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Research Operations Office

 

Published on 12 January 2011


Research Grants User Group (RGUG) Meeting - Tuesday 18 January 2011

The next meeting of the RGUG will take place on Tuesday 18 January at 9:30am and will be held in the Sanger Building, Department for Biochemistry, Tennis Court Road, Downing Site. The RGUG is led by the Research Office and is a forum where research grant administration issues and developments are discussed. Further details and minutes of the previous meeting can be found on the Research Office website http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/research/rgug/.

 

MRC Visit to Cambridge: e-Val and impact – Wednesday 26 January 2011

As you may be aware, the MRC have recently completed their second annual output data gathering survey e-Val. The Research Office has invited Dr Ian Viney, Head of Strategic Evaluation at the MRC to talk to academics about how they use the information collected, what the main messages and trends are, how the Cambridge response compares to the other big 5 Universities and how the data gathered has impacted on the future of availability of funding. The presentation will be held on Wednesday 26 January at 12:30pm in the Clinical School, Addenbrookes.

It would be helpful, though not essential, if you could indicate your interest in attending this session by emailing hannah.pawson@admin.cam.ac.uk.

 

Timesheets requirement

From 1 January 2011 it is a requirement to keep timesheets for Research Council grants for all Directly Incurred staff, except those who are working 100% of their contracted time on one project and Post Graduate Research students funded under a project. Details about how timesheets are used in the claiming of staff costs can be found on the Research Office website, along with an example of a timesheet template and FAQs http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/research/managing/timesheets.aspx. you have any questions please contact your School Team at the Research Office http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/research/contact/list.aspx

 

Isaac Newton Trust

The Isaac Newton Trust has recently written to all the Heads of Departments in the Biological, Clinical, Physical Sciences and Technology Schools advising them of a change to the application process. The key change is that for all final applications (i.e. not initial draft applications) the Head of Department will need to complete a questionnaire instead of writing a letter of support to the accompany their application.

Furthermore, the Trust has updated its guidelines about what makes a strong application, focusing on support for post-doctoral researchers and strategic bids for equipment which would be used by more than one lab or Department. Given these priorities, it is unlikely that applications from senior investigators with a programme grant or Departments with substantial funds would be successful in receiving an award from the Trust.

A copy of the letter and questionnaire can be found at the Research Office website http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/research/funding/sponsors/isaacnewton.aspx

fEC Rates Change

This is advance notice that the University, in line with fEC guidelines, will be implementing revised full economic cost rates from 1 February 2011. Please note that pFACT will not be available on the morning of Tuesday 1 February (8am to 12noon), in order to update these new University fEC rates. More information regarding these changes will be available in the next bulletin.