Update on King’s implementation of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers
We are pleased to report that recent internal and external accreditations of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers have passed their milestones. This work is led by the Centre for Research Staff Development (CRSD), with input from faculties, HR and RMID.
This Concordat is becoming increasingly important, for example following a recent update to the UKRI Terms and Conditions which now state: “RGC 8.2 Career Development You are expected to adopt the principles, standards and good practice for the management of research staff set out in the 2019 Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, including any subsequent amendments.” Other funders are signatories to the Researcher Concordat and Wellcome, CRUK and the NIHR refer specifically to it in their strategy and expectations.
As you may be aware, there are two procedures we are now asked to follow. One of these is internal approval of an action plan by College Council. The second is an external accreditation that takes the form of the European Commission “HR Excellence in Research Award”.
King’s has retained the HR Excellence in Research Award at the 10 year stage and our internal plan was approved by College Council in November.
If you are currently developing or considering a grant application, we encourage you to include this information in your proposal, as appropriate. In particular you may wish to indicate how you are supporting your research staff in taking up their entitlement to 10 days per year pro rata for continuing professional development.
If you would like to find out more about the Researcher Concordat and the HR Excellence in Research Award there is information on the CRSD’s dedicated webpage, including the action plan for this and previous rounds, and via the official announcement that has recently been published.
Still time to submit! Call for Papers - Lifelong Ageing: a workshop for early career researchers, charities & the third sector
As you will have read earlier in our interview with Martina Zimmermann, in May there will be a workshop for early career researchers (ECRs), charities and the third sector all about Lifelong Ageing. Applications are now open for ECRs to apply to showcase their work at the event.
This workshop brings together ECRs taking a lifecourse perspective of ageing with interested participants from local and national charities and other third sector organisations. Through a range of ECR talks and opportunities to network, the team want to start conversations between third sector partners invested in policymaking and up and coming researchers in the field.
If you'd like to take part, a variety of formats is welcomed, including: 15-minute papers; 5-minute "lightning talks"; a "market stall" (a table at the networking session to chat with attendees). Further information and all the details can be found via the link below.
Attendance is free and includes refreshments and lunch.
Date: Wednesday 17th May 2023
Location: Science Gallery London
Deadline for call for papers: 23rd January 2023
See the document linked to below for all of the details as well as the application form (via MS Forms).
Call for papers
Application form
Public & Community Engagement record
Led by Research England, the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) is an annual, institution-level exercise to inform and assess how UK Higher Education Providers (HEPs) achieve societal benefits through the exchange of knowledge with a range of non-academic partners. Every three years, this also includes submission of a narrative statement about each HEP's public and community engagement activities as a form of knowledge exchange.
The Knowledge Exchange & KEF team has created an online form to collect details around public and community engagement activities that have taken place across King's. The immediate focus of this exercise is to inform our Public and Community Engagement KEF narrative which is due in March. In the longer term, the information collected will create a database of the types of engagement we are conducting, who with and where, as well as providing quantitative information on how many activities and events are evidenced and evaluated. The form contains a link to a document with examples of the types of evidence that can be used for these activities.
For the purposes of this KEF submission we are collecting information on public and community engagement activities (not just with research) from the last three academic years (2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22). This will close on 3rd February 2023 but the aim is to re-open it shortly afterwards on an ongoing basis so information can continue to be updated.
Please do complete the form if you feel able to contribute. It should take up to 20 minutes to complete
https://forms.office.com/e/heuY5ZYgBm
Approaching deadline: Rosetrees Interdisciplinary Award 2023
The Rosetrees Trust Interdisciplinary Award offers up to £300,000 over three years to support collaborative research between clinical and non-clinical researchers.
This year's theme is 'interactions between the human host and infectious pathogens.' Two lead applicants (a clinician and a non-clinician scientist with expertise in molecular biology, computing, engineering and/or mathematics) must demonstrate truly interdisciplinary research with a clear line of sight to patient benefit.
Institutions are only allowed to submit one application and, as such, King's will run an outline internal selection process.
Interested applicants should submit a 2-page proposal and CVs of the lead researchers to cristina.escalona@kcl.ac.uk by Wednesday 8th February 2023. The submission deadline for full applications to Rosetrees is 5pm on 28th April 2023.
You can find more details on the triage process on the internal triage and demand management webpage.
Horizon Europe Guarantee - extension
We are pleased to report that the guarantee to cover all Horizon Europe calls that close on or before 31st March 2023 is now in place. This covers most Cluster 2 opportunities in 2023.
The extension ensures that eligible, successful UK applicants will continue to be guaranteed funding, supporting them to continue their work. Applicants will recieve the full value of their funding at the UK host institution for the lifetime of the grant. Successful awardees do not need to leave the UK to receive this funding, providing reassurance for future collaborations, and supporting UK researchers whether association is confirmed or not.
Further information can be found via the website.
Reserve your place: BBSRC virtual workshop on strategy
The Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Funding Delivery team will join us to deliver a one-hour virtual workshop for the King's community on Tuesday 28th February 2023 at 2:00pm.
BBSRC is a world-leading funder of bioscience in the UK, funding research relating to plants, microbes and animals, including animal biology, as well as the tools and technology underpinning biological research.
The virtual workshop will cover:
- strategic priorities and upcoming opporuntites
- remit and how to handle proposals that fit in the boundary between BBSRC and other Research Councils
- Q&A
For further details and to reserve your place, please visit the Eventbrite page.
Research Infrastructure Fund - first open call & extended deadline
We are pleased to announce that the first call for applications to the King's Research Infrastructure Fund (RIF) is now open.
The RIF is an annual pot of £2m dedicated to targeted investment to maintain and upgrade the equipment/facilities needed to deliver our world-class research. While it is always encouraged that external funds are sought to cover these costs, we acknowledge that this is not always possible.
Proposals costing less than £500,000 are eligible for submission. Proposals with a total cost of above £500,000 should be prepared for submission to University Executive.
Instructions on submission can be found within the application template and completed business cases should be sent to corefacilities@kcl.ac.uk by Friday 10th February 2023. This is an extension on the previous January deadline.
All proposals will be considered by the Research Capital Investment Committeein early March, with outcomes announced soon after.
Evaluating Public Engagement - King's Engaged Researcher Network training
Are you struggling to assess the impact of your public engagement work or in the initial planning stages of a project?
You are invited to the King's Engaged Researchers Network (KERN) evaluation training on Wednesday 1st February, 13:30 - 15:00. The session will be run by Hilary Jackson (freelance Evaluation Consultant) and Gemma Moore (Senior Research Fellow in Evaluation at UCL), to learn the why and how behind evaluation. There will also be an opportunity for one to one sessions a week later on Wednesday 8th February, 12:00 - 13:00, for you to chat to Hilary and Gemma about specific projects that you are involved in.
For more information and to book your place, please visit the Eventbrite page.
Science Gallery London Researcher Open House
All researchers and academics from across King's, whether you are a PhD student or a professor, are invited to the next Researcher Open House at the Science Gallery London (SGL), taking place on Wednesday 22nd February from 15:00 to 17:30.
If you attend, you will have the opportunity to meet the SGL team, find out how to get involved in the SGL programme, and to connect with other researchers who are interested in working with local communities, collaborating with artists and taking participatory approaches to research and public engagement.
To book your place at the Open House, please visit the Eventbrite page.
Arts & Humanities Impact Fellowship scheme - open to A&H researchers
The call for the Faculty of Arts & Humanities' inaugral Impact Fellowship scheme is now open. This is open to researchers on a permanent contract, at any career stage, and offers a unique opportunity for up to six colleagues to develop and think through the impact of their research with intensive expert support, alongside funds for seminar/marketing buy-out and for their own events and networks, and the opportunity to bid for additional resources as needed.
The Fellowship will be delivered through two distinct strands:
- Core Fellowship support activities
- Responsive Fellowship support activities
Fellows will receive:
- £1,500 of seminar/marketing buy-out
- a 9-month development programme to build their knowledge and skills in engaging and communicating with external stakeholders
- bespoke 1-1 coaching and/or structured activities to support application of learning to individual research portfolios
- several workshops tailored to the specific needs of the cohort
The deadline for applications is 5pm, Monday 27th March 2023.
For further information about the Fellowship and full details on how to apply, please visit the AHRC Impact Acceleration Account intranet page.