Each team is tasked with producing a 3-page research grant proposal in one of the call areas (see here). You will work together by Email, Skype, Google Docs, teleconference, etc. over the coming 2 months to develop an idea that you will present at the Summer School. The proposal cannot be based on a grant that any of you have already written or begun to write. Details of the grant: The grant duration is 2 years. The total budget for direct costs of research staff salary, facility fees and other consumables must not exceed £150,000. You will have an opportunity to meet each other in person before submitting your final document, and will have a full morning (plus a preceding evening) to complete the final document and prepare your slides (3 slides). Each team will present their grant at the Summer School (one or all of you can present). Grants will be discussed and scored. Once review-scored by your peers a mock ‘grant panel’ will rank and decide fundability of the grant applications, as for a real RCUK grant panel. The format of the submitted grant is to be as follows (all 10pt font minimum)
- Front page
- Title and applicants (i.e. your team)
- Scientific abstract (250 words max)
- Lay summary (250 words max)
- Scientific proposal (1.5 pages max)
- Background and motivation
- Summary of specific aims
- Scientific plan
- Impact
- National importance
- Research team and environment
- Budget justification (0.5 page max)
- Gantt chart (timeline for delivering the project)
- Format of the presentations at the Summer School will be as follows (5 mins each, plus 10 mins panel questions)
- Project overview (3 slides max)
- Background and motivation
- Project overview
- Project management
You are allowed an additional slide to present ideas that were discussed by your group but not chosen, if you wish. We strongly suggest that you aim to start discussing/generating ideas and planning a division of the workload so that you have a better chance of accomplishing the task on the day. Note that useful resources for writing an RCUK grant may be found at: https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/howtoapply/preparing/ https://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/peer-review/peer-review-at-the-mrc You may also find this link helpful when considering the potential impact of your work: https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/research/ourportfolio/themes/healthcaretechnologies/strategy/toolkit/
