Sussex Researcher School

Research Culture Seed Fund

The Research Culture Seed Fund was part of a range of initiatives that the University of Sussex launched in 2022 to foster a creative, inclusive and collaborative research culture.

The Seed Fund is merging with the Researcher-Led Initiative Fund in autumn 2024, to ensure research culture remains a priority for ECR and PGR development. 

See the RLI Fund webpages for further details. 

 

Open to Early Career Researchers (ECRs), the Seed Fund pump-primed innovative projects and supported initiatives that enhance the environment in which research takes place at the University. We particularly supported new ideas and activities with the potential to become best-practise example initiatives to be rolled out across the University.

Funding of up to £2,000 was available to organise a well-defined initiative dedicated to enhancing the research culture. This initiative could involve, but was not restricted to:

  • Improving access to and participation in research for people from currently underrepresented groups;
  • Fostering a more positive research culture and research environment;
  • Improving research leadership skills across all career stages;
  • Creating routes for collaboration and exchange with businesses, third sector organisations and government;
  • Securing and supporting the careers of researchers;
  • Exploring or supporting routes for internal collaboration between Schools or disciplines at Sussex;
  • Delivering new approaches to public dialogue and community-led research.

While there is a £2,000 limit to ensure funding for a variety of projects, there is flexibility for additional funding if the initiative justifies it. All proposals will be considered, so please request the necessary funds if your project could justifiably benefit from a larger budget. We encourage you to set ambitious goals for your initiative!

Likewise, the application form provides the opportunity to outline a 'plan B' at reduced cost (for example asking support for 2 months rather than 4) and the panel reserves the option to award projects a lower budget when this is deemed appropriate.

Need inspiration? Check out the previously awarded projects webpage. These examples of successful applications may help in writing your proposal.

Who is eligible?

We welcome applications from individuals or groups and encourage interdisciplinary initiatives.

Projects must be complete, and budgets spent, by 31 July 2024. 

You are eligible for the Fund if you are:

  • an ECR, broadly encompassing research assistants, postdoctoral researchers and research fellows.
  • contracted by the University of Sussex for the duration of the project.
  • can demonstrate benefits to research culture at lab/group, department, School or institutional level. 

This fund is for ECRs only. Postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are not eligible to apply.

If you have a query about your eligibility please contact us.

Purpose and intended outcomes

The Research Culture Seed Fund aims at broadly improving the research culture at the University of Sussex.

Issues such as inflexible and uncertain career pathways, barriers to diversity and inclusivity, a lack of collegiality and unhealthy competition culture, and workloads over-inflated with unnecessary bureaucratic processes, pose a great risk to delivering high quality research and innovation outputs. They also pose a barrier to attracting and retaining talent, as well as protecting individual wellbeing.

Applications will be assessed by the extent to which the activities are likely to enhance the University’s research culture and have the potential to be rolled out in other areas. So, while the fund will provide support for individual projects, its broader purpose is to pump-prime examples of best practice that could be rolled out in other departments across the University. Successful applicants will be expected to share their experiences through various media (this could include Broadcast articles, podcasts, presentation at events etc.), outlining details of the project and plans for any follow-on activities.

Activities could include, but are not limited to:

  • organising or hosting a seminar series;
  • developing toolkits;
  • delivering mentoring or training programmes;
  • facilitating a particular research task;
  • creating a network;
  • external engagement with similar initiatives at other Universities or institutions.
How does it work?

Applications are invited for funding to support short-term, well-defined initiatives. Proposals will be judged by members of Sussex's academic community after the deadline, and a decision made within four weeks. 

Recipients must submit a short evaluation report after their activity has taken place, and work with the Research Staff Office (RSO) to find ways to roll out the project if it is deemed feasible. Recipients may be asked to contribute to a Research and Enterprise event to share their experiences. Successful applicants will be invited to an induction meeting to guide them through the next steps.

