Tagged / applications

Do you need help with your research application?

BU Challenges, BU research, policy, pre-award, Research news, RKE development framework

If you need help with your research application and can meet certain criteria, then you may be eligible to receive support from one of our External Application Reviewers (EARs).

With a new and simplified process, you can request this when you submit your Intention to Bid form, and you meet at least one of the following conditions:

  • The application is to a prestigious funder (UK research councils, Wellcome Trust, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, Royal Society, NIHR and EU Horizon 2020)
  • The application is to a strategically important funding call, including those in the BU2025 Strategic Investment Areas
  • NERC Standard Grants
  • One-off calls for multi-million pound bids (such as AHRC’s Creative Clusters Programme and Research England’s E3 call)
  • The applicant is a member of the BU Research Council Development Scheme and is applying to a UK Research Council call
  • The applicant is an ECR and is applying to a prestigious funder

Your Research Facilitator will then be in contact to discuss your needs. Approval will need to be given both by RKEO and your department before an EAR is appointed to support you.

If you do not meet the above conditions, help may still be available in certain circumstances. Additionally, certain calls may be eligible for external support from other sources. – please discuss these with your Research Facilitator.

Please note that this is an application reviewing service; the EARs will not write your bid for you.

 

*New* Successful Application Library

BU research, Guidance

booksRKEO are pleased to announce that we have just launched a new successful application library, which is available to all BU staff through MyBU in the BU: Research and Knowledge Exchange Framework Community.  It is a collection of successful applications that BU staff have made to research councils, the European Union, charities, government departments and other funding sources. 

These applications have resulted in successfully funded bids and have been made available to Bournemouth University staff with the aim of assisting them with their future applications. When using the library, please be especially mindful that requirements of grant proposals and schemes may have changed since these proposals were submitted, and therefore, it is essential that you always consult the latest funder guidelines for information on current requirements for applications.

To view the documents within the Application Library please click on the titles/headings within the library.  The Application Library is presently being updated with further applications, however, there are still plenty for you to view.

Please note the following usage policy: The examples are for use by Bournemouth University members of staff only and Principal Investigators have given their approval to share their applications on this basis. (Please also note: Any information that is deemed confidential in these documents has been deleted)

RKEO are grateful to all those who have generously allowed access to their applications for others to benefit from.  We will be contacting more successful applicants to see if they too will contribute to the library.  If you would be willing to allow your application to be added to the library then please get in touch with Dianne Goodman, RKEO Funding Development Coordinator.

Procedures for late submission of external R&KE applications

BU research, Guidance

procedure-wwThere has been quite a steep rise in the late notification of applications for external R&KE funding. Although it is always pleasing to see bids going in, the late bids cause a number of issues, not only for Faculty/UET approvers, quality assurance, but also in terms of RKEO resources.  Also it often puts unnecessary pressure on all involved, including the Principal Investigator.

All applications should normally be prepared in good time, informing RKEO (normally by the submission of an intention to bid form) at the beginning of the application process.  For major funders, applications should start to be prepared at least four months in advance of the closing date to ensure that a quality application is submitted.  There is a mandatory internal deadline of five working days for any (finalised) applications that are submitted to funders who have an e-submission process.  This is on advice from those funders as they require the research office to approve submissions.  This is to allow time for applications to be checked by RKEO in line with funder guidance and allow for any iterations required by the PI.  Research Councils are now office rejecting any slight errors rather than returning applications for amendment and so the checks that RKEO carry out are vital to ensuring that academics don’t fall at the first hurdle.

If a PI contacts RKEO at short notice or in the case of an e-submission, close to the five working days’ notice (please bear in mind that all costs and approvals must be in place beforehand), the decision may be made that they cannot submit the application.  This is particularly likely during busy periods where RKEO resources are already fully committed to support those applicants that have contacted us early.  Jo Garrad, RKEO Funding Development Manager, will discuss such cases with Faculty DDRPP’s before making a decision.  A full procedural document can be found on the staff intranet under the ‘Research’ section – Procedures for late submission of external R&KE applications.

