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Find information and guidance on Sponsored Research criteria, how it is administered, and what happens if your project is not classified as Sponsored Research.
Sponsored Research is defined by 6 criteria set by Research England and the Charity Commission.
1. The funding source needs to be external to, and independent of, UCL.
2. The project needs to meet the Frascati Definition of Research, i.e., creative work undertaken on a systematic basis to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture, and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. It should be:
- Novel - aimed at new findings
- Creative - based on original, not obvious, concepts and hypotheses
- Uncertain - about the final outcome
- Systematic - planned and budgeted
- Transferrable - lead to results that can be reproduced.
3. The project scope (objectives and plan) should be subject to external (i.e., funder) scrutiny and normally agreed at the outset, as required by HESA.
4. Performance-related conditions should exist, e.g., outcomes are reported to funders.
5. Funding terms should support publication within a reasonable timeframe and allow results to be used for academic purposes.
6. Public benefit should not be incidental (i.e. the benefit to the Funder or collaborator, if not a public body, should not significantly outweigh the benefit to the public).
Why does it matter?
Income classified as ‘sponsored research’ counts towards UCL’s research volume and is returned in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise. It is therefore an important measure of UCL’s research environment.
Certain types of sponsored research also attract additional Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) income, these are:
- Charity funding sponsored research (if open competition and external peer-reviewed)
- Commercially funded sponsored research.
How is the classification of sponsored research decided?
Award Services is responsible for ensuring UCL complies with the relevant requirements and regulations for sponsored research (the 6 criteria). To do this we need to assess:
- The purpose of funding/aim of project/nature of the transaction
- UCL’s role in the project
- The conditions attached to the funding
- Existence of an externally evaluated project scope
- Existence of performance-related conditions (PRCs).
In cases where the classification of income is unclear or disputed, the matter will be escalated in Award Services.
What if your project is not classified as sponsored research?
For projects that do not meet the sponsored research criteria, we offer support to a wider set of research and innovation activities through our Innovation Service.
Our triage tool is also available to help you identify the right UCL service for your project (UCL login required).
How is Sponsored Research administered?
- Award Services is the Institutional Authority for sponsored research
- All proposals for sponsored research projects should be costed and approved in Worktribe, and authorised by Award Services, ahead of submission to the funder
- Successful awards (on agreed terms) are set up in MyFinance as Sponsored Research.