Taking care of the A-Z of project management, so you and the consortium can focus on the research
Involving the RIMO team in research proposals can save Imperial’s academics a lot of time and energy on the management of their proposals. From proposal/funding bid applications through to archiving projects after closure, there are various aspects to our service in which we support you as the principal investigator (PI).
Professor Mike Levin, Professor of Paediatrics International Child Health, principal investigator of DIAMONDS, supported by RIMO for 10+ years:
"One of the main benefits [of RIMO’s] service so far is that a weight was taken from my shoulders in terms of coordinating the partners in order to successfully meet deliverable deadlines, not to mention their expertise in applying for the funding in the first place. My time is precious and their input has helped to preserve that for me [sic] research and teaching duties."
A glimpse into our day-to-day that helps support Imperial’s academics and their research grants
Getting your proposal ready
- Getting the finances balanced
- Kick-starting collaborations
- Understanding processes for proposal/research bids
- Writing and submitting proposal(s)
We help you and the consortium understand what budget categories need to be considered as it aligns to the research proposed. This can involve projecting up to five years of costs. We help to ensure the project is budgeted appropriately at proposal stage so budgetary woes are minimised during project implementation.
While you and the consortium work on the methodology, we can help to coordinate the working meetings, and set up the communication channels and collaborative working spaces, so you and the consortium can work seamlessly and expeditiously.
RIMO has 10+ years of experience in building proposals. We create workplans that address funders’ rules and requirements. This helps the consortium understand what needs to be done.
We write components of the application that we will be leading on (e.g., the project management and communications and dissemination work packages). We help you as the PI and the consortium’s partner institutions, complete and upload all required documentation on the funder’s system and submit the final proposal. Our support here ensures you can spend more time on the quality of the proposal.
Managing your project
We support the Research Office to deliver their requirements such as the Consortium Agreement, Grant Agreement, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and other contractual obligations.
Often, funders require detailed budget forecasts. RIMO monitors project expenditure and coordinates partner disbursements. We provide you as the PI financial updates as and when you need which includes spend projections. This is part of the risk management RIMO provides to help spotlight where there is potential over- and underspend in the project.
We coordinate with the funder and consortium the required reporting stages of the project. Our reporting planning and meticulous approach ensures components are delivered on time and to specification.
Case study: The DIAMONDS Project
RIMO has supported an Imperial team in more than a decade of landmark research projects.
DIAMONDS (Diagnosis and Management of Febrile Illness using RNA Personalised Molecular Signature Diagnosis) is a €23.8 million multidisciplinary research project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme to diagnose in less than two hours the cause of child fever using a simple blood test. DIAMONDS is led by Professor Michael Levin from the Department of Infectious Disease and it is the culmination of decades of collaborations with research partners from around the world. RIMO has worked with Prof Levin and the growing body of consortia for 10+ years and managed over €52million of project value.
RIMO helped to coordinate and submit the successful funding applications of DIAMONDS and its predecessors, EUCLIDS, and PERFORM.
Want to get us onboard for your next proposal? Reach out to us: rimoenquiries@imperial.ac.uk
How do you create pathways to maximise the impact of your results? RIMO offers communication, dissemination, and exploitation expertise.