The Faculty provides strategic funding to foster and enable new cross-departmental initiatives and to kick start strategic priorities prior to other funding being secured.

Strategic funding can also be used to allow the Faculty to seize opportunities where a rapid response is required. The purpose of Faculty strategic funding is to enable:

  • Collaboration: to foster community building and enable new initiatives involving more than one department
  • New ventures: to kick start strategic priorities prior to other funding being secured
  • Seizing opportunities: allowing a rapid response to external opportunities

It is not 'start up' for academic staff - this is a departmental matter.

Applying for funding

Assessment criteria

Proposals should:

  • be novel, ground-breaking, ambitious and unique;
  • involve more than one Department or Institute in the Faculty of Engineering;
  • have strong support from the Heads of the Departments involved;
  • fit with Faculty and departmental research strategies;
  • make the case for the expected impact and outcomes from the initiative.

Proposal assessment

Submitted proposals will be considered at the Faculty Research Committee meeting following submission. All prosposals will be assessed against the criteria outlined above.

Examples of fundable activities

  • Creation of a cross-Faculty/College network or forum
  • Creation of a web site to provide a resource and forum for a cross-Faculty group
  • Support for high profile seminar series, for example, involving international speakers
  • Other community building events

Support will not normally be provided for research students or postdoctoral research assistants, the only exception being bridging funding between awards. Such cases will be considered on their merits according to the above criteria.

Amount and duration of awards

Funding per initiative will normally be in the region of £15-25K, subject to justification for the resources requested, and awards will normally last no longer than one year.

How to apply for Faculty of Engineering strategic funding

Before applying applicants are encouraged to contact the Faculty's Head of Research Strategy Development, Jane Williams to discuss the suitability of their proposal. All applications should be submitted by email to Andrew Wright using the Strategic funding scheme application form.

There is no deadline for submssions. All applications will be considered at the next Faculty Research Committee meeting.