Careers and Skills for Data-driven Research (CaSDaR) Funding Call 1

CaSDaR Funding Call: Round 1 Please keep your microphones muted during the presentation. During the presentation feel free to put questions in the chat. We will take questions at the end of the presentation, feel free to raise your hand or use the chat. Dr Samantha Pearman - Kanza University of Southampton CaSDaR Funding Call Webinar 5th November 2025 Build a Community 1 Develop Career Pathways 3 Enabling Sustainability 5 24 Establish Data Stewards Recognition & Cultural Change Create a supportive, diverse, inclusive, self sustaining community for data stewards. Run flagship events to bring the community together and allow them to drive us. Establish clear and accessible career pathways, with entry level routes, progression opportunities, taking into account the different skill requirements. Promote the recognition of data stewards, highlighting their critical role in managing and preserving research data. Establish a culture that values and supports data stewards. Develop sustainable models for data stewardship. Establish Data Steward Association that will empower our community to be self managed both during and after the grant. “Learn by doing”. Fund data stewards as “researchers on the ground” to understand roles and challenges across different institutions and (under represented) disciplines. 1st April 2025 - 31st March 2029 Advisory Board: Prof Christian Bokhove (University of Southampton & UKRN), Dr Sarah Callaghan (University of Oxford), Tao Cha ng – Arts & Humanities Research Council, Prof Jeremy Frey (University of Southampton & AIChemy Hub), Professor Tony Hey (STFC), Dr Guy Jones (Springer Nature), Dr Emma Kar oun e (Alan Turing Institute), Dr William Nixon (Research Libraries UK), Professor Andy Stanford - Clark (IBM UK), Dr Marta Teperek (University of Cambridge & Open Science NL), D r Becca Wilson (University of Liverpool) Introducing CaSDaR Principal Investigator: Dr Samantha Pearman - Kanza Co - Investigators: Prof James Baker, Prof Simon Coles, Prof Simon Hettrick, Ms Isobel Stark Network Coordinator: Louise Saul, Network Mascot: Cassie CaSDaR Funding Call A significant proportion of CaSDaRs Flexible Fund has been earmarked for Funding Calls to support Data Stewardship. This is the first call with two different streams. These calls aim to support the Careers and Skills Development of Data Stewards across the UK by providing an evidence base to display the need for introducing data stewards in the UK across multiple disciplines and organisations . Key Details Key Dates 5th November - Funding Call Formally Launched with Webinar & Registration of Interest Forms 15th November – Registration of Interest Forms Close 22nd January - Application Deadline 11th March - Successful Projects Announced •Two different Schemes ⚬Mini Projects (Max Value £5K, 80% fEC ) ⚬Large Projects (Max Value £70K, 80% fEC ) •Dates ⚬Mini Projects (8 - 10 weeks), Start by 1 st June 2026, End by 30th Feb 2027 [Suggested timeline 6 th July – 11th Sept] ⚬Large Projects (6 - 9 Months), Start by 1st June 2026, End by 30th Feb 2027 ⚬Please register your interest if you are thinking about applying for our funding call to help us recruit enough reviewers! Registration of Interest Form APPLICATIONS •Applicants must fill in the relevant application form in a word document •Applicants must then fill in the relevant Qualtrics form, which involves consenting to the terms of our research study, uploading their application form, and providing optional demographic data for ED&I purposes. CALL AIMS •Establish an evidence base demonstrating the value of introducing data stewards across disciplines and organisations in the UK •Support network development, advocacy efforts, and career pathways through evidence - informed strategies •Showcase how targeted funding can drive medium - to long - term systemic change in data stewardship practices •Generate insights to inform and strengthen the 2027 funding call , ensuring continuity and strategic impact ELIGIBILITY •These applications must be made by an organisation based in the UK (or the UK office of a multinational corporation) proposing to host this project. Organisations that are not normally eligible for UKRI funding may be considered for support through this flexible funding call. However, any funding awarded must comply with UKRI’s subsidy control regulations . CaSDaR AIMS •“Learn by doing” Fund data stewards as “researchers on the ground” to understand roles and challenges across different institutions and (under - represented) disciplines •Establish clear and accessible career pathways, with entry level routes, progression opportunities, taking into account the different skill requirements FUNDING CALL 1 CaSDaR AIMS •“Learn by doing” Fund data stewards as “researchers on the ground” to understand roles and challenges across different institutions and (under - represented) disciplines, and to g ather information on