Commonwealth Science Conference (CSC) Follow-on Travel Grants

1. Overview

The 2017 Commonwealth Science Conference takes place in Singapore from 13-16 June 2017. The

conference will bring together leading scientists to showcase the best science from across the

Commonwealth. The conference aims to celebrate excellence in science throughout the

Commonwealth; provide opportunities for cooperation between researchers in different

Commonwealth countries; inspire young scientists, students and pupils; build understanding of

science policy issues of common interest and encourage scientific capacity building in Commonwealth

countries.

The Royal Society, with the support of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust is providing travel

grants to support early career scientists who wish to collaborate as a result of the Commonwealth

Science Conference.

Aims: The Commonwealth Science Conference Follow-on Grants is intended to:

Encourage collaborations between scientists who attended the Conference

Contribute to addressing the global challenges identified at the Conference

Improve collaborative links between scientists from Commonwealth countries

This scheme is aimed at supporting early career researchers including PhD students from a

Commonwealth country enabling them to collaborate in a joint research proposal with a scientist from

another commonwealth country by providing a grant to support collaborative visits. If you are a PhD

student your application must include a mentoring element.

This scheme is also aimed at new collaborations (e.g. where the applicant and co-applicant have

never worked together previously on a project). This scheme is not intended to support continued

research activities between an applicant and a co-applicant who was a former colleague or PhD

student or to support other existing or recent collaborations between the applicant and co-applicant.

Rather, the scheme is intended to stimulate new collaborations between scientists in Commonwealth

countries.

Subjects covered: All activities must be on a subject within the natural sciences, including: physics,

chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, agricultural, biological and medical research,

and the scientific aspects of archaeology, geography and experimental psychology. The Royal Society

does not cover social science, clinical or patient-oriented research.

Eligibility: Collaborations should be based on a single project involving “the Applicant – Early Career

Researcher” (PhD student or early career scientist) and “the Co-Applicant – A Scientist from another

Commonwealth country. For further details please refer to the ‘Eligibility details’ on page 4.

To apply, if you are an early career researcher or a PhD Student and you attended the 2017

Commonwealth Science Conference in Singapore, you need to email the Royal Society Grants

Scheme Manager at: csc2017@royalsociety.org after which a web link will be provided to submit an

application in the round on Flexi-Grant®

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If you are an early career researcher, PhD Student or a scientist and you have been nominated by a

delegate who attended the conference, they will need to send a letter of recommendation (scanned

PDF copy) to the Royal Society giving us your contact details (name and email address), and stating

whether they are nominating you to apply (early career researcher / PhD student) or to act as the Co-

Applicant to: csc2017@royalsociety.org Once this has been received, a URL link will be provided

which will allow applicants to complete and submit an application through Flexi-Grant®

Duration of funding: The grant must be spent and all visits completed within 12 months of receiving

the award. Any unspent funds must be returned to the Society at the end of the award. The Society

will consider a request for a no cost extension in some circumstances.

Value: Applicants may apply for:

Up to £6,000 for multiple visits to be completed within 12 months to cover the costs of travel,

subsistence, research costs, and equipment and up £1,500 may be used for attendance at

conferences. Funds can be used to cover visits in both directions (if required) by the Applicant

(early career researcher / PhD student) and by the Co-Applicant (scientist) from another

commonwealth country

Please refer to “Justification for Consumables” on page 11 and 12 for a list of eligible and ineligible

consumable items.

Countries covered: A full list of the 53 Commonwealth Countries is listed below

Antigua and Barbuda Kenya Sierra Leone

Australia Kiribati Singapore

Bangladesh Lesotho Solomon Islands

Bahamas Malawi South Africa

Barbados Malaysia Sri Lanka

Belize Maldives St Kitts and Nevis

Botswana Malta St Lucia

Brunei Darussalam Mauritius St Vincent and The Grenadines

Cameroon Mozambique Swaziland

Canada Namibia Tanzania

Cyprus Nauru Tonga

Dominica New Zealand Trinidad and Tobago

Fiji Nigeria Tuvalu

Ghana Pakistan Uganda

Grenada Papua New Guinea UK

Guyana Rwanda Vanuatu

India Samoa Zambia

Jamaica Seychelles

Closing dates: 15:00 BST Thursday 21 September 2017

Results available: Results of the competition will be available from December 2017.

