Aim

The aim of this funding opportunity is to support a small number of Digital Research Technical Professional (RTP) Skills NetworkPlus grant awards, led by project leads (termed digital RTP champions), which will equitably bring together disciplines, sectors, and domains together to:

• address cross-cutting challenges related to digital RTP skills and careers
• provide leadership and coordinate collaborations
• seed better ways of working together
• catalyse learning, capability and capacity for digital RTPs

The NetworkPlus awards will explore key challenges and interventions related to skills and careers that are faced by digital RTP communities across the UK research and innovation landscape, including, for example:

• visible career pathways, structures and offers, including entry routes, and nature of employment contracts
• people and skills capacity to support innovative research
• mechanisms and structures to support movement of people and skills across and between research, disciplines and industry
• recognition of the value of staff delivering and supporting the delivery and use of digital research infrastructures

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, digital RTP is intended to be an inclusive umbrella term which includes hundreds of job titles such as data scientists, research software engineers, computational researchers, systems administrators, and technical support for digital research infrastructures.

Objectives

The overall objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• build new and enhanced communities of digital RTPs that are diverse, inclusive and interdisciplinary (across research and industry), with clear community leaders and advocates
• facilitate collaborations between digital RTPs, researchers and innovators, across domains and disciplines, to enable the generation, development and delivery of the best research
• support the development and sharing of new digital RTP skills across domains and disciplines, including:
  • understanding flexible and scalable support when building new digital RTP capacity
  • new techniques and approaches
  • support for varied approaches to career development
• enable porosity of digital RTPs across domains and disciplines, including between industry and research
• raise the profile of digital RTPs in the UK, enhancing collaboration with researchers and innovators, as well as enhancing institutional support and recognition, and broader planning for their support and career development

The benefits and outcomes sought from this investment are:

• to have built strong and effective leadership with communities of practice for digital RTPs in UK research and innovation
• to have addressed key challenges related to skills and career pathways across UKRI’s five strategic themes for digital research infrastructure and subsequently maximising investment in other areas of the programme
• for communities to have the professional skills necessary for the data-driven research and digital infrastructure of the future
• for clearer career paths and support for digital RTPs to ensure greater attraction, resilience and mobility of digital RTPs with sustainable and flexible career paths between and across disciplines and domains
• to have enhanced future digital infrastructure and data-intensive research capability by developing and augmenting a highly skilled digital RTP workforce

Scope

We have an extensive portfolio of digital research infrastructure which is essential in underpinning the research and innovation ecosystem. In 2021, we published our vision for a coherent state-of-the-art national digital research infrastructure that will seamlessly connect researchers, policymakers and innovators to the computers, data, tools, and techniques that underpin the most ambitious and creative research. However, significant challenges have been highlighted across our digital RTP communities regarding gaps in skills to enable and utilise these digital research infrastructures, as well as a lack of visible career pathways, entry routes, and recognition for the role of digital RTPs.

Digital RTP champions

For this funding opportunity, project leads are also termed the ‘digital research technical professional champions’.

During the lifetime of the NetworkPlus award, we expect you to achieve the objectives of this funding opportunity through:

• building and maintaining a national and cross domain community, facilitating knowledge exchange and connectivity across diverse disciplines, domains and stakeholders including academia, industry, policymakers, DRI users and other stakeholders, deriving common and interconnected learning from across the UK landscape
• leading community building and networking activities, conferences, workshops and events, designed for the needs of the community in question
• enabling the NetworkPlus and its members to influence, advocate for and raise awareness of the role of digital RTPs in supporting the best research, aiming to facilitate the implementation of best practices across the community to support digital RTP skills and careers in the long term
• providing innovative and inspiring leadership to the network, and delivering against the objectives and desired outcomes of this funding opportunity
• managing a flexible fund as part of the NetworkPlus, to enable colleagues across the community to undertake new pump-priming and networking activities
• maintaining awareness of and engaging with activity in the wider UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure programme, in particular from the skills and career pathways theme
• supporting monitoring and evaluation activities as required by, for example, capturing data, monitoring outcomes from the NetworkPlus, providing oversight of how the NetworkPlus activities lead to interventions, outputs, outcomes and impacts
• maintaining regular dialogue with UKRI and provide updates and reports to the cross UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure Committee as appropriate

