB up to two months before the submission deadline. Please get in touch with your RDS Funding Development Officer as soon as possible if you plan to apply to 2022 MSCA PF call.

ERC 2022 Advanced Grant Webinar Slides and Recording Available

The presentation slides and video recording from UKRO ERC Advanced Grant Webinar are now available for the two sessions and can be accessed on the UKRO event page.

Tentative Dates for ERC 2023 Calls are Announced

The European Research Council (ERC) has published the tentative deadline dates for the 2023 calls. Note that these deadlines will not be confirmed until the 2023 ERC Work Programme is officially published over the summer.

ERC calls are another exception regarding submission of ItB forms; RDS my require to submit ItB at least three months before the submission deadline. Please get in touch with your RDS Funding Development Officer as soon as possible if you plan to apply to ERC 2022 Advanced Grant or ERC 2023 Starting Grant (submission deadline in 2022) call.

I would like to also remind that all BU researchers can access the UKRO Portal as employees of the subscribing institution to read news articles, factsheets and other useful information. Anyone with an institutional email address can register. To access some links above, you may be required to be UKRO registered user.

Institutional Learning from Funder Feedback: Institutional support to develop PDRAs within a project

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, ECR Network, pre-award

 

 

An insight from Associate Professor in Archaeology/Director of IMSET- Dr. Emma Jenkins

In recent years the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology have actively sought to recruit and support ECRs. This reaps benefits not just for the individuals concerned but also for the department; it’s great to have academically young and enthusiastic colleagues who are at the cutting edge of research and bring new expertise and collaborations. It’s basically a win/win situation! That being said, as a department we take the development of our ECRs seriously and are generally a supportive bunch. With ECRs who are submitting to an external funder such as the British Academy or the Leverhulme Trust, this starts with us working with them on their initial proposal. We provide constructive feedback and help them to write a fundable application going as far as to regularly  Skype with overseas colleagues to provide feedback back in the distant days pre the pandemic when no one had ever heard of Zoom! We also pick them up and get them back on track if they are initially unsuccessful and encourage them to apply elsewhere or to apply again in the next round.

Once a position has been secured, we continue that support. We try and ensure that our ECRs take advantage of the training and other opportunities that BU offers for example by getting a departmental mentor, attending writing workshops, and training schemes such as the Research Council Development Scheme and applying for additional funding for example the Acceleration Of Research & Networking fund (ACORN) which is aimed specifically at ECRs and allows them to gain leaderships skills. We also encourage them to apply for additional external prizes that would enhance their CV, for example the Philip Leverhulme Prize. Where appropriate we provide opportunities for teaching and student supervision that fall within their remit of research expertise and encourage them to take on light departmental administrative duties such as being responsible for the departmental social media posts-something which the ‘young-uns’ are much better at anyway! The bridging fund offered by the university which provides the salary of an existing ECR for up to six months if they are awaiting the outcome of a further funding proposal is also invaluable for retaining good ECRs. In summary I would say that the efforts that the department has made to make the department a welcoming and supportive environment for ECRs has paid off enormously with a sizeable increase in our ECR numbers which in turn has made the department a much more fun and dynamic place to work.

Equality Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) toolkit – NIHR webinar

BU research, BU2025, Events, Impact, NHS, Post-award, pre-award, Research Integritiy, Research Training

  

Dear colleagues

– Are you an NIHR funded researcher?
– Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?

NIHR Research Design Service East Midlands are hosting a webinar introducing the new EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity) toolkit and is a valuable starting point for researchers seeking to develop more inclusive research proposals.

The NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) has developed an EDI toolkit to support researchers to consider and embed EDI at each stage of their research project, from inception through to dissemination, implementation and impact.

The 90 minute webinar is on 30th March 2022 at 13.30.

More information and link to book here.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

Medical Research Council – Better methods, better research

Funding opportunities, innovation, NHS, pre-award, Research Centres

MRC are opening up a £2,000,000 fund on 6th May for improving the methods used by others in biomedical and health research.

