Policy relating to funding the salaries of investigators
Introduction
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This policy sets out Cancer Research UK’s approach to funding the salaries of Investigators.
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An Investigator is defined as:
- Lead Applicant – the principal investigator with an independent scientific career who is leading the work;
- Joint Lead Applicant – an additional principal investigator who is recognised with equal status as the Lead Applicant; or
- Co-Investigator – an individual who provides significant intellectual input to the research and who may be responsible for the day-to-day running of some of the work
The Policy
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Cancer Research UK will not fund Investigator salaries except as per this Policy.
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Cancer Research UK may consider providing the salary of:
a) one Investigator on a response mode project grant if the Investigator meets all these criteria:- is an early- to mid-career researcher as defined by Cancer Research UK’s Fellowships Competency Framework, specifically the career stage headings of Develop Independence or Establish Independence;
- is spending the majority of their time on this project;
- has not previously had their salary provided as an Investigator on a CRUK project grant (ie the Investigator has not relied on this exception before);
- if successful, will not have an existing salary for the proposed duration of the award other than from a grant-funded position that would be relinquished;
- the Investigator only requests the salary for the duration of the award.
or
b) one Co-Investigator or other senior researcher as Named Research Staff on a programme grant, again, only for the duration of the grant.
Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be clearly linked to supporting the career of the Investigator. Applicants should contact the office before including such a request on a grant application.
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Host Institutions outside the UK may allocate their grant funds to Investigator salaries where, in Cancer Research UK’s view:
- it is standard practice in the Host Institution’s jurisdiction for Investigator salaries to be funded from response-mode research grants;
- the Investigator’s employment contract requires a contribution to their salary to be sourced from grants held by that individual.
- Cancer Research UK supports flexible research careers and the Flexible Research Careers policies apply when considering providing the salaries of Investigators.
Exclusions
- This Policy does not apply to:
- Core-funded institutes (CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow; CRUK Cambridge Institute; CRUK Manchester Institute; Francis Crick Institute, London; CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology);
- Cancer Research UK fellowship schemes other than Career Establishment Awards or Programme Foundation Awards;
- Investigators who are based at non-academic institutions;
- Appointments agreed as part of core funding for Centres or Clinical Trials Units; or
- Specific cases relating to strategic priority areas for Cancer Research UK.
Review
- The policy is effective from August 2018. The policy will be reviewed every two years and any changes will be approved by the Research Funding Operations Board.