Types of Proposals Supported
- Funds will be allocated for the support of geotechnical engineering focused research projects.
- Funds can be provided in either an academic or industrial setting.
- All proposals funded must be consistent with the nature and objectives of the BGA RDF, to develop and promote geotechnical engineering in a sustainable manner throughout the UK.
- The BGA RDF will only fund fully developed research proposals with tangible defined outcomes (MPhil, PhD, guidance note, book, publication, etc.). Whilst the RDF may fund highly speculative research, it is not designed to support scoping studies.
Access to the Fund
The BGA RDF is operated as a competitive fund. Thus, proposals for research will be sought in a responsive mode to enable potential projects to directly approach the BGA RDF for funding support at any time of the year. Please allow at least 3 months for decisions on funding outcomes when submitting a proposal.
The RDF is open to applicants that meet the BGA RDF eligibility criteria below:
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a member of the BGA.
- Applicants must be UK based researchers undertaking research to be carried out predominantly in the UK, although research can be carried out overseas if its nature demands it. Collaboration with researchers from outside the UK is encouraged and can be included in proposals but international partners are not able to receive direct funding support for their time, materials, equipment, travel or institutional costs.
- The maximum funding request is £5,000
Governance, management and panels
Applications will be reviewed in line with the BGA RDF Term of Reference which will normally consist of a panel of two assessors. The assessors will be asked to consider the following criteria:
- Is the proposal of value to the geotechnical community as a whole?
- Is the request for funding reasonable and does it represent value for money?
- Is it likely funding could be obtained from other sources?
The recommendations will then be considered by the BGA RDF sub-committee who will make the final funding decisions. The sub-committee consists of at least four BGA committee members including the BGA RDF Chair, BGA Chair and Hon. Treasurer.
