AMOSSHE Insight call for project proposals 2016/17

What’s changed in 2016/17?

This academic year, AMOSSHE has broadened the scope for eligible project proposals, based on member feedback. AMOSSHE looks to support both:

• Small projects that can be completed within the 2016/17 academic year.
  
• Larger projects that can be completed by the end of the 2017/18 academic year.
  

Project teams can propose the length of time that the project will require, and agree with AMOSSHE the timescales and milestones for project outputs and updates. 

Also this year, AMOSSHE will consider exceptional project proposals (of any length within the two academic years) for funding up to £5,000.

In order to support AMOSSHE Insight into the future, AMOSSHE may seek to engage sponsorship from third parties for individual projects and/or AMOSSHE Insight as a whole. Find out more about this: How does AMOSSHE Insight sponsorship work?

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What funding is available?

You can apply for up to £3,500 for your project with the possibility of extending the total to £5,000 per project based on the length and quality of the project outcomes. This will be at the discretion of the AMOSSHE Insight team and will only be available to projects that can demonstrate measurable added value to the membership as a result of their project.

Payment of the funding grant may be phased over the course of longer projects.

If the cost of your project exceeds the £3,500 / £5,000 maximum allowance you can still submit your proposal, but you must demonstrate match funding from your institution to cover the remaining cost.

AMOSSHE doesn’t expect you to secure match funding for your project if its cost is £3,500 or less.

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What sorts of projects will AMOSSHE fund?

AMOSSHE is calling for research projects, innovative activities or learning in Student Services that address any topic of interest to Student Services practitioners. Your project may involve primary or secondary research methodologies, or a mixture of both. You may propose surveys (with accompanying analysis) and literature reviews. Relevant themes might include a specific issue or challenge in higher education, management practice, or a focus on one of the professional disciplines within Student Services. You might propose a project that wouldn’t normally attract full funding from within your organisation. 

AMOSSHE particularly encourages proposals that:

• Provide good practice guidance.
  
• Explore under-researched issues within Student Services.
  
• Include the student voice.
  

AMOSSHE will only support proposals that include intended outcomes that have potential for sector-wide impact or application and will be evaluated partly on that basis.

AMOSSHE is looking to theme some of its work this year to enable members to clearly see the links in the activity of AMOSSHE. One of those themes is likely to be based around student retention, achievement and success, given its status within the sector at present. We welcome proposals from across the breadth of Student Services practice, however, if it fits within the scope of your project, we encourage you to identify in your proposal how the project links to this theme.

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Who can apply for AMOSSHE Insight funding?

We welcome project proposals from all named AMOSSHE members. You must have the support of your manager / organisation to do so.

AMOSSHE will give preference to projects where the applicant clearly demonstrates their interest and/or expertise in the research area.

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How will the project outcomes be publicised?

AMOSSHE will promote the project findings by distributing materials through a number of channels. Project reports, outputs and outcomes will be published in the public area of the AMOSSHE website and also made available to selected external organisations.

AMOSSHE will also publicise the project outcomes at our national conferences. Project teams are not required to attend or present at national conference. However, depending on the timescale and duration of your project, the conference might be a good way of utilising the membership to feedback and develop the project as part of the development, so you may want to consider this. Please be aware that travel, subsistence, conference attendance fees and other associated conference costs will not be funded as part of the project allocation. For projects that are nearing completion around the time of the national conference, project teams should provide a short summary of their progress for distribution to delegates.

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What are the timings for AMOSSHE Insight?

If you want to apply for funding for a project, you must submit your proposal electronically to info@amosshe.org.uk by midday on Monday 19 December 2016. AMOSSHE will tell you the outcome of your proposal in the week commencing 9 January 2017.

AMOSSHE has made the project timescales more flexible to enable you to maximise the quality of your project outcomes. When submitting your proposal you can suggest a timescale that accurately reflects the needs of the project. AMOSSHE requires all projects to be completed by 31 August 2018 at the latest. Please ensure that you fully detail your project timescale and major milestones when completing the proposal form, so that the AMOSSHE Insight team can understand the reasoning for the duration of the project and how this relates to the outcomes of the project.

