Online survey exploring researcher experiences of research funding processes in the UK: the effort and burden of applying for funding and fulfilling reporting requirements
Online survey exploring researcher experiences of research funding processes in the UK: the effort and burden of applying for funding and fulfilling reporting requirements
Objective: To explore researchers’ experiences of funding processes, the effort and burden involved in applying for funding, obtaining funding, and/or fulfilling reporting requirements with a UK health and social care research funder.
Design/Setting: A cross-sectional online survey study with open (free-text) and closed questions (August-November 2021).
Participants: Researchers with experience of applying for/obtaining funding and/or experience of fulfilling reporting requirements for UK health and social care research funded between January 2018 to July 2021.
Results: The survey was completed by 182 researchers, of which 176 had experience with applying for/obtaining funding, and 143 experience with fulfilling reporting requirements during the timeframe. The majority of the 176 respondents (58%) completed between 7-13 key processes in order to submit an application and 69% felt that it was critically important to undertake these key processes. Respondents (n=143) reported submitting an average of 17 reports as part of research monitoring to a range of organisations (e.g., funders, Higher Education Institutions). However, only 33% of respondents felt it was critically important to provide the requested reporting information to the different organisations. Thematic analysis of free-text questions on application and reporting identified themes relating to process inefficiencies including streamlining and alignment of systems, lack of understanding of processes including a need for improved communication and feedback from organisations with clear explanations about what information is needed, when and why, the support required by respondents and the time, effort and impact on workload and well-being.
Conclusions: Through this study we were able to identify funding processes that are considered by some to be effortful, but necessary, as well as those that were perceived as unnecessary, complex and repetitive, and may waste some researchers time and effort and impact on wellbeing. Possible solutions to increase efficiency and enhance value in these processes were identified.
Survey, burden, effort, funding, mixed methods, reporting/monitoring research, research bureaucracy, researcher experiences
Fackrell, Kathryn
47992aeb-c6a0-44a2-b59c-8b53d7a70520
Church, Hazel
80bbd32b-2185-4fa2-91fa-20c4529ace0c
Crane, Ksenia
11d25414-e10d-413a-aaf3-fb6b6c2cf890
Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra
d05c4e43-3399-466d-99e0-01403a04b467
Blatch-Jones, Amanda
6bb7aa9c-776b-4bdd-be4e-cf67abd05652
Meadmore, Katie
4b63707b-4c44-486c-958e-e84645e7ed33
21 March 2024
Fackrell, Kathryn
47992aeb-c6a0-44a2-b59c-8b53d7a70520
Church, Hazel
80bbd32b-2185-4fa2-91fa-20c4529ace0c
Crane, Ksenia
11d25414-e10d-413a-aaf3-fb6b6c2cf890
Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra
d05c4e43-3399-466d-99e0-01403a04b467
Blatch-Jones, Amanda
6bb7aa9c-776b-4bdd-be4e-cf67abd05652
Meadmore, Katie
4b63707b-4c44-486c-958e-e84645e7ed33
Fackrell, Kathryn, Church, Hazel, Crane, Ksenia, Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra, Blatch-Jones, Amanda and Meadmore, Katie
(2024)
Online survey exploring researcher experiences of research funding processes in the UK: the effort and burden of applying for funding and fulfilling reporting requirements.
BMJ Open, 14 (3), [e079581].
(doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079581).
Abstract
Objective: To explore researchers’ experiences of funding processes, the effort and burden involved in applying for funding, obtaining funding, and/or fulfilling reporting requirements with a UK health and social care research funder.
Design/Setting: A cross-sectional online survey study with open (free-text) and closed questions (August-November 2021).
Participants: Researchers with experience of applying for/obtaining funding and/or experience of fulfilling reporting requirements for UK health and social care research funded between January 2018 to July 2021.
Results: The survey was completed by 182 researchers, of which 176 had experience with applying for/obtaining funding, and 143 experience with fulfilling reporting requirements during the timeframe. The majority of the 176 respondents (58%) completed between 7-13 key processes in order to submit an application and 69% felt that it was critically important to undertake these key processes. Respondents (n=143) reported submitting an average of 17 reports as part of research monitoring to a range of organisations (e.g., funders, Higher Education Institutions). However, only 33% of respondents felt it was critically important to provide the requested reporting information to the different organisations. Thematic analysis of free-text questions on application and reporting identified themes relating to process inefficiencies including streamlining and alignment of systems, lack of understanding of processes including a need for improved communication and feedback from organisations with clear explanations about what information is needed, when and why, the support required by respondents and the time, effort and impact on workload and well-being.
Conclusions: Through this study we were able to identify funding processes that are considered by some to be effortful, but necessary, as well as those that were perceived as unnecessary, complex and repetitive, and may waste some researchers time and effort and impact on wellbeing. Possible solutions to increase efficiency and enhance value in these processes were identified.
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e079581.full
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 19 February 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 21 March 2024
Published date: 21 March 2024
Additional Information:
All of the authors are employed by the School of Healthcare Enterprise and Innovation, University of Southampton and work within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Coordinating Centre at the time when study was conducted. KF also holds a Post-Doctoral Fellowship funded by the NIHR. This does not alter our adherence to BMJ Open policies on sharing data and materials.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Keywords:
Survey, burden, effort, funding, mixed methods, reporting/monitoring research, research bureaucracy, researcher experiences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 490407
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/490407
ISSN: 2044-6055
PURE UUID: 6e627def-f70f-4db1-aca1-192893e01141
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Date deposited: 24 May 2024 16:56
Last modified: 19 Jun 2024 01:51
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