Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Scheme call for proposals

Transcription

1 Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Scheme call for proposals Important Information: This document is a call document for Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Scheme activities with South Africa. This main document contains the central call and UK applicant-specific criteria. Guidance for South African applicants complements this document and can be found in the annexes. Summary 1. The aim of the Newton Fund International PhD partnering call is to facilitate the building of sustainable, long-lasting links between UK and international Research Organisations (ROs) to support the training of PhD students and the development of an international cohort of early career researchers with the skills, links and contacts to operate in the global research environment. 2. Funding available through this call will support reciprocal placements for PhD students in the UK and South Africa alongside additional training and networking activities to build strategic links between the UK and South African research organisations around postgraduate training. Clarifications June 2015: Paragraphs 5, 45, 49 and Annex F: Clarified that the number of student placements is 10 and that applications of up to 12 will be considered where further justification is provided. Paragraphs 16, 38 and 39: Clarified that the number of UK Research Organisations per application is 1. UK RO s should apply individually, not as consortia. Paragraph 49: Overall indicative budget for NRF included (R10.8million) Paragraph 52: Clarified that RO s are expected to submit one interdisciplinary proposal. A second application will be allowed where the UK RO wishes to partner with multiple South African partners. Annex F: Included that South African lead researchers should ensure that, if awarded, at least 60% of students funded at the South African institution are South African citizens. For full details on these clarifications, please refer to the paragraphs listed.

2 3. RCUK Newton funding will be awarded to support partnering activities in eligible UK Research Organisations, for PhD students from South African ROs, as well as any additional partnering activities. Equivalent funding will be made available by NRF in South Africa to support reciprocal activities for UK students. 4. To be considered for funding through this call, a joint application must be submitted using the Research Councils Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) detailing the activities that will be supported by both partners. This application will be reviewed by an international assessment panel consisting of relevant experts from both the UK and South Africa. 5. UK applicants are invited to apply for funding to support 10 student placements for students from the partner country to visit the UK as well as in support of additional partnering activities over the lifetime of this grant. Applications for up to 12 students will be considered where further justification is provided. Equivalent funding will be provided by NRF to the overseas partner Research Organisations for reciprocal activities with similar expectations. 6. Funding will be awarded to support activities for up to three years; grants must begin during academic year 2015/16 in both countries. 7. The Newton Fund requires that UK funding be awarded in a manner that fits with Official Development Assistance (ODA) guidelines 1. All applications must demonstrate how research and training themes are ODA compliant to be eligible for funding through this call. 8. This call is open to UK ROs within at least one Research Councils UK Doctoral Training Partnership, Doctoral Training Centre or Centre for Doctoral Training ( DTP, CDT & DTC ) grant at which DTP/CDT/DTC students are or could be registered (a partner organisation ). 9. PhD partnering funding calls for PhD partnering activities will be announced over the lifetime of the Newton fund ( ) for activities with other Newton countries 2. Background 10. The Newton Fund is a new initiative intended to strengthen research and innovation partnerships between the UK and emerging knowledge economies. 11. The Newton Fund forms part of the UK s Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment which is monitored by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). ODA funded activity focuses on outcomes that promote the longterm sustainable growth of countries on the OECD Development Assistance Committee list. Newton Fund countries represent a sub-set of this list. 12. This funding call falls under the people category of the Newton Fund, of which RCUK is a delivery partner. Funding under this category is provided to support: improving science and innovation expertise (known as capacity building ), student and researcher fellowships, mobility schemes, and joint centres. 1 ODA Guidelines: 2 Newton Fund Background:

