Research Grants

Research Grants | Grant Recipients | Professional development | About us

Major Projects Association PhD Research Grants

In 2010 the Major Projects Association established a grant for PhD students. In 2011 the Board of Directors increased the funding available in order to offer two distinct grants which are open to PhD students undertaking research in any discipline relating to the undertaking of complex major projects. The grants are as follows:

One-off Grant:
The One-off Grant is intended to meet a specific need which a student can demonstrate will enhance their work – this might be to travel to a conference or to enable core research interviews. The maximum value of this grant is £1,000. Applicants must specify how much money they require. There are three One-off Grants available each year.

Long Term Grant:
The Long Term Grant is intended as longer term support to enable a successful applicant to engage fully with the members of the Major Projects Association. The successful candidate would be asked to demonstrate long term engagement with the Association as well as the expected financial controls and quality of work. The maximum value of this grant is £2,000 per annum for a maximum of 3 years. There is one Long Term Grant available each year.

General Guidelines

Applicants must be undertaking PhD research at an academic institution which is a member of the Major Projects Association. A list of members can be seen on the Association website: click here to view>>>

The grants are available for those at any stage in their research provided they can explain how the grant could enhance their work and how their work could be of practical benefit to members of the Association. This could include those who wanted to develop academically a hypothesis from their practical observation of working on a project.

Applicants for either grant will be judged using the following criteria:

The work must be of significance to the objectives of the Major Projects Association.Excellence of research.
The ability of the grant to enhance the research and make a difference to the work.
The degree to which the research could foster stronger links between practitioners and academics.
The degree to which the research could enhance the external profile of the Association.
The acid test – would Major Projects Association members attend an event to hear the outcomes of the research?

There is a separate application form for each of the two grants. Please ensure you use the correct form and in each case attach your CV.

Download One-Off Grant Application form >>> Download Long-Term Grant Application form >>>

Conditions of the grants

Successful applicants will be required to:

Attend the Annual Dinner on November 28th following the confirmation of their grant
Attend one of the Main Representatives meetings in March 2012
Present their research work at an appropriate event during the year
Meet with a representative of the Association together with their supervising tutor
Present (interim or final) research findings at an appropriate event during or after the period of their grant
Produce a report at the end of the period of the grant giving evidence of how the grant has been spent and how it has enhanced the research
Take part in appropriate promotion of the grant and the Association – this might take the form of press releases or interviews
Provide the Association with a copy of their final PhD research to be made available on the Association website

Successful applicants will be encouraged to:

Liaise with members of the judging panel as appropriate
Attend MPA events throughout the period of the grant
Maintain contact with the Association after the period of the grant
to capitalise on the Association's network by engaging with members whose work is of direct relevance to the research

Adjudication

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges appointed by the Major Projects Association. The judges will determine the recipients of the grants based on the excellence of the proposed research and its practical value. The decision of the judges will be final.

Timetable

Applications for the 2011 - 2012 grants must be received by 4th October 2011. Successful recipients will be notified by 21st October 2011. The successful recipients will be announced at the Major Projects Association Annual Black Tie Dinner at Claridge’s Hotel, London on 28th November 2011.

Accounting for grant expenditure

You will be asked to account for how the grant has been spent and will be expected to provide receipts of expenditure.

For more information contact:

Manon Bradley 01865 422581
email: mpa@majorprojects.org