Frequently Asked Questions
These are frequently asked questions about applying for funding. See
also the pFACT FAQs.
General questions
Q. How much time does it take to check an application?
Q. Do I need to submit a pFACT proposal for an equipment grant?
Q. How do I establish whether the funds I am to receive are part of a
research agreement (and therefore need to be set up as a research grant
account) or a donation?
Q. Who should sign my studentship application on behalf of the
University?
Q. Who is the authorised signatory on EC Research documents?
Q. Can retired staff hold grants?
Q. My sponsor has an electronic submission system. Can I submit my
application electronically?
Q. How do I choose which spine point to put the
member of staff on?
Principal Investigators (PIs)
Q. What are the Terms and Conditions related to being a PI?
Q. If the PI or a researcher leaves a project, is it possible to replace
them?
Q. What should I do if the PI does not have tenure for the life of the
grant?
General questions
Q. How much time does it take to check an application?
A. For applications with a specific deadline, you should allow 3 working
days to check your research grant application, and if it is an open call please
allow at least 5 working days. It is crucial that you build this into your
planning. During this time we work to the deadline, to ensure that the funding
body will have all the information they need to make a decision about your
proposal. Should you need help with costing and pricing of your application or
any other aspect of creating an application, please contact an
Applications Administrator.
Q. Do I need to submit a pFACT proposal for an equipment grant?
A. Yes. A pFACT proposal should be completed for any grant that is going to be
held in a research grant account.
Q. How do I establish whether the funds I am to
receive are part of a research agreement (and therefore need to be set up as a
research grant account) or a donation?
A. If you answer 'yes' to any of the following questions, your funding must be
set up as a research grant account. If you answer 'no' to all of them, your
funding is a donation.
Questions
regarding research agreements and donations
- Is there a
proposal submitted for consideration?
- Are there
scholarly terms?
- Are there
deliverables?
- Are
reports required, accounting for the financial or academic performance of the
project?
- Are there
disposal terms for equipment or property?
Q. Who should sign my studentship application on
behalf of the University?
A. Student nomination forms should be submitted to the Board of Graduate Studies if
they are either applications to a Research Council or are brand-new named
studentships from any sponsor. Studentship nomination forms should be submitted
tothe Research Operations Office if they are new applications for an unnamed student to any sponsor other
than a Research Council, or are a renewal for any studentship. Contact an
Applications Administrator if you
need more information. Further information about graduate fees and maintenance
is available from the Board
of Graduate Studies.
Q. Who is the authorised
signatory on EC Research documents?
A. The authorised signatories on EC documents are Liesbeth Krul, Assistant Director, and Renata Schaeffer, European Policy Manager.
All EC documents should be passed to the Research Administrator from the initial proposal submission stage.
Q. Can retired staff hold grants?
A. Not unless they hold a Voluntary Research Agreement (only awarded in exceptional circumstances) and provided sponsor terms and conditions allow retired PIs.
For further details about Voluntary Research Agreements see:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/retirement/research/
Q. My sponsor has an electronic submission
system. Can I submit my application electronically?
A. We submit all Research Council grant applications electronically, as well as
applications for some other sponsors. If you are unsure please see our electronic submissions page, or contact
your Applications Administrator.
Q. How do I choose which spine point to put the member of staff on?
A. Consult the Human Resources Division or
check the sponsor’s guidelines.
Principal Investigators (PIs)
Q. What are the Terms and Conditions related to
being a PI?
A. The PI is generally the academic who has overall responsibility for the conduct of the project.
They will be responsible for managing the research budget and providing all deliverables and reports requested by the sponsor.
The PI is normally expected to have tenure for the period of the grant, although see below.
Q. If the PI or a researcher leaves a project,
is it possible to replace them?
A. This is governed by the sponsor’s Terms and Conditions as specified in the contract/award letter.
If the Terms and Conditions allow a replacement, please contact the sponsor directly and ask them to put it in writing.
We will process the changes accordingly.
Q. What should I do if the PI does not have
tenure for the life of the grant?
A. Please raise any queries with us as there are sometimes exceptions to the tenure requirement.
However, note that some sponsors always require the PI to have tenure to the end of the project, and in this case you will be expected to attach
to the application a letter of support from your Head of Department to the Research Operations Office explaining your status.
Note that if you are applying for your own salary or a fellowship, there is usually no tenure requirement by the University or sponsor.
Need further information?
Please contact the Administrator in your School Team.
