Internal funding opportunities

Career Support and Bridging Support Schemes

In certain circumstances, the University can provide continuing support for the employment by the University of contract research staff where outside funding is not immediately available.

The purpose of the Bridging Support Scheme is to enable continued employment of academic-related research staff between fixed-term contracts at the University.

The purpose of the Career Support Scheme is to enable continued employment of long-serving academic-related contract researchers whose research contribution is of particular value to the University.

Both schemes are administered by Personnel Services and further information can be found at http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ps/staff/codes/cssbss.shtml.

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CNRS - Oxford Collaboration Scheme 2012 (deadline: 31 May 2012)

The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the University of Oxford have established the CNRS-Oxford Collaboration Scheme to enhance existing collaborations, and to facilitate the development of new collaborations, between researchers at the two organisations.

The Scheme will provide small grants to support

  1. joint research workshops between researchers from CNRS-affiliated units and Oxford to identify and develop new collaborative opportunities (maximum grant value: €5000 from CNRS; £4000 from Oxford); and
  2. short research visits as part of a collaborative activity that researchers from CNRS-affiliated units and Oxford wish to pursue together (maximum grant value: €3000 from CNRS; £2400 from Oxford)

The Scheme is open to researchers across all disciplines at CNRS and Oxford. Deadline: 31 May 2012.

For further information, including guidelines and an application form, please see the programme overview.

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Departmental Funds

Departments usually have some funds available to held fund travel to conferences and for collaborative visits, short-term emergency support etc. Please contact your Departmental Administrator for further information.

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EPSRC Additional Sponsorship to Universities

Background

The EPSRC has kindly offered 'Additional Sponsorship for targeted Universities in support of EPSRC delivery plan' through to March 2013 in four areas:

  1. Delivering Impact: Sponsoring Pathways to Impact    
  2. Developing Leaders:  Widening the pool of research experience
  3. Shaping capability:  Bridging the gaps and priming new transformative research
  4. Efficiency and effectiveness: Enhancing equipment sharing between institutions

The strategic use of this funding allocated to Oxford to support and enhance Oxford’s contribution to the achievement of EPSRC's 'strategic and delivery plan goals' is being overseen by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), in consultation with senior colleagues.

As plans develop, further information will be posted here.

Pathways to Impact Internal Grants: Call for Proposals (deadline: 5 pm, Friday, 15 June 2012)

PIs at Oxford who currently hold or have recently held EPSRC grants or conduct research within the EPSRC programme landscapes are invited to apply for grants to support Knowledge Exchange and Impact activities. Heads of EPSRC DTCs at Oxford and supervisors of other EPSRC-supported DPhil students are also invited to apply. Individuals, departments and sub-departments are very welcome to collaborate and propose joint KE/impact activities.   

The EPSRC's aims for this area of funding are 'to support the full range of impact activity that delivers or promotes the benefits of research and PhD training to a full range of end users across industry, the public sector, the third sector and the wider public.'

The EPSRC requires that the funds be committed as soon as possible and be fully expended by 31 March 2013, and a report provided in March 2013 on the activities undertaken and above all the results/benefits. The activities proposed must fit within these timelines.

Grants will be awarded from £750 to £10,000 (awards above £10K may be requested but will be exceptional). The funds cannot be used to support additional research or be spent on capital items (i.e. individual items of equipment which cost £10,000 or more).

Available to download:

Oxford Contact:  Dr Glenn Swafford, Research Services, x80422.

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Erasmus funding for academic teaching staff

Erasmus is the European Commission's flagship educational programme for Higher Education students, teachers, and institutions and was introduced with the aim of increasing student mobility within Europe. Erasmus funding is not only available for students but for staff as well. Members of academic teaching staff employed by the University of Oxford may be eligible for funding to undertake a short period of teaching at another institution that participates in Erasmus.

Details about the Erasmus Staff Mobility Scheme can be found at http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/staffinfo/academic/erasmus.  Please note that an agreement between two institutions holding an Erasmus University Charter needs to be in place by the summer before the academic year in which the staff mobility is due to take place.

Further information can be obtained from the Erasmus Co-ordinator (Erasmus@ox.ac.uk).

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John Fell OUP Research Fund

The John Fell OUP Research Fund is administered by the Planning & Resource Allocation Section. The purpose of the Fund is to foster creativity and a proactive approach to research opportunities in all subject areas, and particularly in interdisciplinary fields. It will make seedcorn and start-up grants, and provide staff and funds to stimulate applications to external agencies. The Fund will thus build on the success of the former Research Development Fund. Please see the John Fell Fund web page for deadlines and further details.

