Collaborative research and innovation communities across the four universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter can now apply for up to £20K funding, as the latest round of the GW4 Building Communities Generator Fund officially opens.
Now in its fourth year, this initiative supports both the creation of new GW4 communities and the development of the strongest ideas emerging from our existing communities.
The GW4 Generator Fund is an open call and applications across all areas of research and innovation are invited. Applications from Early Career Research (ECR) communities are particularly welcome and supported
GW4 Alliance Director Dr Joanna Jenkinson MBE said: “Collaborative innovative research is at the heart of GW4 and our Building Communities Programme has an excellent track record of building research and innovation communities of scale and capability. Through interdisciplinary working and engaging external partners our academics deliver a step change in world-class research and innovation, tackling a range of global and societal challenges. I look forward to reviewing the high calibre of applications and further developing our research and innovation community.”
This funding call builds on GW4’s highest level of return on research investment to date. GW4 has invested £3.2m in supporting over 100 collaborative research communities which has generated a significant grant income of £64m.This means that for every £1 GW4 spends on collaborative research and innovation communities, GW4 captures £20 in external research awards.
GW4’s existing research communities draw on complementary expertise across the institutions and work with hundreds of external partners. They produce pioneering findings and influence policy in a variety of research areas such as the gender pay gap, cancer research, mental wellbeing, climate change education and new drugs to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
Generator funding can be used as a stand-alone award or, in conjunction with other sources of funding. Communities are encouraged to use the scheme as a step towards applying for external funding.
All previous research and innovation communities can be viewed on the GW4 website along with some case studies.
The deadline for applications is 6 February 2023. For more information, please view the application guidance and forms on the GW4 website, or contact the GW4 Building Communities Manager by emailing communities@gw4.ac.uk.