3 13. Further details of the Newton Fund and its position within the UK s Official Development Assistance commitment are available on the RCUK web site 3. The International PhD Partnering Scheme Objectives 14. The main objectives of the Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Call are to: Facilitate the development of sustainable institutional links between UK Research Organisations and emerging centres of research internationally. Foster the development of an international cohort of researchers with the skills, links and contacts to operate in the global research environment; Support the development of research capacity in identified research performing nations through the development of international training and development activities; Learn from different approaches in partner countries and access facilities, communities and environments of interest/benefit to the student research programme Encourage and foster the development of intellectual and joint training networks to foster long-term sustainable research collaboration addressing issues of global concern and with a strong potential for international impact; Establish the UK as a long-term partner of choice internationally, in particular with the new research performing nations. Call Remit 15. To achieve the above objectives funding is available from both RCUK and NRF to support partnering activities between UK and South African Research Organisations at the PhD level. The partnership should comprise students and supervisors, both at an individual and group level, working on complementary research topics at both organisations with the intention of forming long-term, strategic links. 16. It is expected that the core activities funded through this call will be reciprocal PhD partnering exchanges between one UK Research Organisation and Research Organisations in South Africa. These exchanges should be complemented by additional partnering activities intended to promote long-term, strategic training collaborations between partner ROs and to increase the impact of these activities beyond those students undertaking exchanges. There is no set format for these additional activities but applicants must justify their inclusion within their proposal. 17. RCUK encourages applicants to support partnering activities within their proposals involving students, supervisors, and senior academics to ensure these strategic links become fully realised and are developed appropriately. 18. Applications offering training and strategic relationship building across multidisciplinary areas, including those at the interface of and between Research Council remits, are permitted and encouraged to apply for this funding opportunity. However, the UK Research Organisation must hold a RCUK DTP/CDT/DTC grant in all disciplinary areas in which it is applying for funding. 3 RCUK Website Newton Fund:

4 19. Equivalent funding will be made available by NRF to support reciprocal activities for UK students. Funding will be awarded to support activities over the same time period for both partners. 20. All PhD placements and associated partnering activities must be developed by both the UK and South African RO. 21. An individual from each partner RO must be identified within the proposal to lead as Principal Investigator and manage partnering activities within their organisation and to manage the development of additional partnering activities between both partners. This position should be held by a senior academic with demonstrable experience of both international collaboration and postgraduate training. International PhD Exchanges 22. All international PhD exchanges funded through this call must be student centred to ensure that the best possible development experience is provided for each student. International exchanges should add value through enabling students to: Learn valuable new skills or techniques Access facilities or resources not readily available in their home country Build relationships with potential new collaborators Advance complementary collaborative research 23. The duration of each placement is expected to be 3-6 months; with flexibility to split the placement into several shorter visits. Longer placements may be undertaken where this would add value and these should be justified within the application. Placements must enhance, not replace, the standard training and study support that students receive. 24. PhD placements must be directly linked to the PhD student s research topic. 25. It is expected that PhD placements will be managed so that they fit within the original funded period of the studentship. Additional funding will not be made available through this call or by RCUK to support studentship extensions for those undertaking international placements. Applicants should include information about how this will be managed within their proposal. 26. Applicants must demonstrate within their proposal how students welfare will be managed when they are undertaking PhD placements within the partner country. Consideration must be given to accommodation requirements, travel management and expenses, insurance, available welfare support and providing the flexibility to accommodate students with differing personal requirements. 27. To be eligible to undertake an exchange, the student from the UK partner organisation must be eligible to receive RCUK funding on the date of their registration for their PhD. PLEASE NOTE, the student does NOT need to be a RCUK student, only to be eligible to receive RCUK funding on a registered PhD course. Information concerning the eligibility criteria for RCUK students can be found within the Terms and Conditions of Research Council Training Grants and their associated guidance Eligibility criteria for overseas partner students are available in Annex F. 4 Terms and Conditions of Research Council Training Grants and Grant Guide:

