Our mission is to support a thriving UK research and innovation landscape. To achieve this we will ensure that funding opportunities are accessible to appropriate research and innovation communities in the UK and overseas.
This policy will support UKRI to deliver its mission by setting out the UKRI-wide principles on working with international project co-leads to create a simpler funding process across the UK research and innovation.
Purpose of this policy
This policy sets out the principles of allowing for the costs of one or more international project co-leads to be included on a UKRI grant, up to a limited amount. The policy allows researchers from a research organisation outside of the UK to be recognised for their contribution to the work conducted and ownership of ideas.
Who this policy applies to
This policy applies to UKRI and the following councils:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- Medical Research Council (MRC)
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
We will identify appropriate opportunities where the role of a project co-lead (international) will be implemented. These opportunities will be clearly outlined on the UKRI funding finder.
Definition of terms
Official development assistance (ODA)
This is government aid that promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list
This shows all countries and territories eligible to receive ODA. These consist of all low and middle income countries based on gross national income (GNI) per capita as published by the World Bank, with the exception of G8 members, EU members, and countries with a firm date for entry into the EU. The list also includes all of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as defined by the United Nations (UN).
Full economic cost (FEC)
The full economic cost of a project is the full cost of undertaking the activity to the research organisation. It includes all direct and indirect costs such as space, central services, depreciation and a contribution to investment in infrastructure.
Research organisation (RO)
An organisation capable of carrying out research activities who applies for a grant from UKRI.
Principles
The policy is not a separate funding scheme. It aims to provide a simple and consistent mechanism for collaboration, and to allow international researchers to be included as a project co-lead on UKRI proposals with a UK project lead.
UKRI and the councils will identify appropriate opportunities where the role of a project co-lead (international) is implemented. Eligible schemes are specified as per council or funding applicant guidance.
There is no direct involvement from any overseas research funding agencies, or separate international decision-making process.
This policy is not applicable to Lead Agency funding opportunities which have different criteria and governance arrangements.
Eligibility
Applications must be submitted by a project lead employed by a UK research organisation eligible to receive funding from UKRI (excluding Innovate UK and Research England).
The UK project lead must meet the relevant eligibility criteria for the specific funding opportunity being applied for. The application’s leadership and budget will be awarded to organisations eligible to receive UKRI funding.
A project co-lead (international) is an individual employed by a research organisation (RO) in an overseas country who otherwise fits the normal definition of a project co-lead on a research project, collaborating with the grant holder in the management and leadership of the project. Project co-leads (international) will not be expected to take on a leadership role for some schemes where not appropriate to the scheme purpose (for example, fellowships).
The project co-lead is usually expected to make a major intellectual contribution to the design and conduct of the project. Project co-leads (international) will not be permitted to take over as project lead if the UK project lead steps down for any reason. The contribution and added value of the international participants to the research collaboration should be clearly explained and justified in the application.
The international RO would be expected to meet the general equivalent requirements for being eligible to receive UKRI funding, taking into account the national context of the international RO. This means the international RO should meet the relevant equivalent criteria specified in the guidance applicable for:
- registered higher education institutions (HEIs)
- research institutes receiving long-term investments through relevant national funders
- independent research organisations with existing in-house capacity to carry out and lead research, including but not limited to approved charitable or non-governmental organisations (NGO)
The UK RO must meet UKRI terms and conditions, including non-financial policies, such as Trusted Research and Innovation principles, with relation to the international RO.
It is the responsibility of the UK RO to undertake any due diligence necessary to ensure the eligibility of the international RO and project co-lead (international), and to make sure appropriate collaboration agreements are in place as required. There will be no requirement to provide evidence of these due diligence checks at the application stage, but the UK RO will be subject to business-as-usual funding assurance by UKRI.
Costs
UKRI will pay the award directly to the lead UK organisation under its standard terms and conditions for research grants. The UK organisation where the UK project lead is based will then be responsible for paying the funds to the project co-lead’s (international) RO.
All costs must be listed in pound sterling (GBP) and UKRI will pay the award to the eligible lead organisation in GBP.
ODA funding opportunities may have additional ODA specific additions, rules or restrictions on costs to the ones outlined. These will be clearly outlined in the applicant guidance.
