Research funding advice

Guidance on how to secure research funding, from finding funding to grant applications and working with funding bodies.

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THE podcast: what does it take to successfully commercialise research?

A technology transfer expert and biotech spin-out founder explain the steps involved in moving discoveries from the lab to the market

Mairi Gibbs, Andrew Hammond

University of Oxford, Imperial College London

Detail statue in Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy

How to write even when the words won’t come

Books, articles and grant proposals do not arrive in a single stroke. They are created, like sculptures, through a thousand small movements. Here, Catherine De Vries explains how to develop ‘skill power’

Catherine De Vries

Bocconi University

UK innovation concept

What does the UK’s spin-out ecosystem need to thrive nationwide?

Despite their abundance of research and expertise, UK academic institutions lack mechanisms to encourage and incentivise movement between academia and industry, particularly within the spin-out community, writes Richard Hague

Richard Hague

University of Nottingham

A close-up of blue liquid in test tubes

Run your lab more smoothly by centralising chemicals management

A simple change reduced our lab waste by a tenth. Find out how you can do it too

Mohd Fatimie Irzaq Khamis

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

A burning book.

Protecting your work – and your values – in US higher education

With US higher education under attack from the federal government, what can scholars do to ensure their research is preserved and to stand up for academic freedom? Lisa Schiff, a co-author of the Declaration to Defend Research Against US Government Censorship, explains

Lisa Schiff

Independent academic

Middle-aged male patient with female doctor

Evaluating the impact of patient and public involvement in health research

Measuring the impact of involving patients and the public in healthcare research is less about proving that the practice is a ‘good thing’ and more about finding ways to do it better, writes Gary Hickey. Here, he shares eight key considerations

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

Illustration of scientists passing test tube

Researcher speed-dating: developing strategic collaborations with international partners

From meeting online to forming long-term relationships, researchers’ shared projects can foster stronger international partnerships between universities

Joanna Daaboul

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

Woman with laptop and numbers, transformation concept

Reimagining the role of higher education in a world of intersecting revolutions

To remain relevant, universities must shift from reactive funding requests to proactive transformation, writes Rahim Somani

Rahim Somani

University of Northern British Columbia

Detail of laboratory equipment

‘Changing the culture from academic-owned equipment to shared ownership is not easy’

With dedicated research technical professionals alongside equipment investments, universities can foster a culture of equipment sharing. Here, Sarah Bennett explains this key role in resource management

Sarah Bennett

The University of Warwick

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THE podcast: two vice-chancellors on maintaining quality and financial stability within a university

Hear Anton Muscatelli of the University of Glasgow and Alex Zelinsky of the University of Newcastle, Australia, discuss the complexities of successfully running a university

Anton Muscatelli, Alex Zelinsky

University of Glasgow, The University of Newcastle, Australia

Young female scientist working in a lab

Donors want to see real-world impact. What does that mean for higher education in the sciences?

Amid academia’s challenges related to talent retention and fundraising, universities can use translational research programmes to enhance scientific edge and real-world impact, and strengthen donor relations

Shai Shen-Orr

Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Medical students and tutor

How to help postdoctoral researchers gain experience in teaching

Early career researchers increasingly require teaching experience for job applications or promotion. How can we create opportunities that help postdocs gain educational experience while remaining on a research grant-funded pathway?

Nicola Englyst, Delphine Boche

University of Southampton

Filing cabinet with files labelled "funding" and "grants"

How exactly does research get funded?

Ever wondered how research funding works? Raghavendra U breaks down the entire process in this resource

Raghavendra U

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Advice on drafting effective proposals for interdisciplinary research projects

All together now: how to write an interdisciplinary research proposal

Advice on drafting successful research proposals to secure support and funding for interdisciplinary projects, from three academics with experience developing research partnerships and collaborations

Catherine Healy, Catherine Lyall, Isabel Fletcher

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Edinburgh

A treasure map, compass and binoculars are laid out on a table

Set sail on the choppy waters of grant proposals with the 3 Gs approach

If securing research funding is like a budding pirate king navigating choppy waters in search of untold treasures, how can we build the resilience to keep journeying on? Peter Tay shows how

Peter Tay

Singapore Institute of Technology

A illustration of a figure touching a giant lightbulb as bidding signs wave in the foreground

The four key steps to writing a successful funding bid

The art to writing successful funding bids lies in your vision – and assembling a crack team to enact it. Rob Waterson offers his tips

Rob Waterson

University of East London

Frog in crown on lilypad

Love and money: why the search for funding is like romance

Funding is a relationship of sorts. You and your research project funder will enter into a finite symbiosis. It’s a joyful, exciting, uncomfortable and occasionally scary co-dependency, writes Laura Berrisford

Laura Berrisford

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Illustration of couple

How to lose a grant in 10 ways

Want your funding application to be rejected? Have we got some advice for you. But, seriously, don’t do these things and you might just find your perfect grant match

Kathryn Mackinven

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

A sack of money wearing a graduate's hat

Philanthropists, governing boards and faculty must play active roles in university governance

All parties involved in donating and managing university funds must play active roles in ensuring such financial gifts are used wisely, if US higher education is to avoid further scandal, write Siri Terjesen and Michael Ryall

Siri Terjesen, Michael Ryall

Florida Atlantic University

Funding balance

Devolved research funding in universities – a counter-narrative

Unfunded research could paradoxically add value to an institution’s output, profile and impact. Rosalind Edwards asks what lessons European initiatives can offer

Rosalind Edwards

University of Southampton

Knowledge transfer partnerships

The three key building blocks for a successful knowledge transfer partnership

KTPs offer huge benefits to all involved – as long as you have the right partner, the right project and the right graduate, explains Ruth Greenhalgh

Ruth Greenhalgh

Arden University

Image showing two academics working together on a grant proposal

A guide to writing grant proposals

To write a successful grant proposal, academics need to focus on the relevant details that will help sell their research idea to the reviewer and this requires a shift of mindset, as Kaycie Butler explains

Kaycie Butler

Butler Science Communications

Insight on funding options for arts and humanities research

The arts and humanities have not been forgotten: finding funding post-pandemic

Edward Harcourt on why the arts and humanities are vital to tackling societal challenges and what funding streams are available to research within these disciplines

Edward Harcourt

Arts and Humanities Research Council