The University of Birmingham has received £1 million from the Wellcome Trust to run a two-year programme of internal funding schemes, supporting everything from early-career researchers to public engagement projects. This funding addresses a persistent gap in how universities turn fundamental research into real-world applications. Many promising discoveries never leave the lab because there is no mechanism to test their commercial or clinical potential, or to connect researchers with the right collaborators. The ISSF grant creates those mechanisms internally. The money will flow through several targeted schemes. Pump-Prime grants of up to £15,000 help early-career and interdisciplinary researchers generate pilot data needed to win larger grants. Mobility grants of up to £10,000 let researchers visit external labs to use specialist equipment. Follow-on Funds accelerate early-stage translation—proof-of-concept studies, market research, business planning. Separate streams support technician training, career development for postdocs, and public engagement activities, including the University’s Think Corner ‘Pop-up’ shop. If successful, these schemes should produce more high-impact publications, larger grant applications, and a stronger pipeline of translational opportunities. The public engagement work aims to embed evaluation and best practice across the institution, making outreach a routine part of research culture rather than an afterthought.
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The Wellcome Trust’s Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) provides funding to a range of UK-based universities, investing in strategic areas of importance across the Trust’s portfolio. The University of Birmingham has been granted £1million over two years, to fund projects through to 2016. This means continued support for researcher development and translational opportunities for fundamental research. It also means continued support for public engagement activities, building upon excellent projects such as the University’s Think Corner ‘Pop-up’ shop. Our internal funding schemes are listed below; details on those schemes that are currently running can be viewed via our Intranet. We also have a number of case studies available through our Research in Action webpage; be sure to check these out to see the exciting projects that ISSF funds have already supported. Pump-Prime Close all sections Pump-Prime Funding is aimed at supporting early career and interdisciplinary research. Small grant awards of up to £15,000 are available in two rounds each year, and are expected to lead to high-impact publications, large-scale grant applications and more. Mobility Mobility Funding supports strategic research development and knowledge transfer, by allowing researchers to visit collaborators at external institutions to access specialist equipment / expertise. Grants of up to £10,000 will be available; check the intranet link below for details on the next call. Follow-on Funds Follow-on Funds identify and accelerate early stage translational opportunities. Projects will be funded that can deliver early stage proof-of-concept data, with support also available for market research, business plan development and other external engagement. Technician Academy The University’s Technician Academy promotes the development and enhancement of the capabilities of technical staff at the University of Birmingham. Postdoctoral / Early Researcher Career Development and Training Postdoctoral / Early Researcher Career Development and Training has been extremely popular during past rounds of funding, and this is due to expand through Wellcome funding. Funds will be used to support increased numbers of early career researchers, with more of a focus on cross-disciplinary science. Public Engagement Flexible Response Fund Public engagement continues to be supported through the ISSF grant, and is overseen by the University’s Public Engagement Working Group. Over the coming years, the grant will support a number of initiatives designed to increase the number of researchers delivering public engagement activities, develop the University’s capability to evaluate these activities, and share best practice among the community.
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