The Fermor Seed Corn Fund for Researchers (United Kingdom)

Attaining research funding for UK-based researchers is increasingly competitive, with much of this funding inaccessible to individuals not employed on permanent academic contracts or those with non-traditional roles. This disproportionately affects early-career researchers (ECRs) on fixed-term contracts, returners, and technical staff. Additionally, the rigid cycle of fixed deadlines associated with many of the large awards made by UK funding organisations means that researchers returning from a career break, or an extended period of ill-health, can be unable to apply for funding at key points in their careers.

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund should be used to develop an idea into practice, to test a hypothesis or to design a new output, with the aim to seed new discoveries, pilot ideas, and foster collaborations that will be sustained beyond the period of the grant itself.

Funding Information

• The Society envisages awarding no more than five grants within the initial 12-month period, with the average award expected to be between the range of £50,000 – £75,000. Grant applications with a total value of more than £100,000 are not suitable for this scheme. The funding period for each grant is expected to range in duration from 12 – 24 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Fermor Seed Corn fund is open to individuals who belong to the following groups:
  • Early Career Researchers (<10 years from completing a PhD), technical staff, or research assistants who are ineligible as lead investigators on standard UKRI grant applications.
  • Researchers who are returning to work following a career break or long-term illness.
  • Early-career researchers working in India, or with plans to foster collaboration with Indian research organisations as part of this funded project (please note a letter of support from the in-country participant(s) will be required).
• The scheme is open to all fellows regardless of geographic location. All applicants must have a PhD by the time that the funded period starts. Applicants that have not yet completed their PhD at the time of application should submit a supporting letter from the host institution where they intend to conduct the relevant research, confirming a contract and position for the duration of the project period.
• The Fermor Seed Corn Fund is intended to support individuals who cannot easily apply for funding by other means. This is likely to be an individual on a fixed-term academic contract, or a non-academic contract with research capacity, to complete a period of novel academic research. The fund is not intended as additional funding to support an applicant who is otherwise employed to conduct an ongoing research project, i.e. research fellows or permanent academic appointments where there have been no interruptions to careers.
• All applicants are required to be Fellows at the time that funding is awarded.

For more information, visit The Geological Society.