Deadline: 15th June 2022

The full economic cost of your project can be up to £625,000. MRC and NIHR will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

This is an ongoing scheme. Application rounds open twice per year, closing in June and November

More details on the funding opportunity here.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

NIHR Grant Applications Seminar ONLINE – 31st March 2022

BU research, ECR Network, EPSRC, ESRC, Events, Funding opportunities, NHS, pre-award, Research Centres, Research news, writing

  

Dear colleagues

– Do you have a great idea for research in health, social care or public health?
– Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?

Our popular seminar continues online and will take place on Thursday 31st March 2022 from 10.00am – 12.30pm.

The seminar provides an overview of NIHR funding opportunities and research programme remits, requirements and application processes. We will give you top tips for your application and answer specific questions with experienced RDS South West advisers.

We will also be joined by colleagues from the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. They will be talking about the HTA programme, the nature of the projects that it funds, tips for success and any upcoming changes.

We also have a limited number of 20-minute 1-to-1 appointments available after the seminar should you wish to discuss your proposed study with an RDS adviser.

Find out more and book a place.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

New Intention to Bid and Bid Enquiry Process

BU research, ECR Network, Funding opportunities, Guidance, Postgraduate Research, pre-award, R & KE Operations, Research Training

Following the announcement of the new electronic ITB form on 24 January 2022, these are some updates since the launch.

The new ITB form and Enquiry service will provide a better user experience and create a more efficient administrative control process for Research Development and Support (RDS).

 

New ITB form: The new Intention to Bid (ITB) form and the updated Research Costings Request Sheet are both available now in the Policies & Procedures/Research/Pre-award section of the intranet under Research > Pre-award. Please complete the Research Costings Request Sheet and attach it to the e-ITB form for completion. PDF copies of all submissions can be printed or saved but there are limitations to editing a form once it has been submitted.

 

Bid Enquiry Process: If you have more than 4 weeks to the submission deadline and need advice or support regarding a bid, please access the same form link and select ‘Enquiry/Advice on Bidding’. This ensures that the pre-award team will see your Enquiry, rather than emailing a sole officer who may not be available at the time.

 

As a service, RDS is committed to delivering service excellence to enable BU’s academic community to deliver and grow world-leading research for societal benefit. The program of work continues to look at processes to enhance the user experience.

 

Changes include improvements to the pre- and post-award support being offered. Building on the delivery of a new Principal Investigator report which is currently in the final stages of being rolled out, and continuing our collaboration with the Transformation Team.

 

For any queries about the transformation of pre-award services at BU, please contact Jo Garrad or Brian Kaliczynskyj to discuss further.

For any technical issues in relation to the form, please contact Roy Harvey directly.

Congratulations to BU’s new AHRC Peer Reviewers

BU research, pre-award, Research news

As a result of the recent AHRC call for peer reviewers, I’m pleased to announce that eight BU academics were successful in their application and have been asked to join the AHRC Peer Review College. These are:

Dr. Lyle Skains, FMC

Professor Michael Silk, BUBS

Dr Christa van Raalte, FMC

Dr. Ann Luce, FMC

Dr Carina Westling, FMC

Dr Rehan Zia, FMC

Dr Tom Davis, FST

Dr Huiwen Zhao, FST

Congratulations to all. This is a great opportunity to gain greater insight to AHRC and what they fund, as well as an important part of academic citizenship.

The successful applicants have been invited to complete induction training prior to formally joining the PRC. This will give them an opportunity to learn more about AHRC strategy, policy and process, how to write effective reviews, and network with fellow PRC members and AHRC staff.

Reminder: Workshop on including impact in grant applications

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, pre-award

Impact and Funding Applications Training: Wednesday 16th February 15:30-16:30 Online

How to write about impact in your funding bids

Writing about impact in a grant application can be challenging. However, a strong description of the benefits you hope your project will have on society and the economy, and the means you will take to get there, can make all the difference between getting funded or not.

Book your place now on the online training session Impact and Funding Bids on 16th February at 3.30pm and we will help you understand what you need to include for the best chance of success, and look at the different ways impact may be considered within each call.

Although the session will include a brief look at definitions of impact, if you are new to this area it is advised that you watch the 10-minute introduction to impact video on Brightspace beforehand to get the most out of the training.

