UK-France Science, Innovation, and Technology pump-priming grants scheme

About the scheme

Following the UK-France bilateral research dialogue which took place on 29 February 2024 in London, the UK government and the French government each committed funding to support the establishment and development of research collaborations on a bilateral basis between the UK and France.

In line with this objective, UUKi is launching the UK-France Science, Innovation, and Technology pump-priming scheme. This programme of competitive grants is available exclusively to UUK member institutions to use in the context of research and innovation partnerships with France. We welcome creative applications from institutions for activities that support the development of new, recently established or dormant partnerships between the UK and France as they relate to research and innovation, with a goal of developing and submitting a Horizon Europe application building on their grant idea for the first time.

The funding for this pump-priming scheme has been provided by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) via the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF).

Objectives and aims of the scheme

Successful institutions will be expected to demonstrate how the targeted activities will support or enable researchers to develop collaborative activity between the UK and France, with a goal of working towards a submission of a Horizon Europe application, building on their grant idea when a relevant call opens. Applications from Lead Researchers who have previously not received any Horizon Europe (or predecessor) funding are particularly encouraged. Project activity could include:

feasibility studies;
project development workshops;
application advice and training;
partnership building;
resource to develop an application for Horizon Europe participation.

In line with UUK’s charitable objectives, the primary beneficiaries of the funding programme must be UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

The outcomes that the programme will deliver include:

UK universities will have resources to build long-term strategic partnerships that support both institutional and UK-wide research and innovation priorities.
Shared resources and capabilities that will better position UK universities to participate in Horizon Europe.
Partnerships between the UK and French research ecosystem that advance existing, and develop new, research and innovation collaborations, with a particular focus on Horizon Europe.
Applicants who have never received EU Framework Programme funding will be supported to develop Horizon Europe applications, including Early Career Researchers.

Eligibility

The UK-France Science, Innovation and Technology pump-priming scheme is open to all UK HEIs that are UUK members, and eligible to receive grant funding from one of the UK higher education funding bodies (such as UK Research and Innovation).

It is expected that the Lead applicant from the UK HEI will lead the relationship with the existing or new partner in France.

Completed application forms must be submitted online by a designated Lead applicant from a UK HEI and signed off by an appropriate senior representative of the institution.

To be eligible to apply the Lead applicant must:

be a researcher;
hold a PhD or equivalent qualification;
be a permanent employee or treated as one throughout the proposed research project;
devote a set amount of their working hours to delivering this project;
be proposing to establish either a new partnership, or nurture a recently-established or dormant French partnership;
confirm that the proposal has been discussed with their French counterparts.

If your French counterpart has received funding via the Sophie Germain Funding Scheme by the French Embassy in London, you will need to indicate this as part of your application.

How to apply

The deadline for applications is Friday 29 November 2024 at 5pm (GMT).

All applications must be submitted via the dedicated call webpage using the designated online application form. See below for links to all documentation related to the scheme.

Application form and accompanying documentation

Application form - now closed for submissions
Call guidelines
Selection criteria
Budget template
Report form template
Budget report template
Offer letter including terms and conditions – available upon request by emailing [email protected]

Frequently asked questions

The frequently asked questions will be updated to ensure that answers to questions are as transparent as possible. Please check back regularly or get in touch with us at [email protected] if you can’t find the answer to your question.

Application

I’m having trouble viewing the online application form

The application form has been created using Microsoft Forms. If you are having trouble viewing this, please try to open the form in a different web browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer). If the form does not load immediately, please click the refresh button, this sometimes resolves the issue. If you have tried multiple browsers, and have refreshed the page but still cannot see the online application form, please email our Strategic Partnerships Team: [email protected].

Who should submit the application and who is the responsible signatory?

The lead applicant, namely the person who will be most closely involved with the delivery of the proposed project at the UK higher education institution (HEI), should complete and submit the application form. However, please note that the lead applicant must obtain the appropriate level of institutional sign off (this will depend on the UK HEI’s internal approval processes) before submitting the application.

Will there be a second call for proposals?

There is not currently any plan to run a second Pump Priming scheme. However, a UK France mobility scheme is expected to be delivered in 2025.

When will the reporting templates and offer of award letter (which includes terms and conditions) be made available on the call webpage?

