Current Students: For full Guidance and the application form, visit the WRoCAH Intranet

What activities can I apply for under the Small Awards scheme?

You may apply for Small Awards of up to £250 for:

A Research knowledge/skills/methods Training activity (a course, a workshop, etc.)
Costs of attendance at conferences in the UK or overseas (as an attendee or presenter)
Primary research visits that are essential to the satisfactory completion of your thesis
Other essential primary research support costs (but talk to us before you put in an application under this heading)

Awards made under all WRoCAH schemes represent a contribution to costs and may not cover the whole cost of any activity – funding is limited and we try and spread it around as fairly as we can.

How does it work?

There are no funding rounds and you may apply as many times as you like although a fair usage policy applies of course.

You must apply AT LEAST ONE MONTH before the activity is due to commence. This is not because we need this amount of time to process applications, but to ensure that all activities for which a contribution to costs are requested are well-planned.

WRoCAH has a responsibility to ensure that its funding is distributed fairly and we will keep a track of funding awarded under this scheme and may reduce contributions if we do not feel we can maintain a standard level of opportunity across all students. If you have any doubts, then please contact the WRoCAH office before applying.

Things to consider

You should discuss the relevance and need of any activities with your supervisor(s) before making an application.
All applications under the Small Awards scheme must be strategic.
What does this mean? This means we will be looking for clear evidence that this activity is in line with your training and research plan, is taking place at the most timely point in your studies. We will also be looking for evidence of good planning, so make sure you show that your activity is well thought-through.
Applications may be referred back to you for more information before a funding decision is made.

How to apply

You will need to prepare an application outlining your plans, the context, and provide appropriate supporting evidence for costs. For all activities we require:

A description (What)
A justification (Why)
Specific dates
Specific costs

What information do you need?

For all applications

Start and end date of the activity. NB: The start date is the date you walk out of your front door, the end date is the date you walk back in.
Town/City and Country
Specific and itemised costs requested for Travel, Accommodation, Registration fees,
Why this activity or purchase is important for your research

Conferences and Training Courses

Title of the conference or course
Who is hosting the conference or providing the training course
What is the title of your presentation and what is its format – oral, poster etc.

Primary Research Trips

Name of the organisation you are visiting
Visiting plans and contacts made (to show evidence of planning)

Other essential Primary Research costs

What you want to buy (short description)
Longer description or precise specification
Cost requested

Value for Money

We will be looking for evidence that you have made efforts to ensure the costs are reasonable, eg. by booking advance rail fares or taking the bus where possible and not staying in the Ritz Hotel. WRoCAH funding is wholly from the public purse and we share the responsibility to spend our funds responsibly. We cannot approve speculative costs.

There is lots of useful information in the Guidance notes for applicants here (WRoCAH login required) – make sure you have read these before making your application.

You should consider the Small Awards scheme as making a CONTRIBUTION to your costs. You should not apply for activities that are not essential to your research and that you would not attempt to undertake regardless of funding. The costs you indicate in this application are the ones upon which the decision on the WRoCAH contribution will be made.

Booking with preferred suppliers

All three Universities have preferred suppliers for travel and accommodation. You MUST CHECK to see if your trip requires you to use these rather than booking directly yourself. This is likely to apply to most travel outside the UK. This does not stop you doing your own research and giving specific instructions to the preferred supplier about what to book. Read the Guidance notes for applicants for more advice on this.

Insurance for trips outside the UK

If you are going outside the UK, your University covers your travel insurance under their general policy. Some institutions require you to complete a travel plan before you are covered by their insurance and it is your responsibility to ensure that you have insurance in place for your trip.

University of Leeds – http://www.leeds.ac.uk/insurance/travel.htm
University of Sheffield – http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/lets/pp/support/trip
University of York – https://www.york.ac.uk/admin/supplies/travel/insurance.html

If you are adding any personal holiday onto your trip at the beginning or end then be aware that your University travel insurance WILL NOT cover you for this period and you should make your own arrangements for insurance during this time.

How do I claim?

You can only claim AFTER the activity has taken place.

Claims for Small Awards should be sent directly to the WRoCAH Office, with a University of York claim form (regardless of what institution you are based at). You can find this on the Useful Links page of our website.