2.2 Structure and diversity of funding instruments in selected agencies
2.2.8 Summary – comparative overview
The mapped funding agencies cover much the same types of funding when categorised according to the ESF’s types of funding instruments (Table 2.3). In some cases, one instrument/grant type covers multiple categories (as the RCN Researcher Projects or the NERC Standard Grants). In particular, Collaborative Research Projects are in many cases not provided with a separate scheme or grant type. The collaborative projects (projects including multiple research organisation) seem often to be part of the same schemes or grant types as projects to one single organisation.
Table 2.3 Types of funding offered (non-exhaustive list)
Type of funding (based on ESF 2011, see Section 2.1 above)
Doctoral Training Grants Personal Doctoral Research
Grants for the creation of Independent Research
Advanced career grants FRIPRO Toppforsk1
Other 3 different kinds of
personal mobility
SFF, SFI, FME1 Gravitation programme
Other: Types of funding not covered by above
1 These kinds of grants are not defined as grant types, and counts as ‘other support’ in RCN. In total, about 1/3 of proposals are in the RCN ‘other support’ category.
2 PhD and postdoc fellowship (non-personal) are also offered within Researcher Projects and other relevant grant types.
3 The list is a mix of funding types (grant types (SG=Standard Grant; CG=Continuing Grant; CA=Cooperative Agreement) and types of proposals), and programme types dedicated for defined target groups. Programme types are marked*.
4 Special guidelines for applicants for: Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID); EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER);
Ideas Lab; Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED); Proposals for Equipment; Proposals Involving Vertebrate Animals; Proposals Involving Human Subjects; Proposals to Support International Travel.
5 NERC also offers the possibility of joint proposals from different organisations and awarding funding directly to each of them.
6 Consortiums of universities may apply for funding covering new (and existing) personnel and material facilities; Investments in equipment/infrastructure and other facilities; management costs of the consortium for a maximum period of 10 years.
7 Berzelii Centres are managed in cooperation with the Swedish Research Council.
8 There are three types of Public-private partnerships.
In some cases, an agency may cover an ‘ESF type’ of funding instrument by one or more funding schemes, in other cases by a grant type used across funding schemes/programmes. For instance, the RCN ‘Researcher project’ is a grant type offered by multiple RCN funding schemes and programmes, whereas the NERC Standard grants is a separate funding scheme (both cover Individual Research Projects as well as Collaborative Research Projects). Moreover, the RCN funding for centres are separate schemes (SFF, SFI and FME), whereas the NSF centre funding is a type used across schemes.
In other words, the mapped funding agencies offer much the same categories of funding, but their funding instruments are structured differently (Table 2.4):
The H2020 appears as the most ‘structured’ in the sense that there is a fixed set of grant types (‘types of actions’) consistently used in those pillars/sections of H2020 where they are relevant. The grant types are defined in terms of specific eligibility criteria for participation, type of activities funded, funding rate and specific review criteria.
The NSF also has a fixed grant types used across schemes/programmes, but in a somewhat less explicit way than H2020. The large category of NSF ordinary proposals without special conditions, does not have a separate ‘label’. It is simply a research proposal under general terms and conditions. The types of proposals define what may be funded and any deviations from the general terms and conditions and procedures. In addition to the types of proposals, the NSF has ‘grant/award types’ concerning legal/contractual issues of how awards are issued. Hence, the latter categories are of little importance to the application process.
The RCN has a large set of grant types used across funding schemes/programmes, as well as a large residual/open category, and the ESF categories in Table 2.3 are covered by a mixture of grant types and funding schemes. Each grant type is defined in terms of objectives, what types of activities that can be funded/expenses covered/co-funding requirements,
eligibility/who may apply and a set of review criteria. The system is flexible: When none of the standard categories fit the aims for a new call for proposals, terms and conditions for the funding is defined specifically for the call or scheme/programme and categorised as ‘other support’.
NERC, NWO, ERC and VINNOVA do not have standard grant types used across schemes.
Each funding instrument is a separate scheme (as for the ERC grant types), and/or terms and conditions are (more or less) common across funding schemes without (explicitly) being defined as standard grant types (VINNOVA, NWO, NERC).
In sum, the mapping displays a variety of ways in which the agencies structure and standardise their funding instruments. They offer much the same types of funding. Still, some do this some with separate funding schemes and others with grant types across their funding schemes. The need and function of grant types across funding schemes is further discussed in Chapter 4.
Table 2.4 Overview of funding instruments
Funding scheme structure Funding instruments/project types Grant types across schemes?
National Capability Com.
Different award types/funding schemes for each type of funding (list in appendix 4).
Example: Types of grants under Discovery science:
Standard Research Grant
New Investigator Grant
Large Grant shows where you are in the structure of types of funding and
Types of (special) proposals:
Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID);
EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER); Ideas Lab; Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED); Centre/Facility; Equipment;
Conferences; International Travel; Fellowship Types of grants/awards:
Standard grant; Continuing grant; Cooperative Agreement; Fixed amount award
Yes, both types of proposals and grants/
awards are used across schemes. Each scheme may offer multiple types.
Common guidelines for proposals with separate sections for special proposals (special guidelines).
RCN Funding schemes categories:
Research programmes
17 standardised grant types (‘applications types’) see Appendix 2.
Supports a wide range of target groups. There are funding instruments for specific target groups, career stages, activities, project stages and sectors.
Yes. A funding scheme/programme may include a variety of funding instruments, announced in the same or in different calls for programmes under each pillar.
Types of action:
Research and innovation action;
Innovation action;
SME instrument
Coordination & support actions
ERA-NET Cofund
Pre-commercial procurement Cofund
Public procurement of innovative solutions Cofund
European Joint Programme Cofund
MSCA (various categories)
Yes. A funding scheme/programme may include a variety of funding instruments, announced in the same or in different calls for
A limited number of funding schemes, directed at different target groups/career stages.
Long-term funding for research talents/leaders:
Starting Grants: 2-7 years after PhD.
Consolidator Grants 7-12 years after PhD.
Advanced Grants: for exceptional research leaders.
Proof of Concept: for bridging the gap between research and a marketable innovation, may be applied by PIs (recently) holding the above grants.
No. Each funding scheme consists of one grant type with call for proposals once a year.
Clear overview on web site
NWO Types of funding schemes (‘Grant types’, each with
Example of personal grants: The Innovational Research Incentives Scheme offers three types of grants:
Veni: researchers recently obtained PhD
Vidi: obtained PhD last 8 years
Vici: for senior researchers Different types of PPP collaborations in thematic research:
Science takes initiative
Joint initiative
Business takes initiative
KIEM (targeting SMEs) to the six ‘grant types’.
The definitions of grant types are included at the programme websites and
There is a number of funding schemes within the categories on the left. Each scheme is a separate funding instrument.
Examples:
Cooperation programmes:
Challenge-driven Innovation (UDI)
Strategic Partnership Innovation Programmes(SIPs)
No project types/funding instruments across programmes.
Common ‘terms and conditions’ for all grants.
Categories of funding schemes on web site, but no overview of the total number of schemes/
instruments, apart from the current list of open and coming calls.