Research programme FAQs
I'd like to apply for funding, am I
eligible?
What's the difference between the two
funding paths - the annual competition and research
programme?
I’m not from a traditional ‘health and
safety’ research background, does this matter?
What if my research proposal idea falls
outside the scope of the research programme - is it still worth
applying?
I’m not sure about my research idea; do
you have any general advice?
The focus of my research idea is not
directly linked to occupational safety and health. Does this
matter?
How many projects is IOSH looking to
fund?
Can I submit more than one
application?
One project has two different parts.
Should I submit proposals on both?
What are the possible outcomes of my
application?
Will I need to submit my application
by a specific time on the closing date?
When will I hear the outcome of my
application?
Does IOSH fund research
studentships?
How do I apply for a CASE
award?
Does IOSH pay for overheads?
I’d like my research to look at issues
in the UK and on an international level. Could this be funded
through the programme?
I've submitted my application but
didn't get a receipt. What should I do?
My project will produce some useful
outputs at the end of it, but who'll own it?
What happens at the end of the
project? How will the findings be communicated?
When is the next research programme
call for bids?
I'd like to apply for funding, am I
eligible?
Researchers who have a proven track record
in high quality research are eligible to apply for funding.
Applicants should also be able to demonstrate that they have the
research and project management skills to lead a successful
proposal to completion. Make sure you submit your application
before the 'call for bids' closing date, though.
What's the difference between the two funding paths - the
research programme and the annual competition?
There
are several differences between the two routes to funding.
Our research programme follows a single-stage application process
and has clearly defined research questions which we expect
applicants to address.
Unlike the research programme, our annual competition is a
two-stage process and may be linked to a particular theme which we
set. However, applicants can submit a proposal as long as it
supports the fund's overall purpose. Both funding routes may have
different opening and closing dates for applications.
I’m not from a traditional ‘health and safety’ research
background, does this matter?
The individual
expertise and disciplines represented in your research team may or
may not centre around health and safety. However, we do expect that
your application addresses the areas identified in the programme
and that the collective skills-set within your team help you to do
this. You may also need to think about how you will demonstrate
that you can get access to relevant research sites and data.
What if my research proposal idea falls outside the scope
of the research programme - is it still worth
applying?
In the case of research programme funding,
it is essential that proposals fit the specification brief.
I’m not sure about my research idea; do you have any
general advice?
There will be some flexibility in how
you interpret the research brief, however we expect you to clearly
show how your proposal links to the research programme.
If you’re still unsure contact our
programme director.
The focus of my research idea is not directly linked to
occupational safety and health. Does this
matter?
Each project should lead to a better
understanding of occupational health and safety issues and improve
health and safety practice. We’re looking for projects that
specifically link to the programme to achieve this. If you’re still
unsure contact our
programme director. Also, it may be worth you exploring
information about the annual
competition, our other research funding route.
How many projects is IOSH looking to fund?
We
expect to commission three projects in this funding round; one
project from each area of the research programme.
Can I submit more than one application?
There isn’t a limit on the number of applications you can submit
although we do expect that the projects commissioned will be
covered by different institutes. We recommend that you focus your
application on the strongest topic area/s for you within the
research programme.
One project has two different parts. Should I submit
proposals on both?
The project ‘OSH knowledge and its
management’ has several components. If you’re interested in
applying you’ll need to submit an application for the first part.
If you wish your application can also address the second part.
In this first 2010/11 funding round, we’ll either fund the first
part of the project or the project as a whole. At the end of the
study we will publish a report. If during this funding round we
decide to commission only one part of the study, in light of the
findings, we’ll invite researchers to submit proposals for the
second part of the project at a later date.
What are the possible outcomes of my
application?
If you apply to our research fund
programme, we'll ask you to submit a full application form. Once we
receive full applications and complete the peer review, we'll
either:
• support your proposal
• ask you to revise and resubmit your proposal
• decline to support your proposal.
We'll always give you brief feedback on the reasons for our
decision.
Will I need to submit my application by a specific time
on the closing date?
We'll accept submissions up till
midnight on the closing date, Monday 7 February 2011.
When will I hear the outcome of my
application?
When you submit a full application form,
you'll hear the outcome of your application up to 12-14 weeks from
the closing date.
Does IOSH fund research studentships?
At the
moment, we don't fund research studentships for those looking for
funding for their studies. Although in the case of the research
programme, there are opportunities to support CASE awards for PhD
students in partnership with recognised university departments. For
more details view our programme
brief (77KB).
How do I apply for a CASE award?
The Economic and Social Research Council has recently announced
major changes to its funding system for postgraduate
students. The present CASE (Collaborative Awards in Science
and Engineering) scheme will disappear, although the new Doctoral
Training Centres (DTC) will be encouraged to develop CASE-type
links. When we are clearer about these developments, we’ll decide
how best to proceed. However, if your institution has a DTC
award and you would like to explore the possibility of CASE
funding, do mention this in your main application with a brief (one
to two sentence) reference to a possible topic.
Does IOSH pay for overheads?
We will consider
reasonable indirect costs as long as the project outputs merit
this. We will look sympathetically at well justified requests for
directly allocated support costs.
Each project will be considered on the quality of the proposal
and the value of its outputs. So, please make sure that you clearly
provide all relevant costing information on the application form to
help the Research Committee in making its decision.
I’d like my
research to look at issues in the UK and on an international level.
Could this be funded through the programme?
Given
resource constraints, the programme will focus on the UK and cannot
be used for international fieldwork; although projects may involve
international partners if they can show that their collaboration or
advice will add sufficient value to justify any necessary
costs.
As part of the programme’s scope, we also encourage projects to
consider publications describing and analysing the experience of
other countries dealing with the same social and economic
changes.
I've submitted my application but didn't get a receipt.
What should I do?
When you submit your application
form you should get an email to confirm this. If you haven't,
contact
Research and Technical Services to check if your form was
received.
My project will produce some useful outputs at the end of
it, but who'll own it?
We'll deal with project
outputs on a case-by-case basis; however we'd expect IOSH to have
ownership of intellectual property rights.
What happens at the end of the project? How will the
findings be communicated?
We expect you to develop
plans for communicating and sharing the findings of your research
project, e.g. peer reviewed journals.
We will also develop a communication and dissemination plan that
you may be expected to contribute towards. If your application is
successful, we’ll discuss this with you in more detail.
When is the next research programme call for
bids?
Following this funding round, we’ll look at the areas within the
programme that still need to be addressed. The next research
programme funding opportunity may include a call for bids on these
outstanding areas, as well as other areas we identify. We expect
that the next research programme funding opportunity will be in
2012/13. If you would like to receive an alert please
contact us.
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