The Faculty of Natural Sciences wishes to support industrial collaborations to stimulate new research directions and to enhance our research impact, noting the requirement for REF impact cases. From February 2020 the FoNS Strategy Research Fund (FSRF) has allocated its limited resources to foster new initiatives to engage more effectively with external SME partners.
The Faculty is particularly keen to use the FSRF to support earlier career staff . This scheme welcomes multi-disciplinary projects, but the Faculty will allocate its FSRF to support FoNS researchers only.
Criteria
This scheme aims to encourage and support collaborative short term research projects with SMEs with a view to generating impact and to seeding longer term, fully funded collaborations with industry.
These projects should last no longer than 12 months and would be supported by up to £10,000 from FoNS to match a cash contribution from the SME partner. To particularly encourage Early Career Researchers to engage with SMEs, FoNS will provide 3:1 matching funds, up to a limit of £15,000 from the Faculty for such projects.
The SME Engagement Funding Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria below:
- Eligibility:
- The lead applicant must be a permanent member of staff in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Fellowship-holders are also eligible to apply for FSRF funding as long as the end date of the project falls within the fellowship appointment
- Funding requested is up to a maximum of £10,000 matching funds (except Early Career Researchers who can bid for up to £15,000);
- Proposals must have the support from the Head of Department
- It must be a new collaboration or initiative with an SME;
- Research quality: added value of SME/academic collaboration, innovation, feasibility and potential impact of the proposed research;
- If the funding requested is cost effective;
- Strategic value to the Faculty/College:
- Potential for REF impact
- Fit to the Department/College strategy;
- Potential for these activities to secure longer term funding;
Please note that the SME Engagement Funding is open on a rolling basis. Applicants are welcome to submit an application any time.
The aim of this scheme is to encourage members of staff (in particular Early Career Researchers) to engage effectively with industry by providing a small travel allowance for them and/or members of their research group to visit new potential funders. Travel Grants must not exceed £500. The Travel Grants proposals will be evaluated using the criteria below:
- Eligibility:
- The lead applicant must be a permanent member of staff in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Fellowship-holders are also eligible to apply for FSRF funding as long as the end date of the travel falls within the fellowship appointment
- Funding requested is up to a maximum of £500 for travel grants
- Proposals must have the support from the Head of Department;
- The funding requested is cost effective;
- Strategic value to the Faculty/College:
- Potential for REF impact
- Fit to the Department/College strategy;
- Potential to build engagment with stake holders;
- Potential for these activities to secure longer term funding;
Please note that travel grants are open on a rolling basis. Applicants are welcome to submit an application any time.
How to apply:
- Applicants should complete the relevant application form without exceeding more than two pages: Appendix 1 for SME Engagement Scheme, Appendix 2 for the Travel Grants Scheme to visit potential industrial partners;
- Applicants should send the Worktribe costing and letters of support with the application form;
- Completed forms should be submitted to fonsfundinghighlights@imperial.ac.uk cc-ing Ester Buchaca-Domingo (e.buchaca-domingo@imperial.ac.uk);
- There is no deadline for submissions. All applications will be reviewed by the Faculty Research Committee (FRC)
For any questions related to the FSRF funding, please contact Ester Buchaca-Domingo
FSRF Guidance Documents 2024-2025 (Word)