CFAs: ISPF International Collaboration Awards (UK and Japan)

The grants are open to newly independent researchers building their own group who are ready to lead and drive the research vision of an international research programme.

Objectives

• The objectives of these awards are to:
  • Supporting collaboration: support the development of sustainable and mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships and growth of international research networks;
  • Funding high-quality and original research: enable newly independent researchers to generate new approaches to challenging research questions;
  • Nurturing talent: build the capabilities of newly independent researchers and their groups to conduct, manage, share and apply high quality research through sharing of knowledge, skills and exchange of people.

Areas of Research 

• Research must be within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics.

Funding Information

• Applicants are permitted to apply for up to £225,000 (£75,000 per year) from the Royal Society.

Eligibility Criteria

• The UK lead applicant and Japan lead applicant must both be newly independent researchers building their own group, who are ready to lead and drive the research vision of an international research programme.
• As a guide, they would typically expect both applicants to have a minimum of three years and maximum of eight years of active research experience since completing their PhD by the time of application (career breaks will be taken into consideration), or no more than 5 years of an independent research career.
• The UK lead applicant and Japan lead applicant must be based in their respective countries and at an eligible institution at the time of application and for the duration of the award.
• As this grant does not support salary, the UK lead applicant and Japan lead applicant must hold a permanent or fixed-term independent academic research post, or named independent research fellowship, for the duration of the award.
• Applicants should have access to their own lab space and the ability to recruit research staff and students.
• Applicants are not permitted to submit more than one application to this call.
• Applicants are permitted to hold only one active ISPF International Collaboration Award.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The scheme is not for post-doctoral researchers or researchers whose salaries are paid by a grant for which someone else is the principal investigator. These individuals are not eligible to apply.

Assessment Criteria

• The primary considerations will be:
  • The extent to which the proposal will address challenging research questions.
  • The importance and scientific merit of the proposed research and the clarity, quality and originality of the proposed project and likely contribution to the research field, and whether the research plan is clearly defined and feasible.
  • The track record of the applicants and their ability to develop and lead the research.
  • The potential to nurture talent leading to significant and sustainable enhancement of the ability of individuals to conduct, manage, share and apply high quality research.
  • The suitability of the research environment (host departments and institutions) for the proposed research.

For more information, visit The Royal Society.