5 29. All UK PhD students undertaking research within the remit(s) of the Research Council(s) in which the UK host Research Organisation is a DTP/CDT/DTC lead or partner, are eligible to undertake PhD exchanges through this scheme, regardless of their funding source. 30. Although the details of individual placements are not required as part of the application process, proposals must contain information regarding how placements will be allocated, managed and monitored over the lifetime of the grant. Supporting Partnering Activities 31. To complement international PhD exchanges funded through this call, applicants are expected to undertake additional partnering activities over the lifetime of this call. Details of these activities must be included within the joint application document. 32. The format of these activities is not set but they must support the development of longterm, sustainable research and training collaborations. 33. Wider networking and collaborative activities outside of the PhD placements are encouraged. Examples of eligible activities include but are not limited to: i. Networking events for students and supervisors at both partner organisations open to attendees beyond those involved in PhD placements ii. Open seminars demonstrating outcomes of collaborative activities iii. Online collaborative teaching and training resources 34. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how these activities will contribute to achieving the objectives of this call. Eligibility Official Development Assistance (ODA) 35. The Newton Fund requires that the UK funding is awarded in a manner that fits with Official Development Assistance (ODA) 5 guidelines. All applications under this call must therefore be compliant with these guidelines and demonstrate this compliance within the written proposal. For advice on ODA guidelines, please see the RCUK ODA Newton Fund Guidance Applicants must provide information in their proposal confirming their proposed activities are within the remit of ODA. UK Research Organisations 37. This opportunity is open to UK Research Organisations acting as leads or partners in RCUK Centres for Doctoral Training, Doctoral Training Centres or Doctoral Training Partnership awards to support partnering activities within the research areas in which these awards are held. For example, an organisation acting as a lead or partner in only AHRC and ESRC doctoral programmes is unable to apply for funding to support activities within the NERC remit. 5 ODA Factsheet (Nov. 2008): 6 RCUK ODA Newton Fund Guidance:

6 38. UK ROs should apply as individual institutions, NOT as consortia. An individual RO may include access to joint training facilities from a DTP/DTC/CDT partner as part of their application but must still apply as an individual RO. The intention of the call is to develop long term, enduring links between individual UK ROs and consortia of South African ROs. 39. Applications that are interdisciplinary and cover multiple research areas/ Research Council remits are encouraged, as long as the Research Organisation holds a DTP/DTC/CDT in those remits. Overseas Research Organisations 40. Eligibility criteria specific to overseas Research Organisations are available in the country-specific annexes to this call. Funding available 41. Additional institutional support is encouraged for this scheme and will demonstrate the institution s commitment to developing a sustainable partnership. Information regarding any additional support should be included in the application document. Existing RCUK funding cannot be used as additional investment in this scheme. 42. RCUK and our partners in this scheme reserve the right to award less than the amount of funding requested. Justification will be provided regarding any funding alterations. 43. Each partner Research Organisation will be required to cover certain costs from their awards and these must be detailed and appropriately justified within the application. Please refer to the guidance below on what the UK and South African Research Organisations can claim costs for. 44. RCUK will provide funding to the UK Research Organisation to cover costs incurred in the UK: Reasonable travel costs from the UK to South Africa for staff and students involved with the partnership Related costs such as visa arrangements, travel and medical insurance for UK students visiting South Africa. The costs of residential accommodation for the placement period(s) for South African students visiting the UK. Stipend and fee costs up to the indicative RCUK amounts for that academic year for South African students for the duration of their placement(s) within the UK. Internal travel costs in the UK for the placement period(s) where a case is made for this travel either from a training or partnership building/networking perspective Associated and justified funding for research expenses for activities undertaken during any placement period(s) by South African students in the UK. 45. NRF will provide funding to the South African Research Organisations for costs incurred in South Africa: Reasonable travel costs from South Africa to the UK for staff and students involved with the partnership.

