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. 2 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: • • • • 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) 4 • • 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 5 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 6 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 7 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: • • • • 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 8 £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: • • • • • • • • • • 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 9 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: • • • • Call opening date – September 2014 Closing date for proposals - 20 January 2015 Final funding decisions – September 2015 Grants to start - 1 January 2016 10 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 [email protected] Enquiries relating to the Je-S application procedure should be addressed to the Je-S helpdesk at: • Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01793 444164 11