Future Research Leaders call specification 2014-15

Future Research Leaders
Call specification 2014-15
Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Scope of the call ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Research themes ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Mobility: UK and international ................................................................................................................ 5
Knowledge exchange ................................................................................................................................ 5
Training and development ....................................................................................................................... 6
Contributions of the host research organisation ............................................................................... 6
Provision of the mentor ....................................................................................................................... 6
Provision of career development support ....................................................................................... 7
Additional staff............................................................................................................................................ 7
Eligibility ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Expected outcomes ................................................................................................................................... 8
Budgetary information .............................................................................................................................. 8
Proposal process........................................................................................................................................ 9
Peer review process................................................................................................................................ 10
Proposal assessment criteria ................................................................................................................. 10
Timetable ................................................................................................................................................... 10
Contacts..................................................................................................................................................... 11
1
Summary
The ESRC’s strategy is to invest in the most talented people by offering diverse and flexible
training to outstanding individuals at all stages of their careers. We aim to expand and
integrate transferable skills development into postgraduate training and other careerdevelopment schemes. The Future Research Leaders Scheme forms a key part of this
strategy.
The scheme is open to high-quality candidates from anywhere in the world who have a
maximum of four years and four months’ postdoctoral experience and the support of an
eligible UK research organisation 1. The proposed host research organisation will be
required to demonstrate a high level of commitment to the applicant’s career development.
The scheme aims to:
•
•
Enable outstanding early-career social scientists, in partnership with their host
organisation, to acquire the skills set to become the future world leaders in their
field
Fund excellent social science research projects.
We would like to emphasise that the scheme is intended to support researchers who are at
any point in the four year and four month eligibility period and encourages applicants who
are currently completing or who are immediately post PhD. A proportion of the budget will
be allocated to support proposals from those at the earlier stage in their career (subject to
quality).
Proposals are to be submitted via the Je-S system by 16.00 on 20 January 2015. Proposals
will be initially reviewed by a sift panel in April 2015. Following this, shortlisted proposals
will be peer reviewed and then assessed by the commissioning panel. Final decisions will be
made in September 2015, with grants commencing on 1 January 2016.
Grants will be for a maximum of three years, with a pro-rata duration option for those
employed part-time on a contract of 0.5 FTE or above. There is an overall limit of £350,000
at 100 per cent full Economic Cost fEC per grant (cost to ESRC of £280,000 at 80 per cent
fEC) but the actual amount individuals can apply for will vary dependent on individual
circumstances. We aim to fund up to 40 grants through this call.
Scope of the call
Future Research Leader grants will provide up to three years’ funding for those employed
on a full-time basis. Those employed part-time on a contract of 0.5 FTE or above can apply
for up to six years’ funding on a pro-rata basis. The overall scheme maximum is £350,000
(100 per cent fEC; cost to ESRC of £280,000 at 80 per cent fEC), but the actual amount
individuals can apply for will vary depending on their individual circumstances. This reflects
1
Please note, the overall eligibility criteria has been extended this year due to the delay in the call being issued
but this applies to this round only.
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our commitment to funding those at the very earliest stage in their research careers and
our concern that we were not receiving a sufficient number of proposals 2 from this cohort.
Please note, the proportion of your salary that you can claim on this call varies depending
on when you submitted your PhD.
For applicants who have not yet submitted their PhD or those who submitted their PhD
less than two years prior to the call closing date 3, the overall limit you can apply for is
£350,000 (100 per cent fEC; cost to ESRC of £280,000 at 80 per cent fEC). We will fund up
to 80 per cent of the grant holder’s time; the host research organisation must support the
remainder of the grant holder’s normal salary throughout the period of the grant.
For applicants who submitted their PhD more than two years prior to the call closing date 4
the overall limit you can apply for is £280,000 (100 per cent fEC; cost to ESRC of £224,000
at 80 per cent fEC). We will fund up to 40 per cent of the grant holder’s time; the host
research organisation must support the remainder of the grant holder’s normal salary
throughout the period of the grant.
