Can PDRAs apply to this scheme? Are senior academics also entitled to apply?

Yes, anyone who is affiliated with a UK institution is eligible to apply. We would like to encourage early career researchers to develop and lead their own projects so PDRAs can apply in their own right. Equally, this call is also designed to support more senior academics who want to free up time to dedicate to a research project.

Can the time of more than one academic be covered?

This funding is designed to support only one researcher. Please note that the appointment of a PDRA is not included in the eligible costs - the applicant should spend their own time on the proposed project. If at some point during the project the opportunity came up to informally work with a colleague, we would not object to this - but we can only support the original applicant.

How much FTE could I allocate to cover teaching duties?

Under this scheme you can allocate between 30% and 100% of your time (given that you have the support of your head of department). The award does not include estates and indirects (which will be covered by your institution) but covers 100% of the direct costs.

Could you provide guidance on how the secondment would typically be structured? For example, would I need to have a part-time employment contract with the partner? Additionally, given that the partner may need to provide access to their own resources, what would be the implications for intellectual property rights?

In this 'secondment' scheme, the ICMS buys out a portion of your time so you can work on the project and we anticipate that you will remain based at your academic institution. In terms of a contract, we leave this up to you to agree with the partner. The same applies for IP - although we would ask that whatever arrangement you come to does not prevent you or the ICMS from publicising the work carried out during the project or any future activities.

Is it possible to collaborate with multiple project partners?

This is acceptable as long as the partners are aligned. Each partner should provide a separate letter of support.

Do I need to include the knowledge exchange workshop in the costing?

Yes, please include plans for the KE workshop in the budget.

Do I need to identify people or organisations I would like to invite for the workshop?

You do not need to do this at this stage, but if you have an idea of who you would like to invite then you can share these details if you wish.

Is there a maximum budget?

We have not specified a maximum budget to allow for greater flexibility, but expect that any requested funds would be within reasonable limits. Eligible costs include:

• buyout of academic time (which differs between career stages and institutions, and depends on the project duration and allocated percentage of time)
• funding for workshop organisation (which should reflect local costs and will depend on the nature and length of the event)
• reasonable travel expenses to allow for in-person meetings with the project partner

How detailed should the budget should be?

The overall budget should be stated with a breakdown to explain how this will be divided between the eligible costs. For example:

Total budget: £X

• Academic time at 0.3-1 FTE (£X)
• Workshop organisation (£X): Venue (£X), catering (£X), accommodation (£X), travel (£X)
• Travel expenses (£X): X trips to visit partner at…

Note that the breakdown for the workshop organisation will depend on the format of your proposed event - for example, you may not want/need to provide travel and/or accommodation for the attendees. An estimate is fine If you do not know the exact costs at this time, and we understand that these plans may evolve as the project progresses. 

Is there an example of a narrative CV, and should I also include the attributes of the project partner?

You can find a template for the R4RI CV here. This should be filled out by the applicant and you do not need to include the attributes of the project partner.

Should the letter of support from my head of department be more focussed on the project or the specific skills of the academic (or both)?

The purpose of the letter of support is to provide confirmation that if the proposal is accepted, the applicant will be supported in dedicating the indicated portion of their time to the project. Any further comments about the project overall or the skills of the academic would of course be welcomed!

Does the project start time need to be fixed when the application is submitted?

If necessary, multiple possible start dates would be acceptable. The project should begin no later than the end of January 2025 and the workshop must take place before the end of 2025.