Important bits about seedcorn funding:

This is an opportunity for mixed teams of researchers to carry out curiosity-driven, playful, exploratory and equitable projects to take the first steps in developing and pursuing new research. We especially welcome applications from teams that might find it difficult to find early-stage funding because of the novelty of the ideas, methods or approaches. The funding:

• Aims to support research projects that are interdisciplinary and co-produced
• Requires projects to have an element of creative approaches and making in the research process
• Welcomes applications that explore what it means to be human in the 21^st Century
• Values the fact that knowledge creation lies everywhere and not just within the university setting
• Supports projects that address a gap in existing knowledge
• Prioritises projects that are planned and run equitably and fairly
• Requires a clear and detailed plan for the research
• Ensures costs are available for everyone involved in the project and for a range of activities

2023-24 Highlight on cultural partnerships:

We welcome applications that explore any aspect of what it means to be human, but are especially interested in receiving applications with a cultural focus and that engage with cultural institutions, including  working with the University of Bristol’s Special Collections or the Theatre Collections in their research.

To discuss potential collaborations with the University of Bristol’s Special Collections or the Theatre Collection, the contact details are:

• Julian Warren, Head of Theatre Collection – julian.warren@bristol.ac.uk - https://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatre-collection/
• Nicky Sugar, Head of Special Collections - nicky.sugar@bristol.ac.uk - https://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/special-collections/

Timescales and funding limits:

Closing date: 12pm Tuesday 14^th November (but please note there are internal deadlines for costing your application in Worktribe before the closing date - see the dates further down this page)

Funding limits: normally up to £9,000 per award, and up to an increased £15,000 per award if employing a university researcher (no more than £6,000 to be used for the researcher)

Number of awards: up to 6

Outcomes: announced w/e 1^st December

Cohort meetings:           

• Initial meeting of all awarded projects: morning of Tuesday 19^th December 2023 (lunch provided)
• 2nd cohort meeting: morning of Wednesday 10^th April (lunch provided)
• Final cohort meeting: afternoon Wednesday 16^th October (lunch provided) 

We expect all teams to be able to attend these cohort meetings as part of their funding.

Period of research/making: January to October 2024

What are we looking for in a Brigstow project?

• Novelty: The project should address a gap in existing knowledge. It may be that the topic has been researched before, but by bringing in different expertise and people, you are generating new insights that take the research forward.

• Exploratory: Funds are available to undertake early-stage, explorative research pilot projects. This funding is also suitable if you received Ideas Exchange funding from us before and are now ready to embark upon testing those ideas through a seedcorn research project.

• Co-produced: We expect all seedcorn projects to be driven by a research question that is co-created by, and intended to benefit, everyone involved in the project, and sois likely to need a range of disciplines in the university (interdisciplinarity) and expertise from a diverse range of partners from beyond the university. Projects should be collaborative at all stages of the research process – so co-created, co-designed and co-led.

• Radically interdisciplinary: brings together people with different knowledge, expertise, skills and ideas. We are particularly interested in bringing university researchers from different schools or faculties together for the first time to use different methods and approaches.

• Creative: creative processes and critical making are valued as part of the research process so should be included as part of your approach. These approaches move beyond talking together, to making together as a valued process in the research project.

• Equitable: We encourage project teams to aspire to equity amongst team members throughout the research process, from inception through to delivery. This means everyone’s expertise is respected, and there is trust and open communication across the team.

In return we will:

• Provide funding! We will also support you in the practical elements of your project – so help with the budget management, setting up partners as suppliers, help understand the university systems and signpost you to other support

• Include you and your team in the 2023-24 cohort meetings throughout the year – these are times for you to catch up with your team, exchange ideas with other teams, explore changes and challenges in your teams and communicate the progress of your research

• Will add all members of the team to the Brigstow Family mailing list (this is different from our general mailing list and is only for communications relevant to people we have funded). You will be able to unsubscribe from this list if you choose

• Create an initial project web page for you on the Brigstow website using information from your application

• Feature your work on the Brigstow Institute website and in publications. This includes not only any direct outputs of the research but also the learning from the process

• Provide your team with an opportunity to showcase your project and its outcomes, whether that be through helping you communicate to different audiences or through events

• Signpost you to other opportunities for funding or other activities

• Be approachable, non-judgmental and honest when responding to questions and requests

Funding available and eligible costs:

The funding for this call will be distributed between the highest-ranked projects (assessed by the Brigstow Steering Group). The closing date is Tuesday 14^th November at 12:00 noon.

In keeping with our wish for projects to be equitable, we do not expect a single lead for the project – everyone named on the project has equal status. The university partner who will be the designated budget holder, however, will need to submit a full financial costing on Worktribe (the university’s finance system for projects) to be approved internally prior to submitting the application.

Up to £9,000 per grant, although larger bids of up to £15,000 will be considered only if the additional cost is to cover the cost of employing a researcher through the university.

• Research collaborator time and costs e.g. artists, community partner, charities (including VAT if they are VAT registered)

• Directly Incurred Staff costs – these are the costs for researchers who do not already work full-time at the University such as research associates and students.

• Directly Allocated Staff costs - for those who do have paid contracts at the university. This will recognize the time spent by those involved on the project who are already employed by the university. Their time can be included but you should seek advice from your Costing Specialist as to whether to include or exclude the actual costs in the ‘cost to funder’ (this will differ for each project and will need Head of School approval)

• Workshops (including catering and payments for research participants)

• Travel (including the travel needed to work together)

• Consumables, resources and equipment necessary for the project including team meetings

Eligibility:

• For a project to be eligible we would normally expect a minimum of three researchers to be involved (made up of a mix of university, community and creative researchers) all bringing different knowledge, expertise, ideas and skills to the project.

• Brigstow encourages applications from any University of Bristol academic staff who consider themselves research active. We particularly welcome applications from colleagues who have not yet been a principal investigator on a research grant.  If you are in any doubt about your eligibility, please speak to us first.

• At least one of the university researchers must be based at the University of Bristol for the project to be eligible for financial accountability.

• Applications must be in keeping with the Brigstow Institute’s broad focus on ‘what it means to be human in the 21st century’.  This might include how we live well with loss, with our senses, with others, with the more-than-human, and across different generations and spaces. Anything that critically explores and reimagines how we live well together will be considered.

• The Brigstow seedcorn funding is for research. Whilst a product is acceptable as an output, seedcorn funding should not be seen as a source of funding for product development only. We are interested in helping new teams work together on co-produced and interdisciplinary research rather than funding the knowledge exchange or impact of existing research, or public engagement activities without a research component.

• Your team agrees to attend the 2023-24 cohort meetings on the: morning of Tuesday 19^th December 2023,  morning of Wednesday 10^th April 2024, afternoon of Wednesday 16^th October 2024. Please ensure that the whole team understand they will need to attend all these cohort meetings as listed above.

Before you apply:

It takes time to develop the ideas – if discussions are at an early stage and you are still confirming partners and need resource to adequately co-create a research agenda and research questions, you might want to consider the Ideas Exchange first.

But if you are pretty sure you want to apply as a team, you might want to explore some of our toolkits to aid your discussions. All these resources could be useful as you develop your ideas and frame your project.

You might also want to look at some Words of Wisdom gathered from previous Brigstow seedcorn project teams that might help guide you when planning your project.

How to apply:

The deadline for this competition is Tuesday 14^th November 2023 at 12:00 noon.

Worktribe guidance and finance deadlines (for the attention of the budget holder).

Please note that you cannot submit your application to Brigstow before the costing and finance approvals within the university are completed.

The university partner’s costing specialist will be able to help, but please follow the Brigstow-specific guidance at https://www.bristol.ac.uk/brigstow/resources/finance.admin/worktribe/.

All applications will need to include a costing that has been completed using the University of Bristol’s Worktribe costing tool AND be approved prior to the seedcorn closing date in accordance with the rules for Worktribe. You will need to include your budget breakdown and justification in the application form. If you have any problems using the form, please contact hello-brigstow@bristol.ac.uk as soon as possible.

The following is to give you an idea of the timescale that the designated budget holder on your application must follow – these are internal deadlines for the university but while there could be some flexibility, these are the usual timescales you should follow.

• 3 weeks before the application deadline (by 24th October 2023), the budget holder needs to create their Worktribe and start populating the budget, and contact their costing specialist within the university if you need any help.
• 1 week before the application deadline (by 7th November 2023) the budget holder needs to submit the costing for review so that the relevant approvals within the university can be completed.
• 2 working days before the application deadline (by Friday 10^th November 2023) finance and Head of School approvals should have been completed to allow you to submit your Brigstow seedcorn application by the deadline of Tuesday 14^th November 2023 at 12:00 noon.

To submit your application to Brigstow:

To apply, please go to https://brigstow.powerappsportals.com/uob_application_form/ and then complete the online form. The Application Form Questions are available at the bottom of this page to aid you in framing your application.

Support with your application

We are hosting a workshop on co-produced research facilitated by artist Hannah Mumby on co-produced research). This will take place on 4th October from 13:15 to 16:45 and you can book by clicking on this link - https://brigstowinstitute.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/event/introcoproduced

There will be opportunities to meet and discuss potential projects with Brigstow colleagues - if you would like to meet and discuss potential projects with Brigstow colleagues please contact us at hello-brigstow@bristol.ac.uk and we’ll arrange a 30 minute appointment with either Gail Lambourne (Brigstow Institute Manager) or Debbie Watson (Brigstow Institute Director).

Outcomes communicated via email by w/e 1st December 2023

We envisage a period of research/making, which can span the summer period, from January to October 2024.

Application form questions

The main body of the application is the case for support. We have suggested questions below to help frame your application but they are deliberately broad to allow for a range of ideas and projects.  These questions will be used by the Steering Group as assessment criteria for the call.  In carrying out the assessment, the Steering Group will be reading a range of applications - they will need to be both excited by your ideas but also clear about what the team is intending to do.

There are specific questions on the online application form asking for the following: