SFC news published since 2018. See SFC archived content for earlier news articles.
Photo: University of Glasgow
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has issued a call for proposals today for a fund designed to support the setting up of new shared services for research and innovation.
Alongside the rest of the UK’s higher education sector, Scottish universities are taking measures to secure their long-term financial sustainability in the face of current fiscal challenges. SFC has set up the R&I Shared Services Collaboration Fund to support universities by helping them to explore the potential of shared services as a way of creating efficiencies.
The fund, worth up to £3 million over two years, will help Scottish universities build on a legacy of working closely together through research pooling, innovation centres and, most recently, the Alliances for Research Challenges.
According to the team behind it, possibilities offered by the new fund include the sharing of Tech Transfer Offices (TTOs) and research offices. These would have the added benefit of allowing universities with smaller research portfolios to benefit from the expertise and capabilities of other institutions.
Helen Cross, SFC’s Director of Research and Innovation, said:
“ The R&I Shared Services Collaboration Fund is a direct response to what we have been hearing from research and innovation leaders in universities. It’s a practical measure that supports something that is already being looked at in the sector.
“I’m really pleased we have been able to respond quickly as a funding council. I’m confident the fund will help to ensure institutions’ own ideas for shared services to come to fruition.”
The Call for Proposals is available on the SFC website. The deadline for proposals is Friday 29 August and the awards will be announced in early October.
