DHPA Additional Awards
A total of 22 DHPA additional awards will be made available. The closing date for these awards is 1 June 2006.
DHPA Additional Awards - Key Points
- The Research Councils will provide funds for 22 additional DHPA scholars in 2006;
- Any eligible HEI may apply for these additional awards (valued at £45,000 per award);
- The additional awards will be granted on a "first come first served" basis;
- In order to apply for additional awards, HEIs must be able to secure matching funds from private partner organisations.
DHPA Additional Awards - Eligibility Criteria and Guidelines for Use
In addition to the 80 core DHPAs allocated to 26 HEIs, there are supplementary Research Council funds available to support 22 further DHPA scholars at eligible HEIs. Eligible HEIs are now invited to apply for these funds. These will be allocated to universities able to provide matched funding (see below) on a "first come first served" basis.
To be eligible to apply for these funds, an HEI must have Units of Assessment rated 5 or 5* at the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). These 5/5* Units of Assessment must relate to the remits of the Research Councils that are sponsoring the DHPA scheme.
In order to apply for these Research Council funds (£45,000 per award), an HEI must have secured matching funds from a private partner organisation. Private partners could include charities, industrial organisations and other non-government funded organisations external to the HEI. Please note that the following are considered ineligible private partner funds:
- Funds from the university/department (either direct or indirect);
- Funds from the prospective DHPA scholar him/herself;
- Funds from overseas universities.
These additional awards will be expected to operate by the same rules and guidelines as the core DHPAs. For example, core DHPA student eligibility criteria must be adhered to, and for each scholarship, the area of study to be undertaken must be within the remit of the associated Research Council. As with core DHPAs, the additional awards may only be held in departments RAE-rated 5 or higher (or in a Research Council Research Institute considered to be of equivalent quality), and all ESRC awards must be through an ESRC recognised outlet as listed in university order on the ESRC website.
Awards Available
Research Council funds have been made available to support the following additional awards:
BBSRC: 2 awards
EPSRC: 16 awards
ESRC: 2 awards
MRC: 2 awards
As these funds will be allocated on a "first come first served" basis, HEIs should check current availability of awards from each Research Council before submitting an application.
Application Process
Applications for additional awards are expected to be sent via a single point of contact within the HEIs administrative authority. Applications not received via this route will not be considered. An application for an additional award should consist of a letter, sent from the HEIs designated contact to the DHPA scheme manager (address below), containing the following information:
- Name and contact details of the private partner;
- The Research Council from which the additional award is sought;
- Confirmation that the private partner will provide at least £45,000 over the period of the DHPA scholar's PhD, for the purpose of payment towards fees and maintenance costs;
- Confirmation that both the private partner and the HEI agree to adhere to the DHPA rules and guidelines by which all DHPAs operate;
- Confirmation that the HEI will continue to pay fees and maintenance costs over the period of the DHPA scholar's PhD, should the private partner withdraw from the partnership for any reason.
If any additional details are known at this stage (for example: nature of the project, department, student details), these should also be included in the letter.
HEIs submitting applications for additional awards should be aware that if demand exceeds expectations, a limit of three additional awards per HEI may be applied. Therefore HEIs may wish to prioritise their applications before submitting them to the DHPA scheme manager. Once an application has been received, the DHPA scheme manager will contact the HEI to confirm whether or not the application has been approved.
The final date for receipt of applications for additional awards is Thursday 1 June 2006. However, since the additional awards will be allocated on a "first come first served" basis, HEIs are advised to submit applications at the earliest opportunity. Applications should be sent to:
Prabhat Sakya
EPSRC
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1ET
Inclusion of Additional Awards in DHPA Grants
HEIs in receipt of core DHPAs plus additional awards: Each recipient HEI will receive a grant, with funds sufficient to cover the number of core DHPAs that it has been awarded. This grant will also contain the Research Council funds associated with any additional awards that have been secured. Funding from the private partner of an additional award is expected to be paid directly from the private partner to the HEI. DHPA grants are likely to be issued in the summer of 2006 and will run for 4 years.
HEIs in receipt of additional awards only: The HEI will receive a grant containing the Research Council funds associated with the additional awards that have been secured. Funding from the private partner of an additional award is expected to be paid directly from the private partner to the HEI. DHPA grants are likely to be
issued in the summer of 2006 and will run for 4 years
Source of Info: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/hodgkin/