Globally Challenged: the future of ODA funding

Photo by Annie Spratt 

These are uncertain times for those undertaking work with colleagues in the global south. After five years of significant investment through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund, there’s a cooler wind blowing through the official development assistance (ODA) landscape. 

EPSRC: Update on changes, and advice on impact

Ah, Swindon. Photo by Peter Albanese on Unsplash

Polaris House, which houses UK Research and Innovation in Swindon, can seem like a fortress: powerful, mysterious, impenetrable. A little like the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz, in fact.

But last week the city gates were flung open to the UK’s research-management Munchkins and we gained a glimpse of what was going on behind the walls. Yes, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s annual webinar for research office staff took place, with representation from more than 60 universities and research organisations.

In terms of active research funding, the EPSRC is the largest of the research councils and we were given a whistlestop tour of what’s afoot. Here are my top takeaways:

How Does the Coronavirus Lockdown Affect Funding Applications?

Most funders are aiming to keep open
for business as usual - so get typing.
(Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash)

Every part of our lives has been affected by the current lockdown to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak, and the world of research funding is no exception. Some funders are postponing the deadlines for some or all of their schemes, while others are trying to continue as normal. Here we summarise what we know so far.

Fundermentals Top 10 2019

It's been quite a year. One, I think, that we'd all rather forget. 

Well, as ever, you can trust Fundermentals to do the wrong thing. Here, with a reminder of every twist and turn of the Year that Brexit Never Was, is the top ten most popular articles on the site this year. 

Grants Factory: ERC Masterclass

Thursday 9 Nov, 12pm-2pm

Cornwallis LT3 (COLT3), Canterbury campus

Our last ERC masterclass

The ERC​ or European Research Council is the gold standard of European research funding. There are no research boundaries or priorities, all topics are supported from arts to medicine, from social science to engineering. Each year hundreds of the very best researchers are supported by the ERC to pursue their own, transformative research ideas in Europe. They are, quite simply, 'career-making' grants.

If you are thinking of applying to the ERC in 2018 this is the time to start preparing, particularly for the ERC Consolidator call. 

Join Us!

The Gulb: arthouse cinema, theatre, concert hall. And oh: cafe.

We’re currently recruiting for an RDO to work with the Faculty of Humanities here at Kent.

The role is very flexible, independent and proactive, working closely with the Associate Dean, directors of research and others to strategically target and develop the research and funding culture within the Faculty. This will include supporting individual academics to identify and apply for funding opportunities and working with them to increase the quality of their applications. 

More broadly you will be organising Grants Factory and ECR Network sessions, giving presentations at school or Faculty level, arranging internal peer review, facilitating collaborations, and gathering information externally on what the changing policy and priorities are.

More info on the role here. And, of course, here’s more on Research Services, the University and the fabulous city of Canterbury. Feel free to email or phone me if you have any questions or just want an informal chat.

The salary is Grade 7 (£33,518 - £38,833 per annum), and the closing date is 30 Oct 2017. 

Japanese Research Funding: the view from inside the JSPS

21 June 2017 12-2pm 

Cornwallis East SR1 

In February last year we ran a Global Research Opportunities Workshop (GROW) focussing on opportunities for collaboration and exchange with Japan. Following on from this I am delighted to say that we will be hosting a colleague from one of the main Japanese funders, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Naomi Hasegawa. She is spending a couple of weeks with us to understand the UK higher education environment, and how the management of research works within a UK university.

As part of her visit she will be giving an insight into the work of the JSPS, the funding it offers, and how it assesses proposals. JSPS offers a broad range of funding, including International Fellowships for Research in Japan, which are open to academics at any career stage.

As ever it’s free and open to all, and a light lunch will be available. However, do let me know if you intend to come so that I can make sure both room and catering are appropriate.

Grants Factory: Alternative Funding for your Work

13 June 2017, 2-4pm

Venue TBC

Innovation and enterprise funding routes can be a significant and rewarding - but often overlooked - alternative to traditional funding sources. This session, delivered by Kent Innovation and Enterprise (KIE), will increase your understanding of the innovation and enterprise landscape, including Innovate UK and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), and how they can help you access this funding.

