Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Specifications

What is the difference between the abstract and the technical summary?
The non-technical summary should be written in a style that is accessible to the non-specialist and lay reader who may sit on the commissioning panel. The abstract is aimed more at the academic audience for those assessors/ reviewers who have an expertise in the proposal's area of research.

Does 3,500 words include the bibliography?
No. There is a limit of 3,500 for the research proposal and another 3,500 limit for bibliography and annexes. Annexes are defined as additional information to the research proposal that simply informs the reader of related issues that are not central to the research itself.

How do we decide which strand of the programme to apply under?
All projects have to indicate under which strand of the programme they fall. It is likely that proposals will touch on all three strands. In the end it is for the project applicant to decide to which strand the proposal fits the most.

Is there scope for emphasising methodology as opposed to contextual comparatives?
Cross-country research is challenging. Focussing on the north/ south axis or south/ south axis may well require researchers to think innovatively about their methodological approach and research methods. Such innovative thinking in relations to methodology and methods is welcome.

Can you submit more than one proposal?
Yes, you can submit as many proposals as you wish. You might also be part of one or more proposals with different principal investigators. However, in all cases, the commissioning panel would need to be sure that you had the time available to carry out the research.

If your proposal does not get funded under this programme, can you apply for other Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding?
Yes, but only if you have been graded at least an A or if your proposal did not fit the the programme sufficiently. If this is the case, you will have to declare that the proposal is a resubmission and follow the ESRC resubmission guidance notes on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the ESRC website.

Comparative aspects of research

Should all projects be comparative?
The programme encourages cross-country comparative work, especially south/ south or north/ south. It is expected that most large projects will be comparative.

What about small (under £45,000) projects? Should they be comparative too?
Given the smaller budget, it is not expected that all small grants should be comparative. Where comparative fieldwork in two countries may be too expensive under the small grant scheme, it is expected that applicants explain in their proposal how they intend to situate their research findings comparatively. For example, one way to ensure that the research is located in a broader context is to draw upon the secondary literature to identify commonalities and differences.

Is north/ south the only comparison allowed? What about east/ west or south/ south?
Comparisons across the north/ south, south/ south and east/ west/ south (especially former Soviet republics in central Asia/ Transcausus) axes are encouraged.

Is there a preference for including the UK in a comparative study?
No, it might also be, for example, another European country or the USA.

Collaboration

Does the programme encourage collaboration between more than one UK-based research institution and, if so, how can you submit a joint proposal?
The programme supports proposals involving one or several UK-based research institutes. Only one proposal needs to be submitted and so only one award will be made.

How do we involve academics from other countries with whom we wish to collaborate since under ESRC rules they cannot be co-applicants?
This is done either through the category of 'collaborator' or 'consultant'. The category 'collaborator' means that travel and subsistence costs only can be requested. The category 'consultant' is just a term to facilitate the involvement of researchers in other countries, as joint researchers, research assistants, seminar organisers etc.

Can UK higher education institutions (HEIs) have an overseas non-governmental organisation (NGO) as a partner, which could employ researchers?
Yes, and the costs must be claimed as exceptional items.

Can you employ someone from another country who is on the books of a UK university?
Yes.

For a named overseas researcher, who would normally need a special visa to work in the UK, would you need agreement in principle from the Home Office before submitting your proposal?
No. This would be for the university to arrange and the ESRC would assume that the university had anticipated doing so.

Can we collaborate with social movements as well as with NGOs?
Yes.

Definitions and scope

What do you mean by 'best quality science'?
This means that the programme is run on a competitive and transparent basis to ensure that the best research is funded under the remit of the programme. The commissioning panel, which is made up of a number of academics and research user members, will assess the proposals. They will cover all areas of the programme. Appropriate peer reviewers will also be used for the assessment of the larger proposals. Each assessor/ reviewer will assign a grade to the proposal. Only the highest quality proposals will be funded. However, a proposal will not be funded simply to spend the programme's budget.

Are there types of civil society organisations that are not included in the programme, such as those based on cultural activities, or closed organisations such as Al Qaeda or the IRA?
The programme is concerned with those civil society organisations that contribute to processes of poverty reduction, social justice and social transformation.

Is the interaction of non-governmental action with government of importance?
The interaction of non-governmental action with government can certainly be a topic for research under the programme.

Should research focus on policy or the impact of policy?
There are many ways in which research under the programme might focus on policy and the impact of policy. The research might look at the way non-governmental public action affects policy processes, how it contributes to policy change, or how it affects policy implementation.

