If your research proposal or project involves co-investigators from overseas organisations or a UK based organisation that is not a HEI, we must complete proportionate financial and capability due diligence checks. These checks are a requirement of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), who are the main UK Government research funder.
The risks relating to funding going overseas are much greater than for funding going to UK Research Organisations that undergo stringent audit checks. This is especially the case when organisations from DAC (Development Assistance Committee) list countries are involved in projects. In this respect, funds which are badged as GCRF (Global Challenges Research Fund), or ODA (Official Development Assistance) have increasing requirements about information required to complete due diligence on partner organisations which are required to be evidenced to the funder.
We take an appropriate and proportionate approach to due diligence for externally funded research projects where the University has the responsibility of managing the funding for external research partners. This approach, along with consideration around trusted research principles, ensures the University is aware of the risks presented by a proposed research partner and can therefore take the necessary action in advance to mitigate such risks. Alternatively, the University can choose not to work with a proposed partner if there are significant risks associated with them.
Due diligence enables the University to evaluate whether the proposed partner has the academic, financial, reputational, and legal standing to ensure a high quality and sustainable working relationship. It is particularly important that a thorough approach is taken for projects that are deemed to be at high risk, and it is acknowledged that this work will be necessarily time consuming. Within the UK context, funding organisations, especially UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), are periodically auditing universities on their processes around due diligence pertaining to funded research projects. Undertaking such due diligence is often a condition of funding.
The due diligence process applies to all externally funded research projects managed by the University.