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Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs)

These posts are generally affiliated with particular colleges, and are advertised via their websites. Some posts are advertised in the Appointments section of the Gazette and/or in the Research section of the University job site.

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Medical Research Fund

The Medical Research Fund supports research conducted in the clinical departments of the Medical Sciences Division through provision of bridging support grants, pilot project grants and start-up funds. Please see the MSD Intranet for further information.

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Oppenheimer Fund (deadline: 9 November 2012)

The Oppenheimer Fund provides grants to assist the academic exchange of senior members between the University of Oxford and institutions of higher education in South Africa. Grants may be awarded to assist with travel costs and living expenses for a maximum of three months. Deadline: 9 November 2012.

Please see the programme overview for details.

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Oxford Martin School: Call for Proposals for Interdisciplinary Research in the Food System (EOI deadline: 31 May 2012)

The Oxford Martin School has funded an interdisciplinary Programme on the Future of Food.  Its aim is to stimulate research at Oxford on the food system (defined here as including all aspects of the production, processing and consumption of food, as well as their social, economic, environmental and health consequences). 

The Programme aims to do three things: 

  1. Through a website currently under development to link all researchers at Oxford who work on the food system or whose work touches on this area, and provide a single portal for people outside Oxford to see what research in this field takes place here.
  2. Through workshops and other activities to link Oxford researchers with policy makers involved in the food system.
  3. To fund a small number of interdisciplinary projects to stimulate new research at Oxford on the food system.

Call for Expressions of Interest (deadline: 31 May 2012)

This call requests expressions of interest for the interdisciplinary research projects.  Proposals from throughout the University on any aspect of the food system are welcome.  Final decisions will be made on the following criteria:

  1. Excellence of the research question;
  2. The interdisciplinary nature of the project; it is unlikely that proposals from single Departments will be supported and we particularly encourage those that span two or more Divisions;
  3. Lack of alternative funding sources; we are looking for new projects from people who have not worked together before with ideas that would be difficult to fund from current external sources;
  4. Likelihood that the project will help to build capacity for food systems research that will lead to further research projects;
  5. Relevance to current major national and international policy issues.

The projects will last for up to three years and it is expected that these involve a post doc (who would become a member of the Oxford Martin School community of fellows) and associated research expenses. The Oxford Martin School expects to fund three projects.

Further details about ineligible costs, the decision-making process and contact details can be found in the call document (275kb).

Potential applicants are welcome to contact Charles Godfray (Director) and Hannah Rowlands (Co-ordinator) on futureoffood@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk at any time to ask questions about whether potential proposals match the Programme's criteria.  They are also happy to put researchers in touch with potential collaborators in other Departments.

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Oxford-Canterbury (NZ) Exchange Programme

The Oxford-Canterbury Exchange Programme, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Oxford and Canterbury in 2002, enables academic staff from Oxford University to visit the University of Canterbury for up to 3 months to give lectures to students and contribute generally to the teaching programme.

Please note: from 2011/12 onwards Oxford departments will be responsible for 30% of the costs of either sending or receiving a visitor. Also, any Oxford academic thinking of applying for a Fellowship must contact the relevant department at Canterbury and obtain a supporting letter from the Head of Department. Further information on this can be found on the Programme Overview page.

Deadline: Applications are invited for the 2012 round of funding, and close on 16 December 2011.

How to apply: Please see the programme overview for guidelines and the application form.

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Oxford-Princeton Collaborative Research Grants

The Oxford-Princeton Collaborative Research Grants Program, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Oxford and Princeton in 2001, provides 'seed-corn' funds supporting interactions between researchers to build the basis for new research projects and to develop proposals for external funding (to help sustain and enlarge collaborative activity).

In the most recent round (2011), three new projects were funded. A listing of the projects funded in 2011 and 2010 is available.

Deadline: Applications are invited for the 2012 round of funding, and close at 12 noon, 9 December 2011.

How to apply: Please see the programme overview for guidelines and the application form.
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Proof of Concept and Seed Funds

During 1999 Oxford University was awarded one of 15 seed funds that were established as part of the Government's University Challenge Seed Fund Scheme (UCSF). The aim of the Scheme is to fill a funding gap in the UK in the provision of finance for bringing university research discoveries to a point where their commercial usefulness can be demonstrated and the first steps taken to ensure their utility. The Scheme's primary focus is the exploitation of science and engineering research outcomes.

The UCSF is adminstered by Isis Innovation. Please see the ISIS website for further information.

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Scholarships and Prizes

The Fees and Funding web pages include useful information about scholarships and prizes available to undergraduate and graduate students.

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Contacts

Related links