RSO will set up budget codes for awarded projects, and recipients must claim costs via Unit-4 - School research support staff and the Finance Service Desk can advise on this process if necessary. Recipients are expected to organise their initiative themselves, with guidance from research support staff in their School, and to discuss any budget amendments with RSO before spending funds.

A guidance amount of £2,000 is available for each project, with additional funds considered by the panel on a case-by-case basis. Projects must be completed and awarded funds spent by the end of the current financial year (31 July 2024).

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria, which are reflected in the application form:

  • How well does the initiative promote research culture at Sussex?
  • How well will the target audience be engaged?
  • How wide is the impact of the initiative and how will impact be measured?
  • How likely can the initiative be sustained in the future and how well is this explained?
How do I apply?

Fill in the application form here.

Please read the Applicant Guidance Notes carefully before you apply, including the notes on eligibility, assessment criteria, and the Terms and Conditions.

A supporting statement from the applicant's Head of School or DRaKE must be uploaded as part of each application, and must either include an electronic signature or be written on headed paper.

Your application will be reviewed by a panel put together by RSO, and including academics from different disciplines. We aim to inform applicants of the outcome within a month of the closing date.

Terms and Conditions

The Research Culture Seed Fund award is given with the following terms and conditions:

  • Please note that all funds must be spent by the end of the financial year (31 July 2024). Any unspent funds will not be available after this date.
  • All activities related to your initiative must occur by 31 July – funding cannot be used to prepay for activities taking place after that date.
  • The award must be spent in line with the budget specified in your application. Any budget changes must be submitted to the Research Staff Office (RSO) for approval, in advance of repurposing any funds.
  • If you are successful in your application, you will be expected to participate in an induction meeting with RSO, and to communicate regular updates to ensure questions concerning your project are addressed quickly.
  • You will be expected to regularly report your project status to ensure spending is on track before the end of the funding period (31 July).
  • If you anticipate any delay in spending or any issues arise that could compromise the completion of your initiative, please discuss this immediately with RSO. If you are not going to use all of the allocated budget, let RSO know immediately so that funds can be reallocated to other projects.
  • Recipients must submit a short evaluation report after their activity has taken place, including a final statement of expenditure, and work with RSO to find ways to roll out the project if it is deemed feasible.
  • All promotional materials relating to your initiative must include the words “Supported by the Research Culture Seed Fund”.
  • Award recipients are expected to take part in the ECR Symposium on 13 June at ACCA, to share their project activities / outcomes with the research community.

Policies and Guidelines

  • Award recipients should make themselves familiar with the University's supply agreements, particularly for purchasing stationery and laboratory supplies.
  • Costs for catering an event should be reasonable and, where an external caterer is used, in line with hospitality provided by Sussex Food. We are unable to fund evening wine receptions.
  • If you are intending to pay an individual for work carried out in relation to your initiative (e.g. you wish to pay a speaker or trainer), you will need to obtain evidence of their right to work in the UK before the work commences. Please refer to the University's guidance on employing casual workers. You may need to go through the University’s IR35 process to determine how they should be paid – factor this in to your project timeline.
  • Applicants are expected to take low-cost options with regard to accommodation for external speakers (e.g. standard hotels from the University approved list). In most cases the University has negotiated special rates to stay in these hotels/guesthouses. When making a booking it is essential that you request the University of Sussex rate.
  • To obtain value for money, the University has appointed a preferred travel management company, Key Travel. Key Travel should be used for booking travel for external speakers except where the use of an alternative supplier is substantially cheaper, low risk and outweighs the other benefits of using the preferred provider. The Seed Fund can only support travel by means of public transport.
  • The University is committed to providing an environment that advances equality of opportunity. We are all responsible for ensuring that staff, students and visitors to the University of Sussex or involved in our events are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. For more information see the Equality and Diversity webpages.

 Feedbacks from previous awardees:

''With the aid of the seed fund, I have been able to establish further collaborations, which have substantially contributed to my recent success in securing the EPSRC New Investigator Award.''

Sussex Researcher School

E: researcher-school@sussex.ac.uk