Research support

The Department has an effective support structure in place to assist with grant applications. Working in a planned and managed way will enable you to make the most of the support available and contribute towards the success of your funding applications.

Applications for all research grants are costed by the divisional administrators using the Worktribe system - the College’s costing tool. All applications require prior approval from the Department and the Joint Research Office (JRO), obtained via the Worktribe system. Obtaining the necessary approvals takes time, therefore you should be ready to submit far enough in advance of the sponsor's deadline to allow for the necessary peer review, letters of support, signatures, budget correction and approvals to be completed.

Notifying your Divisional Manager of your intention to apply for a grant as early as possible will enable them to involve the JRO and Research Manager in good time. Costings should be requested at least 3-5 weeks prior to the application deadline to allow preparation of costings by Divisional administrators and approval by the Department and the JRO. For programme grants a minimum 5 weeks is required.

Once applications have been finalised the approval process (Departmental and then Joint Research Office authorisation and then submission to the funding body) requires at least 5 working days before the funding body deadline.

Late applications are not acceptable. There is a governance risk for the Department and College if the approval process is not given due diligence. There is a mistaken perception that the financial approvals are not important or that they can be done very quickly (we have previously been asked to approve within hours of a funding deadline). For applications submitted less than 5 working days before the deadline, the Department and JRO will undertake checks where feasible, however this will not be comprehensive, and the PI will be responsible for any financial errors. The Department may reject successful applications if the costing was not carried out properly, with sufficient time to consider all elements, or where there are financial implications for the Department that were not approved at submission.

Every application submitted requires a unique costing, even if there has been no change in the costs applied for from previous applications, and/or no change in funder. In addition, if the funder being applied to requires an outline application prior to a main application, this would require two separate costings on the Worktribe system. Costings must be submitted internally for approval by the College and JRO before they are submitted to a funder. Applications submitted before the costing is approved or not matching the costing will not be supported.

Submission of a grant application often involves a portal system that is unique to a funder. These portals have different levels of approval, whether it is Research Manager, Head of Department or an IP Officer. Applicants are advised to check the requirements of the system in advance so these people can be notified in advance to ensure the application does not miss a deadline.

Only submit your application once it has full (financial and scientific) JRO and Department approval. Allow sufficient time before your funder’s deadline for any portal-based approvals to be given.

The result of the application for research funding is sent by the funding body to the academic, who must then notify JRO Grants of the outcome - awarded or declined - to update College systems.

It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure awards are managed in accordance with sponsors terms and conditions. Divisional administrators will provide assistance and support with the monitoring of spend, to ensure compliance and work with the Joint Research Office to facilitate reconciliation of grants and reporting to funders.

Seed award

The aim of the Seed Funding Award initiative is to support the initiation of novel, small-scale, exploratory ideas. The idea is to "plant a seed" that can eventually attract external funding. The scheme is open to Postdoc Fellows. We particularly encourage researchers at the start of their careers who want to develop ideas that are independent of their current research project or area of expertise.

These awards give researchers the opportunity to use innovative methods and carry out a broad range of activities, such as:

• pilot and scoping studies
• preliminary data gathering
• proof-of-principle studies
• planning sessions
• collaborative network meetings

The Seed Funding Award’s indicative overall annual budget is up to a total of £30,000 and we expect to award approximately 5-6 projects. Please note, the seed funding should not duplicate funding that is otherwise available.

Status: Open
Next deadline: 12 June 2025
Download the Seed Award Application Form

Travel award

Travel awards are for Postdoc Fellows making visits to initiate or prepare proposals with national/international collaborators, visiting facilities or attending conferences relevant to their current research, as part of their professional development.

If attending a conference, applicants are expected to be presenting their current research as an invited presenter, as an oral presentation or a poster presentation.

What’s changing in 2026:

• Previous process: Applications were accepted once a year, at the end of the year, with awards made for the following year.
• New process: Applications will now be accepted on a rolling basis – there is no submission deadline.
• Assessment cadence: Submissions will be assessed monthly, ensuring regular review and timely feedback.
• Access timeline: The maximum time-to-resource-access will be six weeks from the date of submission.
• Budget allocation: To ensure equitable distribution, the total annual budget will be divided across quarters, preventing early depletion of funds.
• Eligibility: Individuals who have previously successfully obtained funding from this source will be ineligible for two years.

Download the S&C Travel Award guidance and application form

Following the Forum-20 session in June 2025, the Department is launching a new Peer Review Support Service to help postdoctoral applicants strengthen their fellowship proposals.

Applicants for postdoctoral fellowships will have the opportunity to present their project to a senior academic panel. Each presentation will last ten minutes, followed by a twenty-minute discussion with constructive feedback from senior academics across the Department.

Sessions will be held face-to-face, run for two hours in total, and accommodate up to four candidates per meeting. Applicants will need to submit a short registration form in advance of the scheduled meeting, including their name, mentor, call details, project title, and a 300-word project summary.

The service will run as a trial from October to December 2025, with two presentation meetings planned during this period for fellowship applications due in 2026:

• 20 October, 14:30-16:30, Hammersmith/White City Campus
• 10 December 2025, 14:30-16:30, South Kensington Campus

To join one of the sessions, please complete the online form. Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. For any questions about the registration process please contact Rita Carvalho (r.carvalho@imperial.ac.uk).

• Application process and key contacts (flowchart_May24)
• Costing template
• Information Pack (.pdf)
• S&C Webinar - Grant application process & guidance (recording)
• Grant application process & guidance - presentation slides (.pdf)
• Letters of Support General Guidance (.pdf)

Funding

• Research Office – funding opportunities
• Research Office - Internal schemes 
• Research Office - Managed grant calls
• Research Office - Managed fellowships
• Conference funding for students

Postdoc and fellow support

• PFDC: postdoc fellows development centre
• PFDC - Funding opportunities
• PFDC - Your 10 development days
• PFDC Courses
• PFDC Development programmes
• PFDC Academic career paths
• CATO – clinical academic training office
• IIPRF: Imperial Post-Doctoral, Post-CCT Research Fellowship

Addition support and info

• Research Office
• Worktribe
• Preparing a proposal
• Organisational Development and Inclusion: Courses
• Training courses
• Multidisciplinary networks, centres and institutes

Development opportunities

The Department and the College have a wealth of resources to help you develop your career during your time at Imperial. Find out more.

Supporting our staff

Resources and useful links on mentoring, training, parental support, postdoc development and much more. Find out more.

Surgery and Cancer jobs

We have a number of professional/support service, teaching & academic and research job opportunities available in the Department of Surgery and Cancer. Find out more.