GRADskills Innovation Grant
GRADskills aims to support the development of the personal, professional and career management skills of all young researchers at the University of St Andrews. The GRADskills Innovation Grant is one means by which students and staff are encouraged to think more creatively about ways in which the general skills development of postgrads, postdocs or supervisors can be facilitated through the GRADskills programme. Two levels of award are available through the GRADskills Innovation Grant: up to £1,000 for smaller projects and up to £2,000 for larger projects.
Applications are invited from postgraduate research students and staff at the University of St Andrews for funding to support short-term, well-defined projects to either:
- develop generic skills training resources that can be made accessible to postgrads, postdocs or supervisors at St Andrews through the GRADskills programme, or
- implement a general skills development activity for doctoral students, Postdocs or Supervisors under the auspices of GRADskills.
To read about the successful awards, please visit: Innovation Awards
Application Procedure
Applications will be considered three times per year by a Judging Panel and the applicants will be notified of the decision approximately one month after the submission date. The submission deadlines for 2012/13 are 12 noon on the following dates:
- 31st August 2012
- 16th November 2012
- 15th March 2013
Successful applicants may find the following GRADskills workshops of particular interest. Please note that courses will only go live for booking in PDMS one month before they are due to run.
* Conference planning for postgraduates, Fri 19 Oct 2012, 1000 - 1200
* Fundraising for Postgraduates, Fri 19 Oct 2012, 1400 - 1600
Added Value of Innovation Grant Scheme for Doctoral students
PhD students who wish to submit an application for a GRADskills Innovation Grant should discuss the submission with their Supervisor. The activities involved with drawing up a proposal and executing a GRADskills innovation project are another way by which students can develop and practice their transferable skills (e.g. working in a team, communication skills, project planning and management etc). This should be noted on the annual progress review as evidence of skills development activity, particularly with regard to writing funding applications, budgeting, event coordination or academic collaboration (where appropriate).
Guidance on Completing Project Applications
Please refer to these notes prior to submitting your application.
- Innovation Grant funding is designed to support the development of new initiatives, rather than providing funding for existing activities. If your project involves the establishment of a recurring event, you should make clear in your application what you will do to try and make further recourse to Innovation Grant funding unnecessary.
- The application should clearly state how many research students or staff will benefit, and describe the nature of the skills development taking place (eg project organisers might develop one set of skills, participants in the proposed activity another). All members of the project team should be listed on the application form.
- If the project is to deliver a conference/seminar the proposed budget should include estimated delegate numbers and proposed delegate fee (if there is one). Proposed costs for travel for external speakers must be in line with the University’s Expenses Policy. Accommodation costs will be covered up to £80 a night. Catering costs will be covered in line with the University’s Catering Services charges.
- Each member of the project team should list his/her supervisor's name and email address on the application form.
What types of projects will be funded?
Project proposals most likely to be awarded a grant are those which widen the scope of the generic skills development programme for the greater benefit of postgraduate students, research staff and supervisors at the University of St Andrews. The Panel will look favourably on projects which are interdisciplinary in nature, which involve teams of students or postdocs working together at development or implementation stages, which enhance the training resource base of the GRADskills programme, or which increase the accessibility of generic skills development activities for distance or part-time students or staff.
Examples of types of projects which might be proposed:
- Setting up of an interdisciplinary postgraduate conference focussing on key generic areas (eg communication skills, career management etc).
- Designing of the training materials for a generic skills workshop to be executed by students or staff employment of a temporary assistant by lecturing staff to re-develop an existing undergraduate skills module for postgraduates.
- Setting up of a Postdoc or PhD network with peers at other universities with the aim of developing generic skills.
- Establishing an on-line postgraduate journal which promotes writing and publishing skills running a publicity campaign to explain the benefits of generic skills development to new PhD students or Postdocs.
- Producing an on-line version of a face-to-face training workshop to make it more widely available for distance/part-time researchers.
- Producing a video guiding new PhD students/Postdocs through the range of generic skills development opportunities available to young researchers at St Andrews.
How practical and sustainable is your idea?
Applicants need to demonstrate that their project proposal is innovative and feasible with the resources available to them and that it will achieve its goals within the given timeframe. Some questions you should consider when formulating your project proposal:
- Is it a one-off event or does it develop an activity which is on-going?
- If your planned initiative is recurring or ongoing, who will take responsibility for its running after your research contract with the University has run its course?
- Does your idea rely on Information Technology, and how sound is your knowledge of the IT required?
- What are the costs involved; can you justify the budget requested?
- What is the time-line for completion of the project?
- Who will implement your idea? Yourself? A team (who?)? Other staff? If you, do you have sufficient time to spare?
- Who will benefit from the completion of your project?
- Who is your target audience?
Outcome of Submission
The Judging Panel will review applications three times per year. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their project proposal approximately one month after submission date. The names and project outlines of successful applicants will be posted onto the GRADskills website. Unsuccessful applicants will be able to resubmit their project proposal once at a later date if they so wish.
Payment of grants
Payments of grants will be made via Schools or University Units. PhD students or Postdocs will be required to identify a member of academic staff (e.g. their Supervisor) within their School who can act as the budget holder of their grant. It is the budget holder's responsibility to arrange a cost centre and analysis code into which the grant can be paid. Further details for payment will be given in the awards letter.
Dissemination of Project Outcomes
Successful applicants will be required to submit an Innovation Grant Completion Report (Word, 55 KB) one month after the end of their project detailing the outcomes (e.g. what training resource has been produced and how is it being used; what development activity was implemented and how successful was it in achieving its goals?). Applicants are also encouraged to submit photographs of events (if available). These reports will be published on the GRADskills website and through other media such as the St Leonard's Newsletter to help future applicants to the GRADskills Innovation Grant formulate successful innovative project proposals.