Introducing the Fast Track Status – application process now open!

BU research, Guidance

In an attempt to sharpen the response time of some of our knowledge exchange activities, a new process is to be introduced .  During the last 18 months feedback from academics engaged with BU’s knowledge exchange (KE) vehicles suggests that our RKE processes do not always provide the speed and flexibility to operate effectively within a commercial environment.  In light of this feedback and under the direction of Professor Bennett, the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) has worked with academics to review the current processes and, in collaboration with Legal Services, have drafted a series of recommendations.  These measures should enable those with a proven track record for KE activity to have greater autonomy and empower them to negotiate and close deals with clients in a more flexible manner, thereby providing a more responsive service.

The new process, ‘Fast Track status’, allows for expedited procedures to operate (within selected KE units) thereby enabling them to operate in a more entrepreneurial manner.  Fast Track status will be provided by application to KE units that request such status and subject to central audit by both RKE Operations and Legal Services to ensure that the processes are operating within agreed BU policies and the KE strategies of Schools.

Please refer to the Fast Track Status policy document for greater detail of the Fast Track status and guidance on completing the application form.

All applications will require authorisation by the Dean of School/Faculty.  If an application is successful, this signed form will act as the APF for all bids/projects from the individual/unit that meet the criteria agreed for Fast Track Status (e.g. individual KE projects under £25k (exclusions apply)).  The application will seek confirmation that it aligns to the Schools KE strategy and this will need to be confirmed by the Dean.    Recognising that the processes are there for good reason it is not appropriate to change them for all KE work.  Instead it is recommended that special status be applied to certain individuals/units to allow them to operate under licence outside of some of these processes enabling a more entrepreneurial approach.  To clarify, this status isn’t something that would be available to everyone and would only be awarded on the basis of set criteria against with units apply for such status (see the policy document for more information).

The timeline for implementation is shown below for information:

Time estimate Description Dates
Week 1 Fast Track Status call opens: RKE Ops advertise application process and notify interested parties. 13/1/14
Week 3 Application deadline. 31/1/14
Week 4 Collation and preparation of applications: RKE Ops collate applications and, together with Legal Services and Finance, provide input on the track record of applicants and ensure that BU’s charitable status is not impinged by such work (i.e. to ensure that the public benefit is clear) before forwarding documentation on to the PVC. 3/2/14 – 13/2/14
Week 6 Review of applications: PVC reviews applications and approves/ rejects; RKE Ops notify applicants of results. 13/2/14 – 21/2/14
Week 7 Drafting of standard contractual documentation and daily rates: Legal Services meet with successful applicants to agree contractual documentation required for activity; RKE Ops create competitive daily rates for each successful applicant. 24/2/14 – 14/3/14
Week 10 Fast Track Status operational 17/3/14

The application process is now open.  Please note that the closing date is 31 January 2014 and late submissions will not be accepted.  Applications must be submitted by the Dean of School/Faculty to jgarrad@bournemouth.ac.uk.

If you have any queries then please contact Jo Garrad at jgarrad@bournemouth.ac.uk.

The R&E Database (RED) and You!

BU research

The new version of RED is up and running and can be accessed by all academic staff.

Academic staff can login to RED to review their record of research and enterprise applications and successful projects.  Staff can view projects on which they are listed as a principle investigator or a co-investigator.  There is a facility to print off the reports which can be useful for appraisals.

Academic managers can use the system to review the activity that is going on within their schools.

The data held on RED is updated by the CRE Operations team based on the information provided by the PI and the contract or award letter from the funder.

Simple guidelines on how to access the system are available here.  You can access RED both on and off campus using your standard university login.

If you have any problems with accessing or using the system please contact Susan Dowdle in the Research Development Unit.