Apply Now for the New Things Fund

We are now receiving applications for our New Things Fund, a fund dedicated to getting things going. We encourage researchers from all levels to apply. You can use the fund for new research activity with a policy impact, build your network, gain experience, or create opportunities for others. We particularly encourage people from under represented groups to apply, including but not limited to: People of Colour, especially Women of Colour, People with Disabilites, Early Career Researchers and People from the LGBT+ Community.

Starting any journey is hard and policy engagement is no different. Knowing who to speak to, how to make your voice heard and how to interpret  what you have heard are all challenging. Seeking funding is difficult. Finding the time to build new relationships can be hard.
 
Which is why Public Policy|Southampton has built The New Things Fund to help you take the first step on your journey towards policy engagement.
 
The Fund is intended provide you with an impetuous to start a new conversation, to identify key players, complete a literature review of government policy or build your capacity. We are keen to fund Early Career Researcher to commence entrepreneurial engagement activities and the essential building blocks required to build your momentum on your journey towards policy impact.
 
Start something new in 2021 with The New Things Fund.
 
What can we fund?

We have 8 awards of up to £10,000 available.

The funding does not have to be used in a way that brings immediate policy impact. It should be treated as a building block for wider initiatives developing new relationships, creating pathways to impact, or laying foundations for future engagement. Consideration as to how new policy engagement activities may support research ambitions rather than predicting what these activities will deliver.

·   New policy engagement and knowledge exchange activities in partnership with policymakers, particularly to better understand local, regional or national challenges

·   Policy engagement and knowledge exchange activities

·   Facilitating the use of existing research and the exchange of knowledge between universities and policymakers;

·   Activity aimed at improving the dialogue between universities (rather than specific research projects)  and policymakers;

·   External training (eg NESTA, Institute for Government, Sense about Science, Apolitical) to better equip academics, including postgraduate researchers and early career researchers, to communicate effectively with policymakers;

·   Establishing new partnerships and collaborations aimed at supporting evidence-based policy making;

·   The exchange of people, e.g. staff secondments (including secondments from external organisations to UoS) or PhD placements to government

 

You can find more information and the application form here

 

EDI Impact

We will be asking to collect applicant data during the application process however this will not be mandatory. The data will be used as part of continuous effort to improve opportunities and pathways for under represented groups to achieve policy impact. We will use this data to understand whether the New Things Fund has reached a representative sample of the academic community as well as understand how our communications are reaching different areas of the University. All data will be held in compliance with University GDPR guidance and will never be used to identify you.