Flexible fund

The flexible fund associated with this funding opportunity can be used for:

• support for collaborations, secondments, and placements with industry, policy makers, and new research collaborators, including scoping of potential opportunities, travel and subsistence
• events such as workshops and conferences, both led by the digital RTP champions and by the community, to support the objectives of the NetworkPlus
• activities to connect users, industry and other stakeholders with the digital RTP skills base
• activities to identify and disseminate key challenges in the area, for example horizon-scanning studies
• activities to build the profile of RTPs in UK research and innovation, such as reports, websites, showcase events and briefings
• support for innovative career development opportunities for individuals, teams, and communities. This may include access to resources, attendance of existing training activities, and the development of new training activities and skills development
• equipment to support networking, events and communication, for example to support the software and licencing costs of digital platforms to host events. This is not meant to be used for standard laptops and other standard IT equipment

For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the ‘Additional information’ section.

Reporting requirements

The successful applicants will be required to comply with standard UKRI reporting requirements.

In addition, you will be required to report on progress to NERC Head Office (on behalf of UKRI) via scheduled monthly meetings and provide updates to the UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure Committee.

Furthermore, you will need to adhere to the additional reporting requirements to assess compliance with UKRI’s digital research infrastructure funding requirements and to monitor progress against your project objectives.

Duration

The duration of this award is 48 months.

Projects must start by 1 April 2025.

Funding available

The full economic cost (FEC) of your NetworkPlus can be up to £2 million. We will fund 80% of the FEC with the following exceptions:

• justified equipment would be funded at 50%

What we will fund

You can request funding for costs such as those in the indicative list below:

• project lead and project co-leads’ (also termed ‘digital research technical professional champions’) time
• NetworkPlus co-ordinator
• partnership manager
• administrative support
• networking activities
• workshops, conferences and other events
• travel and subsistence
• flexible fund
• associated estates and indirects

You should include a breakdown of costs in the NetworkPlus with a detailed justification for all resources and costs requested. It is anticipated the flexible fund will be approximately 50% of the network budget at a minimum. The digital RTP champions will not be personally eligible for this funding. This applies to the named individuals only and does not extend to members of their research department or organisation.

What we will not fund

• PhD studentship costs
• facilities costs
• cruise costs

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Data management

You must adhere to UKRI open research policy complete the ‘Data management and sharing’ question.

Our guidance on best practice in the management of research data, also provides general guidance about sharing and managing your research data in line with our common principles.

Responsible innovation

We are fully committed to develop and promote responsible research and innovation that makes a positive contribution to society and the environment. Not just through research outputs and outcomes but through the way in which research and innovation is conducted and facilities are managed.

Research and innovation has the ability to not only produce understanding, knowledge and value, but also unintended consequences, questions, ethical dilemmas and, at times, unexpected social transformations.

We recognise that we have a duty of care to promote approaches to responsible innovation that will initiate ongoing reflection about the potential ethical and societal implications of the research and innovation we fund and encourage our community to do likewise.

All awardees will be expected to adhere to UKRI responsible innovation policies and guidance.

Environmental sustainability

UKRI’s environmental sustainability strategy lays out our ambition to actively lead environmental sustainability across our sectors. This includes a vision to ensure that all major investment and funding decisions we make are directly informed by environmental sustainability, recognising environmental benefits as well as potential for environmental harm.

Environmental sustainability is a broad term but may include consideration of such areas as:

• reducing carbon emissions
• protecting and enhancing the natural environment and biodiversity
• waste or pollution elimination
• resource efficiency and a circular economy

We expect you to embed careful consideration of environmental sustainability at all stages of the research and innovation process and throughout the lifetime of your NetworkPlus.

Cybersecurity

We expect that all projects will embed cybersecurity within their day-to-day operations and to collaborate substantively with other infrastructures on this topic.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays
• disruptive working patterns and conditions
• the loss of ongoing work
• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant, and their wider team, to deliver the research they are proposing.

Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

The project lead (the digital research technical professional champion for the project) is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

Watch our recording on how to apply for an opportunity in the Funding Service.

