Research and knowledge exchange

Guidance for creating a proposal

Guidance on the preparation of applications for research funding

Costing a Proposal / Bid

All project costings (research / consultancy / KTPs etc.) are done by Research & Enterprise Services using bespoke costing software (pFACT) in use in the HE sector for the purpose.

If you need project costings, please contact Research and Enterprise Services (RES) as early as possible for assistance. Your costs will be prepared and you will be sent a Project Approval Form [DOC 92.50KB] (aka Decelaration Form) and the pFACT financial reports that require School approvals/authorisations before you can submit your proposal to the funder.

REMINDER:

a de minimus 10 working day notification [PDF 47.03KB] (to funder's deadline) operates in which the information needed to start building a project budget (as well undertaking all non financial checks) must be supplied to RES.

Budget form:

To assist you and RES in building your budget, you are encouraged to download the Request for a Project Activity Costing (fEC) [DOC 106.50KB]. Simply complete this as best you can, and email it to your Research and Enterprise contact. This is a good starting point from which to consider and build the project costs.

Costing
checklist:

 

A Checklist [PDF 64.48KB] of typical project costs is available to help you to identify the resources you may need to consider in building the project budget.
Interreg IVA proposals
What is Interreg IVA?

The INTERREG IVA Programme is a European Union Structural Funds Programme which seeks to address the economic and social problems which result from the existence of maritime borders. It supports strategic cross-border co-operation for a more prosperous and sustainable region.

The University of Sussex is within the eligible area for the following two Interreg IVA programmes:

The Channel (Manche) Programme

The Two Seas Programme

Both programmes run between 2007 - 2013, and all project activities must end by 30 September 2014.

Sussex's position on Interreg proposals

At the University's Research Committee of the 23rd November 2011, it was agreed that:

  1. Schools should consider carefully whether Interreg is an appropriate scheme given the substantial subsidy required to support project costs; and
  2. Overheads should not be included in Interreg project budgets; and
  3. Our participation in any given project is on the basis of the University's Interreg Partnership Agreements; and
  4. New projects coming forward that may involve Sussex (either as lead applicant or as a project partner) must follow a mandatory pre-qualification protocol, before any formal commitment to participate is made, and before internal resource and support is allocated to the project.

The pre-qualification protocol is based on the submission of a business case using an institution-wide template [DOC 368KB].

A summary of the Research Committee's approved pre-qualification protocol is set out below. This includes:

  • A minimum timeline for engaging with Research and Enterprise;
  • Clarity about the level of support that can be provided by Research and Enterprise in assisting with an Interreg bid;
  • The University's position with regard to the inclusion of overheads as project costs;
  • The requirement to participate on the basis of the University's Interreg Partnership Agreements.
Summary of agreed pre-qualification protocol agreed by Research Committee : 23rd November 2011

(Full Research Committee Interreg IVA Paper [PDF 90.53KB])

Noting the Interreg funding regime, and that Schools must effectively subsidise the full cost of undertaking an Interreg IVA project, Schools must ensure that the academic case for pursuing Interreg over other sources of funding is robust before committing significant resources. Committee therefore approved the implementation of following:

i)

the establishment of a mandatory and clearly defined protocol for engaging with the Interreg programme on the basis outlined below:
 

Stage 1:

School outline approval to be obtained (pre-qualification):

  • where Sussex is leading - a minimum 3 months ahead of the deadline;
  • where Sussex is not leading - a minimum of 2 months ahead of the deadline
 

Stage 2:

School outline approval to be based on this standard institution-wide template [DOC 368KB]. The content of the template will address the business case, the project budget, sources of match funding, and potential project risks.

Where the PI wishes to lead an Interreg IVA project, additional criteria will be needed to support the case for leading (and should be budgeted for).
 

Stage 3:

Once School outline approval is in place, RES will commit to provide bid development support up to the submission deadline on the following basis:

  • where Sussex is leading: 15 working days
  • where Sussex is not leading: 10 working days

This estimation of time needed to support the bid preparation phase is based on experience to date. It does not factor in other Professional Services assistance needed (for example, the TRAC Accountant in preparing the project specific overhead methodology; the Head of Research Development in preparing and managing the Partnership Agreement; and other Professional Services staff as needed).
 

Stage 4:

Finalised project budgets:

  • where Sussex is leading, all partner budgets must be finalised at least 4 weeks before the Interreg submission deadline;
  • where Sussex is not leading, the Sussex project budget must be finalised at least 3 weeks before the date advised by the Lead Partner (the LP will set a date in advance of the Interreg submission deadline to receive all partner budgets and associated documentation for them to be checked and consolidated prior to submission);

This timeframe is necessary to allow sufficient lead-time to prepare the detailed budget breakdowns in the funder submission forms, and to prepare all the associated project documentation. Changes to budgets after these lead times require considerable adjustments and RES cannot guarantee that there will be sufficient time available to make these changes and then prepare all supporting documentation in time for the deadline.

In such circumstances, there is a high risk that the Sussex financial information and documention will not be ready for submission, and it should be deferred to the next Interreg submission deadline so that support can be directed to other bids with imminent deadlines.

ii)

Sussex extends the non-inclusion of project overheads to Channel Programme projects in addition to the Two Seas programme (should there be a compelling case to include them for Channel Programme projects, this must be done on the basis of contribution income to the Schools and not as part of the project's match funding); and

iii)

Sussex continues to participate in any given Interreg IVA project on the basis of the Sussex template Partnership Agreements available from RES (any discussions with potential Interreg partners, must be on this understanding).
Interreg deadlines and Sussex pre-qualification timelines

Channel Programme:

School approval to be obtained by:

As lead applicant*: Not applicable - see below

As project partner*: Not applicable - see below
   

*And date by which to notify and plan project development support with Research & Enterprise.

Submission of pre-project sheet to Interreg Managing Authority

12/11/2012

Submission of grant application form to Managing Authority

up to 11/02/2013

Further details are available at the Interreg (Channel Programme) website.

Two Seas Programme:

Further details are available at the Interreg (Two Seas Programme) website.

No further deadlines have been announced.

Salary Scales
The salary scalesare kept up to date by the Human Resources Division. They provide the base salary cost, not the gross employment cost, and the advice of the Research & Enterprise Services Division should always be sought when preparing precise costings. RES will take into account:
  • inflation (where relevant with dates of pay awards)
  • incremental dates
  • employer costs such as superannuation and National Insurance

Because incremental dates and pay award dates do not often coincide with the start of the project year, it can be complicated to prepare costings. The RES have had a lot of practice at doing this!

For information and assistance regarding Salary Costs on all new grants, please contact the relevant member of the Research Development Team.

For information and assistance regarding Salary Costs on all existing grants, please contact the relevant member of the Research Finance Team.

Lambert Agreements
Lambert Agreements are intended for universities and companies that wish to undertake collaborative research projects with each other.

 

A set of Model Agreements and documents that provide information on these agreements is available on the DTI's Lambert Agreements website.

Clinical Imaging Science Centre (CISC) Costings
STEP 1: For projects and studies that require use of BSMS CISC facilities(scanning services), a Pro-Forma document [DOC 79.50KB] [PDF 88.49KB] setting out your requirements, must be sent to CISC. They will then provide you with the correct costs / charges to include in your project budget.

 

STEP 2: If your project is funded, you will then need to contact CISC and complete their Project Proposal Form. More information about permissions and booking your scanning slots is available on the CISC facilities website.