This short guide will give you ideas how you can find partners to work with on a project.
If you are just starting out on project work, it can be a good idea to find partners who are already writing project bids and team up with them.
If you have an idea and need more people to join it, use this guide to find them.
The University subscribes to the research funding search site www.researchprofessional.com.
Things you can do with Research Professional:
Step by step guide on how to find funds using Research Professional https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/Help/Getting-Started.html
Research Professional provides a guide to set up your own Opportunities Alert which highlight when funding in your research area comes up.
A number of external funding organisations use online sites to upload funding applications. Some of these sites require a bid to be signed off by Research Services as part of your application process.
This includes Je-S. This site provides electronic application forms for the following funds: AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, STFC, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)
To apply for funding on Je-S you need to set up an account. You can do this here: https://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk
Once you have requested an account Research Services must confirm you are a member of staff at Staffordshire University before you can get started.
In addition Research Services also acts as approver on the following:
Royal Society (E-GAP)
British Academy (E-GAP2)
Leverhulme Trust
European Commission (Participant Portal)
When you are submitting a bid to these funds you need to make sure you leave enough time for the Research Services to review and submit your project after you have pressed submit. We work to the same application deadline as you.
Staffordshire University subscribes to a website which can help find thousands of open funds for research projects. www.researchprofessional.com is free for all staff to use. However, sometimes you need a bit of expert help to get the right results. Research Services are able to help by providing bespoke searches for research funding.
The team will use their in-depth knowledge of research funding to identify one/or a collection of potential funds which may be suitable for your project. These will be sent for you to look through, and if necessary and one to one meeting can be arranged to discuss the options in more detail and make sure you are applying for the most suitable fund.
To access this service all you need to do is complete the form below to give us some details of what you want to do and email it to researchservices@staffs.ac.uk.
Download Form for Fund Search Request
The development of a robust full application is an important element of any project, essential for the approval of funding and as an evolving tool to measure, control and evaluate delivery.
A quality bid is one of the outputs of a strategic approach to project development – the strategy and budget plan underpinning the project are one of the key elements of a successful bid.
Step 1: To build up a strong efficient environment as a background for quality projects.
Step 2: Identification and development of the project
*TIP: Aspects of the team to consider: Interdisciplinary (cross departmental?), collaborative (scholars from other Universities?), other groups external to Higher Education (such as museum, schools, community groups, public policy bodies?). Note that external groups will bring expertise, resources and sometimes financial aid.
Step 3: Identifying the right fund and developing the bid
*TIP: Write a first draft of the whole bid in “bullet point” format, and circulate it to colleagues and collaborators for comments, then collect any additions and changes. Contact the funding body/main contact for a first submission of the draft to get their advice (when permitted).
Don’t forget to identify key milestones, to avoid any delays or key elements:
And don’t give up if the bid is not approved. Get feedback from the funding body and rewrite/rethink your project to be ready to the next call for proposal. You will be known then and expected to bid again, with a better quality bid.
Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Fact Sheets are now available.
Strategic Partnerships Fact Sheet
Knowledge Alliances Fact Sheet
Sector Skills Alliances Fact Sheet
Capacity Building in HE Fact Sheet
Capacity Building in the Field of Youth Fact Sheet
Wider Outlook – Funding, Policy updates and Research
Editorial
Welcome to September’s Wider Outlook—the team have chosen the theme of working with Horizon 2020 and SMEs for this month. We have identified and created a number of articles related to this topic.
Once again, current funding opportunities remain part of our daily blog, and individual opportunities are circulated to relevant groups as a bespoke service.
This edition includes:
Do continue to use our fantastic Funding Calendar enjoy this edition, and as ever contact us with any comments, ideas or suggestions at externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk
The External Projects Team: Jose, Holly, Esther, Chris and Margaret
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UK Research Office (UKRO) annual conference, Bristol
The UK research office (UKRO) represents all the UK research councils in Brussels, providing guidance and advice to the UK university sector as they bid for EU research funding.The conference provided thoughts on issues the UK research community could address and improve.The full programme and presentations for the annual conference can be accessed here:
http://www.ukro.ac.uk/aboutukro/conference/Pages/slides_friday.aspx
http://www.ukro.ac.uk/aboutukro/conference/Pages/slides_thursday.aspx
The conference emphasised that H2020 is not business as usual, in that there is a distinct move away from pure research to addressing societal issues and challenges – such as the ageing population, and the financial crisis. This approach brings in formally a wider range of disciplines, for example the social sciences and humanities, SSH. It also brings in a wider range of sectors. In particular the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise sector (SME) who are the focus within H2020 for bringing the outcomes of research to market.
Key themes and challenges for the university sector arising from the conference are as follows:
Particular challenges for universities in relation to working with business are:
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Programme for our annual UKRO conference in November
We have planned the date early for the University’s annual European funding event this year, so you can book a place before your diary fills up.
