This funding opportunity is for researchers to collaborate with Switzerland-based researchers in four areas of priority:
- languages
- materials
- synthetic biology
- life and physical sciences interface.
Cross-cutting themes that are integrated into the four areas (such as artificial intelligence or big data) are also eligible.
More detail on thematic descriptions can be found in the funding opportunity guidance document, which can be found under the ‘additional info’ section.
Awards may be used to fund the costs associated with the following collaborative activities (spanning from one month to one year in duration):
- travel for one or more UK-based applicants to Switzerland
- visits to Swiss institutions and access to Swiss facilities
- exchange of knowledge, skills and best practice (such as to host training sessions or webinars)
- organisation of workshops and networking events (including virtual initiatives)
- other collaborative activities (for example, costs associated with meetings to discuss the preparation of joint grant proposals).
Partnering award funds can be used to support student visits and knowledge exchanges. However, applications will not be accepted where this is the primary aim of the project.
The funding should be to enable the mobility of people and an exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Research groups, including international partners, can bring other sources of funding to the project. This could include a monetary contribution from your institution or department or in-kind contributions.
Projects are expected to start from 1 August 2022 and be from one month to one year in duration. They should aim to finish by 31 December 2023.
Objectives
The objectives that underpin this funding opportunity are to:
- provide an opportunity for UK and Swiss researchers to establish new research collaborations
- support the strengthening of existing collaborations between UK and Swiss researchers, research laboratories and institutions
- promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise between researchers and technical specialists
- enable travel and visits to Switzerland to support access to facilities, universities and labs.
Costs
The value of the award must not exceed £25,000.
Applications should be made at current costs in accordance with subsistence and travel regulations at your institution.
For each main activity, indicative costs should be shown within the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) form being submitted. We may index approved costs, therefore awards made will include an allowance for inflation. All resources requested in the application must be fully justified.
See the Je-S application process guidelines in the funding opportunity guidance document.
Only directly incurred costs can be applied for under this funding opportunity. You should apply for 100% of the cost of the activities which you wish to undertake.
We will pay the award directly to the lead UK organisation, which (where necessary) will be responsible for disbursing the funds to the co-investigators.
Permitted costs could include:
- travel and subsistence
- accommodation
- venue hire
- costs to cover additional caring responsibilities.
Support for access to overseas facilities
Funds may be used to support access to specialist equipment and facilities overseas. These direct research costs may not account for more than 20% of the total value requested from us and cannot be used to support salary costs, consumables, overheads or items of equipment.
Costings should be outlined in Je-S in the ‘other directly incurred costs’ section.
Support available for people with caring responsibilities
You can request additional care costs as part of the grant proposal. These may cover the additional care requirements for visits, meetings and overseas travel undertaken as part of the supported activity.
Costs which form part of someone’s normal care arrangements must not be included and planning for the care to be provided is the carer’s responsibility.
Costs should be reasonable and outlined in the ‘other directly incurred costs’ section of the Je-S application. Funds for supporting people with caring responsibilities should form part of the overall budget envelope.
Involvement of early career researchers and technicians
Collaborative activities are not limited to the principal investigator and we encourage the involvement of early career researchers and technicians within the project.
We aim to enable a dynamic, diverse and inclusive system of research and innovation in the UK, which gives the opportunity for everyone to participate and to benefit.
People are the heart of this system, so we therefore encourage principal investigators to consider involvement of the broader research base when developing applications for this funding opportunity, explaining their approach in the case for support.
Further detail on the breadth of the technical, practical, analytical and management skills which technicians contribute, may be found within the UKRI technician commitment action plan (PDF, 2.9MB).
Partnering award funds can be used to support student visits and knowledge exchanges. However, applications will not be accepted where this is the primary aim of the project.
What we will not fund
These grants are not a vehicle for supporting single research projects and therefore cannot be used for:
- salary costs
- consumables
- items of equipment
- conference attendance
- other research costs
- estate costs.
For convenience, we allow award holders to arrange collaborative meetings alongside a conference at which partners are present and the award can be used to fund the additional costs for these meetings.
Conference registration fees and other conference associated costs cannot be funded.
COVID-19
You must follow travel advice set out by your institution and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before departure and should check travel guidance for countries of interest when preparing an application.
We will not cover the cost of time spent in quarantine due to travel on a partnering award.
