The Dark Art of Costing

Professor Massoura-McGonagall instructing colleagues in the dark arts

Sometimes costing a grant application can seem like a dark art, full of unfamiliar terms, complex algorithms, and strange exclusions.

The latest Grants Factory session sought to demystify the process, clearly setting out what you can and cannot apply for, how the calculations are made, and how Research Services can help.

It was led by Dr Andrew Massoura and Dr Jane Benstead. Between them they have an encyclopedic wealth of knowledge about how costing works. Based on this, here are my eleven key points for understanding the dark art of costing research proposals.

Costing a Proposal: what can I include?

Sometimes costing a grant application can seem like a dark art, full of unfamiliar terms, complex algorithms, and strange exclusions. The next Grants Factory session aims to demystify the process, clearly setting out what you can and cannot apply for, how the calculations are made, and how Research Services can help.

It will be led by Dr Andrew Massoura and Dr Jane Benstead. Andrew heads the Contracts Team within Research Services, previously worked at the University of Oxford and has a doctorate in biomedicine. Jane’s background is also in the life sciences, and has been supporting colleagues for the past seven years, in particular those in EDA, KLS, KBS, Economics and SSPSSR. Thus, they understand the pressures and demands of those working in research, and have a huge amount of experience in supporting them to secure the necessary funding for their projects and fellowships.  

The session is free and open to all, and a light lunch will be provided. However, space is limited, so do let me know if you plan to come along.