Funding Opportunities for Postdocs
C‑DICE offered a range of opportunities for postdoctoral researchers to gain experience with different organisations, including industry collaborations and visits to universities and facilities within the ERA and UKCRIC partnerships. Flexible funding options enabled researchers to design bespoke secondments; from short university visits to fully funded industrial placements of up to six months. A caring support fund also provided up to £250 for childcare costs associated with these activities.
Researchers applied for these opportunities to broaden their experience, strengthen their skills, expand their networks and demonstrate collaboration, impact and initiative; all valuable for career development and future funding prospects. C‑DICE supported applicants in identifying opportunities suited to their needs, whether part‑time, through no‑cost extensions or as activities added to the end of existing roles.
Overview of funding options provided:
| Funding Type | Purpose | Maximum Amount | What it Covered |
| Research Proposal Development Grant | Site visits with potential research collaborators for the purposes of co-creating Research Proposal or for developing a network of research collaborators. | £1,000 (UK) or £3,000 (International) | Travel and subsistence |
| Networking Grant | Knowledge exchange and collaboration between universities and/or industry | £1,000 (UK) or £3,000 (International) | Travel and subsistence |
| Visiting Fellowship / Secondment | Knowledge exchange and collaboration between universities and/or industry to undertake a collaborative project around net-zero and either infrastructure, cities or energy | £5,000 per month for up to 3 months | Salary, travel and subsistence, some consumables |
| Industrial or Policy Internships | Projects derived by industry or non-academic third parties | Variable, depending on length of project | Travel and subsistence, some consumables |
| Partnership Grant | C-DICE postdocs, academics, or facilities managers to host postdocs from outside of C-DICE partners or abroad. May be used by C-DICE postdocs to host industry collaborators in exceptional circumstances. | £1,000 (UK), £3,000 (International) | Travel and subsistence |
| Caring Support Fund | Offset the additional costs of caring incurred outside normal work hours by taking part in a C-DICE activity. | £500 | Caring costs |
| Travel Grant | Offset the costs of transport and accommodations to an in-person C-DICE event | £150 | Travel costs |
| Research Sandpit | For C-DICE postdocs to develop a collaborative research idea to win seed-corn funding and develop the idea further. | £30,000 | Seed-corn funding to develop ideas further |
| Dragons’ Den Style Event | For C-DICE postdocs to vie for funding to get their business ideas off the ground. | £2,000 | Business costs |