data stewardship needs across disciplines and organisations to inform CaSDaR’s future activities •Establish clear and accessible career pathways, with entry level routes, progression opportunities, taking into account the different skill requirements. CALL AIMS •Establish an evidence base demonstrating the value of introducing data stewards across disciplines and organisations in the UK •Support network development, advocacy efforts, and career pathways through evidence - informed strategies •Showcase how targeted funding can drive medium - to long - term systemic change in data stewardship practices •Generate insights to inform and strengthen the 2027 funding call , ensuring continuity and strategic impact ELIGIBILITY •These applications must be made by an organisation based in the UK (or the UK office of a multinational corporation) proposing to host this project. Organisations that are not normally eligible for UKRI funding may be considered for support through this flexible funding call . However, any funding awarded must comply with UKRI’s subsidy control regulations . •Trusted Research supports research integrity in undertaking collaborative research projects. In your application, you will need to show how you will identify any risks associated with security as it relates to integrity and how those risks will be mitigated . APPLICATIONS P r e s e n t a ti o n s a r e t o o ls t h a t c a n b e u s e d a s l e c t u r e s, s p e e c h e s, r e p o rt s, a n d m o r e . P r e s e n t a ti o n s a r e t o o ls t h a t c a n b e u s e d a s l e c t u r e s, s p e e c h e s, r e p o rt s, a n d m o r e . •Applicants must fill in the relevant application form for the scheme they are applying to, via a word document, including costings for 100% and 80% fEC (full economic costing) •Applicants must then fill in the relevant Qualtrics form for the scheme they are applying to, which involves consenting to the terms of our research study (full links to participant information sheets), uploading their application form, and providing optional demographic data for ED&I purposes. NB: This study has received ethics approval via the University of Southampton Ethics Committee ERGO number: 108977 Large £70K Projects £70K 100% fEC £56K 80% fEC 69 Month Projects Must start by 1 st June 2026, must end by 30 th February 2027 Key Definitions •Primary Applicant: Person making the application, who should be the project lead. •Host Organisation: Organisation of the primary applicant. This is subject to eligibility terms. •Co - Applicant: Additional team members making the application (applicable for the 70K applications) . •Project Partners: Projects may also include collaborators referred to as Project Partners. Project Partners are defined as collaborating organisations who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include in - kind or cash contributions such as expertise, staff time, use of facilities, etc. Project Partners cannot receive funding directly from the grant; the only exception to this is where a Project Partner is providing services or equipment that will go through a formal procurement process audited by the host research organisation. The Project Partner cannot receive any other funds from the grant, such as travel and subsistence. Letters of support can be included to demonstrate project partner support. •Staff: If you are requesting salary for a person currently working for the host organisation of the primary or co - applicants then this person will be considered staff in your application. If the person requires a secondment then please seek guidance from your organisation before submitting this application. •Sub - Contractors: If you have tendered the position required for your project and ascertained that the best person for the job is someone from a commercial company then this person will be considered a sub - contractor in your application. •Collaboration Agreements: We require agreements to be made on GDPR compliant policies and Data Processing Agreements between the applying institution and their collaborators. If these cannot be agreed within a certain timeframe we reserve the right to cease the contract process and choose another application. Large £70K Projects £70K 100% fEC £56K 80% fEC 69 Month Projects Must start by 1 st June 2026, must end by 30 th February 2027 Application Forms: Made via the CaSDaR Large 70K Projects Application Form •Personal details of the applicant/s and details of their relevant organisation. •Approximately 2800 words covering the following as per the document template: •A high level description of the project including key milestones and how this fits into the UK research data landscape (~1000 words) •The project outcomes (~300 words) •How the impact of the project will be evaluated (~300 words) •Sustaining the impact of the work beyond the funding period of the project (~300 words) •Justification of why the project is a relevant intervention to support