Successful proposals will include:
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•
•
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A well-defined high-quality research project with strong plans for maximising
potential impact. In many cases it may involve co-production of knowledge with the
business community, the public sector, the civil society sector and the wider
community.
A programme of research skills development in collaboration with the grant holder’s
host organisation, including the appointment of a named research mentor of high
international research standing.
A programme of activities to develop skills in knowledge exchange, and a clear
strategy to build relationships and networks with potential beneficiaries and users of
the grant holder’s research, potentially including the business community and/or the
public sector and/or the civil society sector.
A clear articulation of how receipt of a Future Research Leaders grant will have a
demonstrable benefit to the applicant’s research career, including plans to build on
previous achievements, as well as how they are proposing to use the developmental
aspects of the grant (eg skills training, networking opportunities, knowledge
exchange activities) to accelerate personal development and expertise.
Inter/multidisciplinary working is strongly encouraged both within and beyond the social
sciences, as long as at least 50 per cent of the proposed programme of research is within
ESRC remit. Applicants may request costs associated with networking across disciplines,
including one or more dedicated periods of time spent in another research environment, as
2
For example, in the last round 46 per cent of the applicants were three to four years post PhD as opposed
to 17 per cent of those less than a year from submitting their PhD and 16 per cent of those between one and
two years.
3
Those who submitted their PhD on or after 20 January 2013.
4
Those who submitted their PhD prior to 20 January 2013.
3
applicable. Applicants are welcome to nominate a second mentor from another disciplinary
background if appropriate.
Co-funding is available to support interdisciplinary applications across the medical and social
sciences however the application must be submitted to the most appropriate council.
Applications that contain research of which at least 50 per cent is within the remit of the
Medical Research Council are welcomed to apply directly to the MRC Strategic Skills
Fellowships (www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC008076).
Proposals considered for co-funding should be truly interdisciplinary and inclusive of the
approaches of both disciplines. Applications are welcome from postdoctoral medical or
social science graduates as well as clinical, primary care, and allied health professional
researchers from any sub-discipline of the social or medical sciences. Fellowships should
include research that is of interest to both councils and which requires training and
application of methodologies of both the medical and social & economic sciences.
Following submission of eligible interdisciplinary proposals to either council, the MRC and
ESRC will, where appropriate, jointly assess and fund these proposals under an extension of
the cross-council funding agreement
(www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/pages/fundingagreement.aspx). Any jointly funded fellowships will
be offered under the standard terms and conditions of the awarding council.
We encourage proposals in areas associated with our six RCUK cross-council research
themes www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/xrcprogrammes.
Research themes
The ESRC has invested in a wide range of world leading data resources, from its portfolio of
longitudinal studies such as Understanding Society, to international cross-sectional studies
such as the European Social Survey. More recently, the ESRC’s Big Data Network is
supporting innovative centres and other projects which are facilitating access to and analysis
of different types of data, including administrative data held by government departments and
local government organisations, consumer data held by commercial organisations, as well as
social media and civil society data. A major aim for the ESRC is to ensure that these rich
resources are exploited to their full potential and that capacity is developed within the
academic community to make best use of them.
As a research council, ESRC is committed to enabling the growth of exciting, innovative
research. Encompassing multi-disciplinary science, biosocial research brings together
expertise from the biological, medical and social sciences to further enable understanding of
the complex pathways and mechanisms that shape physical and mental health, social
behaviours and outcomes, and genomic, neurological and physiological systems. ESRC
recognises it is essential social scientists work together with biological and medical scientists
to develop new areas of interdisciplinary research.
As a result, in this year’s call we particularly encourage research proposals in the following
areas:
•
Big data (ie social media data, business data and new forms of data)
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•
•
Secondary analysis of longitudinal datasets
Biosocial research.
However, proposals are welcome in any topic which falls within ESRC’s remit.
Mobility: UK and international
We are particularly keen to support Future Research Leaders in developing links with
leading researchers in their field both in the UK and internationally. We encourage research
visits to one or more internationally leading research organisations - either in the UK or
abroad - for the purposes of research collaboration, training, and/or access to data or other
resources not available at the applicant’s home organisation. The ESRC wants to encourage
research proposals which use and develop international comparative methods. The
opportunities provided for mobility should support this.