The reporting templates and offer of award letter (which includes Terms and Conditions) will follow in the week commencing 4 November 2024 and will be added, alongside the other relevant call documents, to this webpage in full.

Do I need to confirm the details of the individual researchers planning to be included in the scheme as part of my application?

You need to provide the name, role, and a very brief explanation of the role of staff connected to the funded project in the application form.

What is covered under travel costs?

You can claim for standard class/economy rail and flight fares. Any other class will not be covered.

The online application form requests an administrative contact. What kind of person are you looking for?

It would be someone who would administer the funds if the grant is successful. It depends entirely on the structure of your university and what type of departments you have. Most institutions will have research award personnel who deal with incoming awards and liaise with finance to administer these.

Is a letter of support required for the application?

No. Only the completed application form and a budget spreadsheet is required for submission.

Can weblinks be included in the application, e.g. to external sites and key references?

If you believe that they are an important part of your proposal, then you can certainly include these. However, please be aware of all word limits. The application form will not cut you off when you have reached the limit, so you will need to ensure that you monitor these yourself.

Could you please confirm if the following schemes include opportunities for researchers in the health sector and support themes related to health innovation?

The disciplines that you can apply for are not specified; it is open to all disciplines, so long as the project proposal aims to fulfil the wider aim of contributing to/preparing for a Horizon Europe submission.

Questions 26 and 27 on the application form ask me about an authorising individual. Who does this need to be?

Completed application forms must be submitted online by a designated Lead applicant from a UK HEI and signed off by an appropriate senior representative of the institution. A senior representative might constitute a head of department, school or faculty.

Eligible partner organisations

Is there a list of eligible/recognised partner organisations? Are there any that are out of scope?

The partner organisation will be based in France and eligible to bid for Horizon Europe funding.

Applications are open to UK HEIs to apply with new, recently-established, or dormant partners that are academic institutions, organisations or companies in France.

Are there set criteria for what would constitute a ‘partner organisation’, i.e. does there need to be a formal agreement in place (e.g. MoU)?

Having a formal agreement in place is not necessary but a certain level of prior relationship between the lead applicant at the UK HEI and the counterpart at the partner organisation is required. It is for institutions to determine what constitutes a ‘partner’ for their institution and purposes, and therefore which of their French partnership(s) they would want to further develop through the use of the funding. Lead applicants are, however, encouraged to take note of the selection criteria (new, recently-established or dormant partnership), when considering which organisations to engage with through this scheme. For example, you will need to showcase as part of the application form how this funding will help increase the activity in the short-term and how this funding will contribute to longer term partner activity and engagements.

Travel arrangements

Who is responsible for arranging travel and accommodation?

Should travel be required for the project the lead UK HEI will be the award holder and will be responsible for administering the funding in accordance with the offer of award letter (which includes terms and conditions); this includes arranging travel and accommodation.

UUKi would strongly advise flexible tickets being purchased as if arrangements need to be amended for any reason (including those due to unforeseen circumstances) then no further funding will be granted to replace the lost costs. Receipts should be kept in case of any future programme audit by DSIT.

Will researchers need a visa? Which process should I follow?

Should travel be required for the project, the lead applicant at the UK HEI will take responsibility for ensuring that all appropriate visa and immigration requirements are fully complied with. If researchers require a visa to travel to France, the UK HEI will ensure that they meet all relevant immigration requirements.

Who is responsible for arranging insurance for my trip in the case that the application is successful?

Lead applicants need to ensure that their UK HEI and partner have adequate insurance as appropriate as UUKi cannot take responsibility for any issues which may occur during the visit. Lead applicants will accept full responsibility for all aspects of the visit and ensure appropriate insurance for any risks associated with taking part in travelling abroad, including all unexpected and uncontrollable events. UUKi will not be liable for the consequences of any such risks, or any costs incurred.

Researchers

How are the costs allocated?

Proposals should be for up to a maximum of £10,000. UUKi expects to make around 10 awards altogether, but this is highly dependent on the number of applications and the amount of funding requested. Costs beyond this limit are not covered.

Is there a maximum number of researchers that can be funded as part of the scheme?

There is no cap on the number of researchers that can be included in a bid. It is therefore up to institutions to determine the activities that can feasibly be delivered within the time available, and that will most likely achieve the desired outcome/impact. UUKi will be looking to award a diverse range of institution types/models as part of this scheme so institutions are expected to prioritise applications that are most closely aligned to the call’s objectives.

