Nesta have set up the Policy and Research Bright Ideas Research Fund to provide small grants to develop interesting research projects and policy proposals in fields that relate to innovation.
Nesta hope that the fund will lead to interesting insights in its own right, and perhaps in due course to some larger research projects.
Nesta plan to fund a small number of projects over the course of the financial year 2014-15. You can apply for the fund any time during the year and applications will be reviewed batches.
The next review date is 24 October 2014, 12noon and the final review date for applications in this financial year is Friday 16 January 2015 at 12noon.
Who should apply?
Applications are welcomed from a wide range of people and organisations, including:
think tanks, academics, journalists, charities and businesses.
What Nesta looking to fund
Nesta are looking to fund good new ideas relating to innovation and innovation policy. This could include the development of a new idea about how innovation happens, a pamphlet making an interesting and compelling argument relating to innovation, an examination of a new innovation or technology, or a worked-up, evidenced proposal for a policy related to innovation.
Projects can involve primary research, novel argumentation, or the development of a new idea, or ideally more than one of these things. They should be carefully and rigorously carried out, and should stand up to scrutiny. The end product should be written in an accessible style, suitable for a non-specialist reader.
Types of project Nesta are interested in funding
• arguing for and designing a novel policy that relates to innovation in one of their areas of interest
• research into an aspect of innovation policy (this could be quantitative or qualitative academic research, or more journalistic research into an emerging field)
• research into a trend in how innovation happens (this could be quantitative or qualitative academic research, or more journalistic research into an emerging field)
What Nesta offer
Nesta will only fund up to £10,000 per proposal
For further information and to apply, visit: www.nesta.org.uk/funding/bright-ideas-research-fund-open-call