Contact Information

Enquires about this Scheme can be made using the contact details below. Before contacting us,

please check whether your question is answered by these scheme notes. If not, please email:

csc2017@royalsociety.org or call 020 7451 2565

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The following scheme notes set out the eligibility and application process of the Commonwealth Science Conference (CSC) Follow-on Grants Please read through the entire document before proceeding. 1. Overview

2. Eligibility Details

Applicants

Activity

Departmental Support

3. Application Guidance Notes

Using Flexi-Grant®

Assessment Criteria

Completing the application form

Summary

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant and Co-applicant Personal Details

Applicant and Co-applicant Career Summary

Research Proposal

Use of Animals in Research

Financial Details

Applicant and Co-applicant Head of Departmental Support

4. Review Process

Appendix 1: Application Submission Process Flow Diagram

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2. Eligibility Details

The Applicant (Early Career Researcher / PhD Student)

A PhD student who attended the 2017 Commonwealth Science Conference

An Early Career Researcher who attended the 2017 Commonwealth Science Conference

OR

A PhD student or early career researcher who has been nominated by a delegate who attended

the 2017 Commonwealth Science Conference, and who is a member of their group. A letter of

recommendation by the scientist explaining why they wish to nominate someone from their

group to apply for funding would need to be sent to the Royal Society prior to an application

being submitted. Instructions would be sent directly to the applicant on how to apply through

using Flexi-Grant®

The Co-Applicant (Scientist)

A delegate who attended the 2017 Commonwealth Science Conference and who is from

another Commonwealth country to the applicant

OR

A scientist who has been nominated by a delegate who attended the 2017 Commonwealth

Science Conference, and who is from another Commonwealth country to the applicant. A letter

of recommendation by the scientist explaining why they wish to nominate someone to act as

the Co-applicant, would need to be sent to the Royal Society prior to an application being

submitted. Applications would need to be started by the Applicant by using Flexi-Grant®

General

The Applicant should be an Early Career Researcher or a PhD student and would need to

show that they have less than 10 years post PhD experience

Applications must be started by the Applicant (Early Career Researcher) through the Flexi-

Grant® application portal of the lead applicant, which can be accessed when logged into the

system

The Co-Applicant (Scientist) must hold a permanent or fixed term contract for the duration of

the award. Ineligible organisations include private and commercial organisations (including

university spin-out companies)

If the Applicant is a PhD student, the Co-Applicant should be a more senior scientist who is

able to demonstrate that they have experience of mentoring students. The proposed mentor

should be of high academic standing and have a strong interest in the applicant’s field of

research, but should not normally be the applicant’s former PhD supervisor, or affiliated to the

researcher’s line management structure.

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Applicants (Early Career Researcher) are not permitted to submit more than one application

Only delegates who attended the Commonwealth Science Conference, or those nominated by

them, will be eligible for funding

The Applicant and Co-Applicant must be based in different commonwealth country institutions

at the time of application and throughout the duration of the award

Contact between the Applicant (Early Career Researcher) and the Co-Applicant (Scientist)

from another Commonwealth country prior to applying on Flexi-Grant® is essential. This

contact should lead to a clearly defined and mutually agreed research proposal

Activity

All activities must be on a subject within the natural sciences, including: physics, chemistry,

mathematics, computer science, engineering, agricultural, biological or medical research or

the scientific aspects of archaeology, geography and experimental psychology. The Royal

Society does not cover social science, clinical or patient-oriented research.

Collaborations should be based on a single project.