To apply:

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

1. Confirm you are the project lead.
2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
   Allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service.
3. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the ‘How to apply’ section on this Funding finder page.
4. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You should:

• use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
• insert each new image onto a new line
• provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
• ensure that files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service
• how research offices use the Funding Service
• how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to your application.

Reference should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors, for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.

Deadline

We must receive your application by 2 October 2024 at 4:00pm UK time.

You will not be able to apply after this time. Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.

Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

NERC, as part of and on behalf of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

Publication of outcomes

NERC, as part of and on behalf of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on What NERC has funded.

If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Summary

Word limit: 550

In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.

We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:

• opinion-formers
• policymakers
• the public
• the wider research community

Guidance for writing a summary

Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:

• context
• the challenge(s) related to digital research technical professional skills and careers that the NetworkPlus will address
• aims and objectives
• potential applications and benefits

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

• project lead (PL)
• project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
• project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
• specialist
• grant manager
• professional enabling staff
• research and innovation associate
• technician
• visiting researcher
• researcher co-lead (RcL)

Only list one individual as project lead. The project lead is responsible for setting up and completing the application process on the Funding Service.

For this funding opportunity, ‘Digital Research Technical Professional Champions’ should be listed as the project lead and co-leads.

The project co-lead international may only be used for collaborators based at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and in Norway, where NERC has collaboration agreements in place. We do not otherwise accept project co-lead (international) applicants.

Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Application questions

Vision

Word limit: 2,000

What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

For the Vision, explain how your proposed work:

• is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
• has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
• is timely given current trends, context, and needs
• impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment
• will embed EDI considerations into, and how these will guide your aims, as well as other activities such as stakeholder engagement, events and networking

Within this section we also expect you to:

• align strategically to the funding opportunity aims and scope
• demonstrate a coherent strategic vision and establishes clear outcomes for the NetworkPlus
• clearly state the key challenges faced by digital RTPs in relation to skills, with evidence, that your NetworkPlus seeks to address and explain how you will identify and explore other key skills challenges faced by digital RTPs
• identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be
• identify key communities and future network members
• explain your vision for what changes your NetworkPlus seeks to affect during the award and beyond (noting that this will be further shaped by community engagement)

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.

References may be included within this section.

Approach

Word limit: 1,500

How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:

• is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
• is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
• if applicable, summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed
• will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
• describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
• will build EDI considerations into the formation, operation and governance of the NetworkPlus, including how these will be operationalised

Within this section we also expect you to:

• deliver against the expectations outlined in the funding opportunity
• demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the application
• provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan with milestones and timelines, in which you:
  • explain your approach to networking with relevant communities and stakeholders including how you will support and build equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible communities
  • explain how the NetworkPlus will be planned and managed, including building links between UKRI’s breadth of research communities, industry, government and policy stakeholders, supporting two-way communication and collaboration
  • explain how the NetworkPlus activities will be prioritised and what decision making processes will be put in place
  • outline future plans for sustaining the partnership beyond this application, or for funding research which may develop from the partnership
  • explain how the partnership will enable stakeholders to work together, network and build capability

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.

References may be included within this section.

Governance

Word limit: 500

How will you manage the award to successfully deliver its objectives?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how the proposed award will be managed, demonstrating that it:

• will be effectively governed, including details about advisory structures
• will be effectively and inclusively managed, demonstrated by a clear management plan
• has clear leadership team roles and responsibilities
• will manage and encourage partnerships with non-HEI organisations across government, industry and civil society
• has plans for monitoring your progress as well as self-evaluation throughout the lifetime of your award
• will put in place appropriate governance and administration to deliver the range of devolved funding opportunities

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,650

Why are you the right team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how you and your team have:

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
• the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
• the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others
• contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

Guidance

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.

The word count for this section is 1,650 words, 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you, and if relevant your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.

Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed below. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

• contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
• the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
• contributions to the wider research and innovation community
• contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).

You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service.

For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.

