Unlocking advanced capabilities in conservation and heritage science

What the assessor looks for

• deliver measurable scientific, technical, economic, cultural or societal benefits
• be of international importance, (if applicable)
• expand access to nationally significant facilities and address current unmet user demand
• enable high-quality, heritage science research, innovation and professional practice
• meet the strategic aims of RICHeS and AHRC, including through effective collaboration with industry partners, including SMEs
• enhance, benefit and complement the existing RICHeS distributed infrastructure network, avoiding unnecessary duplication of existing capability, facilities or established techniques
• support innovation in heritage science, including through the application of new or emerging techniques
• demonstrate clear and significant benefits beyond the host institution, including for the wider heritage sector, other scientific disciplines, industry, policymakers and the public
• describe credible pathways through which the proposed capability will be accessed, adopted and used by stakeholders to deliver impact
• identify the potential local, regional or national impacts, both direct and indirect, and who the beneficiaries might be.

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

What the assessor looks for

• a credible management plan covering both the strategic and operational delivery of the proposed infrastructure
• an appropriate legal and organisational model, where applicable
• effective governance arrangements, including roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes
• a feasible project plan, including work packages, milestones, deliverables and timescales, supported by a Gantt chart (or equivalent), with clear identification and management of risks to delivery
• plans for the operation, maintenance and future development of the infrastructure throughout its anticipated lifespan, including future upgrade requirements
• arrangements for access, usage and infrastructure sharing that maximise benefit to the wider research and innovation community
• a description of the research and innovation environment that will support the successful delivery and operation of the infrastructure
• how accessibility, equality, diversity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability have been embedded within the design and delivery of the project
• plans for access and user engagement, including how you will meet your obligations under the RICHeS Access Fund process, including support for users, assessment of access requests, delivery of agreed access activities and facilitation of data deposition in the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS)
• how you will engage with industry partners, including SMEs, to deliver collaborative activity and maximise opportunities for innovation, knowledge exchange and commercialisation, including your approach to cascading funding for innovation
• plans for operational sustainability and legacy beyond the end of AHRC funding, including how follow-on staffing support will contribute to ongoing access, capability, resilience and long-term sustainability. These could include cost recovery models, securing additional funding, development or expansion after the initial period of funding
• appropriate approaches for data management, intellectual property management and FAIR data practices, including integration with the HSDS

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

What the assessor looks for

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage)
• the right balance of skills and expertise
• the appropriate leadership and management skills and your approach to develop others
• contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
• appropriate experience with working across sectors, including industry
• 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.

What the assessor looks for

• the relevant ethical and RRI considerations, including both the research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of the project
• the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, while minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm
• how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project
• 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 that your proposed work will comply with
• human participants
• genetically modified organisms

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

What the assessor looks for

• capitalisable staff costs
• significant travel for 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
• if applicable, disposal or decommissioning costs
• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’
• costs associated with cascading funding for innovation, where requested
• are appropriate, proportionate and fully justified in relation to the proposed objectives
• represent an efficient and effective use of public funding
• provide value for money and maximise the potential benefits arising from the investment
• are aligned with the scale of identified user need, demand and anticipated usage
• support the successful delivery, operation and long-term sustainability of the proposed capability

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

What the assessor looks for

• how measures have been put in place to ensure equal and meaningful opportunities for people of different genders to be involved throughout the project, including the development of the project, the participants of the research and innovation and the beneficiaries of the research and innovation
• the expected impact of the project (benefits and losses) on people of different genders, both throughout the project and beyond
• the impact on the relations between people of different genders and people of the same gender. For example, changing roles and responsibilities in households, society, economy, politics, power and so on
• how any risks and unintended negative consequences on gender equality will be avoided or mitigated against, and monitored
• if there are any relevant outcomes and outputs being measured, with data disaggregated by age and gender (where disclosed)

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

What the assessor looks for

• a significant person’s name, their position and office or department, or all
• office address or web link
• is committed to the successful delivery of the proposed infrastructure and its strategic objectives
• will provide an appropriate environment, facilities, services and institutional support to enable delivery of the project
• has considered the long-term operation, sustainability and future development of the capability beyond the award period
• supports the proposed approach to access, collaboration, user engagement and knowledge exchange
• will help maximise the impact and benefits of the infrastructure for the wider research and innovation community
• has appropriate governance, oversight and institutional backing in place to support delivery of the proposed activities
• demonstrates that the proposed infrastructure aligns with the organisation’s wider strategic priorities and long-term plans

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

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
• have a page limit of two sides A4 per partner

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

What the assessor looks for

• name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 43.1KB)
• 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.