To apply for matched funding, should applicants have a specific project in mind or is underwriting from the university sufficient?
The minimum InRA contract must be two years. Ideally, we want to see applications that are based on a project that has already been secured. The MInDs funding available for each InRA position is 12 months, and institutions should be willing to match at least that. The institutional funding could be from the institution self, or the industrial project partners, or a mix of both. For example:
6 months funding from industrial partner
6 months funding from institution
Application for remaining 12 months made to MInDS
= 24 months of funding
Of equal importance to matched funding is your plan for integrating an InRA or InRAs into your local community and your longer-term vision for the sustainability of these roles within your institution. Our vision is to grow and develop a self-sustaining community of InRA digital RTPs (Research Technology Professionals) that can exist and thrive beyond the end of the MInDs grant. Applications with clear long-term strategies for career development and growth in this space are more likely to be funded.
Can we apply if we already have a team of e.g. consultants or InRAs?
Yes, but such applications (i.e. from institutions that are not setting up brand new InRA teams) will be expected to have a very clear plan for long-term sustainability and InRA career development. MInDS funding is not, however, a mechanism for extending existing contracts for postdoctoral positions. Applications should be made in the spirit of developing the digital RTP career space. Advice on this will be given to prospective applicants via a mentor assigned to you from the MInDs core team.
Are there guidelines for the type of project that should be included in our MInDS application?
InRAs are all about supporting the journey to impact of research in mathematical sciences. Accordingly, a typical project should ideally:
- Be driven by mathematical research
- Be clear about where on the pathway to impact they stand (from mathematical conceptualisation to impact at the coalface).
It is understood that projects can come from a wide variety of applications and remits. When considering projects to support your application it is also important to consider the longevity of the wider application – does this first project seed future opportunity and how are you going to manage this once the first project is completed? The first project you apply with can be considered a springboard for the long-term consideration of your InRA.
How does the leadership of an InRA team differ from a standard research group?
InRA teams are typically focused on advancing novel ideas, solving real-world problems, and quickly translating research findings into impact, whereas traditional research groups may concentrate more on theoretical advancement or specialised studies within a single field.
In addition, the nature of the projects tends to be quite different to those of a normal research group. Projects may be as short as one month, all the way up to two (or more) years, and often an InRA or InRA team will be working part-time on a multitude of projects. This means the professional development needs of the InRAs will be quite different to a single-project long-term researcher.
The person managing an InRA or running an InRA team will have to be making continuous strategic decisions to support individuals but also consider the longevity and sustainability of the entire team.
What are the challenges that arise when coordinating an InRA team?
The biggest challenge is scheduling projects and making sure that everybody is costed out as much as possible on various projects, as well as trying to make sure that we can match the right project to the right InRA. Additionally ensuring that the team is happy – that they feel that they’re working in research areas that they’re interested in, and that they’re also able to acquire new skills, both in terms of mathematics as well as other types of training.
It’s also very important as you support career development to ensure that there is institutional support for proper career development structures and promotion pathways for InRAs, who do not fit into traditional pathways.
In the requirements we say applications are open to all UK mathematical science departments: are departments “mathematically adjacent” eligible to apply?
We recognise that mathematical scientists are not always based in departments with the word mathematics or mathematical in the title. That said, want to see InRAs strongly identified as mathematical scientists, rather than broaching into other Research Technical Professional fields. Our preference would be for mathematical-adjacent departments to consider collaborating with mathematical sciences departments to strengthen their application. As we pair up potential applicants with a mentor from our team, this is something we are here to support as we know the situation will vary between institutions.
What is the relationship between MInDS and the Knowledge Exchange Hub for Mathematical Sciences?
The UK Knowledge Exchange Hub (KE Hub) are involved in the management and delivery of MInDS, and we have strong ties and collaborations in place with industrial, academic and training partners, especially when it comes to encouraging InRAs across the UK to attend KE events such as sandpits and triage events.
Are there any restrictions on hiring InRAs, in terms of discipline or seniority?
Outside of the role being one with a strong mathematical alignment, the potential candidates can come from any related area from our perspective. We do find the InRA model very flexible, though most InRAs have been hired in at the postdoctoral level, it is possible to higher into a more senior level, depending on the needs of the team or centre applying for funding.
Any questions about applying can be emailed to Andreas Kyprianou (andreas.kyprianou@warwick.ac.uk) or minds@warwick.ac.uk.