Frequently Asked Questions – Call for Partners to Trial Researcher Training and Networking 2026

• Is there a deadline for the expressions of interest? 

Yes, the deadline is midnight on 1 May 2026. 

• When do I submit a full proposal? 

The DBAA team will review Expressions of Interest against the selection criteria and invite successful applicants to take forward a full proposal. Full proposals will be developed on a rolling basis in discussion with the DBAA team. This will allow us to work in an agile way. We require all initiatives to be completed by the end of this calendar year, 2026. 

• Can HEIs in devolved nations be involved? 

Devolved nations can be involved as part of a consortia approach with an English HEI as lead applicant. Unfortunately, Research England terms don’t allow us to transfer funds to institutions outside of England, so we aren’t able to approve lead applications from the devolved nations.  

• Do collaborations have to be region specific? 

No. You can involve organisations and researchers from anywhere in the UK. 

• Are there any limitations on where we can hold the activities? 

We expect the initiatives to take place in the UK. 

• When will we have to deliver activity? 

Initiatives can be delivered as soon as possible, and before the end of 2026. 

• Who will participate in our trial activity? 

You will create a targeted plan for identifying and recruiting doctoral and/or early-career researchers, as well as non-academic partners where relevant, to participate in your initiative(s). 

• How many participants should take part in an initiative? 

We expect at least 20-30 participants to meet our evaluation criteria. 

• How much can we ask for?  

The funding is designed to cover the logistical costs of organising and delivering these trial initiatives, so we expect proposals to be proportionate to the size and details of the event you are envisaging delivering. We will discuss this with you as part of the application process. 

• Will this be the only opportunity to collaborate with the project and receive funding? 

We are keen to see a spread of research disciplines and institution type trialling the initiatives.  We will assess the response to this call, and the resulting evaluation data, to determine if follow-up calls are required in the future.  

• What does ‘eligible to receive Research England funding’ mean?

Research England’s terms & conditions state;

1. The provider must be registered with the Office for Students in the Approved (fee cap) category of the Office for Students register. This includes continuing to meet the Office for Students’ ongoing conditions of registration.
2. The provider must be undertaking research and related activities (including knowledge exchange).
3. The principal – though not necessarily exclusive – aim of the provider’s research activity should be the creation of new knowledge which is made freely available to all.

• What if I have more questions? 

Sign up to one of our Q&A sessions here on 16 and 20 April 2026 or get in touch with the team at DBAA@exeter.ac.uk.