Background:

• Research England has received further funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF) totalling £25.9M in financial year 2023-2024 and £21.1M in 2024-2025. Universities that participated in REF2021 and that are Office for Students approved providers are eligible to receive the ISPF Institutional Support Grant which must be used on activities that are Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) compliant.

Purpose of the scheme:

• To support collaborative research activities that specifically address challenges faced by developing countries.
• Funded projects must be Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) compliant, which means that activity must have the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries on the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list (excluding China) as its main objective.
• Funding can be used to develop new ODA compliant research, add new strands to already existing ODA compliant activity, and/or repurpose unsuccessful but positively reviewed ODA compliant external funding applications to any sponsor. 

 Funding: 

• We envisage funding projects and activity across a range of size and scope.  As such, applicants can request funding for projects from between £5k-£50k. 
• The following types of activities are eligible: pump-priming, capacity and capability building, and generating impact from research.
• Funds can be used for directly incurred costs, for example: research & technical assistance, recruitment costs, consumables, travel and subsistence, field work, survey costs, project specific workshops and project specific equipment. 
• Funds can be requested for your overseas partners.
• Funds will not cover permanent staff time, teaching replacement, overheads, conference hosting or attendance, or costs incurred by UK collaborators.

 Duration: Projects must be completed, and all funds spent by 31 March 2025.

 Eligibility: 

• Applications are welcome from researchers in all disciplines. 
• Colleagues on fixed-term contracts may apply if their existing employment contract extends beyond the proposed project.

 Deadline:

• 12 noon Tuesday 19th March 2024
• Applicants need to discuss their bid with their School Director of Research & Knowledge Exchange or Head of School who has to provide a statement of support as part of the application.
• Applications should be submitted to research.initiatives@sussex.ac.uk