Strategic Partnership Accelerator Awards

It is envisaged that these awards will strengthen and build upon established strategic research partnerships, both UK and globally and will help cement these collaborations through a research award or joint application.

The awards will enable a short term transfer of between 3-6 months of researchers between academic institutions that would enable partnerships to be formed which may facilitate opportunities to apply for other funding sources such as Research Councils and the Industrial Strategy Fund. Each award is in the region of £68k.

All of the awards will be expected to deliver the following:

• An award to a Welsh Institution to pay for a researcher/group of researchers to be placed in an international partnership institution
• Development of Institutional collaboration plans with the UK/International partner that extend past the duration of the award
• Generation of preliminary research results to facilitate joint external grant applications to be submitted 12-18 months following the award.
• Development of early career researcher international networks to develop best practice and to enhance collaborative research opportunities.
• High quality and impact joint publications.

Each award will provide a package of 5 fellowships with an average of 4.5 month placement.

There are 5 awards available under this scheme with a regional split of 2 East Wales and 3 West Wales and the Valleys.

Eligibility Criteria

• Resources can be used to cover salary and/or provide travel and subsistence and some consumable costs
• Fellows must be employed by a Welsh Institution
• Collaboration, or intent to collaborate with a strategic partner must be evidenced as part of the proposal.
• Applicants outside of the region must comply with Geographic Eligibility Rules of ERDF operations
• Applicants can be of any nationality.
• Applicants must submit a completed application form and associated documents (supervisor form, ethics form, and CV).
• Applications must comply with the fundamental ethic principles as detailed in the ethics section.
• Applicants must have the support of their chosen host commercial/academic institution

Application Process

Applicants will need to propose a suitable project to be carried out in a Welsh host institution in the list.  

The research project will be created by the applicant but they must discuss this with their potential host institution before submission. 

All projects will be subject to ethical scrutiny and applicants will need to complete the ethical issues section within their application form.

Applicants should also include in their application form a copy of their most recent CV, no more than 3 pages in length.  This should include information about their education, previous employment and other relevant experience, information about any career breaks taken for maternity or caring responsibilities and so on, and a list of all their publications and grants awarded. 

Applicants should also provide in the covering email the names of 2 referees who know their work and the proposed area of research.

Host institutions should provide a breakdown of the costs for the fellow using the tables within the application form.