GW4 Alliance researchers can now apply for one-off awards up to £5K thanks to a new funding scheme being launched today (21 July).
The GW4 Building Communities Development Awards will support new, and advance existing, collaborations across the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter by funding single activities or resources. The small awards can be used for a variety of purposes, such as developing stakeholder relationships, seminars, community workshops, or public engagement activities.
Projects which include external partners are encouraged, although not required. External partners could include industry, local and national government, enterprise partnerships, charities, funders, non-GW4 academics. External partners can be from outside the GW4 area.
Opening up opportunities
The aim is that the communities will use the awards as a step towards applying for further funding, and all applicants will need to explain how they plan to develop funding opportunities.
There is no closing date for applications, with awards set to be made throughout the year.
Announcing the new awards, GW4 Alliance Director Dr Joanna Jenkinson MBE said: “The GW4 Building Communities Programme aims to build research communities of scale and capability that will deliver a step change in world-class research that could not be achieved by one of the institutions alone.
“By launching the Development Awards, we are expanding the GW4 Building Communities portfolio to respond to the needs of GW4 academics and provide more opportunities for collaboration. We hope to support innovative multidisciplinary activity, placing successful applicants in a stronger position to secure further funding.”
To date, the GW4 Alliance has invested over £3.1M in 112 collaborative research communities, which have generated £62.8M in research income. This means that for every £1 GW4 spends on collaborative research communities, GW4 captures an impressive £20 in external research awards.
Read the GW4 Building Communities Development Awards Guidance here, and apply via this form.
