Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) Enhancement Awards 2024 - NOW CLOSED

Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) Enhancement Funding – Now closed.

Background: The Researcher Development and Research Culture team has funding from Research England to support the development and enhancement of research culture related activities across the University of Exeter. 

Purpose: The ECRN Enhancement Awards provide funding for current ECRNs to enhance their activities, promote their activities or re-establish network activities. The awards are also available to create new ECRNs in or across departments/faculties that do not yet have an established ECRN (please check that an ECRN does not already exist (ECRN webpages). These awards are not for the establishment or development of PGR only networks.  

Criteria: The awards are offered to support events, workshops and initiatives e.g., speakers/facilitators and learning and development resources. Lead applicant must be an Early Career Researcher associated with an existing ECRN or wanting to establish an ECRN. For the purposes of this award an ECR is a researcher on an ‘R’ only contract grades E-G inclusive. 

The awarding panel are looking for creative and innovative bids that have a lasting impact. Proposed events can by delivered via hybrid, remote and face-to-face activities, but when running any form of face-to-face activity.

For those who received an award in 2023, you will need to clearly show in your application how your initiative builds upon what you did last time; it cannot be a repeat of your previous activities. All applications will need to clearly articulate your plan as to how the network will be developed beyond the activities related to the award. Although the award can support a social or community-building element, the bulk of the funding must be focused on learning and development activities and will need to align with one or more of the following themes:  

• Creating routes for collaboration and exchange with businesses, third sector organisations and government;  
• Career development at all stages;  
• Improving research conduct and reproducibility; 
• Improving research leadership skills; 
• Furthering open research practices; 
• Delivering new approaches to public dialogue and community-led research;
• Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in research; 
• Fostering collegiality and building research communities.

We have collated a series of FAQs - ECRN Enhancement Fund for any applicant who may have questions about the process or what the money can be spent on.   

You must consider the below when applying: 

1. The proposed activities must directly benefit parties beyond the named applicants, fully reflecting the beneficiaries detailed in the application.  
2. You will be required to provide details on how you propose for the project to have a long term impact. E.g. producing accompanying resources, guidance, establishing a committee etc.  
3. Successful applicants must agree to fulfil the responsibilities outlined in the Award Holders Responsibilities which includes taking full responsibility for managing the financial demands of the award. Full details can be found on the How To Guide.‌‌ 
4. You will be required to evaluate your activity, provide a short-written report in the style of a blog and send it to the Researcher Development & Research Culture Team: researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk  
5. Funding for internal room bookings, travel to conferences, equipment (including IT) or individual professional development are outside the scope of this funding.   

Number of initiatives and value of award: Funding is available from a pool of £12,500 (maximum of £3,125 per award).

1. The funding must have been spent by Friday 28^th June 2024, for example: Goods/services received  (pre-payment for goods/services received after the cut-off date is not eligible) and receipted  (on T1).
2. Travel undertaken prior to this date (prepayment for later travel is not eligible).
3. Consultancy payments made (for work undertaken within the funding period).

Administrative Support: 

1. The RD&RC team will be in a position to provide some administrative support for the duration of the award. You will need to identify, on your application form, the maximum number of administrative hours you believe you will need. If your application is successful, you will be notified of your time allocation.  
2. You will need to build into your planning how you will manage any administrative tasks that fall outside of the allocation you are given. 

 

The ECRN Enhancement Awards 2024 have been allocated, and we are delighted to announce this year’swinners. These awards aim to support the development and enhancement of Early Career Researcher Networks (ECRNs) at the University of Exeter. The selected projects have demonstrated outstanding contributions to fostering collaboration, career development, research culture, and community-building within the ECR community. Congratulations to the following winners: 

1. Biomedical Sciences ECRN and PGR Network Launch - Dr Sophie Walker 

2. ECR Network Event: Empowering ECRs, Building Connections - Dr Melika Janbakhsh 

3. Inspiration, Reflection & Action: Career Event for Geography Early Career Researchers - Dr Nina Lindstrom Friggens 

4. ECR Symposium and Research Skills Seminars - Dr Dimitar Vlaykov 

5. Establishing the Penryn Marine ECRN - Dr Chris Kerry 

6. Future of AI - Dr Cédric Mesnage 

The 2024 winners: