The Geological Society is pleased to announce the new Fermor Seed Corn Fund. The fund honours Sir Lewis Leigh Fermor OBE FRS and is supported by a generous bequest from Lady Frances Fermor.
Attaining research funding for UK-based researchers is increasingly competitive, with much of this funding inaccessible to individuals not employed on permanent academic contracts or those with non-traditional roles. This disproportionately affects early-career researchers (ECRs) on fixed-term contracts, returners, and technical staff. Additionally, the rigid cycle of fixed deadlines associated with many of the large awards made by UK funding organisations means that researchers returning from a career break, or an extended period of ill-health, can be unable to apply for funding at key points in their careers.
The aim of the Fermor Seed Corn Fund is to provide seed funding to such individuals who are unable to apply for other, more traditional research funding awards.
In recognition of the contributions of Sir Lewis Leigh Fermor to geosciences in India, who held roles such as President of the Indian National Science Academy and Director of the Geological Survey of India, the Fund also seeks to provide seed funding to early-career researchers based in India and/or to those who aim to develop international research partnerships between India and the UK. Therefore, one of the available grants will be reserved for individuals who are working in or with India on the project in question.
The Fermor Seed Corn Fund should be used to develop an idea into practice, to test a hypothesis or to design a new output, with the aim to seed new discoveries, pilot ideas, and foster collaborations that will be sustained beyond the period of the grant itself.
All Fermor Seed Corn fund proposals must align to the Fermor bequest:
…for the "furtherance of research into those branches of geology that deal with the study of the principles governing ore deposition, the occurrence of minerals and of mineral bearing rocks, and fundamental research into the origins of [Precambrian] rocks, not excluding extraterrestrial occurrences."
As such, all subjects covered by the Society's five broad science themes are eligible for Fermor Seed Corn support.
If you are considering applying to the Fermor Seed Corn Fund, please see the application guidance document.
The Fermor Seed Corn fund is open to individuals who belong to the following groups:
- Early Career Researchers (<10 years from completing a PhD), technical staff, or research assistants who are ineligible as lead investigators on standard UKRI grant applications.
- Researchers who are returning to work following a career break or long-term illness.
- Early-career researchers working in India, or with plans to foster collaboration with Indian research organisations as part of this funded project (please note a letter of support from the in-country participant(s) will be required).
The scheme is open to all fellows regardless of geographic location. All applicants must have a PhD by the time that the funded period starts. Applicants who have not yet completed their PhD at the time of application should submit a supporting letter from the host institution where they intend to conduct the relevant research, confirming a contract and position for the duration of the project period.
The Fermor Seed Corn Fund is intended to support individuals who cannot easily apply for funding by other means. This is likely to be an individual on a fixed-term academic contract, or a non-academic contract with research capacity, to complete a period of novel academic research. The fund is not intended as additional funding to support an applicant who is otherwise employed to conduct an ongoing research project, i.e. research fellows or permanent academic appointments where there have been no interruptions to careers.
All applicants are required to be Fellows at the time that funding is awarded. Any queries regarding eligibility should be directed to [email protected] ahead of the closing date.
To apply, please submit an application form.
The form asks applicants to provide a range of information. In addition to a project rationale, awardees will be asked to:
- Consider the desired impact of their research within their academic field
- Consider the project plan and cost breakdown of their proposed research
- Consider the sustainability and environmental impact of the project
- Make equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility considerations
- Discuss outputs in terms of open access publications and data management
- Consider training/development – have you identified any training opportunities within the scope of this project?
In addition to the form, applicants are asked to submit a detailed budgetary breakdown using this budget template.
This should be accompanied by a Justification of Resources (up to two A4 pages), explaining why the various items are necessary for the project.
Whilst we intend to fund two to three projects in the first round, the Society reserves the right to not make an award in the event that no suitable applications are received.
| Call for applications open: |
7 August 2024 |
| Call for applications closed: |
30 September 2024 |
| Results of initial assessment: |
October 2024 (date TBC) |
| Interviews: |
October 2024 (date TBC)
|
| Final results: |
Early November 2024 (date TBC)
|
It is a condition of award funding that the awardee produces a yearly report of the activities undertaken, as well as at the end of the period of funded work. Awardees will also be asked to attend quarterly meetings to discuss research progress with their peers.
Interim reports should include a summary of geological findings and an assessment of how the funding has supported the awardee in achieving their research aims.
Quarterly financial statements detailing how awarded funds have been spent will also be required for funds to be paid (in arrears) to the host institution.
Any published or unpublished report resulting from the grant funding should acknowledge the financial support.
Enquiries
For any enquiries about the Fermor Seed Corn Fund that are not explained in the guidance document linked above, please email [email protected]
Disability support
We welcome applications from disabled applicants and will accommodate adjustments to the procedures to ensure that these applicants are able to participate fully in the selection process. Adjustments to the application procedure could include:
- Extension of the application deadline
- Additional support to complete the application form
- Technical support during interviews for candidates with hearing or visual impairments
- Support during interviews for neurodiverse candidates and candidates with mental health conditions
If you have any queries about accessing the support described in this section, please use the contact details above.
Are you interested in research funding and would like to participate in our Fermor Seed Corn Fund Committee?
You are invited to submit your expression of interest to sit on the pool of Fellows that we call upon for our application review committee meeting. You will work alongside other experienced Fellows and Society staff. The time requirement can vary depending on the number of applications received but is typically 2 – 3 days per round.
If you are interested, please contact [email protected] and let us know details of your current position and area of expertise. Expressions of interest will be carried forward for a three-year period unless you indicate otherwise. Expressions of interest form Early Career Researchers are warmly welcomed.
The 2024 panel will convene in October 2024 – exact date and time subject to committee availability.
The information that you submit in your form will be processed by the Geological Society for the purposes of administering your grant application. It will only be shared with external referees from the relevant committees as part of the review process. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Notice.
1.The bequest states 'fundamental research into the origins of [Precambrian] rocks'. Does my research have to be on Precambrian rocks only?
and
2. If my research fits within the Society’s five science themes, does my proposal also have to fit within the bequest?
Proposed research does not need to focus on Precambrian rocks. If the proposed research is aligned with any of the Society’s five science themes, then it is an eligible research topic for the Fermor Seed Corn Fund.
3. Can I request salary costs in my application?
The Fermor Fund is primarily intended to fund a research project (and the hidden costs within it) by otherwise employed researchers who are not able to access other forms of research support, rather than to form the basis for, and support the salary of, a new position entirely. This is a seed corn research grant, rather than a fellowship.
Should an extension to an existing fixed-term contract be requested, we would expect no more than 50% of the related salary costs (not including overheads) to be requested in any application for the panel to review, with appropriate justification made.
The exception to this is where an assistant might be requested to support the researcher already employed, to help where disability or chronic health issues necessitate additional support, or assist with caring responsibilities.
4. Is there any limit on the length (word/character count) of sections in the application form?
There is currently no word/character limit for the sections of the application form. Different projects may require different levels of detail in the various sections. We would encourage applicants to consider the workload of the panel in assessing multiple applications while writing applications.