Book your place.

New Intention to Bid (ITB) process

BU research, pre-award, Research news

We are pleased to announce the introduction of a new Intention to Bid (ITB) form which will replace the existing Word document and email process with immediate effect. The new ITB form will provide a better user experience and create a more efficient administrative control process for Research Development and Support (RDS). This solution can be used now and doesn’t rely on any immediate IT investment.

The new form uses Microsoft Forms and SharePoint Lists to track the ITB application progress. By removing the need to email forms to individuals RDS will have oversight of the whole process.

The new Intention to Bid (ITB) form and the ITB research costings spreadsheet template are both available now in the Policies & Procedures/Research/Pre-award section of the intranet. Draft costings for bids can be completed in the costings template. PDF copies of all submissions can be printed or saved but there are limitations to editing a form once it has been submitted.

As a service, RDS is committed to delivering service excellence to enable BU’s academic community to deliver and grow world-leading research for societal benefit. The program of work continues to look at processes to enhance the user experience.

Changes include improvements to the pre- and post-award support being offered. Building on the delivery of a new Principal Investigator report which is currently in the final stages of being rolled out, and continuing our collaboration with the Transformation Team.

For any queries about the transformation of pre-award services at BU, please contact Jo Garrad or Brian Kaliczynskyj to discuss further.

For any technical issues in relation to the form, please contact Roy Harvey directly.

Share your Views on Impact in Research Applications

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, pre-award

UKRI are reviewing their systems to better understand the effectiveness of approaches to supporting impact across the Research Councils.

In order to achieve this they have launched a consultation to gather feedback on how impact development activities are being embedded into proposals by applicants. The aim is also to determine the levels of stakeholder involvement, and how impact development activities within proposals are reviewed and assessed. The results from this consultation will be used to make improvements to UKRI’s processes and will be central to the development of a new reference guide on the topic of ‘maximising impact’ within applications, as well as being used as an evidence base for continuous improvement, cross UKRI policy and other UKRI programmes.

They are asking for input from:

  • academics
  • university research office staff
  • users of research
  • project partners (such as social enterprises, charities, non-governmental organisations, business)
  • other stakeholders.

You can access the survey until 4 February 2022 here.

Online training workshop: Impact and funding applications

BU research, ECR Network, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, pre-award, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training

Impact and Funding Applications Training: Wednesday 16th February 15:30-16:30 Online

How to write about impact in your funding bids

Writing about impact in a grant application can be challenging. However, a strong description of the benefits you hope your project will have on society and the economy, and the means you will take to get there, can make all the difference between getting funded or not.

Book your place now on the online training session Impact and Funding Bids on 16th February at 3.30pm and we will help you understand what you need to include for the best chance of success, and look at the different ways impact may be considered within each call.

Although the session will include a brief look at definitions of impact, it is advised that you watch the 10-minute introduction to impact video on Brightspace beforehand to get the most out of the training.

Book your place.

New Look Research Application Development Timeline

BU research, pre-award, Research news

New Look Timeline!

The Research Development & Support RKE Application timeline is your ultimate guide to applying for external research and knowledge-exchange funding, and it’s been given a brand new look.

The timeline guides you through all the necessary steps, procedures and processes involved, including navigating through all the requirements of the internal quality approvals, costing preparations, legal and finances approvals, faculty approvals, etc.

The timeline also provides helpful guidance in the time needed in preparing and finalising external funding applications, taking you through initial planning, the submission preparation processes, legal and finance approval processes and to the submission to funder process.

You can also find useful links and information, as well as your Funding Development Team contacts on this timeline document.

Please click on this link to access this useful guidance document in its jazzy new format.

If you have any queries, please contact RDS.

Filling the gap: an ACORN funded project

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, ECR Network, Impact, Post-award, Postgraduate Research, pre-award, Research news, RKE development framework

Back in May 2021, Kimberley Davies (inset ) and Sarah Elliott submitted a bid to BU’s ACORN internal fund, which is focussed on supporting the career development for Early Career Researchers.

