University Policies related to Funded Research Projects

This section provides a single point of access to the main policies pertinent to applying for research funding.

AHSS - Research Investigator Time Policy

The University of Cambridge Research Investigator Time Policy has been in force since 1 August 2020 and mandates minimum time spent on research grant in order to address these points, i.e. to contribute to proportionate cost recovery, satisfy funder expectations and ensure time commitment for leading postdoctoral staff.

The policy and the approach to how exceptions are managed, can be found at the link below.

Research Investigator Time Policy AHSS

Non-direct (overhead) cost recovery

How non direct costs (overheads) are calculated and distributed varies considerably between the many research funders in AHSS, giving rise to queries in this area from department and academic personnel.

In order to provide information on both background and methodologies to help inform such discussion, the Research Operations Office and School Research Team have put together the below Briefing note:

Briefing Note - non-direct costs / overheads

£1Million FEC+ Process - SHSS Only

This policy is specific to applicants submitting through the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences only.

The £1Million+ Process was introduced following the meeting of the Council of the School on 1 February 2013, where the Council considered measures to maximise application quality and minimise risk. The Council agreed that research grant  applications meeting the specified threshold should be submitted by faculties/departments in outline form for approval by the Head of School, prior to submission to the Research Operations Office for institutional approval. Following review of the policy in April 2017, the Council updated the threshold to apply the process to applications valued at £1Million FEC+. 

Departmental responsibility for managing the £1Million FEC+ Process varies across institutions. Usually the Research Grant Administrator or Departmental Administrator will complete the £1Million FEC+ Form in collaboration with the Principal Investigator and obtain approval from the Head of Department before submitting to the School. The £1m FEC+ form can be found here. This form is now in Excel format, with tabs included to provide explanatory information and guidance notes for completion.

AHSS - Non-University Employees

Following a requirement of University Research Policy Committee each School has to set up a formal oversight process by which the eligibility of non-University Employees (NUE) to become Principal Investigators (PI) on research grants is assessed.

The School of the Humanities and Social Sciences approved the policy linked below on March 2018 [See: SHSS NUE Policy, March 2018].

The School of Arts and Humanities approved the policy in December 2022. [See: SAH NUE Policy, December 2022].

The policy does not have effect if the PI will become a University Employee paid for through a research grant - for example in the case of Marie Curie Fellowships, Research Council grants, ERC grants - and does not affect College Teaching Officers. Cases affected by the policy are therefore not frequent in SHSS and SAH.

SHSS Only - Director of Research / Principal Research Associate appointments

Occasionally, research grant applications are made by Principal Investigators from outside Cambridge, on the understanding that they will join the University should the application be successful. The University procedures for these circumstances are outlined in the minutes and documents of the Research Grants Administrators' Meeting of December 2015.

Please note in particular the requirement for new applicants costed at the level of Principal Research Associate or Director of Research to have 'in principle’ approval in place before the application can be submitted through the Research Office. This will require consent of the Faculty, School and PVC for Institutional Affairs (via HRBM) in good time before the application deadline.