Updated Research FAQ: Staff contracts on projects that are due to end
22 Apr 2020
Frequently asked questions are updated regularly
This advice is correct at the time of publication of this news article.
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The following new questions have been added:
What will happen to contracts for staff employed on externally funded research projects due to end within three months?
This guidance is intended to clarify the processes that will apply when contracts for staff employed on research projects are ending within three months. We will closely monitor the implementation of these processes and will review them by the end of June 2020.
The following questions have been updated:
What should I do if I have recently received an award, or will before the end of June 2020?
Consider firstly if the project start can be delayed given the current circumstances. The main UK funders have indicated that they will take a pragmatic approach to project timescales and researchers are advised to delay the start of a project for at least two to three months or until the national picture is clearer.
There will be some awards where it is beneficial to continue with setup/start and Research Services will prioritise support for these. Examples are provided below:
- Awards that focus on work which does not require access to University facilities on campus, such as laboratories or specialised equipment, where the researcher is already in post and the early months of the project can be conducted remotely.
- Awards where an existing PDRA or staff member will be transferring to the project and this ensures continuity of service for these staff. Note that the early stages of the project may need to be re-planned to take account of remote working.
Where an award is currently in the process of being started, or due to be, via the purchase of equipment researchers should pause the start process and follow the latest guidance from procurement before proceeding further.
Where a new award requires the appointment of a new staff member, recruitment should be deferred in line with the funder’s position on start and finish dates for recent awards and the University’s position on approval of new appointments. Research Services will prioritise support for award set-up to those which do not require the recruitment of external staff in the next three months.
My project is due to end soon but it has been disrupted. What should I do?
Where an award is ending before 1 July 2020 and the research activity has been disrupted, funders are normally allowing a no-cost extension to the award (note that costs are still incurred by the University during such an extension). An application for a no-cost extension should be applied for in the normal way via your Research Services Team.
Some funders have also issued advice concerning the flexibility permitted for certain specific project costs such as re-scheduled travel. Please refer to your funder’s web pages for up to date information on this, or ask your Research Services team for advice.
Where a no-cost extension would mean the project will run beyond the contract end date for project funded staff, the PI must contact their local Research Services team to establish if the funder will meet these staff costs. Where the funder does not agree to meet these additional staff costs, extensions to individual staff contracts are unlikely to be approved. Unless the circumstances are exceptional, it is likely contracts will only be offered for the duration of known and agreed funding. Further guidance on this can be found here.