data stewardship in the UK (~150 words) •Description of the infrastructure and expertise to support the project and ensure sustainability (~500 words) •Finance information describing the cost distribution at 80% fEC for any applicant/s as well as contact information for relevant bodies at the organisation, and IP statement (~300 words + finance tables) Requirements: Midway and Final Report, and participation in CaSDaR Focus Groups. Application Forms will be analysed as part of our Research (with Ethics Approval). CaSDaR will use these reports to create high level case study summaries. Mini £5K Projects £5K 100% fEC £4K 80% fEC 810 Weeks Can be run Summer 26 to benefit from Cohort/Training Or applications can justify why this is not required Purpose: These projects are intended to give individuals some experience in data stewardship, complemented by training that will be delivered by the CaSDaR team and associates. Through these projects we aim to upskill individuals in data stewardship, whilst giving them exposure to the career paths of data stewards and data steward - esque roles. Intended Audience: Whilst these projects could be structured as an internship, they are equally well - suited for staff members or PhD researchers seeking to enhance their skills in data stewardship. These projects are intended for those who are inexperienced in data stewardship and therefore require a project supervisor. Project Criteria: Projects must showcase the value of data stewardship; examples of potential topics could include: •Cataloguing or resource building for an existing collection e.g. archive, tissue collections, sample collections •Creating workflows for accurate metadata cleaning and enrichment •Creation of a checklist to promote FAIR data at the point of data collection •Generating README templates for file types/techniques commonly used across a group or project •Supporting sensitive data sharing within a project or group by creating a process to get consent Mini £5K Projects £5K 100% fEC £4K 80% fEC 810 Weeks Can be run Summer 26 to benefit from Cohort/Training Or applications can justify why this is not required Logistics: Individual Projects must be between 8 - 10 weeks, and must start by the 6th July 2026, and finish by the 11th September 2026. We anticipate that most of the money will be used to fund the wages of the trainee data steward, however the project supervisor can budget for consumables (e.g. travel to a conference or collaborator) if relevant to the project. NB: Trainee data steward can be named or recruited after the grant is awarded. Benefits for Host Organisation: •Training in data stewardship practices to support professional development of the trainee data steward •Development /enhancement of data stewardship practices at the host institution •Support from peers and from CaSDaR team to complete the project •Networking opportunities with other trainee data stewards to support development •Financial support for a member of the project to attend CaSDaRs data stewardship conference in late 2026/early 2027 Application Criteria: Applications should be submitted by the project supervisor in collaboration with the organisation proposing to host this project. Applicants can request up to £4,000 (80%FEC). Mini £5K Projects £5K 100% fEC £4K 80% fEC 810 Weeks Can be run Summer 26 to benefit from Cohort/Training Or applications can justify why this is not required Key Definitions •Primary Applicant: Person making the application, should be the project supervisor. •Host Organisation: Organisation of the primary applicant. This is subject to eligibility terms. •Project Partners: Projects may also include collaborators referred to as Project Partners. Project Partners are defined as collaborating organisations who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include in - kind or cash contributions such as expertise, staff time, use of facilities, etc. Project Partners cannot receive funding directly from the grant; the only exception to this is where a Project Partner is providing services or equipment that will go through a formal procurement process audited by the host research organisation. The Project Partner cannot receive any other funds from the grant, such as travel and subsistence. Letters of support can be included to demonstrate project partner support. •Trainee Data Steward: If you request salary for someone currently employed by (or to be hired by) the Primary Applicant’s host institution, that person will be considered the trainee data steward. They will carry out the core project work and can be named if already employed, or they can be open with planned recruitment via the host institution post funding. Whilst these projects could be structured as an internship, they are equally well - suited for staff members or PhD researchers seeking to enhance their skills in data stewardship. NB: PhD students are only permitted provided they a) suspend their studies and take a secondment