You can make a request to transfer money between types of cost – these are called fund headings.
If your project is funded by Innovate UK, contact your monitoring officer to make any changes.
The fund headings
When you made your application we asked you to outline how you would spend the money if you were awarded funding. This is usually based on four fund headings:
- directly incurred
- directly allocated
- indirect
- exceptions.
If your plans have changed you may be able to transfer some of your funding to a different heading to be spent elsewhere on your project.
Find full explanations of the fund headings for the research council that awarded your funding:
- AHRC guidance for applicants
- BBSRC guidance for applicants
- ESRC guidance for applicants
- EPSRC guidance for applicants
- MRC guidance for applicants
- NERC guidance for applicants
- STFC guidance for applicants
Who can transfer money between fund headings
The principal investigator is responsible for deciding how money is spent. They should agree with their project teams where it is appropriate to transfer money to another fund heading.
In most cases you do not need to get approval, unless we ask for it in the funding opportunity terms and conditions.
What you can transfer
Check your funding opportunity terms and conditions to find out what you can spend and where. You can find these in your offer document on the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.
For research grants or postdoctoral fellowships
You can only transfer money between fund headings for:
- directly incurred costs
- exceptions, excluding equipment.
Transfers between other headings are not permitted.
How much money you can claim depends on the fund heading. This is:
- up to 80% full economic costing for directly incurred costs
- up to 100% full economic costing for exceptions.
You cannot transfer funding between grants. A grant must be used on the awarded project only.
Transfers into or out of the equipment heading are not allowed. If you make savings on equipment purchases, you may be allowed to use this money for other equipment if it comes under the same fund heading. We must approve your request for this.
Funding may only be transferred to support an existing studentship post. If you want to create a new post, you must request it. We must approve your request.
For studentships or pre-doctoral fellowships
Money can be transferred between all fund headings, which cover:
- stipends
- research training support grants
- cohort training or administrative costs (where specifically provided as part of a training grant)
- travel and subsistence
- tuition fees.
Transfers will be at the rate that applies to the fund heading. You can find this in your award letter.
Disabled Students’ Allowance
Disabled Students’ Allowance is not classed as a fund heading. Money cannot be transferred into or out of this funding.
If we query a transfer
Occasionally we may query the costs submitted as part of a project’s final expenditure statement. This could be because:
- it relates to the transfer of funding between fund headings that are not specified in this guidance
- we asked you to seek permission and you did not
- we feel the spend has not been incurred in line with the funding terms and conditions.
We will contact the research office if we need more information. Costs may be removed from the final payment.
Ask a question about requesting a change
Email: Grantspostaward@funding.ukri.org
Telephone: 01793 867 121