Applications can only support travel between the Applicant’s commonwealth country and the

Co- Applicant’s commonwealth country; costs for travel to or from a third country are not

eligible

Activities must start no earlier than January 2018 and should be completed within 12 months

of receiving the award

Activities fundable under this scheme are as follows:

o Travel and subsistence by the Applicant (early career researcher) to visit the Co-

Applicant (scientist from another commonwealth country) and their research group,

and vice versa

o Research costs, equipment and up to £1,500 may be used for attendance at

conferences

o Up to £6,000 (maximum) available

Departmental Support

The following individuals must be listed under the Head of Department pages of the

application form:

o The Applicant’s Head of Department

o The Co-Applicant’s Head of Department

It is recommended that Departmental Support is completed at least 5 working days before

the submission deadline 21 September 2017 (15:00 UK time) to ensure there is sufficient

time to submit the application for organisational approval.

Note: If the Co-Applicant is the Head of Department, then details of the individual to whom they report

to must be supplied instead i.e. Head of School/Head of Faculty/Dean.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to liaise with the and Heads of Department to inform

them of the deadline, check that they have received the email instructions for supplying

their support through Flexi-Grant® and to ensure that the task is completed by the

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deadline. Please contact the Royal Society before the deadline if there is a problem.

Alternatively, the Heads of Department can contact us directly if they have not received

the email. The Royal Society will not be held responsible for emails that are not

received due to address errors or spam filters and no provision is made for non-receipt

of emails sent by the Royal Society.

3. Application Guidance Notes

Using Flexi-Grant®

Applications can only be submitted online using the Royal Society’s Grants and Awards management

system (Flexi-Grant®) via https://grants.royalsociety.org. Further information about the Grants and

Awards Management system can be found via https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-

awards/grants/flexi-grant/. If you have not previously used Flexi-Grant®, please follow the

registration process from the Flexi-Grant®, homepage. Paper-based applications will not be

accepted.

Before completing the online form, all applicants should check that they comply with the eligibility

requirements and ensure all necessary information is presented in the application. These

requirements are strictly adhered to and applications without all the necessary information, or

evidence to show the assessment criteria are met, will be rejected.

Please note, for the purpose of approval, applicants should select the Royal Society as their host

organisation. Applicants must complete all sections of the application form, including the Heads of

Department support statements before the ‘Submit for approval’ button becomes available on Flexi-

Grant®.

ORCID identifier: All applicants applying to the Royal Society will be required to obtain an ORCID

(Open Researcher and Contributor ID) identifier before they can commence their application. ORCID

maintains a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research

funding, research publications, research data and any other research outputs to these unique

identifiers. You can register for an ORCID identifier via https://orcid.org/register.

Adding Participants: All applications must be commenced by the Applicant (early career researcher /

PhD student). The scientist who is from another commonwealth country and who has agreed to

collaborate in a joint research proposal will be considered as the Co-Applicant. To invite a participant

(i.e. Co-Applicant and Heads of Department) to your application the participants will need to be

registered on Flexi-Grant®. You will need to ensure you have their registered email address to invite

the participant on the participant tab.

Assessment Criteria

The primary considerations are listed below. Successful applications should be strong in all respects:

The scientific merit of the Applicant and Co-Applicant relative to career stage

The quality of the research proposal

The potential contribution towards strengthening research capacity within the Commonwealth

The potential contribution towards addressing the global challenges identified at the

Conference

The potential for long-term collaboration

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Completing the application form

The application can be completed by using the navigation tabs on the application summary page, with

each page categorised as follows:

Summary

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant Personal Details (Early Career Scientist / PhD Student)

Applicant Career Summary (Early Career Scientist / PhD Student)

Co-Applicant Personal Details (Scientist from another Commonwealth country)

Co-Applicant Career Summary (Senior from another Commonwealth country)

Research Proposal

Use of Animals in Research

Financial Details

Head of Department Support (of the applicant)

Head of Department Support (of the co-applicant)

A full list of question fields to be completed as part of the application can be found in the following

pages.

In the following table each box represents a page of the application form; the left-hand column

contains the questions within each of these pages as set out in the form; the right-hand column

contains useful guidance on its completion.

Note that questions with * are mandatory fields.

Please read these guidance notes carefully as you complete the form.