Commissioning panel

How will the commissioning panel be made up (percentage of non-academics)?
Approximately 60 per cent academics and 40 per cent users. Neither Professor Howell nor the ESRC will have any decision-making powers at the meeting.

Will referees be given specific guidance that research needs to be disseminated to users/ policy makers and not just appear in academic journals?
All assessors and reviewers will be told what to judge the proposals against. The criteria will largely focus on the programme's specification and the tips provided at the workshops.

Could I be a referee or a member of the commissioning panel, if I was not a main applicant?
You cannot be a commissioning panel member if you are applying, whether you are the main applicant or not. Applicants will not be asked to referee other proposals unless they are unsuccessful and they give us permission to use them in this capacity.

Dissemination

What are the required project outputs?
There are various kinds of project outputs. These might include articles in refereed journals, edited books, co-authored books, videos, manuals, policy briefings and so on. However, projects must also comply with the programme's activities.

How will the programme disseminate the research findings?
Projects are expected to develop their own plans for dissemination. In addition to this the programme director will be identifying and organising opportunities for the dissemination of work.

Would the ESRC cover the costs of project-related dissemination?
Project applicants should include the costs for any dissemination activities within their proposals. However the programme also has a separate budget for the dissemination of research findings from all the research projects under the programme.

Eligibility to apply

Can we still apply if we are not a higher education institution (HEI)?
You can apply to the programme is you are from a not-for-profit body that is not a UK HEI or a recognised ESRC research institution. In this case, on 24 September you will need to submit with your proposal an annual report of your organisation, a report of your latest annual budget and your website address. This additional information can be submitted directly to the office.

Fellowships

How does the fellowships programme work and when will it be announced?
The details of the fellowship programme are still being worked out. This is a separate pot of money and the call for fellowships under the programme will be announced after the selection of small and large projects in spring 2005.

Finance

How many large and how many small projects will you fund?
We anticipate around 15 small grants and between 18 and 20 large grants.

To what extent would international collaboration costs be taken into account in terms of acceptable budget size?
As long as you justify the costs adequately, if the proposal is successful, you will get the funds that are eligible.

Would you build the costs of workshops into the cost of projects?
If these are specific to the project, then yes. The programme director will also be organising workshops for research projects within the programme, both within and across strands.

Are there different rules for buying out research staff than for buying out teaching staff?
We only buy out for teaching time.

If you teach for less than five days a week can you buy out on a pro rata basis?
Yes.

What is the overheads rule for a Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) institution?
This is only ever 46 per cent of staff salary. ESRC-recognised research institutions can request an additional five per cent in 'exception items'.

What happens when fluctuating exchange rates alter your estimates? Can you request more money later to cover this?
The award is cash limited and we cannot allow any increase in the budget. However, applicants can vire funds across headings.

Does the ESRC have a policy on rates of pay for 'consultants' from overseas?
No. The applicant needs to justify all costs in the relevant section of the application form. In the application form, the daily rate and the consultant's affiliation will need to be specified (the consultant cannot be based at the same institution as any of the applicants).

Do general ESRC procedures apply for this programme and will rulings very recently instituted (by Ian Diamond) be applicable?
General ESRC procedures do apply, but none of the new rules discussed apply to this programme.

PhDs

Can a project proposal include provision for PhD students as part of the budget?
No, PhD training costs cannot be claimed. A PhD student can be involved in the project as, for example, a research assistant. However, if s/he were an ESRC-funded PHD student, then s/he would need to be shown that the time required of them did not interfere with the time required of them by the ESRC scholarship.

Can we apply for PhD student fellowships for people in developing countries?
No.

Support for projects from the Non-Governmental Public Action (NGPA) programme

Once projects are up and running, what structures will be created to support them?
The programme director will be organising workshops within strands and across strands. These workshops will provide one mechanism for ensuring that the projects together add up to more than their parts. The programme director will identify opportunities for dissemination, build links with potential users and connect relevant users to projects. The programme website will be an important point of communication and dissemination.

To what extent are you expecting networking to be a function of the programme or part of the individual projects, and, if the latter, will additional funding be available to the projects?
Projects can undertake their own networking activities and should budget for this, where necessary. The programme will also be building up networks.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Specifications

Comparative aspect of research

Definitions and scope

Commissioning panel

Dissemination

Eligibility to apply

Fellowships

Finance

PhDs

Support for projects from the Non-Governmental Public Action (NGPA) programme

Specifications

Comparative aspects of research

Collaboration

Definitions and scope

Commissioning panel

Dissemination

Eligibility to apply

Fellowships

Finance

PhDs

Support for projects from the Non-Governmental Public Action (NGPA) programme