The bid was entitled

“Filling the Gap: Investigating past and present socio-ecological resilience to aid future sustainability in the Poole Harbour Catchment”.

Their ACORN project proposal was designed as a steppingstone towards a future UKRI grant application. Kim and Sarah’s project, which would bring together decades of archaeological and ecological research in the Poole Harbour Catchment area, to develop scenarios of future resilience in coastal regions in light of potential large-scale environmental change, is aimed at the AHRC ECR grant.

Broadly the project aimed to characterise key events from the last ~10,000 years in the Poole Harbour area, e.g. sea level rise or agricultural intensification, and evaluate their socio-ecological impacts using historical profiling and theoretical models. The pilot study would also investigate the applicability of using palaeoecological ‘proxies’ and geoarchaeological markers in the sediment horizons to understand the impact of large scale events. This is critical in order to develop a plausible framework for future research, including defining appropriate sampling locations and relevant environmental proxies to signify key changes.

Kim and Sarah had written an excellent application and had complied with all the requirements of the application process.

Sarah commented ‘The application process for the ACORN grant, whilst resembling a small UKRI grant, was straightforward to assemble and submit. The ACORN team provided support with to help those who are unsure about the grant application process. The grant is really beneficial for anyone who wants to test ideas or generate preliminary data as often proof of concept is critical to the success of larger grants but can be difficult to obtain.’

Kim and Sarah were awarded funding and the project was successfully delivered within the time frame for the grant. Like most projects, it wasn’t plain sailing, but all the key aims were achieved and they are now actively working towards the submission of the full UKRI grant.

Kim stated that ‘The provision of a small sum of money has allowed us to generate pilot data that we are using as part of our larger bid. As two ECRs the ACORN grant allowed us to work closely together to develop this project idea as project leads, which is often difficult to do as part of other grants. We are now working together on the larger UKRI bid which makes this part less daunting and more achievable within a specific timeframe.’

These photos were taken during the fieldwork in Poole Harbour:

BU colleague Harry Manley joined Sarah and Kim on fieldwork to learn more about the process of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Sediments were retrieved from as deep as 5m below the surface. Multiple locations are logged in order to establish the best location to take a sediment core from.

During the analysis of the samples back in the lab :

The lab analyses included looking at the geochemistry, organic content, pollen and silica phytolith microscopic plant remains, the magnetic susceptibility, particle size and insects. These analyses helped to understand what has been preserved and what can be looked at in detail in future projects.

The ACORN grant allowed the sediments to be dated and helped to establish that the deepest deposits sampled so far are approximately 5000 years old!

For more information about ACORN funding, see the ACORN intranet page or contact ACORN@bournemouth.ac.uk.

(Photo credits: Kim Davies and Sarah Elliott, Bournemouth University)

 

MSCA Staff Exchange 2021 – update from RDS

EU, Funding opportunities, pre-award

Many BU academics are familiar with Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Staff Exchanges (MSCA SE), previously known as Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges (RISE), as we have been quite successful in applying for this funding scheme under Horizon 2020. The next MSCA SE call (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-SE-01) is open; submission deadline 09 March 2022 17:00:00 Brussels time.

RDS have already started supporting BU academics submitting applications to this call.

To ensure quality of proposals and smooth internal processing of applications, we kindly ask PIs still considering this opportunity to submit Intention to Bid (ItB) form to RDS before 21st December 2021. Forms submitted after this date will be rejected. Before submitting ItB, please read guidance documents to make sure that all eligibility criteria and funder’s expectations are met. Please note that grant amount is based on unit costs.

MSCA SE fund collaborative research and innovation projects which involve organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors (including SMEs) from across the globe in any subject area. The scheme promotes international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility of research and innovation staff leading to the sharing of knowledge and best practices as well as the completion of a joint project.

The UK Research Office (UKRO), in its capacity as UK National Contact Point for the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), were holding information webinars to support potential applicants applying for the 2021 MSCA SE call. After login to UKRO portal, on events page you can access useful presentations and recordings of two MSCA SE webinars.

Please forward your completed ItB form to your Funding Development Officer and contact Research Facilitator International Ainar Blaudums for assistance with proposal development.