Grant Applications

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for Joule Centre research grants will be open to all Higher Education Institutes with in the Northwest. Certain elements of funding will also be open to other eligible research organisations and industry. The application process we are using is very similar to that used by the UK Research Funding Councils.

Calls for research proposals, will be issued twice yearly (January and June). For each call an information sheet will be issued briefly outlining the energy theme / subject area and budget details. All calls will be advertised on the Joule Centre web-site, at the Joule Forum and via the Northwest Universities Association. Some details may also be available at various other agencies such as Northwest Development Agency, Envirolink.

The funding is very flexible, with the scale of projects supported ranging from small value, short-term grants to research programmes costing in the region of £600,000. A wide variety of activities are supported, including feasibility studies, instrument development, equipment to support a number of research projects, travel grants and visiting researchers and research fellowships (Advanced Research and Postdoctoral Fellowships). High risk/high return research proposals, embracing new concepts or techniques, are particularly encouraged.

The level of funding for particular calls may vary, therefore the exact budget will be identified on the official announcement energy theme and invitation for calls for proposals.

The Joule Centre will be using the Full Economic Costing (fEC) model and all research grants awarded will be fixed price awards.