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Criteria, Eligibility & Exclusions
Note:
The following information is not exhaustive. Please consult the Guidelines and Notes for more complete information about the Scheme’s criteria, elibilibity and exclusions. They can be downloaded from the How to apply section of the Social Science Small Grants Scheme’s web pages.
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Social Science Small Grants are intended for self-contained research projects in the social sciences, including pilot studies. Their main purpose is to meet the cost of research assistance, research materials, data collection and analysis, and travel and subsistence in this country and overseas. The Foundation normally offers grants of up to £7,500 though awards of up to £12,000 may be made.
All applicants to the Social Science Schemes need to comply with Nuffield Foundation policy on independent ethical scrutiny.
Please read the statement on the ethical review of research projects before completing your application. You must address this issue in the research statement you submit as part of your application.
We make awards only to people who have a post with a permanent contract, or a research contract of three years or more, in a university or independent research institute in the United Kingdom. The grants are administered by the researcher’s institution and are not paid to applicants personally.
You can apply to the Scheme even if you have applied before, once any current award is completed. Each project will be judged on its merits, but we accept resubmissions only if these have been invited by trustees.
Research students, whether working for a PhD or other higher degrees, are NOT eligible.
Grants are not usually given for:
- subsistence for work from home
- attendance at conferences or courses
- conferring with colleagues in other institutions
- the organisation or holding of academic conferences or seminars
- the purchase of computer hardware or software
- work in progress or projects that are already grant aided (but see point 9 in Notes for completing the application form)
- literature and systematic reviews
- publication and printing costs
- health and medical research
The Scheme does not cover replacement teaching costs, nor does it pay salaries of permanent university staff in receipt of the HEFCE subsidy.
Last Updated Fri, 31 August 2007