7 Related costs such as visa arrangements, travel and medical insurance for South African students visiting the UK The costs of residential accommodation for the placement period(s) for UK students visiting South Africa Any additional stipend and fee costs for UK students for the duration of their placement(s) within South Africa. Internal travel costs in South Africa for the placement period(s) where a case is made for this travel either from a training or partnership building perspective Associated and justified funding for research expenses for activities undertaken during any placement period(s) by UK students in South Africa. UK Research Organisations 46. RCUK will award grants to UK ROs to support activities with South African Research Organisations over a three-year period. UK RO grant holders must support 10 incoming PhD placements from the overseas partner over the three-year lifetime of this award alongside any additional partnering activities detailed with the application. Applications for up to 12 students will be considered where further justification is provided. 47. The mobility of supervisors is encouraged as part of this programme to encourage the development of long-term sustainable relationships. Award holders are expected to use the flexibility within their award and include costs as appropriate to support supervisor mobility between the partner organisations to encourage the building of long-term, sustainable collaboration and strategic links. 48. Applicants must include within their application a breakdown of how funding will be managed for each activity. The overall indicative budget for RCUK is 1.8 million, which could fund around 12 awards of up to 150,000 each. There is no specific limit to the amount of funding requested on the RCUK side, although all costs must be justified. The NRF contribution will be a maximum of R900,000 per award. The overall indicative budget for NRF is R10.8million. Newton Partner Country Research Organisations 49. Awards supporting activities over a period of three years are available through this call. South African RO award holders must support 10 incoming PhD placements from the UK partner over the three-year lifetime of this award alongside any additional partnering activities detailed with the application. Applications for up to 12 students will be considered where further justification is provided. 50. Information regarding the funding available for South African ROs can be found in Annex F. How to apply 51. UK Research Organisations can only apply on a maximum of two proposals. UK ROs should submit one interdisciplinary application, which crosses the remits of a number of Research Councils. Up to two proposals from a UK RO with different South African consortia will be considered, where one South African consortia does not cover all the remits that the UK RO is eligible to apply under. However, these two proposals must cover different Research Council remits and may not overlap.

8 52. A joint proposal from both the UK Research Organisation and the South African Partner Organisation should be submitted using the Research Councils Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) by the call closing date in order to be considered for funding. 53. The UK RO PI must submit the application to this scheme on behalf of both partners via Je-S. Information regarding both partners and their specific activities must be included within the proposals case for support and justification of resources documents. 54. RCUK Newton PhD partnering activities proposals must be submitted by the UK RO PI using the Research Councils Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S). The call will be open in Je-S from 8 June 2015 and Je-S guidance is available here To use the Je-S system, the UK RO must be registered as a Je-S user. Full details are available on the Je-S website. Further information can also be obtained by contacting the Je-S Helpdesk by at JeSHelp@rcuk.ac.uk, or by telephone on Applicants should leave enough time for their proposal to pass through their organisation's Je-S submission route before 16:00 on 9 July Any application that is received after the closing date, is incomplete, or does not meet this competition s eligibility criteria, will be rejected. Proposals 57. A RCUK Newton PhD Partnering Activities case for support pro forma is available at Annex D and will shortly be available to download. 58. Every section of this form must be completed with information for both partners and it must be completed and attached to your Je-S application (PDF version) as a case for support document. The Case for Support document must be no longer than 6 pages of A4 under the formatting requirements detailed below. The Case for Support document must contain information under the below headings: i. Organisations where award would be held ii. Lead Applicants and ROs iii. Co-applicants and partnering staff and ROs iv. Funding Requested UK Applicant Overseas Applicant v. Name of UK DTP/CDT/DTCs involved vi. Overview of Proposed Partnering Activities vii. ODA Compliance viii. Training Excellence ix. Management and Welfare x. Strategic Links 59. Further information on the expected content under these headings is available on the Case for Support pro forma and in Annex B: Assessment Criteria. 60. In addition to the Case for Support document, each partner must complete a separate PhD Partnering Funding Justification pro forma (Annex E) and these must be submitted through Je-S attached to the main application. Every section of this form must be completed and it must be attached to your Je-S application as a Justification of Resources document.

