Eligibility:

• Applications should principally be between LSI postdocs from two or more different research groups (including LSI affiliate groups).
• The research team may include a PhD student or a non-Professorial PI based in LSI (or non-Professorial Affiliate PI), but must be led by an LSI postdoc. For proposals that include PhD students or PIs, please contact LSI Director Austin Smith in advance of submission to discuss suitability.
• PhD students will require the support of their supervisors, who must be satisfied that involvement in an Initiative Award would not jeopardise their PhD progress.

All applications should:

• Be new research conceived by the applicants that is demonstrably different or a significant extension from ongoing postdoc/PhD research projects.
• Form a collaboration that combines disciplines, technologies, and/or systems.
• Include one or more elements of upskilling and professional development (e.g. new experimental, computational or data analysis skills).
• Identify specific research and training outcomes with a plan for taking those outcomes forwards beyond the duration of the grant (e.g. manuscript, external funding application, further training to embed new skills, conference presentation, job application).
• Have the support of the responsible PIs/supervisors for undertaking the planned research within your working hours.

Any applications received in a given three month period will be reviewed by the LSI Strategy Group against the stated criteria following each rolling deadline. Short-listed applications will be invited to present their proposal to a pitching panel within an LSI seminar slot during the following month (i.e. February, May, September for July submissions, November). Funding decisions will be made during each pitching panel event. Projects should commence within 3 months of the award date. All successful applicants will also be required to submit a report on completion of their project and present a summary of their research at one of the pitching panel seminar slots.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented among previous awardees.

We reserve the right to move applications received towards the end of the university financial year (end of July) forwards to a pitching panel in the following academic year, depending on funding available.