Summary

Summary table The summary page of the application form provides instructions for submission of

your application for approval by the Royal Society. In addition you are provided with

an overview for each section of your application form, the approximate length of

time it will take to complete each section, and the number of participants required to

participate in completion of your application from. Participants can be invited from

the participant ‘tab’ which can be located just above the page summary header.

Note: you will only be able to submit your application for approval by the Royal

Society once all sections of the form have been completed, which includes the

Heads of Department support statements.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria * Confirm that applicant and co-applicant meet the eligibility criteria. Details of the

eligibility criteria can be found on pages 4

Applicant and Co-applicant Personal Details

Title, Names,

address,

organisation and

country *

Review and complete your personal details accurately. Errors in this section can

cause difficulties in processing your application. Address: must be the organisation

address at which you are based.

Note: correspondence in connection with this application will be sent to the

applicant.

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Email address * In the case of the applicant, this field defaults to the account in which the application

has commenced, and is where all correspondence pertaining to the application

throughout the application process, and in the event of the application being

successful, will be sent. The applicant must therefore commence the application

using the login email address used to register a user account on Flexi-Grant®.

Applicant and Co-applicant Career Summary

Title of Current

Position *

State the title of your current position. (20 words max.)

Current Employer * Enter the official organisation name of your current employer

If you are a PhD student, enter the institution you are registered at

Country * Select the country where your current employer is based.

Current

Department*

Enter details of your current department name (e.g. Department of Astrophysics).

Current Position

Start Date *

Enter the date when your current position started.

Current Position

end Date *

Please enter the date when your current position is expected to finish. If you are on

a permanent contract please enter 31 December 2050.

Field of

Specialisation *

Enter details of your field(s) of specialisation. (20 words max.)

Subject Group/

Area *

Select the subject group/area(s) that most closely reflects your area of research

from the drop-down menu and tick box options.

Summary of Your

Current Research *

Provide an outline summary of your current research. Please also include a brief

comment on the strength of your organisations. (200 words max.)

Academic

Qualifications *

Please list all your qualifications in reverse chronological order.

Note: You can retrieve your qualification information from your profile to complete

this section of the application form using your ORCID identifier.

Career History * Please provide a full list of your appointments since your PhD in reverse

chronological. The depth of information provided is optional, but this will represent

the applicant under assessment and so it is worth including as much good evidence

for your academic permit as possible.

Please list any conference proceeding, conference or workshop presentations that

you have completed and any prizes or awards which you have obtained.

Note: if you have an existing ORCID identifier, you can retrieve your qualifications

and career history information from your profile to complete this section of the

application form.

List your key and/

or relevant

publications *

Provide details of authors, titles and references for up to five of your best

publications in refereed journals, in reverse chronological order. You should choose

not only the best but also those most relevant to the application to support your

case.

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If you are a PhD student and have not published, please insert N/A. However,

you may wish to list any manuscripts which are in preparation or submitted

Note: if you have an existing ORCID identifier, you can retrieve your key

publications from your profile to complete this section of the application form.

PhD Awarded Date* Please enter the date your PhD was awarded. If you are a PhD Student enter your

expected date (as below)

PhD Expected Date If you are a PhD Student, please state expected completion date. Leave blank if

not. (Only applicable to the Applicant)

Research Proposal

Project Title * Give the full title of your proposed project. (20 words max)

Start Date * The award must start no earlier January 2018 and not later than 31 March 2018.

End Date * Awards must end 12 months after the start date.

Subject

Group/Area *

Select the subject group/area(s) that most closely defines the research area of the

research proposal from the drop-down menu and tick box options. This will enable us

to allocate the application to the most appropriate assessment panel.

Research Aims * State your scientific aims. (250 words max.)

Lay Summary * Provide a lay summary of your proposed project. This should be understood by a

layperson. Explain why you have chosen to work in this subject area and what it is

about your proposed research that you find particularly exciting, interesting or

important. Please also explain the potential impact or wider benefits to society of your

research. (250 words max.)

Research

Proposal *

Provide details of your joint research proposal, by outlining the nature and purpose of

your research project including a description of the experimental methods and

techniques you will be using.

(500 words max.)

For PhD Students

Only

If you are a PhD student you must include a mentoring element to support your

application. The mentor should be able to offer the Applicant advice and assistance

in developing their research career, building suitable links with leading researchers in

their field, as well as with potential beneficiaries and users of the applicant’s

research. The role of the mentor is to support the work of the Applicant, both

scientific and non-scientific. It is expected that regular contact will be maintained

between the Applicant and mentor through the course of the project and that the

mentor will help the Applicant to review progress against agreed milestones.

Provide details of the proposed mentoring activities, including any training

opportunities that will be undertaken within the grant, e.g. short courses in specific

areas; how often you intend to meet (physically or virtually), etc.

(500 words max.)

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Data Management and Data Sharing

The Society supports science as an open enterprise, and is committed to ensuring that data outputs from

research supported by the Society are made publically available in a managed and responsible manner,

with as few restrictions as possible. Data outputs should be deposited in an appropriate, recognised,

publically available repository, so that others can verify and build upon the data, which is of public interest.

The Society does not dictate a set format for data management and sharing plans. Where they are

required, applicants should structure their plan in a manner most appropriate to the proposed research.

The information submitted in plans should focus specifically on how the data outputs will be managed and

shared, detailing the repositories where data will be deposited. In considering your approach for data

management and sharing, applicants should consider the following:

What data outputs will be generated by the research that are of value to the public?

Where and when will you make the data available?

How will others be able to access the data?

If the data is of high public interest, how will it be made accessible not only for those in the same

or linked field, but also to a wider public audience?

Specify whether any limits will be placed on the data to be shared, for example, for the purposes

of safeguarding commercial interests, personal information, safety or security of the data.

How will datasets be preserved to ensure they are of long-term benefit?

Outline of data

management and

data sharing plan*

If the proposed research will generate data that is of significant value to the research

community, then please provide details of your data management and sharing plan.

(200 words max.)

Benefits to

individuals/

institution *

Describe clearly the planned outcomes and any potential benefits that will result from

the proposed collaboration for you, the Co-applicant and the respective

organisations. (200 words max.)

Benefits to

Applicant’s

country *

Describe any potential benefits to the applicant’s (early career researcher/PhD

student’s) country and its research that will result from the proposed project. (200

words max.)

Benefits to Co-

applicant’s

country *

Describe any potential benefits to the co-applicant’s country that will result from the

proposed project. (200 words max.)

Use of Animals in Research

The Royal Society is committed to supporting the development of alternative methods to reduce and/or

replace the use of animals in research. Applicants proposing to use animals in their research must ensure

that the use of animals falls within the regulations stipulated in the Animals (Scientific Procedures Act)

1986 and subsequent amendments. Additionally, applicants should continually be aware of developments

in best practice, and adopt the principles of the 3Rs (https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/the-3rs) when designing and

conducting experiments on animals.

As a funder of research, the Society takes its responsibilities towards the UK Animals (Scientific

Procedures Act) 1986 seriously, and requires applicants to consider the questions below when preparing

grant applications that include the use of animals.

Does your

proposal involve

the use of animals

or animal tissue? *

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If you have selected ‘Yes’ it is mandatory to complete all of the

relevant questions on the Use of Animals in Research page.

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Financial Details

Budget Table * You are permitted to claim a maximum of up to: £6,000 for:

Travel

Subsistence

Research costs

Equipment

*Attendance at conferences

*(Up to £1,500, attendance at conferences)

Please could you provide costs in £ (UK pound sterling).

If you are successful the cost of the award, can be converted into local currency or

currency of your choice (e.g. US dollars)

Justification for

Travel *

Provide justification for the amount requested for international travel to be undertaken

and the cost of individual travel visits.

Note: international & national airfares are expected to be economy

You must complete a provisional visit plan for the duration of the award presenting

the details as follows:

Visit 1: Name of Individual (applicant or co-applicant)

Length of visit, estimated date of visit, destination, cost of travel (£)

Visit 2: Name of Individual (applicant or co-applicant)

Length of visit, estimated date of visit, destination, cost of travel (£)

Justification for

Subsistence *

Fully justify your request for subsistence detailing accommodation, food and local

travel costs to be incurred as a result of the International Travel/visits detailed above.