Affiliation: must researchers be employed permanently by the UK HEI applying?

Researchers should be employed at the applicant’s UK HEI throughout the duration of the project. This may be on a permanent or other contractual basis but must cover the full funding period.

Which activities are in scope as part of the pump priming; are there any activities that are out of scope?

Any activity that is undertaken should aim to respond to the objectives set out for the scheme which is to support the development of new, recently-established or dormant partnerships between the UK and France as they relate to research and/or innovation, with an end goal of submitting a Horizon Europe application building on the pump priming activities.

Activities may include but are not limited to feasibility studies, project development workshops, application advice and training, partnership building, resource to develop an application for Horizon Europe participation.

Are the UK obliged to lead on the project, or is it possible that the French collaborators or other collaborators could lead the project and UK academics play a crucial contributory role?

The Lead applicant from the UK HEI is expected to take the lead on the project and devote a set amount of their working hours to delivering this project. This should be in collaboration with a new proposed or an existing French partnership. The Lead applicant and key contact at the French partner two of you are then expected to work together on whichever the project you the Lead applicant proposes, which ultimately has the outcome of advancing your possibility of applying for a wider Horizon Europe call. The comparative level of investment or engagement between the teams is not a core focus; rather the key objective is that you work collaboratively together to achieve this common goal. Nonetheless, it is for the Lead Applicant at the UK HEI to lead the project and initiate the contact/ensure cohesiveness of the partnership and the project’s work.

Payments/costs

Will the payment be made to the lead HEI or to the researcher directly?

Award funding will be transferred to the lead UK HEI, who will make local arrangements with their researchers for administering and managing the funding. One invoice will be required to be sent by the UK HEI after approval of the final project report and budget. The invoice must be issued on or before 31 March 2025.

Will the UK HEI be expected to continue to pay the researchers their regular salary?

Yes. The funding is designed to support an activity run through a UK HEI and its partner. Salary costs are not eligible to funded through this scheme.

When do I need to spend the funds by?

All funds need to be spent by 16 March 2025.

In the guidance document it mentions that salary costs for research and/or clerical assistance (based in the UK) will be eligible for funding and salaries for the Lead Applicant or other permanent members of staff will be ineligible for funding. Could you

Research and/or clerical assistance will only cover temporary staff that are brought in temporarily and put on a contract specifically for this project.

Is the available £10k funding based on 80% or 100% FEC?

This is based on 100% FEC. If successful, you will receive 100% of your requested costs from us.

If individuals from multiple countries are included in the bid, will the funding cover costs for individuals from all of them?

No. The funding will only cover any costs incurred by individuals from the UK HEI or the French partner organisation.

Can clerical assistance be funded if UK or France-based?

No - we will only cover clerical assistance if it is UK-based.

Are costs only for lead or partner institution staff, or can we also cover costs for other French/UK academic or industry partner staff who would be involved in developing an Horizon application?

Costs aren't limited to a particular type of person per se; when you apply for your project as a whole, you would need to justify the expenses and what they are for. If you are sure that having French/UK academic or industry partner staff who would be involved in developing an Horizon application is a valuable part of the project and would need funding to permit that, then you would need to outline that within your proposal.

Reporting

How often will I need to submit reports and invoices to UUKi and what accompanying documentation is needed?

The UK HEI that receives the funding will be responsible for submitting a report to confirm that activities have taken place. A final report will be required by 16 March 2025, after the project has been completed. A reporting template will be available on the scheme webpage.

Successful institutions

Following the call for applications, twelve institutions were awarded UK-France Science, Innovation, and Technology pump-priming grants:

University of Manchester - M2P2 Laboratory
University of Bristol - French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment
University of Glasgow - IMT Atlantique
Cardiff University - University of Lille
University of Nottingham - Toulouse Biotechnology Institute
University of Liverpool - University of Toulouse
University College London - Sorbonne University
University of Exeter - French National Centre for Scientific Research
Royal College of Music - Rhone-Alpes Historical Research Laboratory
Queen Mary University of London - University Paris-Saclay
Queen Mary University of London - University Paris Saclay
Coventry University - The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission