Our Researcher Collaborations Grant enables researchers to establish and develop national, international, interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborations and networks.
RSC members can apply for funding to participate in or organise activities which bring together researchers, including:
- research visits to potential or current collaborator’s institutions
- organising meetings/workshops
The grant will open for applications on 29 August 2023 to support activities occurring in 2024.
Who can apply?
The grant is aimed at researchers wanting to foster/develop collaborations. Applicants can be PhD students or researchers at any career stage, working in any sector or location.
Applicants must be at least an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (AMRSC or greater).
Please ensure you read our Guidance for Applicants fully before you begin your application. Our Frequently Asked Questions document also provides further information and responses to common questions about this scheme.
For more information about RSC membership, please see our membership page.
What can I request funding for?
It is not intended that the grant will support existing conferences and meeting series or those hosted on behalf of organisations. Rather small workshops/discussion-style type meetings to facilitate potential and existing collaborations/networks.
Application timelines
| Applications open |
29 August 2023 |
|---|---|
| Application close | 2 October 2023 1400 UK time (BST) |
| Initial screening decisions | Week commencing 16 October 2023 |
| Funding decisions | By 24 December 2023 |
We will also run two rounds of this scheme in 2024. Further details will be available in due course.
Assessment criteria
All applications will undergo an initial screening by staff. Applications will be rejected at this stage if:
- You do not meet our eligibility criteria (please see above)
- Your application is incomplete
- Your application does not adhere to the length limits instructed in the application system
- Your funding request exceeds the £5000 limit
All remaining applications will undergo peer review by members of our Researcher Grants Peer Review Group and final funding decisions will then be overseen by:
- Professor Alison Hulme, University of Edinburgh
- Dr Charles O’Hara, University of Strathclyde
- Dr Petra Szilagyi, University of Oslo
- Professor Ben Xu, Northumbria University
Our reviewers will assess applications on:
| Case for collaboration |
Applicants should give thoughtful consideration to why they chose their respective collaborator(s) for the activity. It should be clear how each party contributes to the project or research problem. There should also be clear scope for sustained partnership(s) beyond the conclusion of this grant application. |
| Scientific quality |
The scientific proposal must be novel and achievable in the specified timeframe. Applications should include a timely research problem that merits the proposed activity. Applications should also have impactful expected outcomes and plans for “next steps”. |
| Case for RSC funding | Applicants should demonstrate why RSC funding would be enabling. They should place their funding request in the context of other sources of funding available to them. |
| Inclusion & Diversity (meetings only) | Applicants must demonstrate actions to be taken to ensure an inclusive meeting. |
For full details, please see our Guidance for Applicants or contact us using the form below.
Downloadable document
Guidance for ApplicantsFunding
- Email:
- Send us an email