The session also includes presentations from Prof Colin Robinson, Professor in Biotechnology/Head of School at Biosciences, and from Dr Jesse O’Hanley, Reader in Environmental Systems Management at Kent Business School, who will share their experiences of securing alternative funding and working with industry partners.

As ever it’s free and open to all, and tea and coffee will be available. However, do let me know if you intend to come so that I can make sure both room and catering are appropriate.

Grants Factory: Who Owns What and Why?

Understanding Intellectual Property and Copyright

7 June 2017, 12-2pm

Venue TBC

In the digital age the question of intellectual capital has becoming increasingly complex. Trying to identify the ‘originator’ of an idea or theory is difficult enough, but is made more complicated still if that idea or theory leads to financial benefit. Fortunately, here at Kent we have two expert guides who can lead us through this confusing and sometimes hostile terrain. Lucy Druesne is the Deputy Director of Kent Innovation and Enterprise, which works with external organisations to share expertise and develop new ideas and technologies. She has helped a range of academics across Kent to understand and make the most of their intellectual property for impact. Chris Morrison, on the other hand, is the University’s Copyright and Licencing Compliance Officer, supporting and advising staff and students on protecting their own copyright, but also not infringing that of other people.

Together they will help to demystify the subject, and provide practical and simple advice to those trying to navigate this new world. The session is intended to be informal and interactive, so if you have specific questions do bring them along. As ever it’s free and open to all, and a light lunch will be provided. However, do let me know if you intend to come so that I can make sure both room and catering are appropriate.

Grants Factory: Applying for Marie Curie ITNs

2-4pm, Wednesday 10 May 2017

Venue: TBC

Dr Richard Guest

Marie Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITNs) provide funding for doctoral training programmes run jointly between a number of institutions across Europe. They run for up to 4 years and are worth up to €4.5m. There is no limit to the disciplines which can apply, and the University currently has six ITNs running. One of these is Enhanced Mobile Biometrics (AMBER) in EDA, led by Dr Richard Guest.

The next call is due to open in the autumn with a deadline early in the New Year. Despite the triggering of Article 50 UK universities can still apply, and the Treasury has agreed to underwrite any grants that have been approved at the point the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. Richard has kindly agreed to talk about his experience of applying for these complex grants, what worked for him, what he would have done differently, and what people should bear in mind when starting to develop the collaborations.

The session is free and open to all, and tea and coffee will be provided. However, do drop me a line to let me know that you plan to come. 

Bonfire of the Sanities

Since the EU Referendum last year, there has been a lot of uncertainty about what it will mean for UK academics. In the last edition of the Research Services' newsletter, Research Active, we looked at known unknowns, and why European funding is crucial to the University—and the UK as a whole.

Current Situation

The EU has made it clear that, until the UK actually leaves the Union, it is still a full Member State, with all ‘rights and obligations’: ‘UK legal entities [are eligible] to participate and receive funding in Horizon 2020 actions,’ it confirmed.

Wellcome Trust Visit

The Wellcome Trust will be visiting the University on 23rd February 2017.

The Trust last formally visited Kent some six years ago and in that time their funding schemes have changed considerably, with more emphasis on multi-disciplinary, collaborative research.

Wellcome is the largest non-governmental funder in the UK and supports health research from the sciences, humanities and social sciences.

The event is suitable for academics, researchers, PhD students and grant support staff from all three faculties.

Please see the preliminary agenda below and register to attend here.

 If you can’t attend but are interested, do get in touch with Dr Carolyn Barker via email.  We would be happy to forward any questions to the Wellcome Trust staff or arrange further meetings.

Using Social Media to Support your Research

I’ve written before about social media, and about some of the sessions we’ve run on research and social media (such as those led by Nadine Muller and Becky Higgitt), but there seems to be an insatiable appetite amongst academics to understand them better, to participate fully and - in time - benefit from them.

The Early Career Researcher Network session in Medway on Wednesday went some way towards satisfying this demand. It was led by three academics from very diverse disciplines, who together gave an overview of the way in which social media can be used to talk about your research and engage with others beyond your School, to recruit research participants and manage a project, and to disseminate research, track impact, and improve citations.

