UKRI

Mathematical sciences small grants

The questions, word limits and assessment criteria below are the funder’s own, taken from the published competition material. You still submit through their service; this is where the writing happens first.

8 questions, straight from the funder

Their word limits are on every box, counted live as you type, and what the assessor is told to look for sits beside it. All of that is free. The pre-sift check — every mechanical rule that rejects a proposal before anyone reads it, run over what you have written — comes with the pass.

Application questions

Q1 Summary

0 / 550 words

In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application. We may make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, so make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example: opinion-formers policymakers the public the wider research community

Q2 Vision and Approach

Create a document that includes your responses to all criteria. The document should not be more than three sides of A4, single spaced in paper in 11-point Arial (or equivalent sans serif font) with margins of at least 2cm. You may include images, graphs, tables. For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Vision and Approach’. Save this document as a single PDF file, no bigger than 8MB. Unless specifically requested, do not include any personal data within the attachment. If the attachment does not meet th

What the assessor looks for

  • is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the fields or areas
  • has the potential to advance current understanding, generates 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
  • identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be
  • 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, uses a clear and transparent methodology
  • 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
  • demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q3 Applicant and team capability to deliver

0 / 1500 words

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

What the assessor looks for

  • 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
  • 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

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q4 References

0 / 1000 words

List the references you have used to support your application.

Q5 Project partners: letters or emails of support

0 / 10 words

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partner section.

What the assessor looks for

  • 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

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q6 Facilities

0 / 250 words

Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?

What the assessor looks for

  • name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 42KB)
  • proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
  • confirmation you have their agreement where required

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q7 Resources and cost justification

0 / 1000 words

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

What the assessor looks for

  • project staff
  • significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
  • 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’
  • are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
  • represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
  • maximise potential outcomes and impacts

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

Q8 Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

0 / 500 words

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 assessor looks for

  • the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
  • how you will manage these considerations
  • 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
  • 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
  • genetic and biological risk
  • research involving the use of animals
  • conducting research with animal overseas
  • research involving human participation

A filled dot only means your answer mentions that ground. It is not a judgement of how well.

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