ERAS Scheme, Lord Paul Fellowship Fund, The Dr Marie Wasdell and Malkito Kaur Gangar Fellowships

As part of their Human Resources Strategy, universities have been tasked by the Funding Councils with devising and implementing a mechanism for identifying and supporting members of staff who are at the start of their research career.

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information. Please note we are not currently inviting applications for ERAS. Future calls for ERAS will be advertised through the usual University channels

 

There are two elements to the scheme:

  • An individual research project that will yield outputs in terms of publications, further research and/or development of funding opportunities.
  • A support programme to develop and enhance wider research-related skills through workshops, action learning, mentoring and progress reports.

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information. Please note we are not currently inviting applications for ERAS. Future calls for ERAS will be advertised through the usual University channels

If you're eligible and after reading the terms and conditions below you still wish to apply please visit the ERAS applications page.

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information. Please note we are not currently inviting applications for ERAS. Future calls for ERAS will be advertised through the usual University channels

1) Any member of staff who can demonstrate that they are at postdoctoral level now or have attained this level within the last 5 years.  Normally such evidence would include:

  • A PhD (or equivalent doctoral qualification) awarded since January 2015
  • A doctoral thesis that has been submitted for examination but has not yet been examined. A confirmation letter from the Director of Studies will be required.

2) An exemption to point 1 (above) will be given consideration by the selection panel in cases of, but not limited to: career breaks, career changes, parental leave, periods of extended ill health, caring responsibilities, first academic position. A request for exemption should be attached to the application form.

3) Applicants must be members of staff of the University of Wolverhampton that have a current payroll number and whose contract exceeds the duration of the scheme.

4) There is no age limit. ‘Early researcher’ is interpreted here as ‘at the beginning of a postdoctoral career’, and does not correlate to chronological age of the applicant.

5) Staff who have received the ERAS award before are not eligible to apply a second time.

6) Staff at Reader level or above are not eligible to apply.

7) Staff who have taken part in the ‘NU2EU’ programme or the Grants Academy are not eligible to apply.

8) Staff who are part-time (FTE 0.5 and below) are eligible to apply to deliver ERAS over 24 month. Evidence that you are a part-time member of staff will be required.

Please note: ERAS aims to support the development of early career researchers. The activities involved in the programme provide many opportunities to develop research related skills, as well as offering the chance to learn from research leaders at the University.  If you feel that you fit the criteria above but would not describe yourself as an early career researcher, this opportunity may not be right for you. 

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information. Please note we are not currently inviting applications for ERAS. Future calls for ERAS will be advertised through the usual University channels

You can apply for a budget of up to £5000 to support the completion of your project. You will be asked to provide a detailed indicative breakdown of how you would intend to spend the money as part of your application.

Normally, you may use your budget to cover research costs such as field work, research/library visits, consumables, research assistant time and specialist conference attendance (beyond that which would be supported through normal Faculty procedures). You may also use your budget to provide teaching support through VL cover, in which case you should use the rate (UW9 point 32) per teaching hour. Remember to factor in overheads, on-costs and any holiday entitlement. You must have your line-manager’s express approval for any proposed VL cover.

Please note that the selection panel will not normally approve proposals to attend more than one conference unless a robust justification is made.

Because of the need to plan for maintenance and replacement costs, your budget cannot normally be used to purchase equipment.

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information. Please note we are not currently inviting applications for ERAS. Future calls for ERAS will be advertised through the usual University channels

As part of your application we ask that you 'please provide the name of an individual who has agreed to act as your ERAS mentor'. Ideally you should approach someone who is an experienced or active researcher within a discipline that doesn't have to be the same but at least compliments your own. Your mentor needs to be someone who can give you constructive feedback on your research.

They should also be willing to and have time to meet or correspond with you but how often and to what extent will need to be agreed between yourselves. You must share your application with your intended mentor for comment/feedback prior to submission.

If you have any questions regarding ERAS mentoring please contact Dr Debra Cureton (D.Cureton@wlv.ac.uk) or Doctoral College (DoctoralCollege@wlv.ac.uk) who will advise you further.

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information. Please note we are not currently inviting applications for ERAS. Future calls for ERAS will be advertised through the usual University channels

 

On your part:

1)      You undertake to participate fully in the support programme, deliver the project outcomes within budget and on time.

2)      You should be aware that it will not be possible to defer either the uptake of the award or completion of it (apart from reasons of parental leave or extended sick leave), and that the ERAS fellowship therefore represents a firm commitment.

3)      If you leave the University voluntarily (i.e. resignation) during or up to 12 months after completion of the programme, the University reserves the right to reclaim all or part of its investment (in accordance with standard University practice).

