A*STAR/MRC joint initiative to fund infectious disease research call for proposals - FAQs
Questions and answers regarding eligibility, funding, assessment and ethics for the MRC/A*STAR collaborative projects in infectious disease research.
Last modified: 1 April 2009
Eligibility
Q: Who is eligible?
A: The competition is open to researchers from UK research institutions in partnership with investigators from eligible institutions in Singapore. There must be at least one investigator from each country.
Q: Can MRC units and institutes apply under this call?
A: Yes. Where the MRC institute/unit is the lead applicant, any MRC award will be made on the basis of 100 percent directly incurred costs only and will not include indirect or estates costs.
Q: Is my UK institution eligible?
A: Eligible organisations fall into three categories:
- UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs);
- Research Council institutes;
- Independent Research Organisation (IROs).
Please see eligibility for Research Council funding for further details.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of applications I can submit?
A: Following projections of likely demand, you can be a Principal Applicant (PI) on one application only. However, Principal Investigators may also be a co-applicant (for example, second or third named applicant) or collaborator on any number of additional applications.
Q: Does my application have to include a Singapore partner?
A: Yes, all applications must be joint projects between UK and Singaporean researchers.
Q: What about Intellectual Property (IP) rights?
A: Any MRC establishments or directly-employed MRC staff will need to discuss IP with MRC Technology. The MRC does not deal with IP rights to research funded on grants (for extramural research). The research organisation will have to handle this with the Singapore collaborator (taking care to retain IP rights themselves). The MRC will need agreement and confirmation that the data generated from this research can be placed in the public domain within a reasonable timeframe.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of applications a research organisation can submit?
A: No, there is no limit per research organisation, but we would strongly suggest that research organisations consider the funds available when approving applications for submission, and their capacity to deliver the full range of proposed studies.
Q: Can I submit research which has previously been submitted to an MRC Research Board or Panel and was not funded?
A: Yes, if a year has passed since the original submission. However, it is expected that the proposal will have been substantially revised, taking into account the feedback/comments received, such that it is more competitive. Similarly, MRC anticipates that applicants would have significantly revised proposals that may have been previously unsuccessful with other funders. To fit the remit of this call, all applications must now involve a partner from Singapore.
Q: If my application doesn’t fit the call remit, what options do I have?
A: If your application does not fit the remit of this call, but is within the broader sphere of MRC interest, then you may apply via the normal funding mechanisms.
Funding
Q: How much funding is available under this call?
A: Both the MRC and the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have committed £1 million (approx S$2.5million) each to this initiative to give a total pot of £2m (S$5million).
Q: What size of awards do you intend to make?
A: We aim to provide funding for joint projects between UK and Singapore researchers to “pump-prime” research projects of up to three years duration, not exceeding £300K/$S750K total combined UK and Singaporean costs.
Q: How do researchers access this money?
A: All costs incurred by the UK researchers must be requested from the MRC. All costs incurred by the Singapore researchers must be requested from A*STAR. Only UK costs should be entered on the EAA form using normal FEC rules. The Singapore costs should be attached as an annex, the pro-forma obtained from A*STAR. However, the total value being requested from A*STAR should be entered on the EAA form under “co-funder contribution” in £sterling. Research costs will therefore be met by the host institutions national funder and there will be no exchange of monies between MRC and A*STAR. It is expected that the costs will be approximately equal for both UK and Singapore.
Q: When is the deadline for submission of the full proposals?
A: 4pm, Wednesday 25 June 2009, UK time
As with normal applications, your application should be submitted to EAA via the UK host institution, please allow plenty of time for the application to be signed off by the local administrators.
Q: When will the awards be announced?
A: We plan to inform applicants as soon as possible after the Panel meeting in October/November 2009.
Q: What start date/when will funds be available from?
A: We are keen for grants to start as early as possible after 1st January 2010. Early planning for any regulatory submissions will help to prevent delays to initiating awarded projects.
Q: Will the application attract full economic costs (FEC)?
A: Yes, the application will need to be submitted on an FEC basis for the UK incurred costs only.
Q: Will awards be pruned?
A: Only under exceptional circumstances will awards be pruned. Therefore, it is important that applications are appropriately costed and represent clear value for money. If you over or under bid it is likely your application will be rejected.
Preparing an application
Q: My organisation is not registered to use the EAA.
A: Please contact the EAA helpdesk (admin.eaa@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk) as soon as possible with details of your organisation and the call you wish to apply for.
Q: How do I submit a full application?