Where a long-term overseas visit is planned, applicants are required to name a second
mentor at the overseas host organisation. However, for the majority of the grant holder’s
time should be in the UK at their home UK research organisation.
Whilst we seek to enable mobility through this activity, we also recognise that long-term
mobility in particular may be difficult or impossible for researchers with disabilities or caring
responsibilities. Candidates will therefore not be disadvantaged for not including a mobility
element. Applicants for whom mobility is restricted may wish to consider alternative
mechanisms for enhancing collaboration through their grant, such as hosting short visits
from collaborators, or utilising information technology to develop and sustain
collaborations.
Any requested costs associated with mobility elements in the proposal must be fully justified
in the case for support.
Knowledge exchange
Through this call we aim to produce a new national cohort of ESRC researchers who will
act as advocates for ESRC and social science research. We aim not only to drive forward
innovations in social science theory, methods or application, but in doing so also make a
significant contribution to scientific, economic and/or social impact. In many cases it may
involve co-creation of knowledge, knowledge exchange or knowledge production with the
business community, the public sector, the civil society sector or the wider community.
Applicants are required to consider carefully how best to build links and contacts at the
concept and development stage of the project with the potential beneficiaries and users of
their research, and to work towards co-production of knowledge with research users
where appropriate. We recognise that some research topics are more theoretical than
others; but all social science research ultimately engages with the wider world and it is vital
that the economic and societal impact of all research funded by ESRC is maximised.
Public engagement activities which bring researchers and the public together are also
encouraged. Activities could range from engaging people with social science concepts
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through staging public debates, to engaging key stakeholders in shaping research priorities
and direction.
Consideration of knowledge exchange, societal and economic impact should be a central
element of your proposal with planning for this articulated throughout and the costing
reflecting fully resourced knowledge exchange activities. Applicants may find is useful to
refer to our Impact Toolkit (http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/tools-andresources/impact-toolkit/index.aspx) and results from the ESRC’s series of impact
evaluations (http://www.esrc.ac.uk/impacts-and-findings/impact-assessment/analysis-andscoping.aspx) when developing their proposals.
Training and development
Alongside their research, applicants are required to set out a detailed programme of skills
development. This must include the development of research and knowledge exchangerelated skills and demonstrate how they will accelerate the applicant’s development and
expertise.
We expect all applicants to indicate how receipt of a Future Research Leaders grant will
have a demonstrable benefit to their research career. We recognise that applicants at
earlier career stages may have less evidence to draw on in demonstrating their potential as a
Future Research Leader and would suggest applicants include examples, where possible, that
set out academic ability, (such as the class of undergraduate degree awarded, relevant
assessment scores) and activities such as presentations in seminars and poster presentations
at academic conferences as well as any publications.
Furthermore, we expect all applicants to articulate their career plans and indicate how they
are looking to build on previous achievements, as well as how they propose to maximise the
use of the developmental aspects of the grant (eg skills training, networking opportunities,
knowledge exchange activities) to accelerate their development expertise, as well as setting
out the substantive research project.
Contributions of the host research organisation
The choice of host research organisation must be fully justified by the applicant in the case
for support. For those intending to apply through the same institution at which they
completed their PhD, particular attention must be paid to how the award will have a
demonstrable impact on their career trajectory.
Above and beyond the standard support offered by a research organisation to an ESRC
grant holder, we expect the following two aspects to be carefully considered by the
proposed host organisation in supporting a Future Research Leader proposal.
Provision of the mentor
All applicants are required to have a named mentor based at the research organisation
where the grant is to be held. The proposed mentor should be of high academic standing
and have a strong interest in the applicant’s field of research, but should not normally be the
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applicant’s former PhD supervisor. The mentor should also be able to offer the applicant
advice and assistance in developing their proposal, building suitable links with leading
researchers in their field, as well as with potential beneficiaries and users of the applicant’s
research.
The role of the mentor is to support the work of the grant holder, both scientific and nonscientific, but the mentor will not be directly involved in running the project. It is expected
that regular contact will be maintained between the grant holder and mentor through the
course of the project and that the mentor will help the grant holder to review progress
against agreed milestones, including the implementation of the training and development
programme.
Provision of career development support
The costs of a dedicated programme of research and broader skills development may be
included in the proposal. However, we are seeking to support grant holders in partnership
with their host research organisations. We expect the host organisation to work closely
with the applicant to develop their training and development programme and to see a clear
commitment from the host organisation to supporting the applicant’s career development.
The host research organisation must support the remainder of the applicant’s normal salary
not being claimed via the grant throughout the period of the grant. The remainder of the
grant holder’s time should be spent on activities supporting - or at least not incompatible
with - their Future Research Leaders responsibilities.
The proposal requires a letter by the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research or equivalent to
detail this support. We expect to see only a limited number of proposals from a single
research organisation; only bids from outstanding individuals, with the potential in Research
Excellence Framework (www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/) terms to become the 4* researchers
of the future, should be submitted through this call. Our expectation is that Future Research
Leader grant holders should move into permanent academic positions at the end of the
grant, if they are not already in such a post. The call is open to applicants with or without a
permanent academic post, subject to the above restrictions, and we do not expect that
institutions will consider only those applicants already on permanent posts.
Grant holders will be expected to attend a yearly conference for Future Research Leaders.
Additional staff
Project-linked studentships are not permitted. However, applicants may wish to include
provision for a research assistant. All requests for additional staff time, to develop staff
management skills and assist in the completion of the proposed research project, must be
fully justified.
Eligibility
This call is open to high-quality candidates from anywhere in the world to enable them to
further their research careers. However, all potential applicants must have the strong
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support of an eligible research organisation in the UK to host them if they are successful.
We expect research organisations to consider very carefully whether to support any
individual’s proposal before a proposal is submitted to ESRC.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria on the call closing date on 20 January
2015:
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•
•
•
Applicants should have a maximum of four years and four months’ academic
research experience following the completion of their PhD, or be of equivalent
professional standing. This period is measured from the submission date of the
PhD thesis. Career breaks will be excluded from the four-year and four-month
period and periods of part-time academic employment can be calculated on a prorata basis. Therefore, applicants who have not undertaken a career break must be
within four years and four months of the original submission date of their PhD by
the closing date for proposals on 20 January 2015.
Applicants cannot be current or former principal investigators on ESRC or other
Research Council grants, except ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships and Research
Councils UK Fellows.
Unsuccessful applicants to previous rounds of the Future Research Leaders Scheme
are not eligible to reapply to this call unless they are proposing a new project with a
significant change of focus, with fresh or significantly modified objectives and/or an
entirely revised methodological/analytical approach to a research question.
The call is open to applicants with or without a permanent academic post, subject to
the above restrictions.
Whilst we would like to emphasise that the call is intended to support researchers who are
at any point in the eligibility period, we would like to particularly encourage applicants who
are currently completing or who are immediately post PhD. To meet our objective of
providing support for researchers across the eligibility period, a proportion of the budget
will be allocated to support proposals from those at the earlier stage in their career,
dependent on the quality of the proposals received.
Expected outcomes
At the end of the grant we expect Future Research Leaders to have completed both a highquality research project and a structured programme of career development activities,
including skills development in research management, knowledge exchange and maximising
the potential impact of their research. Grant holders should have begun to build up an
extended network of academic contacts and potential beneficiaries and users of their
research. They should be in a very strong position to advance a career at the forefront of
the social sciences in the UK and internationally. Our expectation is that Future Research
Leader grant holders should move into permanent academic positions or other leadership
roles, normally in the UK, at the end of the grant, if they are not already in such a post.
Budgetary information
For applicants who have not yet submitted their PhD or those who submitted their PhD
less than two years prior to the call closing date, the overall limit you can apply for is
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£350,000 (100 per cent fEC; cost to ESRC of £280,000 at 80 per cent fEC). We will fund up
to 80 per cent of the grant holder’s time; the host research organisation must support the
remainder of the grant holder’s normal salary throughout the period of the grant.
For applicants who submitted their PhD more than two years prior to the call closing date
the overall limit you can apply for is £280,000 (100 per cent fEC; cost to ESRC of £224,000
at 80 per cent fEC). We will fund up to 40 per cent of the grant holder’s time; the host
research organisation must support the remainder of the grant holder’s normal salary
throughout the period of the grant.
All costs included in the proposal must be fully justified. We aim to fund up to 40 Future
Research Leaders (dependent on the quality of the proposals).
Applicants may request funding for the following, subject to the standard fEC regulations,
which apply to all cost categories:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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•
Investigator time
Research assistant support
Travel, fieldwork and data collection, technical and clerical support
Investigator skills development and training
Research assistant development and training (specific to the research project)
Knowledge exchange activities, such as seminars, workshops and work placements –
(for KE guidance see our impact toolkit at www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-andguidance/tools-and-resources/impact-toolkit/what-how-and-why/knowledgeexchange/index.aspx)
UK and international networking and collaborations
Public engagement activities
Cross-disciplinary networking and discipline-hopping activities
Dissemination activities for previous research, for example PhD results.
The applicant’s proposed starting salary should be agreed by the applicant with the host
research organisation in accordance with the organisation’s grade structure for academic
researchers. The level of the appointment should be fully justified in the proposal.
The mentoring time should be between one and three hours per week. The costs of
providing the mentor’s time should be covered by the organisation, reflecting the fact that
these grants will be funded by ESRC in partnership with the host organisation, and therefore
mentoring time cannot be claimed as part of the proposal to ESRC.
No project-linked studentships may be supported under Future Research Leader grants.
Proposal process
Proposals must be costed using the full Economic Costing (fEC) model. Applicants should
submit their proposal using the Research Councils’ Joint electronic Submission (Je-S) System
(https://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk/) by 16.00 on 20 January 2015. When creating a new proposal, the
applicant should select ‘Call Search’, and when prompted type in the call title ‘Future
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Research Leaders 2015’. Detailed guidance on the information required as part of the
proposal is provided in the Je-S Guidance Notes for Applicants (see
www.esrc.ac.uk/futureleaders)
Details of which research organisations have registered to use Je-S are available from
https://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk/JeS2WebLoginSite/Login.aspx. The call is open to all research
organisations approved by the ESRC to hold responsive mode grants. Please see
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/funding/eligibilityforrcs/ for more information.
Peer review process
Proposals will initially be assessed by a panel, comprising members of the ESRC Peer Review
College, in April 2015. Only proposals shortlisted by the panel will be peer reviewed and
then assessed by a specially convened commissioning panel. Final decisions will be made in
September 2015 with grants commencing on 1 January 2016.
Proposal assessment criteria
Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:
Research Proposal: 50 per cent of the score to include:
• Originality, potential contribution to knowledge, ie research excellence, including the
academic potential of the applicant
•
Research design and methods, including the appropriateness of collaborations, also
including but not limited to multi-disciplinary/international links:
Skill Development: 25 per cent of the score to include:
• Organisational support, including:
o Quality of the proposed skills development plan,
o The appropriateness and demonstration of commitment of the proposed
mentor(s)
o Commitment of the host research organisation to the applicant’s career
development.
Knowledge Exchange and impact realisation activities: 25 per cent of the score to include:
• Impact, outputs, and dissemination, including quality of the plans to develop knowledge
exchange skills and the proposed activities to maximise the impact of the research
Timetable
The timetable for the commissioning process is:
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•
•
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Call opening date – September 2014
Closing date for proposals - 20 January 2015
Final funding decisions – September 2015
Grants to start - 1 January 2016
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Contacts
Please note that we have prepared a comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions
which you should consult prior to contacting ESRC. If, after reading that document, you
have any questions please contact futureresearchleaders@esrc.ac.uk
Enquiries relating to the Je-S application procedure should be addressed to the Je-S helpdesk at:
•
Email: jeshelp@rcuk.ac.uk
Telephone: 01793 444164
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