4)      You will be assigned to an action learning set which we expect will meet at least 4 times during the duration of the scheme; short written updates will be required.

5)      In addition to the action learning sets you must be available to attend the mandatory ERAS workshops and events:

  • Induction - Dates TBC
  • Workshop 1 - 
  • Workshop 2 - 
  • Workshop 3 - 
  • ERAS Writing Retreat -  All day event
  • Annual Research Conference - June  (dates TBC), All day event (ERAS Fellows will be presenting on one of the two dates depending on Conference Programme)

On your Department/School/Institute’s part

1)      They will recognise your fellowship as part of your workload allocation

2)      They will provide 300 hours on your workload for you to complete your research and attend ERAS related events or activities.  This may include the research hours that you are allocated and some of your SMRSA hours. If you are a part time member of staff (FTE 0.5 or less) and have opted to deliver ERAS over two years, it is expected that your workload allocation for ERAS will be 150 hour for each year of the project

NB: The 300 hours include: 150 hours to complete the research programme; 50 hours to attend ERAS events or activities; 100 hours for dissemination activities (conference attendance and travel, peer reviewed publications, social media activities etc)


On our part
:

1)      We undertake to honour your commitment to the programme so that you are fully able to complete it satisfactorily.

2)      We will endeavour to provide a genuinely valuable support programme that is tailored to meet the needs of the group as far as possible.

As noted above you will be required to disseminate your work to the wider research community via a presentation at the University's Annual Research Conference.

At the end of the project you will be required to submit an Executive summary of your project and an evaluation form. The Executive summary will be available to the research community on the ERAS webpages.

Lord Paul Early Careers Research Fund Fellowships (LPF)

Background

Lord Paul has been the Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton (UoW) since 1998. He is one of the longest appointed Chancellors at a UK University. His continued contribution to the University and the wider Higher Education agenda has been instrumental in raising the profile of the University. Lord Paul has generously gifted £500,000 to the University in memory of his son Angad Paul.  2/5 of the gift has been directed to the Lord Swraj Paul Early Careers Research Fund, in order to support early career researchers in their submissions to the Research Excellence Framework(s).

The Lord Paul Early Career Researcher Fellowship invites applications for multidisciplinary research programmes, from a team of researchers that is led by an early career researcher.

 

 

Application Process

All applicants must submit as a single PDF document the following:-

  • You will need to download and submit the Fellowship Application form ( available LPF Application form 2023 (Word doc 717k)) which asks for an outline of your proposed individual project and budget (including a Gantt chart or equivalent)
  • You must include a copy of your academic CV (including the date you were awarded your PhD or the date of submission where an award is pending)

If applicable the PDF document should also include:-

  • You should attach a copy of any request for exemption of the eligibility criteria to your application.

 

Submission

  • Your application requires approval from your line manager and Dean/Director. As part of the application process, you will need to ensure that your line manager and Dean/Director have had sight of your application and are supportive of it.
  • Your application should therefore include signatures from both parties confirming support for the project and the time required to complete it and the mandatory Fellowship support programme. An electronic signature or an email attached to the application will be acceptable.

A selection panel will assess the applications according to the quality and viability of the individual proposal, and a decision will be made from there.

Applications will be selected on the basis of the following criteria (maximum score possible = 120):

Criteria

Explanation

Maximum points

Societal challenges

The applicant must demonstrate how the fellowship is aligned with either the UK's Industrial Strategy or the UN SDGs.

20

Interdisciplinarity

The applicant must demonstrate how the project will achieve outcomes that could not be achieved within the framework of a single discipline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to involve at least one researcher from another discipline in the project.

20

Career development and contribution to REF

The applicant must demonstrate how the fellowship will support their career development and enhance the contribution they make to future research assessment exercises.

20

Impact

The applicant must identify the impacts sought from the projects, and articulate the pathways to achieving impact. 

20

Responsible Research

All applications are assessed on the basis of rigour of the proposed project. In addition, applicants need to highlight how they will deal with research ethics and contribute to the University's Open Research agenda.

20

Equality and Diversity

All applications must show how they contribute to the faculty or research institute's Gender Equality Action Plan.

20

 

The panel does not intend to interview applicants, although it reserves the right to do so

 

Eligibility and selection criteria

In order to be eligible for an LPF you must be an early career researcher. In recognition of the different career paths that our staff have, we define early career researchers as those who are within 10 years of finishing their doctorate and wish to pursue a research career pathway. Therefore we will accept applications from those who have completed their doctorates between 1st January 2013 and 1st March 2023.

All proposed research programmes must be multidisciplinary.