Digital RTP champions

Word limit: 1,000

What skills and abilities do you have that will enable you to play a championing role for the Digital RTP skills NetworkPlus and its members?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

• a track record of experience in complex interdisciplinary research, working inclusively across a broad range of disciplines to bring together varied approaches and interests and deliver demonstrable impact
• knowledge of the current UK DRI landscape and emerging issues related to skills and careers for digital RTPs, and an ability to take an all-inclusive, overarching view of the UK DRI landscape
• the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

For this funding opportunity, project leads are also termed the ‘digital research technical professional champions’.

The assessors are looking for evidence of the right skills and expertise to enable you to convene a cross-discipline and cross-domain NetworkPlus and communities of digital research technical professionals. You should identify any gaps and explain how you will fulfil these aspects. You should give relevant examples where possible.

Person specification

Thought leadership

You must demonstrate:

• an ability to assemble key information across disciplines and domains to build a compelling narrative and communicate this, effectively, to the right stakeholders at the right time
• lived experience of the skills related challenges faced by digital RTPs and in developing a skilled digital RTP workforce

Inspirational team leader

You must demonstrate:

• an ability to guide and inspire others and to identify and maximise potential in others
• experience of leading and managing successful cross-discipline and cross-domain programmes or networks that resulted in delivering impact at a national or international level

Strategic thinker

You should:

• be a strategic thinker who is focused on ensuring the cross-discipline and cross-domain engagement achieves maximum impact, and has considered the pathways to achieve this impact
• demonstrate an aptitude for identifying, exploring and developing opportunities
• demonstrate where you have positioned yourself to take-up opportunities and have the ability to make decisions to deliver your vision

Communication and engagement skills

You must demonstrate:

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• an ability to implement comprehensive stakeholder mapping to identify key audiences and develop strategies for inclusive engagement
• skills for effective knowledge exchange, or the ability to facilitate others to carry out these tasks across the interdisciplinary community and private sector

Partnership management skills

You must demonstrate:

• you are able to foster effective, long-term partnerships with key stakeholders across the landscape, including but not limited to universities, research organisations, higher education, apprenticeship providers, and industry private sector, government and digital research infrastucture (DRI) users, including establishing and maintain relationships with relevant private sector colleagues and policy makers. You should demonstrate you are able to develop and take forwards a shared vision, determine clear roles and responsibilities and maintain partnerships in the long-term

Provide evidence that you have:

• a track record of leading and managing complex cross-discipline and cross-domain research and delivering demonstrable impact
• a track record of working inclusively across a broad range of disciplines and domains, bringing together varied approaches and interest
• knowledge of the current DRI landscape and issues related to skills and careers in digital research technical professional communities, and an ability to take an all-inclusive, overarching view of the UK DRI landscape
• a profile within the research community for research excellence and the ability to act as a champion for the digital research technical professional community

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500

What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

• the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
• how you will manage these considerations
• all awardees will be expected to adhere to UKRI responsible innovation policies and guidance

If you are collecting or using data, identify:

• any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data
• formal information standards with which your study will comply

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Your organisation’s support

Word limit: 1,000

Provide details of support from your research organisation.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisation detailing why the proposed work is needed. This should include details of any matched funding that will be provided to support the activity and any additional support that might add value to the work.

The assessors will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your research organisation.

We recognise that in some instances, this information may be provided by the Research Office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.

You must also include the following details:

• a significant person’s name and their position, from the TTO or Research Office, or both
• office address or web link

Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.

Project partners

Provide details about any project partners’ contributions.

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.

Add the following project partner details:

• organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
• project partner contact name and email address
• type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Project partners: letters of support

Word limit: 10

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

The page limit is one side of A4 per partner.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’. Each letter or email you provide should:

• confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
• clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
• describe any additional value that they bring to the project

Save letters or emails of support from each partner in a single PDF no bigger than 8MB.

For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Project partner’.

If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the contributions template.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 500

How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published UKRI open research policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.

Indicate:

• which UKRI data centre is required to archive the data
• whether the total volume of data is likely to be larger than 1TB
• any other detail on how you will comply with UKRI data policy
• how data accessibility for both private and public end users will be enhanced

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 1,000

What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

• project staff
• significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
• any equipment that will cost more than £10,000
• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
• all facilities and infrastructure costs
• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’
• flexible fund

We expect the flexible fund to be approximately 50% of the NetworkPlus budget.

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want to be assured that:

• all resources are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
• the project will make optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
• maximise potential outcomes and impacts

Flexible fund

Word limit: 1,000

How will you use and manage the NetworkPlus’ flexible fund?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how you will use and manage the flexible fund so that it:

• supports the NetworkPlus’ objectives
• distributes funding appropriately across a diverse range of activities
• where appropriate, distributes funding through clear, transparent competitive processes
• builds capacity in key fields and career stages
• ensures appropriate processes for monitoring, reporting and governance of funded activities

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

This funding opportunity aims to fund a small number of NetworkPlus awards that will convene cross-discipline and cross-domain communities of digital research technical professionals to address key challenges faced by those communities in relation to skills and careers.

Shortlisting

Applications will be assessed and shortlisted by an expert panel in November 2024. If your application passes the shortlisting stage, then we will invite you to interview.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Interview

For shortlisted applications, an expert interview panel will conduct interviews with applicants. You will be required to provide a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. The panel will then make a funding recommendation. Full details of the interview process will be sent to candidates before the interviews.

We expect interviews to be held in late November to early December 2024.

NERC on behalf of UKRI will make the final funding decision.

Feedback

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application.

We reserve the right to work with successful applicants post assessment to discuss any aspect of the application before award (for example, discuss panel feedback or requirements from UKRI).

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Assessment criteria

The criteria against which your application will be assessed are:

• vision
• approach
• governance
• applicant and team capability to deliver
• champion role
• ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• flexible fund

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent funding opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of a funding opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your application, contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity, contact digitalrtpnetworkplus@ukri.org

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and funding opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

You can also find information on submitting an application.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email digitalrtpnetworkplus@ukri.org

Include in the subject line: UKRI Digital RTP Skills NetworkPlus; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number.

Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
• declaration of interest
• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
• conflict of interest for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Background

UKRI has an extensive portfolio of digital research infrastructure (DRI) which is essential in underpinning the research and innovation ecosystem. In 2021, we published our vision for a coherent state-of-the-art national digital research infrastructure that will seamlessly connect researchers, policymakers and innovators to the computers, data, tools, and techniques that underpin the most ambitious and creative research. The building blocks of the DRI system include:

• large scale compute facilities, including high-throughput, high-performance, and cloud computing
• data storage facilities, repositories, stewardship and security
• software and shared code libraries
• mechanisms for access, such as networks and user authentication systems
• people: the users, and the experts who develop and maintain these powerful resources

People are vital to the DRI ecosystem. However, existing DRI investments have highlighted that there are significant challenges reported in recruiting and retaining digital research technical professionals (RTPs) with the skills needed to support operations and plan strategically for the long-term for reasons such as:

• lack of visible career pathways, including entry routes
• competition for skills across academia and industry
• short term contracts
• recognition of the value of staff involved in the delivery of these services

In order to achieve our vision, UKRI has committed to supporting our communities across the following five strategic themes for digital research infrastructure:

• data infrastructure
• large-scale computing
• secure services and tools for sensitive data
• skills and career pathways
• foundational tools, techniques and practices

This funding opportunity takes forward our commitment to invest in people to widen the breadth and depth of digital research technical professional skills that are needed to support digital research infrastructures and the development of career paths that are rewarding, sustainable and flexible.

We intend to fund a strategically balanced portfolio of interdisciplinary digital RTP skills NetworkPlus awards. Through this investment we aim to:

• facilitate growth in the number and diversity of digital RTPs in the UK
• increase retention of digital RTP skills and people within the UK research and innovation ecosystem
• build an agile and efficient digital RTP skills base to respond to growing needs in different sectors and urgent prioritise

Webinar for potential applicants

We held a webinar on 23 May. This provided more information about the opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

Watch the webinar recording via Zoom.

Passcode: qB0DE&4Z

View the webinar slides (PDF, 731 KB).

Read the webinar Q&A (PDF, 284 KB).

Our commitment to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015

Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms which deprive a person of their liberty in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain, such as:

• slavery
• servitude
• human trafficking
• forced and compulsory labour

We are committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

• breaks and delays
• disruptive working patterns and conditions
• the loss of ongoing work
• role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.

Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.