You must complete a provisional visit plan for the duration of the award presenting

the details as follows as:

Visit 1: Name of Individual (applicant or co-applicant)

Length of visit, estimated date of visit, destination, cost of subsistence (£)

Visit 2: Name of Individual (applicant or co-applicant)

Length of visit, estimated date of visit, destination, cost of subsistence (£)

Justification for

Consumables

(incl. fieldwork) *

Fully justify your request for consumables, including expenses for fieldwork.

i.e. Item 1: cost; Item 2: cost i.e. Computer software: £500; Visa charges (x1):

£100etc.

Eligible consumable costs include, travel to conferences and registration fees, Visa

charges, police registration fees, postage and printing, books, reagents, computer

software, fieldwork expenses, and animal and plant licence fees.

Ineligible consumable costs include, but are not limited to, publication costs,

computer hardware, bench fees, departmental costs/overheads, medical insurance,

excess baggage, expenses relating to accompanying dependents, contributions

towards salaries, costs involving travel to a third country.

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Applicant and Co-applicant Head of Departmental Support

Confirmation of support of the research project is required by the departmental heads of both the applicant

and co-applicant. The applicant must invite both departmental heads to participate in completion of the

application form before it can be submitted for approval.

Please ensure that you use the correct email address when inviting the following:

The Head of Department of the “applicant”

The Head of Department of the “co-applicant”

In the event that either the “applicant” or “co-applicant” is the Head of Department, statements will need to

be supplied by the individual to whom the “applicant or “co-applicant” reports i.e. a Dean or Head of

Faculty.

Before inviting Heads of Department to participate in completion of your application form, the

Applicants are instructed to ensure that the Heads of Department are willing and available to

provide a confirmation of support prior to the round closing date. Incomplete confirmations will

mean that an application cannot be submitted and will be deemed to be ineligible.

Please check which email address the Heads of Department would like you to use as they may already be

registered with a user account on Flexi-Grant®. It is important that you enter the correct email addresses

when inviting the Heads of Department to support your application, as an email will be sent automatically

from Flexi-Grant® to these individuals with instructions for viewing your application and providing their

support. Any mistakes in the email addresses supplied will delay the progress of your application.

It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to:

Inform the Heads of Department of the deadline

Liaise with the Heads of Department to ensure that they have received their invitation with

instructions to participate in completion of your application, as no provision is made for non-receipt

of these automatic emails.

Keep track of the progress of Heads of Department completion status on your application

summary page. You can issue a reminder email to the Heads of Department through the

participants tab on your application summary page.

If the instruction email from the Royal Society has not been received please:

a) double check the accuracy of the email address supplied on the application form

b) advise the intended recipient to check their spam filters/junk folders

c) contact the Royal Society with an alternative email address for the recipient

The Royal Society will not be held responsible for automated emails that are not received due to address

errors or spam filters.

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4. Review Process

All applications to the Commonwealth Science Conference (CSC) Follow-on Grants are

reviewed and assessed by two members of the selection panel who have the most appropriate

scientific expertise using the criteria detailed on page 6.

It is expected that applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email

approximately 3-4 months after the application deadline.

Please be assured that the Royal Society specifically requests anyone involved in reviewing

applications to consider them in confidence.

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Appendix 1: Application Submission Process Flow Diagram

Applicant (Early Career Researcher / PhD Student) fill in form

online via Flexi-Grant®

Both Head of Departments submits their

support via Flexi-Grant®

Application is submitted to the Royal Society

for approval via Flexi-Grant®

ROUND CLOSES

Final submission to the Royal Society

by deadline

21 September 2017

(15:00 UK time)

Application is checked for eligibility

and provision of support from both

Heads of Department

Rejection

Application enters selection

process

AWARDED

Non-

submissions:

Rejection

Rejection

ROUND OPENS on Flexi-Grant® week commencing 18 July 2017