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Research Operations Office

 

Published on 6 February 2020


fEC from 1st February 2020

Please be advised that X5 has been updated with the new fEC rates for 2020. The revised fEC rates are available on the PRAO website. If you have any queries related to the updates, please contact your Research Development Team at the Research Operations Office.

MRF / SRF Rates from 1st February 2020

Users of X5 will need to update their costings (go to the Rates Tab / Facilities Rates File / select the new date and save or use the Apply all updated files now option). 

Also be aware that for MRF / SRF rates -

  • The funder budget headings in the Facilities tab have been removed and will need to be re-entered

  • Facilities using ‘Variable rates’ have defaulted to 0.01. Users will need to change this figure back to previously agreed rate

  • Facilities that are no longer available should be replaced by a new or similar facility.

British Heart Foundation – Inflation on Salaries

The British Heart Foundation have recently updated their application portal and guidelines for grants.  As a result of this, a provision for inflation should now be included on Salaries, previously this was not the case.  The current schemes on X5 are being reviewed and amended to reflect this change however, please refer to the new guidelines to familiarise yourself with their requirements.

Researchfish submission period now open

The annual submission period on Researchfish is 3 February 2020 to 4pm on 12 March 2020 for most funders. Emails have been sent to award holders from Researchfish on behalf of the funders informing PIs that they need to complete their annual submission by 12 March. Further details can be found on the ROO website.

UKRI changes to Pathways to Impact

UK Research and Innovation has announced changes to requirements on ‘Pathways to Impact’.  As a result of this change, the ‘Pathways to Impact’ plan or ‘Impact Summary’ are no longer required within a grant application. These changes will be implemented from 1st March 2020, including those “under preparation” on this date. 

Impact remains an integral component of the assessment criteria for UKRI proposals, and it is important to take this into consideration throughout your application. Applicants must still consider how they will or might achieve impact throughout their projects and include this as part of their Case for Support. Activities to realise impact do not have to be cost-incurring, but relevant costs can be included and must be fully justified within the Justification of Resources statement. The Case for Support page limit will not be increased as a result of this change. 

As this area continues to develop, the Research Operations Office will monitor and communicate further updates from UKRI and council specific requirements.