Here's the full timeline for the 2016/17 AMOSSHE Insight programme:

Date	Milestone
20 October 2016	Call for project proposals.
Midday 19 December 2016	Deadline to submit project proposals.
Week commencing 9 January 2017	AMOSSHE advises proposers whether they are successful or not.
January 2017	AMOSSHE Insight team agrees the terms and scope of the projects with the project leads.
22 May 2017	Final date for project teams to submit progress summaries of projects completing in the 2016/17 academic year.
31 August 2017	Final date for project teams to submit final outputs of projects completing in the 2016/17 academic year.
21 May 2018	Final date for project teams to submit progress summaries of projects completing in the 2017/18 academic year.
31 August 2018	Final date for project teams to submit final outputs of projects completing in the 2017/18 academic year.

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How do I apply?

If you intend to submit a project proposal, please send an email as soon as possible to info@amosshe.org.uk to let AMOSSHE know that you mean to apply. You don’t need to send any details about your project at this stage.

Then prepare your project proposal(s) and submit each one electronically to info@amosshe.org.uk as a single Word or PDF file. You may submit more than one proposal.

Present your proposal using these headings:

• Project title
  
• Name(s) of the project leader(s), with contact details, and any advisory references or staff
  
• Aims and objectives
  
• Methodology
  
• Milestones and overall project timescale
  
• Outputs
  
• Budget, including dissemination activity (and inclusive of taxes)
  
• Plans for dissemination
  
• Signature or letter of support from your relevant manager
  

You must provide enough information to enable the AMOSSHE Insight panel members to make informed decisions about what you’re proposing, how the work will be managed and what outcomes you expect. We will not have an opportunity to come back to you for clarification on any points due to time constraints. You must write your proposal so that anyone with a broad understanding of Student Services can understand it, and you must indicate the wider relevance of the work.

Submit your proposal by midday on Monday 19 December 2016.

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Who decides which projects are funded?

The selection group will consist of a two project leads from the AMOSSHE Executive Committee, an AMOSSHE National Office staff member and a minimum of one other Executive or member representative.

Members of the AMOSSHE Executive Committee will also work with you as a project mentor, to help guide your project and ensure that its outputs are relevant to and useful for AMOSSHE members and the aims of AMOSSHE Insight.

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If my project is selected, what is expected of me?

You will be expected to produce / adhere to the following:

• Work with the AMOSSHE Insight team to agree a project plan that works for your project team and also serves the aims and intentions of AMOSSHE Insight. This project agreement will set out AMOSSHE’s expectations of the content, progress and outcomes of the project.
  
• Provide updates to your AMOSSHE Insight mentor regularly throughout the course of the project.
  
• Adhere to project milestones agreed with the AMOSSHE Insight team.
  
• Produce a short summary of the project, which will be printed and disseminated accordingly.
  
• Produce a report on your findings of no more than 15 pages (not including appendices).
  
• Adhere to AMOSSHE’s formatting guidance for producing reports (we will discuss this with you on confirmation of funding for your project).
  

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How does AMOSSHE Insight sponsorship work?

In order to support AMOSSHE Insight into the future, AMOSSHE may seek to engage sponsorship from third parties for individual projects and/or AMOSSHE Insight as a whole. AMOSSHE will work with project teams and sponsors according to these guidelines:

• Quality projects that benefit the sector are AMOSSHE’s priority – not sponsorship income.
  
• AMOSSHE won’t seek to engage sponsors until after selecting the successful project proposals. Third parties won’t be involved with the proposal selection process, and the potential for sponsorship won’t influence which projects are selected for funding.
  
• Once the successful project proposals are chosen, AMOSSHE may seek to engage third party organisations with an interest in the topic area(s). In return for a sponsorship contribution, third party organisations will benefit from having their branding associated with the project.
  
• AMOSSHE will seek engagement with external companies, organisations and interested parties in accordance with our business engagement policy.
  
• AMOSSHE will seek agreement from the project team lead that they are happy for their project to be sponsored by named organisation(s). The project team can choose not to have their project associated with a sponsor.
  
• Sponsoring organisations will have no input into the progress or outcomes of the projects. Any sponsor branding on project outputs implies endorsement of the expertise and professionalism of AMOSSHE members’ work – not influence on, or agreement with any project findings.

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