IHRR Seedcorn Funds for Research and Outreach

Calls for applications – 2025/26 Entry

This page is at https://tinyurl.com/IHRR-Seedcorn

Deadline for Applications – Monday 2^nd March (12.00 noon)

Introduction

The IHRR Seedcorn Funds for Research and Outreach Initiatives are funded by Durham University and by the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience Donor Fund for Research and Outreach Initiatives. These funds provide small-scale, competitive awards to support early-stage research and outreach activities in hazard, risk and resilience. The funds aim to help researchers develop new ideas, test feasibility, and build collaborations that will lead to external funding and impact-generating projects. Awards of up to £2,000 are available, with a total call budget of £16,000.

All applicants are encouraged to consider applying to be an active Durham University IHRR Fellow (any Durham University staff members) or IHRR Associate Fellow (any student). Fellowship is open to Durham staff and students engaged in hazard, risk and resilience research, and provides access to networking, collaboration opportunities, and Institute‑supported events. 

1. Objectives

• • The Seedcorn Funds are an internal Durham University resource designed to support the development of research proposals and outreach initiatives in the broad fields of hazard, risk and resilience.
  • The scheme is intended to bring developing research ideas to life by enabling collaborations, building networks, testing early hypotheses, undertaking pilot data collection, and related exploratory activities.
  • Applicants must be clear about their plans for onward funding and/or impact, as the Fund seeks to foster work that can grow into externally supported research or outreach.
  • This funding is not intended for those with existing external funding (e.g., UKRI, EU). However, given current financial constraints across the University, we recognise that projects with partial funding from departments or other internal (not external) sources may need IHRR funding to top up their finances. This is acceptable as long as the subject matter of the seedcorn falls within IHRR's remit.

2. Details

• • Funding available: A total budget of £16,000 is available for this call, with a limit per applicant of £2,000. Applicants are encouraged to bid for what is realistically needed to advance their research or outreach, noting that the fund's size is limited.
  • Alignment: Please ensure applications align with IHRR’s mission of hazard, risk and resilience in the context of hazards, and relevant University, Departmental and/or URI (University Research Institute) research strategies.
  • Repeat applicants: Project Leads who have received IHRR Seedcorn funding in the past may apply again. The project may be different or may be similar, but showing what added funding will do for continued research ir outreach.
  • More than one grant proposal: Project leads may put in more than one grant proposal as long as the teams and projects are substantially different.
  • Funding period: Funds must be spent and reconciled within the University’s financial year (ending 31st July 2026). Please consult with your department or organisational unit finance manager regarding when spend must occur to be reconciled within the 2025/26 financial year.
  • Out-of-round applications: These may be considered for urgent, externally funded opportunities with very short deadlines. Contact the IHRR Director and Manager in the first instance using the e-mail ihrr.manager@durham.ac.uk.

3. Eligibility of Project Leads/Co-Leads

• • Funds will be transferred to the successful Project Lead’s (PL’s) departmental finance account.
  • The Project Lead (PL) must be a Durham University staff member with access to a departmental finance account. This would normally be an academic member of staff; however, in certain cases, a staff member in a research position may be eligible, provided their department agrees to hold the funds on their behalf and accept the transfer.
  • Co-Leads can be any member of the wider Durham University, including students (undergraduate, master's, PhD), PDRAs, staff (professional services, research, academic), Professors of Practice, emeritus professors and honorary/visiting associates, fellows and professors.

4. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• • IHRR and Durham University are committed to embedding EDI in all aspects of research practice. We encourage applications from women, people with disabilities, members of under-represented groups, and other currently under-represented communities. Senior academics are strongly encouraged to include Early Career Researchers to support their development.

5. Eligible Activities

• • Examples include (but are not limited to):
  • Systematic literature reviews.
  • Method development.
  • Feasibility studies.
  • Proof-of-concept development.
  • Purchase of data.
  • Delivery of workshops.
  • Activities linked to partnership and network building.

6. What Makes a Strong Application. A competitive application will typically demonstrate:

• • Strong strategic fit
    • Clear relevance to hazard, risk and resilience
    • Alignment with IHRR and broader institutional strategies
  • Clear purpose and feasibility
    • Well-defined aims, research questions and rationale
    • Credible and realistic methods
    • Achievability within the funding period and budget
  • Potential for growth
    • A clear and specific plan for subsequent external funding
    • Identification of target funders and timelines
    • Early indicators of likely impact
  • Collaboration and interdisciplinarity
    • Effective engagement with internal and external partners
    • Added value from interdisciplinary approaches
  • Efficient use of resources
    • Sensible budgeting
    • Good justification of costs
    • Avoiding unnecessary expenditure
  • EDI & researcher development
    • Opportunities for ECR involvement
    • Consideration of accessibility and inclusion in events or data collection

7. Ethics and Trusted Research

• • All projects must comply with Durham’s Research Integrity Policy and Code of Good Practice. Applicants should identify ethical considerations early and secure approvals before relevant activities commence.

