Our approach to funding applications
If you're applying for external research, knowledge exchange, scholarly or pedagogical grants then your application must be costed, checked and authorised by our Pre-Award Team.
The team will:
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provide information about the internal and external procedures involved in making submissions
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give appropriate costing and pricing advice that conforms to funders' guidelines
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check that applications meet the funder's guidelines and conform to our University's requirements
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obtain the necessary University authorisation
We need to see your application whether it's a concept note, letter of intent, expression of interest, outline or full application. We'll prepare accurate costings for your application to ensure you'll be able to afford to conduct the research if the grant is awarded. It's also important that your application receives institutional authorisation, as without this your grant will breach our University's Financial Regulations and cannot be accepted.
We don't deal with applications for training or Doctoral Training Centre grants, so for these you will need to contact your Faculty Accountant for support.
Definitions of research
HEFCE definition of research
Research is to be understood as original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding. It includes: work of direct relevance to the needs of commerce, industry, and to the public and voluntary sectors; scholarship*; the invention and generation of ideas, images, performances, artefacts including design, where these lead to new or substantially improved insights; and the use of existing knowledge in experimental development to produce new or substantially improved materials, devices, products and processes, including design and construction. It excludes routine testing and routine analysis of materials, components and processes such as for the maintenance of national standards, as distinct from the development of new analytical techniques. It also excludes the development of teaching materials that do not embody original research.
* Scholarship is defined as the creation, development and maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure of subjects and disciplines, in forms such as dictionaries, scholarly editions, catalogues and contributions to major research databases.
VAT definition of research
Research is to be understood as original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding. It includes the use of existing knowledge in experimental development to produce new or substantially improved material, devices, products and processes, including design and construction. It excludes routine testing and analysis of materials, components and processes. In the humanities and social sciences, research includes work which sets out to widen general understanding of society and its structures and processes rather than to address purely local problems.
The following do not qualify as research:
- DNA sequencing services provided to another university as part of its research project
- management consultancy and business efficiency advice
- collection and statistical analysis of information
- market research and opinion polling
- writing computer programmes
- testing and analysis of chemicals, drugs and other goods
When to contact us
It is essential that you contact us to start the application process as soon as you decide to apply for funding.