for the duration of the role and b) the project is not a continuation of their PhD. •Collaboration Agreements: We require agreements to be made on GDPR compliant policies and Data Processing Agreements between the applying institution and their collaborators. If these cannot be agreed within a certain timeframe, we reserve the right to cease the contract process and choose another application. Mini £5K Projects £5K 100% fEC £4K 80% fEC 810 Weeks Can be run Summer 26 to benefit from Cohort/Training Or applications can justify why this is not required Application Forms: Made via the CaSDaR Mini 5K Projects Application Form •Personal details of the applicant and details of the organisation •Approximately 2000 words covering the following as per the document template: •A high - level overview of the project including key milestones, challenges in the area, and outcomes (~750 words) •How the impact of the project will be evaluated (~350 words) •Description of how the project provides evidence of the value of data stewardship (~350 words) •Description of processes in the organisation to support the project (~400 words) •Finance information describing the cost distribution at 80% fEC as well as contact information for relevant bodies at the organisation, and IP statement (~200 words + finance tables) Requirements: Short Report, and Poster (for Trainee Data Steward), Participation in Data Stewardship Conference (Supervisor or Trainee Data Steward). Application Forms will be analysed as part of our Research (with Ethics Approval). Review Process & Timelines •Applications will be screened to remove incomplete or insufficient applications; in these instances, the Network Coordinator will follow up with those individuals. •Applications will then be allocated randomly to reviewers. Projected 5 applications per reviewer for the £5k projects and 3 applications per reviewer for the £70k projects •Reviewers will receive links to the relevant reviewer forms, and instructions on how to complete them. •For the £5k projects, each application will be reviewed twice and for the £70k projects each application will be reviewed three times •The outcomes will be discussed in the review panel to finalise decisions, including considering diversity across different domains and institutions. •If you are interested in being one of our reviewers, please fill in our reviewer volunteer form . NB: Reviewers cannot review for the call they are applying for due to potential conflicts of interest 1.Under - Representation / Under Funded a. Consideration will be given to areas or organisations currently under - funded and or under - represented in data stewardship. b. Reviewers will be asked to consider how the application contributes to developing new or underserved domains. 2.Impact a. £70k applications: Must demonstrate sustained impact beyond the funding period, both locally and nationally. b. £5k applications: Should show clear benefits to the organisation or field. c. Reviewers should assess relevance to the current UK data stewardship landscape and why the project stands out. 3.Feasibility a. Projects must be realistic within the given timeframe. b. Consider the resources and experience of the applicant or team, especially for larger (£70k) bids. 4.Infrastructure & Expertise a. Applicant has existing infrastructure or workflows to support the project. b. There is resident expertise to implement the project effectively. c. Projects aiming to embed infrastructure must clearly show how this will highlight the need for data stewardship expertise and be sustainable post - funding. Review Criteria Reviews will be judged on a 1 - 5 Scale Reviewers will need to declare any conflicts of interests and then complete relevant reviewer forms Funding Call Timeline Reviewers will be recruited based on numbers from the registration of interest forms. We are also collaborating with the rest of the DRTP Network+ Projects to provide reviewer suggestions and review for each others calls. Registration of Interest Form Reviewe r Volunteer Form Please note: All submitted applications will be analysed to feed into our research on the careers and skills requirements of data stewardship 15TH NOV 22 JAN 11 MAR 1ST JUN Registration of Interest Forms Due (to enable reviewer recruitment) Application Deadline 5TH NOV Funding Call Formally opens with Webinar & Registration of Interest Forms Successful projects announced Projects must start 69 Months 6 JUL Recommended start for 5K Mimi Projects (to take advantage of training) 810 Weeks Wrap up & Next Steps There will be support webinars in December and January, and all the questions will be catalogued and added to the FAQ Bank. If you face issues acting as a recipient of funding, we are here to support you in liaising with the relevant bodies in your organisation . We are here to help! Please reach out to us for support at [email protected] with any questions! 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