The University has a fund which provides support for large bids. You can find further information on the Large Bid Fund and guidance how to apply here:
https://www.research-strategy.admin.cam.ac.uk/research-funding/support-large-bid-preparation
The team in the Research Strategy Ofiice can assist you, as we are aware the application process can be time consuming. The RSO can offer support with facilitation, coordination and input into large complex bids, particularly to promote cross-disciplinary grant applications.
Please get in touch if you are interested and we can help.
Restricted Call: Royal Society Wolfson Fellowships 2022-23 round 3 (internal deadline: 12 noon on 23 June 2023)
We are pleased to announce that Round 3 of the Royal Society’s 2022-23 Wolfson Fellowships scheme is now open (as per the pre-announcement circulated last month, copy attached for reference). Therefore, the University’s internal selection process can now commence.
The programme is to enable UK Universities to strategically recruit and attract outstanding international researchers to the UK’s scientific community. This can be achieved through one of the following routes:
- A five-year Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship
This strand focuses entirely on recruitment, enabling UK institutions to enhance their offering with a £300,000 fellowship award to international research leaders wishing to relocate to the UK. The funding can be used flexibly to conduct high-quality research as part of their start-up package. Award holders are expected to hold a full-time post at the University.
- A 12-month sabbatical Visiting Fellowship
This strand allows excellent international researchers a flexible 12-month sabbatical period at a UK university with an award of up to £125,000 to build and develop international collaborations and networks with the host UK university. The fellowship can be held full time for 1 year or flexibly over 2 years – but the total period of the sabbatical must always amount to 12 months. The scheme requires for the candidate to be employed at an overseas institution.
Eligibility for both strands:
- Applicants can be of any nationality.
- Research must be within the eligible subjects.
- The applicant must be currently based overseas.
- Candidates should be talented researchers with a proven track record for high quality scientific research. This may include, as appropriate: a strong publication record, being invited to conferences as keynote speaker and evidence of scientific leadership and/or supervising or mentoring junior researchers.
- The Royal Society recognises that diversity is essential for delivering excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Society wants to encourage applications from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to maximise innovation and creativity in science for the benefit of humanity.
Note on funding:
Please note that this funding (both strands) cannot be used to cover salary on-costs (employer’s NI and pension contributions) or Estate and Indirect costs directly associated with the Fellow. The shortfall must be covered by the hosting department.
Assessment criteria:
Internal applications will be assessed using the Royal Society criteria:
- Candidate’s track record.
- The strength of the strategic case for the nomination and fit to the University’s research strategy.
- The high quality and originality of the candidate’s proposed research vision – including the potential impact of the research and benefit to the UK science base.
- Visiting Fellowships only: The mutual benefit to the University and the researcher, including potential to develop ongoing international collaborative links.
The recent webinar stressed the importance of addressing all of the criteria to ensure a competitive application.
University Internal selection:
Institutions nominating more than one candidate across both strands will be expected to: (1) make a strong case against the organisation’s strategic priorities, (2) outline internal selection process to the funder, and (3) detail what other support (direct or in-kind) will be provided to the applicants. Therefore, this call will be managed according to the University’s restricted calls procedure.
If interested in nominating a candidate, departments are requested to complete the RS Wolfson Fellowships submission form at https://forms.office.com/e/wUUUiij0L7 by 12 noon on 23 June 2023. For your convenience, the attached document outlines the questions asked in the form.
NB: if asked to log-in, please use your Raven details. Please note that the online form cannot be saved and/or returned to for future editing.
Funder deadline: 09 August 2023
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk
Documents
Restricted call: ESRC New Investigator Grants (internal selection deadline: 5pm Friday, 23 June 2023)
The ESRC have announced their New Investigator Grant scheme. This scheme is suitable for early career researchers who have yet to make the transition to be an independent researcher. Proposals are welcome in any topic which falls within the ESRC’s remit, including projects at the “interface with the wider sciences”, provided that social sciences accounts for at least 50% of the proposed research. The ESRC will award grants of between £100-300K (covered at 80% fEC).
The call will open on 25 May 2023, and the next deadline for submitting to the ESRC is 28 September 2023. The recommended project start date is eight months after submission.
University Internal selection
The ESRC expect the University to run an internal selection process to ensure that we submit only bids from outstanding individuals with the potential to become research leaders of the future. The University may submit only a limited number of applications. To meet these requirements, this call will be overseen by a cross-school Committee, as decided by University’s Research Policy Committee.
There are three internal calls every year (in March, June, and October). Only applicants whose proposals have been approved through the internal selection process will be allowed to proceed with submission of their applications to the ESRC.
Interested applicants should submit an online application.
You will be required to upload the following:
- Your research project proposal (template provided within the online application form)
- A letter of support from your Head of Department
This letter is very important to the success of the application as it is needed to confirm the details of the departmental support and the applicant’s eligibility. The letter must also specify a department-/faculty-based mentor and a reviewer, both having agreed to provide feedback on the full proposal if the applicant is selected to proceed. The reviewer may be from within or outside the applicant’s department/faculty. Please note that naming a reviewer is an internal requirement, and the reviewer will not be named on the full application to the ESRC. The mentor and the named reviewer will be expected to provide feedback on the full proposal prior to submission to the ESRC. This will be coordinated by the School Research Facilitator.
- An X5 PDF report
The report should show the preliminary costing for the project, including the cost of the applicant’s salary and research assistance (if required). The X5 should not be submitted for ROO approval at this stage; the costing is for indicative purposes only to inform the internal selection. It will be possible to modify it after the internal selection.
If you have any questions, please write to ESRCNewInv@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Coordinated call: UKRI Cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme: Round 1 (internal deadline: 26th June, 2023)
UKRI has announced the Cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme: Round 1. This new pilot scheme will fund 36 awards of up to £1,200,000 for projects advancing breakthrough interdisciplinary ideas that transcend, combine or significantly span disciplines. Interdisciplinary research applications that fall within a single research council boundary are ineligible for this scheme.
Eligible Principal Investigators and Co-investigators are those with a contract of employment at lecturer level or equivalent that either (1) extends to beyond the duration of the proposed grant (or, if not employed by the submitting organisation, a formal non-salaried arrangement that extends to beyond the duration of the proposed grant), or (2) an assurance from the submitting organisation that, if the proposal is successful, a pre-existing contract of employment (or pre-existing formal commitment to provide support if not employed at the organisation) at lecturer level or equivalent will be extended beyond the end date of the grant.
UKRI will hold webinars for this scheme on 13th and 22nd June, 2023 (register here). Please note that applications are also open for the Interdisciplinary Assessment College to support the new cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme through panel assessment.
For more information about this scheme, please visit the scheme page.
University Internal Coordination:
There is no limit on the number of applications the University can submit. However, the funder has required institutions to ensure applications from their organisation fit the scheme’s objectives.
Therefore, this call will operate with a centralised, light touch coordination process to ensure that applications fit the scheme objectives and, in particular, are inter-disciplinary and are suited to a cross-council scheme and not suited to a single council. Please consult the considerations under the "Scheme Objectives" ("We are seeking" and "We are not seeking") section under the "What we're looking for" heading of the scheme webpage.
To take part in the internal coordination process, please complete the online form by 26th June, 2023 (NB: if asked to log-in, please use your CRSID/Raven details; note that a Form cannot be saved and returned to). You will be asked to submit a short project summary that justifies why the proposed work is suitable for this scheme and how it addresses the scheme's objectives.
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Funder deadline: 20th July, 2023 (outline stage); 8th February, 2024 (full stage)