9 61. These Funding Justification documents must contain a breakdown of all costs requested for this funding scheme by each partner taking into account the requirements outlined under the Funding Available section of this document. 62. All of the above documents submitted through the Je-S system, must be completed on standard A4 sized paper, in single-spaced transcript of minimum font size 11 point, Arial font, with margins of at least 2cm. Applicants should note that the assessment panel will not consider reference to other sources, e.g. websites, if these are included within the text. 63. Please do not attach any additional documents to the above as they will not be considered when reviewing your application. Assessment Process 64. Joint proposals from the UK and South African Research Organisations received as part of this scheme will be assessed in a competitive process run collaboratively by RCUK and NRF. 65. The review process will be undertaken by an assessment panel comprising relevant experts from both the UK and South Africa. 66. Activities at both the UK and South African ROs will be assessed against the same criteria (see Annex B) but additional, country-specific application requirements may also apply. Further information regarding country specific application criteria is available in Annex F. 67. Applications will be assessed against the below 3 headings: i. Training Excellence ii. Management and Welfare iii. Strategic Links 68. Further information regarding the assessment criteria can be found in Annex B. 69. Final funding decisions will be made jointly between RCUK and NRF. Timetable for proposals with Newton partner countries Call announced: 27 March 2015 Call opens on Je-S: 8 June 2015 (N.B. Proposals cannot be submitted before this date) Closing date for all applications: 9 July 2015 Assessment panel meetings: Week commencing 17 August 2015 Funding decisions announcements: Week ending 18 September 2015 Partnering activities start date: from 1 October 2015 Newton funding for partnering activities ends: September 30 th 2018 Terms and conditions

10 70. Grants to UK Research Organisation will be awarded under the standard UK Research Council Terms and Conditions 7 and additional conditions appropriate to this scheme. 71. Grants to non-uk Research Organisations will be awarded under the relevant terms and conditions of the NRF. Please refer to the country-specific annexes of this document for further information regarding this. Reporting 72. Each partnership will be required to provide a yearly report to RCUK covering the management of these funds, PhD partnering activities funded and the benefits to the RO, relevant Doctoral Programme award(s), and students to both RCUK and the partner funding organisation. 73. This report will take the form of an off-line pro forma and will be available once awards have been made. Contacts RCUK contact details: international@rcuk.ac.uk NRF contact details: Prudence Makhura, Director: Overseas Cooperation. prudence.makhura@nrf.ac.za 7 RCUK Terms and Conditions of Research Council Training Grants:

11 Annex A: Newton Fund: Funding Organisation Backgrounds i. Research Councils UK (RCUK) 74. RCUK is the largest single funder of PhDs in UK Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), supporting 40% of UK domiciled PhD students and ~30% of UK PhD graduates. The funds for RCUK doctoral training are placed in strong training and research environments based on rigorous, and well regarded, peer review. Our doctoral training investments primarily support Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs). DTPs and CDTs are funded by block grants allowing annual intakes (cohorts) of students. In DTPs the students are spread across a number of different research disciplines whereas in CDTs students form a cohort working on similar topics. In many cases DTPs and CDTs are awarded to a lead institution within a consortium of HEIs, and typically a number of research partner organisations will form part of the consortium. 75. RCUK is committed to providing opportunities for postgraduate students to build strong, sustainable networks of international contacts in their field. This will help to build capacity for research not only in the training phase but throughout their research career. 76. Improving mobility at the doctoral level is an important factor in facilitating cross border research collaboration. It also offers benefits to doctoral researchers in terms of intellectual development, career progression, access to existing and emerging world class facilities and access to comparative research, environments and populations. ii. National Research Foundation (NRF) 77. The NRF receives its mandate from the National Research Foundation Act (Act No 23 of 1998). According to Section 3 of the Act, the objective of the NRF is to promote and support research through funding, human resource development and the provision of the necessary facilities in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of research, including indigenous knowledge, and thereby to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all the people of the Republic. 78. The NRF therefore aims to develop institutional research capabilities in parallel with the appropriate human capital to drive the research and development strategies within the National System of Innovation (NSI). The NRF manages a number of student and graduate support programmes. Efforts are made to ensure that Honours, Master s and Doctoral students and Postdoctoral research fellows extend their learning and research training. With the introduction of the PhD project, the NRF plans to build a critical mass of highly educated and skilled South Africans who can contribute to the country's economic growth and global competitiveness. To this end, the Student and Postdoctoral Support programme manages the implementation of strategic projects, bursaries, scholarships and fellowships with the aim of developing and increasing skilled human resources in scarce skills areas, in line with the NRF Vision This partnership, therefore, is in line with the NRF s mandate and commitment of supporting the training of PhD students and the development of an international cohort of early career researchers with the skills, links and contacts to operate in the global research environment.

