External Funding Processes
Applying for research funding?
The Research and Development Support (ReDS) team will support the submission of your funding application by guiding you through the internal UEL sign off procedures. If you are thinking of submitting an application there are some basic steps that will ensure the support you receive from the ReDS team is maximised.
Let ReDS know
If you are intending to submit an application for funding contact the ReDS team as early as possible even if you don’t have the full details of your application. This will help us forward plan our time and resources to ensure you get the best possible support.
The team will also help you to complete a Resources Planner.
NOTE: If your proposal involves human participants in any way, even if just as respondents to a questionnaire, it will require approval by the University's Research Ethics Committee
Let your Dean/ Head of Service know
Contact your Dean of School/ Director of Services as soon as possible as they will have to authorise the bid before submission.
You will need to complete a GAA form . Send this form, accompanied by the full Economic Cost report from Financial Services and your research bid, to your Dean of School/Director of Service, who will review the costs and, if all is in order, sign it.
UEL’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee requires that all research funding applications are subjected to a system of internal peer review. Your school or service will have decided how it wishes to implement this policy. When your Dean/Director signs your GAA form, they will be indicating that this internal peer review has taken place and that there was a favourable outcome.
Sponsors rarely provide funding for 100% of the full economic cost of a project, therefore the Dean of School/Director of Service is required to evaluate whether the School/Service can contribute the remainder of the funding (e.g. if a Research Council provides 80% of fEC then the School/Service must contribute the remainder).
Furthermore, the time commitment from your proposed research may affect your current teaching commitments, existing research activity, or other aspects of your agreed workload for the year, and so must also be signed-off by your Dean of School/Director of Service.
Let Finance know
We can give you some advice regarding budget construction, however it is important that you contact W L Lim (w.l.lim@uel.ac.uk) in Financial Services at least 3 weeks prior to the submission deadline to ensure that your budget is correctly drafted.
Based on your requirements, W L Lim will create a full Economic Cost report of your project, which will be returned to you by email. The ReDS team will be able to support you in liaising with finance.
What is full Economic Costing (fEC)?
Send your application for peer review
Send your proposal to an internal colleague for peer review at least three weeks before the submission deadline so that they can review your application and provide feedback to you. Applications should not be submitted without going through this checking stage as UEL considers this a vital part of the application process.
Send your application to ReDS
Send the GAA form and your proposal to the Research Funding Officer in the ReDS team at least two weeks before the submission deadline. S/he will review your application against any relevant guidelines, and will check for any obvious omissions/mistakes.
Applications should not be submitted to sponsors without going through this checking stage, the final submission must be made from the ReDS office.
Why does the ReDS office submit the application?
The University is the only legally recognised entity that can be responsible for grants received to fund research and scholarly activity. Therefore the ReDS team, acting for the University, has a responsibility to review and authorise every proposal that is submitted. In part this is to assure that we develop a reputation with funding organisations for submitting well thought-out and carefully prepared research grant applications, but more important it is to make sure your bid stands the best possible chance of success.
When you receive a response
You should notify Financial Services, your Head of School/Service, your Research Leader and the ReDS when you have a response, whether it is successful or unsuccessful.
This is in part because the ReDS /Research Leaders are required to keep reports on success rates and to collect other statistics concerning research funding e.g. to help us with institutional activities such as the Research Excellence Framework (REF2014).
If your application is successful:
When your grant is awarded it will be formally accepted on behalf of the university by a member of the Vice-Chancellor's Group and this will normally be the Director of Financial Services.
These are the only nominated individuals who can accept a grant on behalf of the University. Similarly, any contracts are made directly with the University, and not with you as the applicant. Financial Services will set up a specific account for management of your funds, with its own project-specific reference code.
Copy ongoing documentation
In order that we can monitor and support your research and scholarly activity, please copy interim and final reports, and any correspondence, to your Dean of School/Director of Service, Financial services and to the Research Funding Officer in the ReDS. Please note that any costing returns will need to be completed by Financial Services.
If you are still unsure about whether the bidding procedures apply to you, or need help or advice with a “research” proposal, please contact reds@uel.ac.uk
