The Department runs a number of initiatives to support your research. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss them further, please contact the Chair of Departmental Research Committee, or the Department's Research Support team (environment-research@york.ac.uk).

Environment and Geography Development Fund

Environment and Geography Development Fund

Funding is currently available. Upcoming deadlines: 9 May at 12:00.

Application form | Exemplar application

This funding is for activities such as priming of new research (including pedagogical), collaborative research visits, workshops, establishing networks, conference attendance, and Challenge Area Research Group (CARG) activities. This might include funding for travel, consumables or equipment, but not for buy-out of academic staff time.

Applicants can request funding up to:

£1000 for activities relating to travel/conferences
£2000 for research pump priming activities.

Travel funds are limited to one successful application per person per year, and there can only be one travel event within the application, e.g. one conference. Travel must take place before mid-July 2024.

Research pump priming funding is for generating/testing new research ideas, with the aim of developing collaborative networks and/or applying for larger sums of funding. Projects should end by 30 June 2024 so that there is time for spend to be reconciled before the end of the financial year (31 July 2024). Once the research pump priming project is complete we will request information on the outcomes from the project and we will not consider any further pump priming funding applications until this information is provided.

Please note that budgets cannot be carried over into the next financial year. Awarded funding must be spent and the item received/activity undertaken before the end of the financial year.

Eligibility:

Open to ART, T&S and ECR (Early Career Researcher) staff, plus PGRs (Postgraduate Researchers). This funding is not open to members of Stockholm Environment Institute - York because they have access to alternative funding streams.

We will prioritise funding for ECRs and new academic staff because they are less likely to have research grants to help undertake these activities.

PGRs need to talk to their supervisor first and use their Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) before applying to this scheme. We expect PGRs to apply for external funding to cover their costs where possible, and the Development Fund should only be applied to in exceptional circumstances. The applicant should provide strong justification for the funding requested.

Your Proposal:

You will need to justify all costs in the form.

Assessments will be based on criteria including academic excellence of the proposal, strength of outcomes, details of planned outputs, plans for follow-up funding, and in the context of other funding available to you.

Assessment Process:

This fund is overseen by the Research Leads Team (RLT) - led by the Chair of Departmental Research Committee (DRC) - which comprises the CARG leads, Research Facilitator, Graduate Chair, ECR and PhD reps. Applications will be discussed monthly and decisions will be communicated ASAP afterwards. Chair's Action will be an option for applications up to £500.

Please contact the Chair of Departmental Research Committee to discuss other potential uses of the fund not listed here.

Other Support for Research

Support Available	Details	Contact/Further Information
Special Interest Groups (SPIGs)	The key purpose of SPIGs is to facilitate interdisciplinary working and to respond to opportunities such as emerging topics, grant applications or high impact papers. They should contain members from across at least 2 or more of our 4 Challenge Area Research Groups (CARGs), as well as members from other UoY Departments, centres and external stakeholders where necessary. SPIGs are intended to form as and when needed to generate a clear deliverable - such as a grant proposal, a publication, a policy initiative or an industry commitment - and disband when no longer needed. We expect they will typically have ~3-18 month lifetimes. Modest amounts of funding are available to help achieve deliverables (indicative maximum £500). Open to anyone in the Department, including technicians, ECRs and PGRs, and run on the principles of equality and diversity.	Application form Email completed forms to environment-research@york.ac.uk
Proposal Writing Buddies	We have a group of buddies available within the Department who have experience of writing successful grant proposals and can work with and support you in your proposal development. This support is flexible and could be used at the early ideas development stages through to support in drafting of your application documents.	Contact the Chair of Departmental Research Committee who can help to match you with a buddy
Pitching Research Grant Application Ideas	Pitching your research grant ideas to colleagues can be an excellent way to get feedback and help you to progress your plans.	Contact your CARG Leader to discuss opportunities
Library of Successful Grant Proposals	Looking at successful grant applications can help structure your grant proposals and understand what the funder is looking for. Research Support can ask other departments for example applications if we don't have any in the Department.	Email environment-research@york.ac.uk
Early Career Researcher (ECR) Support	Our Department has an Early Career Researchers (ECR) Group that meets regularly to discuss relevant issues, share information and to build a strong early career community of researchers.	Departmental Early Career Researcher Representatives
Drop-in Sessions	Our research drop-in sessions are an opportunity for you to ask questions, discuss your ideas with colleagues and the Department's Research Support Team and Chair of Departmental Research Committee. We sometimes hold also run 'themed' drop-in sessions that focus on particular topics.	Advertised by email
Research Forum	Our termly Research Forum brings academics and researchers together to network and meet new starters, discuss specific topics and potential collaborations.