

The Aston Pump Priming Fund is designed to support our research pipeline.
What is this funding for?
- Academic excellence with impact wherever it’s found; to provide selective support for the next generation of researchers, and to support research funding leveraged from external sources such as the charitable and business sectors;
- To enable research with Business or Industry.
- To extend capabilities, develop capacity and pilot approaches to facilitate successful co-production of research;
- Enhancing Research Culture - activities aligned with the BEIS R&D People and Culture Strategy
- To facilitate international collaborations to strengthen future bidding activity
- Members of the Professoriate can apply for up to £8,000 in buy-out to aid in the preparation of funding applications worth over £1m
All spending and activity (including delivery of equipment and any travel) must be completed by July 31st 2025.
For queries please contact rke_ris@aston.ac.uk
- Who can apply?
Applications may be submitted by an individual researcher (employed on a Teaching and Research contract or Research Only contract), or by a group or team of researchers.
- How much can I apply for?
- You may bid for funding up to £20,000 - It is not necessary to apply for all £20,000.
- This fund will cover direct costs, for example, teaching buyback, short-term researcher posts, minor equipment, consumables, and travel. Please bid for what you need rather than feeling that you have to bid for the maximum available.
- If you will be incurring expenses, please check the University’s Expenses Guidance.
- If your bid includes time for post-doctoral staff (maximum 12 weeks), please refer to the University’s guidance for hiring casual workers and contact your College HR Business Partner for advice. If your bid includes teaching buyback, your bid must also be endorsed by your Head of School (or equivalent).
The RKE Research Project Support - Pre-Award web pages offer guidance on accurately costing an application and links to relevant HR, Digital Services and Procurement information.
Please contact your College Finance Partner for support in costing your application:
- How do I apply?
- Please complete the ‘Aston Pump Priming Fund Application Form’ below. The deadline for submission is 18/10/2024 (15:00). We will aim to communicate funding decisions as soon as possible after that.
- You will be asked about the Research England thematic area(s) that your project falls into (see above), your planned project, including strategic fit, project partners, planned outcomes and beneficiaries (maximum 500 words), timeline (500 words maximum), details of any current funding for this project area (300 words), and details of the funding that you are requesting.
- Collaborative projects
Please also note that all universities have a responsibility to act with due diligence, that is, to ensure that reasonable steps have been taken before entering into an agreement with another party. We aim to minimise the potential risk associated with collaborative relationships, depending on the partner, the sector, the nature of the proposed activity and the country concerned. For this reason, please ensure that you provide the specific information we request regarding your collaborators, where they are relevant to your proposal. For more information, please visit our Due Diligence webpages.
- What is not covered
Items which cannot be funded through this scheme include (NB this list is not exhaustive; if you have a specific query, please contact: rke_ris@aston.ac.uk
- Equipment over £15,000 (inc VAT).
- Impact-only activities - Please see our Funding for Impact pages.
- Employing staff or covering contract costs for longer than 12 weeks.
- Research activity aimed at evidence-based policy making - See the Policy Support Fund for assistance.
- Review process
The applications will be reviewed by a range of colleagues from both academic and professional service backgrounds. Final decisions will be made by a panel consisting of the PVC Research, College Deans of Research, and the Director of Research Strategy, Funding and Impact.
- Research England Thematic Areas
- Academic excellence with impact
Wherever it is found, including the provision of selective support for the next generation of researchers, research funding leveraged from external sources such as the charitable and business sectors. Examples could include
- Teaching buyout to ringfence time to work with collaborators to draft a significant bid or complete drafting of a manuscript;
- Bridging funding for a post-doc;
- Technician time;
- A facilitated sandpit, with financial prizes, to accelerate collaborative research. This could include or focus on ECR/PGR researchers.
- Research with Business or Industry
Funding to support research with business and industry partners. Activity should be aligned with our University Research Strategy and Knowledge Exchange Strategy
- Participatory Research
To extend capabilities, develop capacity and pilot approaches to facilitate successful Co-Production of Research, for example:
- Covering the costs of co-produced research and running capacity-building activities such as Pilot projects using innovative models and methodologies for participatory research;
- The development of materials to support researchers interested in developing their skills in participatory research and public engagement activities that are related to participatory and co-produced research;
- Case studies and evidence of the impact of co-produced research and evaluations of the effectiveness of co-production from different institutions/disciplines
- Enhancing Research Culture
- Improving access to and participation in research, including postgraduate research study, for people from currently under-represented groups;
- Furthering open research practices; improving research conduct and reproducibility;
- Tackling bullying and harassment; improving research leadership skills across all career stages;
- Creating routes for collaboration and exchange with businesses, third-sector organisations and government;
- Securing and supporting the careers of researchers and associated professions; diversifying recruitment, reward, and recognition approaches at all career stages;
- Delivering new approaches to public dialogue and community-led research.
- Application form questions
For a copy of the application form in word format, please contact rke_ris@aston.ac.uk.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I apply for travel?
Yes, travel can be applied for as part of a Pump Priming project. The travel needs to be essential to the project outputs.
- Can fractional FTE casual staff be employed for longer than 12 weeks?
Yes, the 12-week period can be pro-rated based on the fractional contract.
- When will decisions be communicated?
The panel will meet in early Novemeber. Decisions will be communicated shortly thereafter.
- Can I apply for more than one casual 12-week post?
Yes, you can apply for more than one post (budget permitting); however, the roles cannot be filled by the same individual.
- Can I include consumables?
Yes.
- This is internal money. Do I still need ethical approval?
Irrespective of funding source, if your research involves human participants, tissue, data or animals, you will likely need ethical approval. If in doubt, it is best to check with the Research Integrity Office so you can be sure of the processes and timescales involved.
- Can I include figures and charts in my application?
Yes, these can be included as attachments at the end of the application form.
- When will the Pump Priming Fund reopen in 2025?
It is likely the Pump Priming Fund will reopen in summer 2025.
- I was funded previously - can I apply again?
Previous award holders are welcome to apply again. They must have completed the Evaluation Form prior to submitting an application.
- Can I extend the spending deadline?
No extensions or exceptions are possible.
- Example Form
A PDF example of the form can bedownloaded below.