Eligible costs
UKRI only covers specific costs of project co-leads (international) involved in applications led by UK project leads, up to a limit of 30% of the overall cost of the project. All costs must be fully justified and will be assessed in the context of the proposal as a whole.
There is an exception for funding opportunities and applications involving partners from countries on the OECD DAC list (excluding India and China). At the discretion of the lead council for each funding opportunity, the funding cap can be raised or lifted entirely. Details will be in the relevant funding opportunity applicant guidance. For ODA funding opportunities the cap must be lifted for DAC-list countries (except India and China). Details will be listed in the relevant funding opportunity applicant guidance.
Directly incurred costs (for example, travel and subsistence costs, conference attendance) for a project co-lead (international) are required to be reasonable. Applicants may apply for funds to cover other directly incurred costs (for example, consumables, consultancy fees, survey costs and equipment costing less than £10,000), provided they are fully justified.
Applicants may apply for funds to cover the cost of roles based in the international RO to support the research activities in that country. Roles applicants can apply to cover are:
- researcher co-lead
- research and innovation associate
- specialist
- technician
- professional enabling staff
For example, salary costs for individuals employed directly at an international organisation or seconded from a UK organisation. Definition of the individual roles can be found on roles in funding applications: eligibility, responsibilities and costings guidance
Where the individual is recruited and employed by the international RO to support the project co-lead (international), these direct costs will be paid at 100%. In cases where the individual is employed by a UK organisation but seconded to the international RO, costs will be paid at 80%.
Funds for doctoral students are not covered unless their work is relevant to the project and falls into one of the roles mentioned above, in which case they should be listed as such. Funding to cover grant managers is not excluded, but the use of the role and its eligibility should be specified in the applicant guidance.
UKRI will only cover salary costs for project co-leads (international), provided that these costs are well justified. For example, it is demonstrated that the funding of Project Lead salaries within research grants is the standard practice of the international RO, and that these costs cannot be covered through other sources. Alternative arrangements to secure researcher time, such as teaching replacement costs, will be considered where these are required by the project co-lead’s (international) organisation.
UK organisations preparing applications for submission are strongly advised to liaise closely with the project co-leads (international) named on the application to ascertain any requirement for salary costs. Salary costs requested for the project co-lead (international), especially if from a non-DAC list country, must be clearly justified within the resources and costs section of the application.
UK applicants budgeting for the use of large infrastructure or facilities, should, where possible, use UK large infrastructure or facilities when applying to UKRI funding.
Ineligible costs
Overseas estates and other indirect costs
Since institutions outside the UK do not use the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology, it is not possible for UKRI to check and monitor the calculation of estates, overheads and indirect costs in overseas institutions. For these reasons UKRI councils will not normally consider any estates, overheads or indirect costs relating to project co-leads (international).
Optionally, councils may consider providing some overheads support for project co-leads in countries on the OECD DAC list (excluding India and China) and where it can be shown that it will assist in developing research capacity. In this case overheads are usually paid at 20% of the international RO’s directly incurred costs. This should be specified in the applicant guidance.
Overseas equipment
Any individual item, or components combined to make an item, with a value greater than £10,000. Exceptions for DAC-list countries (except India and China) are possible if the only means of delivering the research programme. Details will be specified in the applicant guidance.
Funding limits
Justified costs for project co-leads (international) will be funded at 100% of the direct costs.
The total costs claimed for the project co-lead (international) contribution to a project must not exceed 30% of the overall cost of the project, calculated at 100% full economic cost (FEC). Applicants who include project co-leads (international) must fully justify the associated costs within the resource and costs section of the application.
For funding opportunities and applications involving partners from countries on the OECD DAC list (excluding India and China) the funding cap can be lifted. Details should be listed in the relevant applicant guidance.
More than one project co-lead (international) may be involved in an application to an eligible funding opportunity. As a default position, the combined funding incurred by the project co-leads (international) should not exceed 30% of the overall cost of the project, calculated at 100% FEC.
All costs must be justified, and applicants must explain why such costs are required to achieve the aims of the research project, with an appropriate explanation of which costs in the application relate to the project co-lead (international). Each budget line requested for project co-leads (international) should be itemised within the resources and costs section.