A: Applications will only be accepted using the MRC’s Electronic Application Assessment (EAA). Applicants should refer to the general guidance for applicants (in the applicant’s handbook) and MRC standard terms and conditions as well as the frequently asked questions. UK applicants must abide by the MRC terms and conditions whilst Singaporean applicants must abide by A*STAR’s terms and conditions.
Q: When assigning my application on EAA which scientific contact should I choose?
A: Within the scientific classification page, for ‘MRC Office Scientific Contact:’ select ‘Dr Desmond Walsh’ from the drop down list.
Q: When preparing my application, what grant type do I select on EAA?
A: When completing your proposal, applicants should select ‘Strategic Grant’ for the ‘Grant Scheme you are applying for:’, ‘Managed Mode’ for ‘Are you applying in:’ and ‘New Application’ for ‘Type of Grant:’
Q: Is there a restriction on the typeface/pitch on the case for support?
A: Yes, applicants must use Verdana; pitch 10 for the content; which is the standard typeface on all MRC applications.
Q: What is the page limit for the case for support?
A: The case for support should be no more than eight pages long and should follow the normal MRC grant application form, but with the inclusion of the added value and management of the partnership plus a clear summary of costs requested from both the MRC (UK incurred costs) and A*STAR (Singapore incurred costs). Realistic plans for follow-up to the award will be very important, and applicants should include a list of success criteria.
Q: Can I create my own case for support document as I would for a normal research grant?
A: Yes, but please see answer above.
Please note: All mandatory sections on the application, highlighted in yellow, need to be completed.
Q: Can I include annexes in my application?
A: Yes. These are joint applications to MRC and A*STAR administered by the MRC. Therefore, A*STAR’s usual requirements for applications must be met. Applicants must provide the following annexes for the Singapore component of the application:
- Annex A: Ethical Declaration
- Annex B: Budget request and justification to A*STAR (3)
- Annex C: Milestones and Key Performance Indicators
- Annex D: Declarations by Singapore-based PI, Head of Department and Host Institution
Annexes must be obtained from A*STAR (www.a-star.edu.sg).The UK version of these annexes is contained within the EAA form itself however, it would be advisable to make Annex C applicable to the whole award.
All annexes must be attached as PDF files and the annex number and title clearly marked in the document header.
Q: What happens if my application is received after the deadline?
A: Proposals are electronically submitted by the PI’s host institution to the MRC. Any proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. Please allow sufficient time for your HEI to approve your application before submitting it to the MRC.
Assessment
Q: What will be the composition of the assessment panel?
A: Applications will be assessed and funding decisions will be made by a panel of MRC and A*STAR members and additional experts as appropriate, including representatives with an industry background. The exact composition of the panel will be dependent on the range of applications received.
Q: Will the applicant be given the opportunity to respond to the panel?
A: No. In common with other recent high-volume calls for proposals we will not be asking applicants to respond to the panel. The panel’s decision is final and will not be open to appeal.
Ethics and governance
Q: Do I need full ethics permission and regulatory approvals for any human studies in the grant proposal? If so, when should I apply for this?
A: The MRC does not require ethics permissions and regulatory approvals to be in place when you submit an application. However, given that experimental medicine research proposals may raise various ethical and regulatory issues, applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have adequately considered these. Early discussions with regulatory bodies may be required to ensure that all requirements can be met in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of your host institution to ensure that the appropriate ethics approval(s) have been obtained and that no research requiring such approval is initiated before it has been granted. Please click here for the full MRC terms and conditions. Singaporean applicants must follow the guidance of A*STAR.
Communications
Q: How will you let me know if my application has been successful?
A: We will notify the Principal Investigator of the decision by email communication.
Q: Will you publish a list of the awards that are made?
A: Following the funding decisions a list of awards will be made available on the MRC and A*STAR website (the list will be inclusive of name, title of grant, host institution and value awarded).
Other
Q: If my query is not answered by the FAQ’s, or I have a scientific query regarding my application, who do I contact?
A: For UK scientific enquiries please contact Dr Desmond Walsh
Contact: Dr Desmond Walsh
Telephone: 020 7670 5372
Email: desmond.walsh@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
All enquiries from Singapore-based researchers should be directed to the following A*STAR email address
Email: A-STAR_MRC_GRANT_CALL@a-star.edu.sg
Q: Who should I contact for queries concerning preparing my EAA application form?
A: Please contact the MRC EAA helpdesk:
EAA Helpdesk
Email: admin.eaa@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7670 5207
Web: www.eaa.mrc.ac.uk
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm
Please note that the EAA helpdesk voicemail will log calls at all other times and will take messages if the line is already in use.