12 Annex B: Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Scheme Assessment Criteria Should an application score lower than 5 it will not be considered for funding. Assessment Criteria Key aspects Example features Partnership Training Excellence (50%) PhD exchanges and additional training activities are integrated appropriately into student research projects to ensure students research project and broader skills training is enhanced through engaging with this scheme. Students are trained as part of an active community Proposed activities will enable students to learn new skills or techniques, access facilities or resources not readily available in their home country, advanced complementary collaborative research knowledge and build relationships with potential new collaborators. Internationally recognised researchers engaged with scheme both providing and hosting PhD exchange students in relevant disciplines. Existing excellent specialist and broader skills training programmes available to both groups of exchange students. Generalist and specialist development needs of PhD exchange students will be identified and managed. Facilities, technologies and methodologies to enhance all PhD exchange students research projects will be available to all students undertaking an exchange. Management and Welfare (20%) Excellent training and support for supervisors engaged with this scheme. A clear, fair and transparent process for selecting PhD students and supervisors to undertake exchanges through this scheme. A robust mechanism for managing PhD exchanges in both partner organisations to ensure student welfare is managed appropriately. Appropriate management structures to ensure equality of opportunity for all students. Mechanisms for managing PhD partnering activities between the partner organisations. Additional activities impact and benefit students at both UK and South Africa Research Organisations beyond those undertaking exchanges. Systems and processes for fairly allocating the awards to eligible students. Evidence of the robustness of the management model chosen to manage PhD partnering activities. Robust quality-assurance procedures and structures for monitoring PhD exchanges. Arrangements for returning accurate and timely data on PhD partnering activities to RCUK.

13 Institutional Strategic Links (30%) Mechanisms for aligning and agreeing ways of working and sharing resources between partner organisations. Proposed activities will benefit both partner organisations over the lifetime of the scheme. This funding will facilitate new strategic links between the partners that will continue to exist and strengthen beyond the lifetime of this opportunity and/or This funding will build on existing strategic links and integrate with existing international partnering activities at both institutions. Activities will be supported beyond the end of Newton funding to support on-going sustainable links. Robust and sustainable mechanisms for linking PhD partnering activities with existing collaborative activities, as applicable Proposed activities will address recognised institutional and training and capacity needs. Institutional commitment to undertake long-term, strategic partnering activities incorporating Newton PhD partnering activities. Commitment from partners to enhance scheme activities with additional financial and/or in-kind investment, where appropriate. Mechanisms and activities to connect supervisors between partners.

14 Annex C: Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Scheme Scoring Score Usual indicators Excellent The proposal is outstanding and represents world-leading standards. Highest priority for funding. The proposal is excellent and represents world-class standards. Very high priority for funding. The proposal is very good and contains aspects of excellence. High priority for funding Good The proposal is good and is internationally competitive. Should be funded if possible. The proposal is good and on the borderline between nationally and internationally competitive. Potentially fundable. The proposal is good and has some merit but is not at the leading edge. It is suitable for funding in principle but in a competitive context is not a priority Average 4 3 The proposal is good and has some merit, but has a number of weaknesses. Not recommended for funding. The proposal is satisfactory. It would provide something useful, but fails to provide reasonable evidence and justification for funding. Not recommended for funding. Unacceptable The proposal is weak, and has only a few strengths. Not suitable for funding. The proposal is unsatisfactory and is unlikely to support students successfully. Not suitable for funding. The proposal is flawed in approach, subject to serious difficulties, does not address operational risks, lacks clarity which means it cannot be properly assessed, or is outside of the call remit.