We are especially delighted to welcome both Jane Watkins, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020 to the conference alongside Błażej Thomas our UKRO adviser.
‘Be a Part of European Funding’
Thursday 20 November 2014 09:00-16:30
LT114/116 Ashley Building, Leek Road, Stoke on Trent
Morning Programme
09:00-10:30 – SME involvement in H2020 – How researchers can work with businesses and other non-academic sectors under the different Horizon 2020 programmes. Błażej Thomas, UKRO
10:30-12:00 – Marie Sklodowska Curie funding – An overview of the fund, what we can achieve with it, and the level of detail required for an application. Błażej Thomas, UKRO
12:00- 13:00 Networking Lunch
Afternoon Programme
Information and Networking session for Businesses and University Staff
13:00-14:00 Presenting the Horizon 2020 SME instrument. Jane Watkins, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020
Throughout the afternoon
12:00-16:30 –One to One Sessions with Jane Watkins and Błażej Thomas
Book a one to one session with our European specialists to get inside knowledge on developing your European Project.
Get individual advice on which conferences to attend to meet people, which EU policies you should be focusing on, how to find partners, how to develop your bid and more.
Businesses interested in getting involved with European funded projects are invited to come to the University to find out how the programmes work and talk to academics about how they can collaborate on projects.
The University has lead and partnered on many European projects. It is a great way for businesses to develop their European networks and to get funding to develop a new idea to improve your business.
To book your place for any or all of these sessions email externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk
The External Projects Team at the 2013 UKRO event
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European regional funds and our internal champion
The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main funds to support to growth and jobs across the EU. They are allocated regionally, to help develop new services and new products within an area.
The 2014-2020 allocation for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent area is worth £138.4 million, and it has a 60% intervention rate. It comprises the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF (£83m) and of the European Social Fund, ESF (£55.3m). In addition, £3.13m is available to support investment for rural enterprise.
Priorities have been set out around these 4 themes:
4 high value added sectors have been identified within the area: advanced materials, advanced manufacturing and energy, digital and creative industries.
Marie Pandolfo, who is covering Emma Davies’s maternity leave within Enterprise and Commercial Development, acts as the reference point for ERDF.
The University is likely to seek to develop a range of new infrastructures and facilities (Open Innovation platform, incubation space, shared research laboratories), as well as more support for enterprise along with a particular focus on the Creative industries.
If you have any project ideas or requests, please contact
E: marie.pandolfo@staffs.co.uk
T: 01785 353831.
Marie is listing all project ideas in order to get ready for the first call for proposals in the next few months, and to nurture the ESIF framework documents, which are still being discussed.
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Open Access
This is a summary of our Open Access briefing note which examines the meaning according to the EU Commission and the Research Councils
For the full note see Note on open access
Open access, as understood by the European Commission, or the Research Councils, is the free and open access to the outputs of publicly-funded research, usually in the form of academic publications. Open access is required by the funders to promote social and economic benefits as well as aiding the development of new research.
The Research Councils’ general policy is that research and data should also be available to potential users in business, charitable and public sectors, and to the general tax-paying public, on the basis that research funded by the tax payer should be available and accessible to the tax payer.
There is an inevitable tension where the Commission and the Research Councils and other public funders wish to encourage publication of results and research data. However, on general projects and Horizon 2020, the policy has included the taking into account of legitimate concerns in relation to privacy, commercial interests and rights of access to large data volumes. There appears to be an attempt to encourage a culture of sharing scientific and other publications, and permit adequate protection of rights of parties in research and research data.
Learn more, In practical terms however – the European Commission’s IP help desk will look at draft agreements and give comments on proposals
http://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/taxonomy/term/149
Learn more, at the IPR webinar September 3rd 11-30 to 13-00.
http://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/node/2301
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What is an SME?
Working with SMEs? -here is the European Commission’s SME definition
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf
From little acorns, great oafs do grow; IP protection is important for businesses and other entities both big and small.
An interesting short article is attached concerning IP protection, for small businesses but translatable to other entitities commercial and non-commercial.
http://www.dehns.com/site/information/industry_news_and_articles/is_ip_protection_worthwhile.html
An additional reference to the suggestions contained in the above article (registering trademarks and distinctive logos, patent protection for Software Apps, and protection by asserting copyright and design rights in Software), would be to highlight the continuing success of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. For multitrack cases (complex legal issues cases) the IPEC has a limit on damages of up to £500,000 – which Court can hear trademark, patent and copyright infringement cases. Costs orders will be made which are proportionate to the nature of the dispute and subject to a cap of no more than £50,000. This arguably puts resolution of intellectual property disputes within reach of small and medium sized enterprises, especially in meritorious cases with a considerable sum in dispute.
The small claims track is for suitable claims in the IPEC with a value of up to £10,000. Costs orders on the small claims track are highly restricted.
The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and Guides can be found at:
https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/rcj-rolls-building/intellectual-property-enterprise-court
A factsheet on how to apply for Royal Society funding
The document outlines: