Signing Authority for Research Grant Applications

All research grant applications to external funding bodies must include a completed internal cover sheet, regardless of to which funding body the application will be submitted.

All research grant application cover sheets are subject to internal authorisation / sign off at an appropriate level(s) prior to submission to funding bodies. This is based predominantly on the financial value of applications. The cover sheets are designed to identify the full range of fundable resources a project might utilise, and allow Research Financial Services (RFS) to manage the resource cost identification process with research applicants. The procedures are summarised below:

  • All applications require authorisation by Research and Innovation (by the Director / Deputy Director / or Business Development Officer depending on value and contractual and intellectual property right issues) and Research Financial Services (Research Accountants / Research Finance Manager).
  • All applications also require signature by Heads of School/Directors of Research (within Institutes) and where relevant, by Theme/Programme Leaders and Heads of Division.
  • Higher value applications are referred to Heads of College (values varying by College) and the Finance Director (if significant institutional contributions may be required).
  • Applications above a £1million threshold are also referred to the Senior Vice-Principal or Vice-Principal for Research and Knowledge Exchange.
  • Applications which involve more than one College require sign-off by relevant parties within each College involved (e.g. an application above a certain financial value might require sign-off by the Head of every School and the Head of each College involved in the application).

The internal cover sheets for grant applications also require confirmation of the following;

  • That a contractual risk assessment has been carried out and
  • That internal peer review processes have been followed.
  • That requirements for ethical review have been considered, and arrangements made as appropriate