All proposed research partners should be confirmed.  We will not accept applications detailing speculative collaborations.

Each applicant must commit to actively participating in all aspects of the fellowship and prioritise these over other commitments.

Note that you cannot hold any other early career fellowship funded by the University simultaneously with the LPF.

 

Terms and conditions

On your part:

1)      You undertake to participate fully in the support programme, and deliver the project outcomes within budget and on time.

2)      You should be aware that it will not be possible to defer either the uptake of the award or completion of it (apart from reasons of parental leave or extended sick leave) and that the fellowship, therefore, represents a firm commitment.

3)      If you leave the University voluntarily (i.e. resignation) during or up to 12 months after completion of the programme, the University reserves the right to reclaim all or part of its investment (as per standard University practice).

4)      In addition to the action learning sets you must be available to attend the mandatory workshops and events:

  • Induction – 12th July 2023 10 am – 12 pm
  • Development Session One – 10th October 2023 from 10 am to 12 pm
  • Development Session Two – 9th January 2024 from 10 am to 12 pm
  • Development Session Three – 12th March 2024 from 10 am to 12 pm
  • The Writing Retreat – 14th May 2024 from 9 am to 5 pm
  • Annual Research Conference - June  (dates TBC), All day event (Fellows will be presenting on one of the two dates depending on Conference Programme)

Mentoring

As part of your application, we ask that you provide the name of an individual who has agreed to act as your mentor. Ideally, you should approach someone who is an experienced or active researcher within a discipline that doesn't have to be the same but at least compliments your own. Your mentor needs to be someone who can give you constructive feedback on your research.

They should also be willing to and have time to meet or correspond with you but how often and to what extent will need to be agreed between you. You must share your application with your intended mentor for comment/feedback before submission.

If you have any questions regarding mentoring please contact Dr Debra Cureton (D.Cureton@wlv.ac.uk) or Doctoral College (DoctoralCollege@wlv.ac.uk) who will advise you further.

The Budget

You can apply for a budget of up to £10,000 to support the completion of your project. You will be asked to provide a detailed indicative breakdown of how you would intend to spend the money as part of your application.

Timeline

  • The closing date for submission of the application and CV is 27th March 2023 at 5 pm
  • The selection panel will subsequently meet to consider the applications.
  • We intend to appoint the 2 fellows to begin the programme on (1st August 2023).
  • The programme will finish on (31st July 2024) by which time your project will be complete and your budget spent.

 

The Dr Marie Wasdell Fellowship for the Sciences & The Malkito Kaur Gangar Fellowship for the Sciences

There are two elements to the scheme:

  • An individual research project that will yield outputs in terms of publications, further research and/or development of funding opportunities.
  • A support programme to develop and enhance wider research-related skills through workshops, action learning, mentoring and progress reports.

Application Process

All applicants must submit as a single PDF document the following:-

  • You will need to download and submit the Fellowship Application form ( available MW and MKG App Form 2023 (Word doc 702k)) which asks for an outline of your proposed individual project and budget (including a Gantt chart or equivalent)
  • You must include a copy of your academic CV (including the date you were awarded your PhD or date of submission where an award is pending)

If applicable the PDF document should also include:-

  • You should attach a copy of any request for exemption to point 1 of the eligibility criteria to your application.
  • You should also include your justification for delivering the fellowship over 24 months (only open to staff who are FTE 0.5 or below)

Submission

  • Your application requires approval from your line manager and Dean/Director. As part of the application process, you will need to ensure that your line manager and Dean/Director have had sight of your application and are supportive of it.
  • Your application should therefore include signatures from both parties confirming support for the project and the time required to complete it and the mandatory Fellowship support programme. An electronic signature or an email attached to the application will be acceptable.

A selection panel will assess the applications according to the quality and viability of the individual proposal, and a decision will be made from there. The panel does not intend to interview applicants, although it reserves the right to do so.

Eligibility

 

1) Any member of staff who can demonstrate that they are at postdoctoral level now or have attained this level within the last 5 years.  Normally such evidence would include:

  • A doctoral qualification awarded between 1st January 2018 and 1st March 2023

2) An exemption to point 1 (above) will be considered by the selection panel in cases of, but not limited to, career breaks, career changes, parental leave, periods of extended ill health, caring responsibilities, and first academic position. A request and justification for exemption should be attached to the application form.

3) Applicants must be members of staff of the University of Wolverhampton that have a current payroll number and whose contract exceeds the duration of the scheme at the point of application.

4) There is no age limit. ‘Early researcher’ is interpreted here as ‘at the beginning of a postdoctoral career’, and does not correlate to the chronological age of the applicant.

5) Staff who have taken part in the ‘NU2EU’ programme or the Grants Academy or have received an ERAS or Lord Paul Fellowship award before are not eligible to apply.

6) Staff at Reader level or above are not eligible to apply.

7) Staff who are part-time (FTE 0.5 and below) are eligible to apply to deliver the Fellowship over 24 months. Evidence that you are a part-time member of staff will be required.

Please note: The Fellowships aim to support the development of early career researchers. The activities involved in the programme provide many opportunities to develop research-related skills, as well as offer the chance to learn from research leaders at the University.  If you feel that you fit the criteria above but would not describe yourself as an early career researcher, this opportunity may not be right for you. 

 

Mentoring

As part of your application, we ask that you provide the name of an individual who has agreed to act as your mentor. Ideally, you should approach someone who is an experienced or active researcher within a discipline that doesn't have to be the same but at least compliments your own. Your mentor needs to be someone who can give you constructive feedback on your research.

They should also be willing to and have time to meet or correspond with you but how often and to what extent will need to be agreed between you. You must share your application with your intended mentor for comment/feedback before submission.

If you have any questions regarding mentoring please contact Dr Debra Cureton (D.Cureton@wlv.ac.uk) or Doctoral College (DoctoralCollege@wlv.ac.uk) who will advise you further.

 

Terms and Conditions
On your part:

1)      You undertake to participate fully in the support programme, and deliver the project outcomes within budget and on time.

2)      You should be aware that it will not be possible to defer either the uptake of the award or completion of it (apart from reasons of parental leave or extended sick leave) and that the fellowship, therefore, represents a firm commitment.

3)      If you leave the University voluntarily (i.e. resignation) during or up to 12 months after completion of the programme, the University reserves the right to reclaim all or part of its investment (as per standard University practice).

4)      In addition to the action learning sets you must be available to attend the mandatory workshops and events:

  • Induction – 12th July 2023 10 am – 12 pm
  • Development Session One – 10th October 2023 from 10 am to 12 pm
  • Development Session Two – 9th January 2024 from 10 am to 12 pm
  • Development Session Three – 12th March 2024 from 10 am to 12 pm
  • The Writing Retreat – 14th May 2024 from 9 am to 5 pm
  • Annual Research Conference - June  (dates TBC), All day event (Fellows will be presenting on one of the two dates depending on Conference Programme)

On your Department/School/Institute’s part

1)      They will recognise your fellowship as part of your workload allocation

2)      They will provide 300 hours on your workload for you to complete your research and attend Fellowship related events or activities.  This may include the research hours that you are allocated and some of your SMRSA hours. If you are a part-time member of staff (FTE 0.5 or less) and have opted to deliver the fellowship over two years, it is expected that your workload allocation for the fellowship will be 150 hours for each year of the project

NB: The 300 hours include: 150 hours to complete the research programme; 50 hours to attend fellowship events or activities; 100 hours for dissemination activities (conference attendance and travel, peer-reviewed publications, social media activities etc)


On our part:

1)      We undertake to honour your commitment to the programme so that you are fully able to complete it satisfactorily.

2)      We will endeavour to provide a genuinely valuable support programme that is tailored to meet the needs of the group as far as possible.

 

Dissemination

As noted above you will be required to disseminate your work to the wider research community via a presentation at the University's Annual Research Conference.

At the end of the Fellowship, you will be required to submit an Executive summary of your project and an evaluation form. The Executive summary will be available to the research community on the Doctoral College webpages.

 

Budget

You can apply for a budget of up to £7, 500 to support the completion of your project. You will be asked to provide a detailed indicative breakdown of how you would intend to spend the money as part of your application.

Normally, you may use your budget to cover research costs such as fieldwork, research/library visits, consumables, research assistant time and specialist conference attendance (beyond that which would be supported through normal Faculty procedures). You may also use your budget to provide teaching support through VL cover, in which case you should use the rate (UW9 point 32) per teaching hour. Remember to factor in overheads, on-costs and any holiday entitlement. You must have your line manager’s express approval for any proposed VL cover.

Please note that the selection panel will not normally approve proposals to attend more than one conference unless a robust justification is made.

Because of the need to plan for maintenance and replacement costs, your budget cannot normally be used to purchase equipment page

  • The closing date for submission of the application and CV is 27th March 2023 at 5pm
  • The selection panel will subsequently meet to consider the applications.
  • We intend to appoint the 2 fellows to begin the programme on (1st August 2023).
  • The programme will finish on (31st July 2024) unless you have negotiated to deliver the fellowship over 24 months), by which time your project will be complete and your budget spent.