15 Annex D: Newton Fund International PhD Partnering Scheme Case for Support Pro Forma COMPLIANCE WITH THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998 In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the personal data provided on this form will be processed by RCUK, and may be held on computerised database and/or manual files. Further details may be found in the guidance notes RCUK Newton PhD Partnering Activities Case for Support Deadline: 16:00 GMT 9 July 2015 This form may be expanded to a maximum of 6 sides of standard A4 sized paper, in singlespaced transcript of minimum font size 11 point, Arial font, with margins of at least 2cm. Applicants should note that the assessment panel will not consider reference to other sources, e.g. websites. Queries to: international@rcuk.ac.uk Organisations where the award would be held UK Research Organisation UK RO Division or Department Partner Research Organisation Partner RO Division or Department Lead Applicants Role Name Organisation Division or Department Co-applicants & Partnering Staff Role Name Organisation Division or Department UK Applicant: Total Funding Requested Overseas Applicant: Total Funding

16 Requested Name of DTP/CDT/DTC(s) in which the UK applicant is a hosting partner- list all relevant to this application Research Council that awarded DTP/CDT/DTC Overview of Proposed Partnering Activities Please provide a description of the proposed partnering activities. This section should include information on the departments/partners involved (identifying staff as appropriate), an overview of how PhD exchanges will be managed, what additional partnering activities will be supported through this scheme and how these activities will build sustainable strategic links between the partner organisations. ODA Compliance Please justify how your proposed PhD partnering requirements comply with the ODA requirements for this scheme. Training Excellence How will PhD students at both partner organisations benefit from engaging with these activities? You should demonstrate the training excellence in place at your institutions and how partnering activities will be aligned with existing training investments; how students will be integrated into an active community and managed as an active community; the facilities, technologies and methodologies available to exchange students; how these activities will be integrated into student PhD projects in a beneficial manner for both their research projects and wider training needs; how additional partnering activities will benefit students beyond those undertaking exchanges; and any other supporting information. Management and Welfare How will these activities be managed within and between partners to ensure activities are undertaken appropriately for the benefit of participating students? Please include information on the proposed management structure including the identity and experience of both countries leads; how PhD students will be selected to undertake exchanges; how exchanges will be managed to ensure student welfare is managed appropriately; how partnering activities will be managed between the partners; how resources will be aligned and shared between partners; and any other supporting information.

17 Strategic links How will these activities build long-term, sustainable links between the partner organisations? Please demonstrate how this funding will benefit both partners over the lifetime of the scheme; how these activities will build on existing strategic links and activities at both partners; how partnering activities will be supported following the end of Newton funding; and any other supporting information.

18 Annex E: Funding Justification Pro Forma COMPLIANCE WITH THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998 In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the personal data provided on this form will be processed by RCUK, and may be held on computerised database and/or manual files. Further details may be found in the guidance notes RCUK Newton PhD Partnering Activities Funding Justification Deadline: 16:00 GMT 9 July 2015 This form must be completed on standard A4 sized paper, in single-spaced transcript of minimum font size 11 point, Arial font, with margins of at least 2cm. Applicants should note that the assessment panel will not consider reference to other sources, e.g. websites. This form must be completed separately for both lead partners. Queries to: international@rcuk.ac.uk Partner Name and Department Research Organisation Division or Department Country Applicant Details Role Name Organisation Division or Department Costs requested (in GBP or partner currency) Total amount requested for PhD placements Total amount requested for additional partnering activities Number of PhD placements requested A. Breakdown and justification of costs per PhD placement B. Breakdown and justification of costs for additional partnering activities

19 Annex F: National Research Foundation Specific Criteria Standard Eligibility Criteria: The applicants have requested funding to support 10 PhD students. Applications for up to 12 students will be considered where further justification is provided. The South Africa applicant is a full-time employed researcher residing in South Africa and affiliated with a recognised higher education or research institution such as a university, university of technology or science council. South African lead researchers should ensure that, if awarded, at least 60% of students funded at the South African institution are South African citizens and permanent residents. Applications indicating alignment with national priorities and potential for promoting equity and redress will be favourably regarded by the South African side. Emphasis will be placed on designated groups particularly black and women students. South African institutions are encouraged to apply as a consortium and identify one person from one institution within the proposal to lead and manage partnering activities within their proposal and to manage the development of additional partnering activities between both partners. South African institutions can apply for a maximum amount of R for placements of up to 6-months for 10 PhD students. Applications for up to 12 students will be considered where further justification is provided. Please see paragraph 44 for costing details. All PhD exchanges funded through this call are student centred.