DoC Social & Team‑Building Fund
The fund offers £10,000 each year to support staff-led social and team-building initiatives.
"It provides a fantastic opportunity for researchers from different groups to interact, exchange ideas, and get to know one another better."
What can I apply for?
We welcome applications for activities that create meaningful opportunities for staff to connect, collaborate, and socialise.
- One-off social and wellbeing activities
- Examples include: theatre trips, group meals or dinners, go-karting, axe throwing, bowling, karaoke, sip-and-paint sessions, pottery workshops, and other social activities that encourage interaction and participation
- Regular community-building activities
- Examples include: coffee mornings, lunch-and-learn sessions, networking events, discussion groups, book clubs, wellbeing groups, and other recurring activities that help colleagues build relationships over time
- Team-building events
- Examples include: team away days, escape rooms, group cooking classes, skills-based workshops, and professional development activities with a clear team-building focus
- Cross-job-family activities
- We particularly encourage activities that bring together colleagues from different staff groups, such as: academic staff, research staff, professional services staff, teaching and learning staff
Activities involving two or more job families are strongly encouraged, as they help build connections across the department.
What makes a strong application?
Successful applications typically:
- Demonstrate how the activity will help build community and improve departmental culture.
- Encourage interaction between colleagues who may not usually work together.
- Promote inclusivity and participation.
- Provide benefits that extend beyond a single individual or small group.
- Support collaboration across teams, research groups, or job families.
Funding available
Applications may request between £50 and £600. Requests above £600 may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applications are accepted throughout the year and reviewed regularly. Please allow at least two weeks for a decision following submission.
Funding must be spent before the end of the financial year (31 July).
How to apply
If you have an idea for a social, wellbeing, or team-building activity, whether for a small group or the wider department, we encourage you to apply.
Submit your application here: DoC Social Fund - Application Form
Applications are reviewed by a committee of DoC EDCC representatives.
"The most important outcome has been to improve the sense of belonging and feeling valued by the department; without this funding the activity would not have been possible."
What cannot be funded?
All applications must comply with Imperial's Expenses and Procurement Policies.
The following are unlikely to be funded:
- Activities that can already be supported through existing funding sources, such as a PRF.
- Events intended solely for a single research group where alternative funding is available.
- Activities that do not demonstrate a clear benefit to the wider departmental community.
- Proposals that do not explain how they will contribute to staff connection, collaboration, wellbeing, or inclusion.
- Activities that fall outside Imperial's expenses and procurement guidelines.
Applications considered on a case-by-case basis
We may consider:
- Activities involving only one job family where there is a clear justification and demonstrable need.
- Requests exceeding the standard funding limit.
- New or unusual activities that support the fund's aims in innovative ways.
Find us
Department of Computing
Huxley Building
180 Queen's Gate
South Kensington Campus
Imperial College London
London SW7 2AZ