8. Eligible and Ineligible Costs: Please see Appendix 1.

9. Application Process

• • Applicants must submit the IHRR Seedcorn Funding Online Application Form IHRR Seedcorn Funding Online Application Form (MS Forms) by the deadline. The form will ask for brief details about:

• • • [1-5] Applicant information: Project lead (PL) name, role, department, email, PL eligibility, Co-Leads names/roles/affiliations, and any Early Career Researcher involvement. We define ECR broadly to include students (UG, Masters, PhD), PDRAs, teaching fellows, and academic staff transitioning to independent researchers. 
    • [6] Project title
    • [7] Project overview (max 200 words): Briefly describe what you will do, why it is relevant to IHRR themes (hazard, risk and/or resilience in the context of hazards), and what it will enable next (potential for onward funding and/or impact).
    • [8] Brief description of planned work, expected outputs, events, dissemination and timeline (max 200 words).
    • [9-10] Budget: Total amount requested (up to £2,000) and short justification (max 200 words).
    • [11] EDI considerations (max 100 words): Briefly describe how EDI principles are embedded in the project, team, or engagement activities.
    • [12] How will you acknowledge and promote IHRR? (max 100 words).
    • [13] If you have or your co-leads have received IHRR Seedcorn or Small Grant funding in the past, please describe here (max 100 words).
    • [14-15] Declarations: Compliance with research integrity and agreement to reporting and spending requirements.

• • Deadline: Monday 2 March 2026, 12:00 (noon).

 

10. Assessment Process

Applications will be assessed by an IHRR panel using the following criteria. All criteria are equally weighted; however, applications that do not meet Criterion A will not be considered further.

1. 1. Strategic Fit and Relevance: Clear relevance to hazard, risk and resilience; alignment with IHRR’s mission and relevant University, Departmental and/or URI strategies; and appropriateness of the proposed activity for seedcorn-scale funding.
   2. Quality and Clarity of the Proposal: Strength and originality of the idea or opportunity; clarity of aims, rationale, and (where relevant) research questions; and a coherent and well-articulated description of the proposed work.
   3. Feasibility and Use of Resources: Credibility of the proposed methods or activities; realistic delivery within the available budget and timeframe; and clear justification of costs demonstrating efficient use of Seedcorn funding.
   4. Potential for Growth and Impact: Plausible pathway to subsequent external funding and/or impact-generating activity; identification of likely funders, partners, or routes to impact; and evidence that the Seedcorn award will meaningfully advance the work.
   5. Collaboration, EDI, and Researcher Development: Quality and added value of collaborations and/or interdisciplinary working; meaningful involvement and development of Early Career Researchers, where appropriate; and consideration of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, proportionate to the scale and nature of the project.

 

11. Outcomes

• • Successful: Confirmation email requesting a staff account code to transfer the funding to.
  • Approval pending amendment: Returned with feedback and recommendations.
  • Unsuccessful: General feedback will be provided summarising all applications (detailed feedback cannot be guaranteed due to volume).

12. Monitoring and Reporting

• • Funds must be spent in line with the agreed budget; changes require prior approval.
  • As part of their reporting, award holders will be asked to contribute to IHRR communications through at least one of the following: (a) a short news piece or blog for the IHRR website, (b) a social media feature or project highlight (coordinated with IHRR), (c) a seminar, lunchtime talk, or contribution to an IHRR event.
  • These activities help showcase Seedcorn-funded work and strengthen the wider IHRR research community. All project-related materials, outputs, and dissemination activities must acknowledge support from the University and Donor IHRR Seedcorn Fund and display the IHRR logo, used in accordance with University branding rules.
  • A final report must be submitted by the 31 August 2026.
  • When an associated external grant is submitted that results from the Seedcorn award, the Seedcorn project and IHRR must be acknowledged in Worktribe. IHRR will undertake annual follow-up with award holders to identify any subsequent outcomes arising from the Seedcorn funding.

13. Data Protection

• • Information provided in the application will be used solely for assessing eligibility, processing awards, and monitoring outcomes, in accordance with Durham University’s Data Protection Policy. .

14. Contacts

For enquiries or out‑of‑round applications, contact:

• • IHRR Director: Bruce Malamud, bruce.malamud@durham.ac.uk
  • IHRR Manager: Julie Dobson, ihrr.manager@durham.ac.uk
  • General enquiries: Julie Finn, ihrr.admin@durham.ac.uk

15. Summary Timeline

Step	Date / Requirement
Call opens	11 February 2026
Application deadline	2 March 2026, 12:00 (noon)
Decision notifications	Within 2 weeks of deadline
Funding spend and reconciliation deadline	31 July 2026
Final report due	31 Aug 2026

 

Appendix 1: Eligible / Ineligible Costs

Eligible Costs	Notes
Travel, accommodation and subsistence for Durham researchers.	Please refer to the University’s Business Expenses Policy
Travel, accommodation and subsistence for external partners and collaborators	External partners/collaborators may only have their travel, accommodation and subsistence costs covered to participate in Seedcorn Fund activities where they will NOT be a named Project Lead/Project Co-Lead or a recipient of funding from any external grant that will result from this seedcorn.
Consumables	Research consumables, according to standard UKRI terms and conditions.
Purchase of data.	The Seedcorn Fund may support time‑limited or scoped purchases of data required for early-stage research activities. Eligible data spend must be: o   Directly aligned with the seedcorn idea, and o   Reasonable and proportionate within the £2,000 limit, and o   Necessary for outreach, feasibility testing, method development, partnership building, or proof‑of‑concept work. All data purchases must comply with University information governance, licensing, and data protection requirements.
Workshop delivery	Reasonable expenses directly associated with delivering a workshop, including: o   Catering, o   Venue-related costs (if applicable), o   Travel and subsistence for external speakers (in line with T&S rules above).

 

 

Ineligible Costs	Notes
Computers, equipment, software
Salary, casual labour, or personal award support.	Seedcorn funding cannot be used to support salary, wages, stipends, buy‑out, teaching relief, or casual labour for any person.
Conference attendance	Conference fees or travel and subsistence to attend a conference.