Finding Partners outside of Academia

Wednesday 14^th Dec, 2pm

Canterbury Campus, Room TBC

Working with those beyond academia has become increasingly important in recent years: forming strong, productive links with non-academics helps to develop, inform and disseminate your research. But how should you identify suitable partners, and how can you make sure that your relationship is mutually beneficial, long-lasting and sustainable? This session will be led by Janine Coomber and Kimm Sutter from Kent Innovation and Enterprise (KIE). KIE is the sister service to Research Services, and provides help and support in forging links outside of the University to exploit the findings of your research.

Using Social Media to Support your Research

30 November, 2pm

Medway Campus, Room TBC

Technology is changing the way we access information, and how we communicate. Nowhere is this more apparent than in academia. Social media sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and blogging platforms such as Blogger and Wordpress, are increasingly being used to raise profiles, to disseminate research, and to make links with potential collaborators and participants.

The latest ECR Network session will look at how we can make best use of social media tools to support our own research. Presented by three experienced researchers, the workshop will focus on:

•  Using Twitter to talk about your research and engage with others beyond your School – Dr Mark Burnley, Sports & Exercise Sciences

• Using Facebook to recruit research participants and manage a project – Dr Kate Bradley, SSPSSR

• Using a range of tools, including Kudos, ResearchGate and Impactstory, to disseminate your research, track your impact, and improve citations – Dr Nigel Temperton, Medway School of Pharmacy.

The event is free and open to all, and refreshments will be provided. However, places are limited, so do let me know if you wish to come along.

University Research Prizes: Call for Nominations

Prof Philippe De Wilde, the DVC Research & Innovation, has today issued the call for nominations for the 2017 University Research Prizes.

The Research Prizes were launched in Kent’s fiftieth anniversary year (2015), and have already recognised a wide range of outstanding research across the University. Details of the winners from 2015 and 2016  are available via the links. 

This year we are aligning the categories more closely to those offered by the touchstone of excellent research in Europe, the EuropeanResearch Council (ERC).

Global Challenges and Newton Fund: a Half Day Workshop

At a time when many funders are freezing or limiting their spending, the Government is investing heavily in research collaboration with developing (or ODA recipient) countries. This is primarily through the Global Challenges Fund and the Newton Fund. Following information days on both of these last year, this GROW event is an opportunity to talk about your plans with award holders, reviewers and funders, as well as other applicants. In addition, the workshop coincides with a visit by a small delegation of colleagues from Malaysian universities and Ministry of Higher Education. The full programme is given below.

The workshop is free and open to all at Kent and Eastern ARC partners, and refreshments (including lunch) will be provided, but places are limited and offered on a first come first served basis. Please register here.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. 

Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network 2016-17

We've finalised the Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network workshops for 2016/17. Below is the full list. Events are free, open to all, and refreshments are provided. However, spaces are limited, and offered on a first come, first served basis. If you want to come to any of these sessions, contact me. 

Applying for European Research Funding in the Humanities

Monday 5 December 11.00 -12.30 followed by lunch

One to one sessions available 14.00-16.00

Dr Giancarlo Pichillo

EU funding is a process. At its heart, you need a good team and a powerful network. Above all, you need a compelling idea. Innovativeness, originality, impact, research excellence, feasibility: no EU-funded proposal will lack these basic characteristics. This is a challenge that researchers and scholars engaged with social sciences and humanities need to tackle in order to let our disciplines survive in the current historical context.

Led by Dr Giancarlo Pichillo from the University of Sienna this session will specifically help you develop EU funding applications but also help you to construct better, more confident funding applications in general. Giancarlo has extensive experience of writing EU funding proposals (for example, Horizon 2020, FP7, Creative Europe etc) and project managing EU-funded projects. He is currently, the project manager of "Playing Identities, Performing Heritage", funded by the Creative Europe Programme (Small Scale Cultural Cooperation Projects), coordinated by the University of Siena.

If you are interested in attending the workshop and/or meeting Giancarlo for a one to one session, please contact Lynne Bennett.

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.