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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a fellowship?
A.UKRI defines Fellowships as funding opportunities for individual researchers. These Fellowships enable you to dedicate time to your own research while providing support for your development as a research leader. They often include career development opportunities such as funding for research projects, training, mentorship, and international placements, all aimed at enhancing your career and addressing societal challenges.
Q. What is the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Fellowships Scheme?
A. This is an internal UoS funding scheme to support research work with non-academic partners to generate projects that support participatory or co-produced work by “making change together” and generating ‘value’.
Q. How many fellowships are on offer and how much funding is available?
A. The KEI Fellowships will be awarded in the following FOUR (4) categories:
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Request limits  |
Call open |
Call closes |
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&±è´Ç³Ü²Ô»å;5,000 â¶Ä¯ (both New and Follow-on activity)  |
      w/c 25th November 2024  |
      10th January 2025  |
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Public and Community Engagement  |
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Participatory Research   |
£2,000 (New activity)  |
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£10,000 (Follow-on only)  |
Q. What kind of proposal applications are eligible?
A. Applications should outline activities that meet the definitions of ‘Knowledge Exchange’ and ‘Impact’ and fall within the general criteria outlined below.
- Knowledge Exchange: ‘two-way flow of knowledge (skills, expertise, technology and/or information) between the university and users of research’.
- Impact : ‘the effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia.’
General Eligibility
- Evidence of Knowledge Exchange Activities: Demonstrate impact and research work using KE activities and or participatory research approaches.
- Collaboration with Non-Academic Partners: Show evidence of external partnerships.
- Range of Projects: Include projects from early to developed stages, fostering creative, innovative, and interdisciplinary research.
- Leadership and Career Development: Include academics from early to senior career stages, fostering creative, innovative, and interdisciplinary research . Offers opportunities to build new skills and connections.
- Capability Building for External Funds: Potential to secure external funding.
- Alignment with Strategic Themes: opportunity to align with any of the (environmental sustainability, human flourishing, and digital & data futures); Knowledge Exchange and Impact Strategy; and/or priority areas of
Please check individual category of Fellowship for specific specifications.
Q. Is it mandatory to apply through the portal, or can I submit my application without using ?
A. Yes, applications will need to be set up, costed and approved on , the University’s research management system. Worktribe approvals must also be submitted and completed by 5pm on 10th January 2025.
Applications and Worktribe approvals received after this date will not be considered. Applicants need to complete the relevant application forms (downloaded via the links below) and email them to research.initiatives@sussex.ac.uk by 5pm on 10th January 2025 after completing approvals on Worktribe
Q. How different is this scheme unique or complimentary to others in the KE and Impact space?
A. The KEI Fellowships provide flexible and agile support especially for early project work especially as part of a journey to build sustainable impact and is complimentary to other existing internal funding schemes such as School based HEIF and the AHRC-IAA.
We especially encourage using these Fellowships as a way of planning the sustainability of your work. The Fellowship is a way of demonstrating the value, both externally and internally, of your approach to KE and Impact.
Q. When is the application deadline?
A. The submission window for applications is from 28th November 2024 until 10th January 2025. Project activities can begin from 1st February 2025 and must be completed by 30th June 2025.
Q. When should Fellowship activity be completed, and funding used by?
A. All funded activity must be complete by 30th June 2025, with all spending received on the University Finance System by 31st July 2025.
(Please inform Programme Consultant; Nana Yankah; ny95@sussex.ac.uk on issues regarding activity timelines and spends)
Q. Who can apply?
A. The fellowship scheme is open to all academic staff from Grade 7 and above. Early Career Researchers are highly encouraged.
Q. Can PhD students or researchers apply to KEI Fellowship scheme?
A. Only academic staff are eligible
Q. Can a PhD student be contracted on a proposal as a research assistant?
A. Yes, If a PhD student or researcher is employed part-time as a Research Assistant on a project, you can employ them for their time as casual staff during the project period. Please note that RAs whose studentships are funded by UKRI are not eligible.
Q. Can I use the KEI Fellowship for new activities?
A. Yes. You will need to clearly articulate the aim of your project, using KE activities to achieving impact and how this will benefit users of your research.
Q. I’ve previously had funding from a KEI Fellowship. Can I apply again?
A. Yes, there are Follow-on funding for Public and Community Engagement, Policy and Innovation Fellowships.
The goal of these Fellowships is to help researchers gain new or renewed momentum in their Knowledge Exchange (KE) activities, aiming to leverage the outcomes to secure additional funding opportunities. Researchers who have previously received funding from this scheme must provide a compelling justification for reapplying, detail other funding sources they have explored, and outline their future development and funding plans beyond these Fellowships.
Q. Can a Fellowship be used to fund the cost of services an external partner?
A. Yes. Where you believe the involvement of an external partner will enhance the effectiveness of your knowledge exchange activity, you can include relevant costings in an application. Where an organization (eg a thinktank or consultancy) is costed into an application under a high day rate, the panel will look closely at the figure in terms of the activity and value for money. Note that a Fellowship cannot be used to fund primary research undertaken by an external partner.
Q. Can a group of researchers apply for one Fellowship?
A. Yes. An application can support multiple researchers. However, there must be a lead applicant, who takes responsibility for all administration and co-ordination of the reporting associated with a Fellowship.
Q. Can the Fellowships be used to buy out academic time?
A. Due to limited funding, academic time is not an eligible cost.
Q. Can I get further development support on a working application?
A. Yes, the scheme offers support for further development and mentoring to further develop the quality of your work for assessment. Also drop-in sessions will be facilitated for applicants. Details below:
Drop-in sessions
We will hold weekly online drop-in sessions for potential applicants to address any questions they may have until December 19, 2024.
Please click on the link to join.
If either of the links above does not work, please message Ian Sinclair on Teams, who will invite you into the Drop In Session manually
Q. Can I apply to more than one category of the Fellowship schemes?
A. Applicants can only submit a single application to this call.
Q. Who do I contact if I have any queries?
A. Please direct any queries to: Nana Yankah, Programme Consultant-Knowledge Exchange and Impact Support Programme, via ny95@sussex.ac.uk.