Next steps Funding Dr Dan Korbel Acting Head

Next steps: Funding Dr Dan Korbel Acting Head of Science British Council 2 December 2016

Newton Fund

Newton Fund British Council deliver six programmes under the Newton Fund: PEOPLE • Ph. D programme (scholarships/placements) • Researcher Links • Professional Development & Engagement • STEM education • Technical Training and Employability TRANSLATION • Institutional Links

Researcher Links • • Creates opportunities for early career researchers from the UK and partner countries to interact, learn from each other and explore building long-lasting research collaborations Consists of thematic bilateral workshops and travel grants Encourages interdisciplinary interactions and inclusion of social sciences and humanities researchers Involves senior researchers to guide the process, define themes and act as mentors

Researcher Connect • Communication skills training for researchers • Face-to-face, intensive training – – Writing for publication Writing funding proposals Informal communication (networking, emails etc. ) Presenting at conferences • Supported by online material • Piloted in several countries, including training of trainers

British Council opportunities www. britishcouncil. org/education/science/current-opportunities

EURAXESS Information on Research landscape in UK, practical info, jobs, careers, funding Downloadable guide for researchers International funding search – by career stage, discipline and region Newsletter with funding opportunities www. euraxess. org. uk euraxess. ec. europa. eu

ODA Eligibility - Themes Reportable as ODA NOT reportable as ODA Directly and primarily relevant to the problems of ODA countries (eg) • research into tropical diseases, improving crops or renewable energy (even if carried out in UK) • operational research to support an aid programme • research that underpins country-specific development priority plans • education research and innovation • research into infrastructure for social and economic development (big data engineering, communication) • disaster risk reduction • rural and urban development (cities) • arts and humanities for development • supporting people with disabilities • research addressing Inequalities Research without a plausible pathway to a development impact within a short- to medium timeframe (eg) • generic solutions to fundamental research questions • research specific to non-ODA countries (eg. cancer, if general) • research on global climate change (nonspecific) for example modelling • research on defence technologies with ‘dual use’ • research to improve commercial use of extractive industries and energy • research to improve healthcare which would not be affordable or accessible • research where the primary benefit is to a non ODA-eligible country • research which cannot be legally regulated in the country concerned

Further X ? Is it ODA? Research and Capacity Development Projects supporting STEM education in schools Exporting samples to UK for screening of medicinal plants for antibiotic activity Research in India to model global climate change Research collaboration with Brazil on treatments for colon cancer Research into communications technology where the primary benefit will go to a UK company Research into archaeology and cultural heritage in Egypt which benefits local tourist industry Partnership with Vietnam to develop capacity to respond to natural disasters Ph. D inward to UK: improving IVF genetics screening congenital birth defects in Turkey Dog welfare research in Chile How to preserve traditional languages in Mexico Research to improve the efficiency of coal mining processes in China Research to improve the efficiency of commercial seafood farming in Malaysia so EU import regulations can be met www. britishcouncil. org

Further Reading • Reference documents: - ‘Newton Fund guide to understanding ODA’ - ‘BIS Newton Programme Management Team Q&A guide’ - ‘Is it ODA? ’ www. oecd. org/dac/stats/officialdevelopmentassistancedefinitionandcoverage. htm www. gov. uk/government/organisations/department-for-internationaldevelopment/about/statistics www. britishcouncil. org

Keep Up to Date - Newton Fund Website: http: //www. newtonfund. ac. uk/ - British Council Newton Fund Webpage http: //www. britishcouncil. org/education/science/currentopportunities - Subscribe to the Euraxess newsletter on www. euraxess. org. uk - Follow us on Twitter @Newton. Fund

Group work • Each group to populate their flipcharts with post-it notes to answer the following questions: – Step 1: In your own experience, what are the challenges when applying for funding? 10 minutes – Step 2: How can these challenges be overcome? 15 minutes Description of the challenge Suggested solution or approach Level* *Individual, team, institutional, or funder

Group work – Step 3: Identify top 3 challenges and present them to the room along with the solutions Description of the challenge Suggested solution or approach Level* *Individual, team, institutional, or funder

Funding Advice 1 - Read the guidelines carefully! Simple, but it’s surprising how many people don’t seem to do this. Read all the guidance notes before starting your application. Check eligibility criteria - you don't want to waste your time. If there are priority research areas, consider whether your work can fit into these, or how you could adapt it if possible by making new interdisciplinary connections. • Under British Council schemes we often encourage interdisciplinary connections, but these need to be for a real added value, not just as a boxticking exercise. • •

Funding Advice 2 - If something is not clear, then ask for advice • Sometimes guidelines are unclear or have a degree of ambiguity. • This could be because the different interpretations have not been considered by the authors, or there could be a deliberate flexibility built in. • In either case it is best to ask for guidance directly from the funder and in many cases there will be an email address, or contact number which you can get in touch with to answer any questions.

Funding Advice 3 - Understand the motivation of the funder, and design your project and write your proposal accordingly • Sometimes schemes which look similar from the outside may have different end goals and desired outcomes. For example: - enhancing the excellence of UK researchers through access to the best facilities overseas or immediate UK benefit. vs. - building up relationships for longer term collaborations, and mutual benefit for both the UK and the partner country. • An example of the latter is the BC Researcher Links

Funding Advice 4 - Make sure the objectives of your proposals are realistic and feasible • Funders often receive proposal of excellent research quality, but that are overambitious with the grant offered – these cannot be funded. • It is important to keep an eye on the longer term plans, but at the same time it is essential to think about realistic objectives that can be achieved within the requested budget and the lifetime of the grant. • Design scope of projects to match the grant on offer. For example you might want to request funds for a preparatory project/activity that will lead to a larger and more ambitious project in a different grant scheme. • Competition for funding is high, and funders want to make sure that their money is spent well!

Funding Advice 5 - Think about the lay reader and the bigger picture • Remember to articulate the bigger picture. • If a section in a proposal asks for a lay-person’s summary, try to ensure that this really is understandable to someone outside of research (you could try it out on a friend or family member…). • These summaries need to show that your research is important. • There’s no need to make wild claims about solving world hunger as an outcome of a three month research visit, but a simple explanation of how your research project will advance knowledge or create impact is often essential – this is referred to as the pathway to impact.

Funding Advice 6 - Think about the long term plan • Most funders want to see the benefits last beyond the lifetime of the project. • Particularly important for short-duration activities like travel grants and workshops - think about the longer term plan, and how you will ensure the sustainability of any links or collaborations from the funded activity. • Demonstrate that you have investigated the potential ‘next steps’. For example this could be through identifying potential sources of further funding.

Funding Advice 7 - Dissemination of results is important! • This is always true – also when funders do not explicitly request a dissemination plan. • It is important to demonstrate that a wider group of people will benefit from the results of your project. • Think about how you can maximise the impact of your research, how your project can trigger further activities carried out by others and how you can reach the people and organisations that the results of your projects may be relevant to. • Funders want to make sure that they generate benefits beyond the duration and the direct beneficiaries of the project.

Funding Advice 8 - Don’t be discouraged if you are unsuccessful! • The success rates for different schemes vary enormously, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t get selected. • If possible ask for feedback, as this could help you improve your next submission to the same or similar schemes.