UKCCSRC 2021 Funding Call

1. Scope of Call

The UKCCSRC invites proposals for CCS research projects supporting the UK Government’s net-zero objectives that address but are not limited to the following:

• Seed funding for a piece of work that could lead to responsive mode applications
• Work that can be used (e.g. a feasibility study) to establish a principle / understand the challenges for a larger bid to other sources of CCS funding later. [Noting that bid preparation in and of itself can’t be funded]
• Research linked to problems identified and supported by industry or other CCS research users.
  • To see the needs identified from ‘what are our research needs’ workshops click here.
  • For James Watt (WSP)’s guest lectures on 18th and 25th March, see the Spring 2021 Web Series here.

2. Call Process and Timeline

Key dates for the UKCCSRC 2021 Funding Call are:

• Open for submissions: 10th March 2021
• ‘What are our research needs’ workshops: 22nd-24th March 2021
• Closed to submissions: 3pm 22nd April 2021
• Decisions: 14th June 2021 (or earlier)
• Start Dates: 1st July 2021 – 1st September 2021
• End Dates (no later than): 31st March 2022

3. Funding

Approximately £250K is available for between 5-8 projects, but the UKCCSRC Board is not obliged to allocate all of these funds during this call. Proposals are expected to be either:

• £30k (100% FEC) for proposals with no additional funding.
• £50k (100% FEC) for proposals that can obtain 20% (£10k) additional (cash) funding
• It is envisaged that funding will be split approximately 25-75% between the £30k and £50k options

Notes for Proposers:

• This call is for proposals to a fixed budget amount of either £30K or up to £50k (100% FEC)
• Costings should be submitted at 100% FEC using a SINGLE dummy JeS form and include only EPSRC-eligible costs
• Research organisations will be paid at 80% of FEC
• Invoices will need to be accompanied by the UKCCSRC breakdown of expenditure form
• No equipment purchase expenditure will be covered but applicants can request funds at reasonable UK academic researcher rates for the use of established research facilities
• If you are successful with your application, you will be required to complete a project agreement with Sheffield on the terms set out in one of the following two templates (one template is for projects where you are the sole project partner and the second, for where you are the lead partner in a consortium). The project details will be added into the final agreement, but no other amendments will be made to the templates. In submitting your application to us, you agree to these terms.

4. Application submission process

Proposals will need to be submitted via the UKCCSRC website with all relevant documentation attached:

• Brief online form (i.e. name, institute, Co-Is, how your proposal addresses the scope of the call etc.)
• 2 page proposal
• Dummy EPSRC JeS form with all sections filled in, only one JeS form will be accepted, all information must be collated into one JeS form for the lead PI’s institute (but no attachments)
• Justification of Resources document
• UKCCSRC Data and Information Archive Data Management Questionnaire
• Unlimited pages of user support letters

The proposal must include:

• The issues that the proposal addresses and links to relevant supporting policy material
• Details of proposed research
• Cost breakdowns (for proposals covering multiple organisations individual budgets will be required as part of the submission and costs by institution must be clearly identified in the dummy JeS and the Justification of Resources form)
• Timetable/Gantt chart
• Deliverables
• Impact delivery means and activities

5. Eligibility

Members of all organisations eligible to receive EPSRC funding may participate in proposals, subject to them personally also meeting the EPSRC funding requirements. Note that the EPSRC’s Repeatedly Unsuccessful Applicants policy does not apply to this call. All proposals must have a UKCCSRC academic member as the Principal Investigator (see membership requirements) and individual UKCCSRC members can be PI in no more than one proposal.

6. Co-funding, industrial support and collaboration

The Centre is keen to encourage researchers to attract co-funding and industrial support for their proposals. Proposals that obtain cash co-funding in excess of £10k will be able to apply for £50k of funding, in-kind co-funding will be taken into account within the value for money assessment criteria, but does make the proposal eligible for the £50k funding. All applications will also be expected to show active engagement with industry or other research users.

Researchers that envisage collaboration with other UKRI funded bodies should seek advice beforehand from the UKCCSRC Secretariat in order to identify any potential contractual difficulties prior to proposal submission.

7. Application assessment process

Proposals will be assessed by independent reviewers reporting to the UKCCSRC Board and funding will be decided solely by the Board based on their recommendations. The review process will include consideration of the following factors; the Board may interpret and apply them as it sees fit to suit the particular circumstances.

8. Expected grant duration

Grants will be expected to run for a period from 3 months up to a maximum of 9 months.

All approved proposals should start no later than 1st September 2021. Any grants that are not making progress as planned by this date, or at any time subsequently, will have their funding allocation reviewed and may be withdrawn.

All approved proposals must end by 31st March 2022 in order to meet the objectives of the funding call. There will be no extensions past this point under any circumstances.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the UKCCSRC 2021 Funding Call please get in touch with Carys Blunt, Finance and Centre Manager on 0114 2157228.

The PI and Co-Is of the UKCCSRC grant are not acting as contact points for this call and will not be involved in the handling or review of received applications.

Deadline: 3pm 22nd April 2021

Applications are now closed.