Research Grants & Contracts Office

1. Research Grants & Contracts Office Research Seminar Department of Media and Cultural Studies Liz Francis & George Eyre

2. Summary • Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) • Funding schemes and Funding bodies • FEC and Costing • Internal procedures for approving applications

3. Research Grants & Contracts Office (RGCO) • The RGCO, part of Finance Dept, provides administrative, financial and support services related to externally funded research projects • Pre award: funding information, help with applications, approval, contract negotiation • Post award: project accounting, approval of posts, allocation of overheads, financial reporting, contracts with partners • Policy development • Management information • Training and events

4. Research Grants & Contracts Office, Finance Department Peter Westley Director of Finance Liz Francis Head of RGCO Craig Bryce Deputy Head Theresa Ball Costing & Pricing Accountant Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer George Eyre Research Support Officer Rassi Pelpola / Steve Smith Research Accounts Assistant Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant

5. Research Grants & Contracts Office structure – M&CS Liz Francis Head of RGCO Theresa Ball Costing & Pricing Accountant Craig Bryce Deputy Head Sharon Bell Research Accounts Officer George Eyre Research Support Officer Rassi Pelpola / Steve Smith Research Accounts Assistant Marion Barthram Research Grants Assistant • Research applications • Arrangements with partners • Approval of posts • Project accounting

6. Research Funding at Birkbeck • 2009/10 – 209 applications (33%) • Income £10,170,195 in 2009/10 (12.5%) • Apr ‘11 contract value £53,051,584 • 66 different funding bodies • 162 active research projects, throughout all Schools • Media and Cultural Studies • 2009/10 - 2 applications (1 successful) • Income 2009/10 – £64k • 2 Active projects, Contract value £267k

7. Research Funding at Birkbeck

8. Help with Applications • Costing - salaries and overhead-type costs – done on web-based costing system pFACT • Approval – done using workflow system on pFACT • Electronic submission – may need to set up an account, e.g Research Council’s Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system • Contractual arrangements • Copies of previously successful applications for most schemes

9. Funding Information • Arts & Humanities Research Council • Economic & Social Research Council • Leverhulme Trust • British Academy • Others…

10. AHRC (1) Research Grants Scheme • Standard route £20k - £1m, Early Career route £20k - £200k • Recently changed – no speculative route or practice-led / applied route. • Up to 5 years duration • 80% Full Economic Costing (FEC) • No closing dates • Apply via J-eS • Note page limits for attachments • Submit at least 9 months before proposed start date.

11. AHRC (2) Fellowship Scheme • For early career, mid-career and senior researchers • Aim is not to develop a new project from scratch, but to build on a project that is already defined • Maximum £120,000 FEC for salary and associated costs • 3 - 9 months in duration • 80% FEC • No closing dates • Apply via Je-S • Submit between 9 and 18 months before proposed start date.

12. AHRC (3) Research Networking Scheme • For networks, workshops or seminars • To support collaboration and the exchange of ideas • Up to £30k FEC (additional £15k to cover international • participants/activities) • Up to 2 years duration • 80% FEC • No closing dates • Apply via Je-S • Decision within 4 months from the end of the month in which you apply

13. AHRC (4) • AHRC Responsive mode • 2009/10 – Standard Grants 48/258 – 19% Research Leave 114/595 – 19% • BBK Responsive mode • 2009/10 – Standard Grants 0/0 – 0% Research Leave 1/8 – 12.5%

14. ESRC (1) • Research Grants Scheme • £200k > £2m • Recently changed – no small applications <£200k considered • Up to 5 years duration • Flexible re subject area as long as within ESRC's remit • 80% FEC • No closing dates • Apply via Je-S • 6 sides of A4 for research proposal • Most decisions within 26 weeks

15. ESRC (2) Recent revisions to Funding Schemes, “fewer but more flexible research schemes” • Future Leaders scheme – to be announced in May 11 • Will replace postdoctoral fellowship and first grants scheme. • Large grants and centres– to be announced in May 11 • will be integrating large grants and centre competitions http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/

16. ESRC (3) - Fellowships • Professorial Fellowships • support leading social scientists working in the UK • Fellow given freedom to pursue their own innovative and creative research agendas • Provides; • Fellow’s time (up to 60%) • additional research assistance costs • PhD studentship • Up to 3 years • 80% FEC • Usually announced in October, closing date in December, peer review February to April, interviews are in May and decisions made by end of July. Awards are expected to commence the following October at the earliest. • Knowledge Exchanges/Placement Fellowships • private, public and civil society sectors

17. ESRC (4) • Research Seminars - multi-institutional groups of academic researchers, PG students and non-academic users who meet regularly to exchange information and ideas with the aim of advancing research within their fields • non-fEC and are limited to £15,000 • travel and expenses for speakers and participants • secretarial costs • stationary postage copying and telephone • hire of rooms and facilities.  • Another £3k available if strong case for • enhancing knowledge transfer • impact for non academic users • and/or the inclusion of international academics at events and/or the holding of events abroad. • WILL be running 2011/12 details to be announced in May 11 • 2009 – 146/41 – 28%

18. ESRC award rates • ESRC Responsive mode; • 2009/10 – Standard Grants 94/682 – 14% Small Grants 124/653 – 19% • 2010/11 - Standard Grants 61/541 – 11% (to date) Small Grants 81/340 – 24% • Birkbeck responsive mode • Success rate for 09/10: 2/6 (33%) • Success rate for 08/09: 2/5 (40%) • Success rate for 07/08: 2/8 (25%) • Success rate for 06/07: 4/8 (50%)

19. Leverhulme Trust (1) • Research Project Grants • “support for innovative and original research projects of high quality and potential, the choice of theme and the design of the research lying entirely with the applicant” • Up to 5 years; < £500k for research assistance, PhD Students, replacement teaching, other direct costs • Most awards ~250k for 3 years • Any topic • 2 stage application process, outline must be accepted prior to submitting full application (up to 12 weeks) • full appl deadlines Sept, Dec and March

20. Leverhulme Trust (2) • Research Fellowship • open to experienced researchers • up to £45k • research expenses ‘over and above normal living costs’ including reasonable replacement teaching • 3 – 24 months • Next round announced Sept ‘11 • Major Research Fellowship • Open well-established and distinguished researchers • Provides a replacement staff member to cover the period of the Fellowship and £5k p.a. expenses. • 2 –3 years • 4.00pm on 6 May 2011 (result December) • Early Career Fellowship • 2 year award, Trust pays up to 50% of the employment cost (up to max of £23k), plus research expenses up to £6,000 pa, deadline 10 March

21. Leverhulme Trust (3) Programme awards • Call date & topic set each year by LT. £1.75m up to 5 years International Networks • Max £125,000, up to 3 years, 3 deadlines per year Artists in Residence • Max £15,000 for 10 months, 2 deadlines per year

22. Leverhulme Trust (4) • Success Rates • Research grants • 2007 – Outline – 43%, Full – 47%, Combined – 20% • 2008 – Outline – 44%, Full – 49%, Combined – 22% • 2009 – Outline – 48%, Full – 39%, Combined – 19% • Research Fellowships • 2007 – 18% • 2008 – 16% • 2009 – 15% • Major Research Fellowships • 2007 – 14% • 2008 – 13% • 2009 – 14% • Early Career Fellowship • 2007 – 13% • 2008 – 12% • 2009 – 13%

23. British Academy (1) • Humanities and social sciences • Postdoctoral level • Applicants resident in the UK • Complement the schemes of the AHRC and ESRC • Major focus on individuals through Postdoctoral and Mid-Career Fellowships • New International partnerships and mobility

24. British Academy (2) • Small Grants • SCHEME CLOSED • BA Research Development Awards (BARDA) • CURRENTLY SUSPENDED • Conference Support and O/S Conference Grants • SCHEMES CLOSED

25. British Academy (3) Postdoctoral Fellowships (3 years) • For outstanding early career researchers. 2-stage application, deadline: October • applicants are expected to be at an early stage of their academic career. • Provides fellow’s salary plus limited research expenses and FEC costs (directly allocated costs, including mentor’s time, estates, and indirect costs). • 45 awards ‘New’ British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship Scheme (6 – 12 months) • aim is to free applicants from normal teaching and administrative commitments • support outstanding individual researchers with excellent research proposals, and to support outstanding communicators • awards to individuals employed at UK universities, particularly to support mid-career scholars , normally within no more than 15 years from the award of their doctorate • deadline March • It is not expected that the total value of an award will exceed £200,000 FEC • 35 awards Senior Research Fellowships (1 year) • to complete major programme of research: privately funded, non-FEC, 7 awards Newton International Fellowships (2 years) • In conjunction with the Royal Society, Early career: for overseas scholars, deadline April

26. British Academy (4) • Full list • British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships and Thank-Offering to Britain Fellowship • Country-specific Agreements • International Partnerships • Mid-Career Fellowships • Postdoctoral Fellowships • Special Funds • UK-Latin America and the Caribbean Link Scheme • Visiting Scholars

27. Europe • Research mainly funded via 7th Framework Programme • Co- operation - Collaborative Research Programme • Collaborative/multi-national requirement • Call driven • Ideas - Frontier Research (European Research Council) • Starting Grants (call opens July ’11) • 1.5m€ over 5 years • PI must have PhD awarded in last 2 - 12 years • PI expected to spend min 50% of time on project (funded) • Advanced grants • 2.5m€ over 5 years • SSH deadline 6 April • No PhD time eligibility but “only exceptional research leaders” • PI with track record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years • PI expected to spend min 30% of time on project (funded) • People - Marie Curie Schemes • 'mobility' requirement

28. Applications…. • Over the last 2 years the department has submitted applications to: AHRC, British Academy, Technology Strategy Board.

31. Preparing a good proposal • Guidance notes on constructing a good proposal to the ESRC Research Grants Scheme: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/guidance/applicants/how-to.aspx • Part 1 Allow yourself time Study your funding source Read the rules Discuss your application Justify your costings • Part 2 Content and presentation • Part 3 Dissemination and impact Check the details If you are successful If you are unsuccessful • EPSRC: Preparing a Proposal: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/apprev/preparing/Pages/default.aspx • NERC: How to win money for research: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/howtowin.asp

32. Full Economic Costing (fEC) • Introduced by the Government in 2005 • Used as basis to cost research projects, but very few funders will pay 100% of FEC • Research Councils pay 80% of FEC • Other funders pay according to their own terms and conditions • We use pFACT to calculate the FEC

33. What makes up fEC? • Directly Incurred (DI) costs • Directly Allocated (DA) costs • Indirect costs • Exceptional items: e.g. project studentships Research Councils will pay 80% of DI, DA and Indirect Costs; 100% of Exceptional Items

34. Directly Incurred costs These are actual costs • Project dedicated staff: e.g. Research Assistants • Travel and subsistence • Consumables • New equipment, up to £50,000 *Research Councils allow virement between headings

35. Directly Allocated costs • PI costs: based on max 1650hrs/yr • Estates costs: Premises costs, cost per FTE of academic and research staff, current rate for office-based research is £6,448 • Shared staff time, e.g. support staff who work across more than one project These are based on estimated costs, not actual Directly Allocated costs cannot be vired

36. Indirect Costs • Costs that are incurred by the College in providing the necessary infrastructure and support for the project. This includes central services such as recruitment, personnel, financial accounting and payroll services; central provision of libraries; computing services; committees; and departmental support. • cost per FTE of academic and research staff, currently £34,597

37. DI Costs - Salary costs (1) • Salary costs are the payroll cost to the College, inc. employers NI and pension, e.g. RES2 pt 31 for 1 year: • Annual Salary £30,870 • London Allow £2,934 • National Insurance £2,418 • Pension scheme £5,409 • TOTAL annual cost £41,631

38. Salary costs (2) • What is the appropriate salary scale? May need to contact HR • London Allowance? • Full-time or part-time? • Start and end dates? • Incremental date (1 Oct) • Which funder? • Inflation?

39. Salary costs (3) • Principal & Co-investigators’ time • Research Assistants • Technical and Admin staff • Hourly rates may apply for small grants; School to advise • Possible need for timesheets, e.g. EU

40. DI costs - Non-salary costs • Travel and subsistence for fieldwork, visiting colleagues, other premises, conferences • Project workshops, meetings, dissemination • Office consumables (stationery etc) • Photocopying and printing • Post, phone, fax • Specialist books and journals • Computer software and consumables • Laboratory consumables/materials • Subscriptions • Equipment and any special adaptations needed for its use • Insurance and maintenance for special equipment • Advertising and recruitment of new posts • Casual/agency assistance – e.g. for data entry, transcription, translation • Consultants' fees or bought in services 

41. Examples of budgets

42. College Approval procedures - pFACT • Set out in the College's Financial Regulations, as approved by Governors • All external research grants must be authorised for submission through the pFACT system. • All approval stages to be completed prior to submitting to the funding body • RGCO – webpage http://www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco/researchgrants/application/authorization.shtml

43. College Approval procedures - pFACT • The application should only be submitted once all the stages have been completed. • Each approver should be given at least three clear working days (that’s NINE days prior to deadline). • Paper applications that require institutional signatures should be passed to the RGCO at the same time that the applicant completes their stage of the pFACT sign-off

44. http://pfact.bbk.ac.uk/login.aspx

46. www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco

47. Contact information Research Grants Office: www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco Liz Francis: extn 3146 l.francis@bbk.ac.uk George Eyre: extn 3144 g.eyre@bbk.ac.uk Steve Smith / s.smith@bbk.ac.uk Rassi Pelpola : extn 3149 r.pelpola@bbk.ac.uk Financial statements and reports