Small Grants Call
Closing date: Open – no closing date
Full proposals can be submitted at any time and will be considered by a panel chaired by the Chair of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research on a rolling basis.
Open to all mathematicians in the UK at all career stages, from PhD to Professor. Please note, we do not fund outward, non-UK travel awards for attendance to conferences, collaborations or events taking place outside of the UK. Funding is for mathematical research activity in the UK only.
The Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research offers small grants for projects supportive of the UK mathematics pipeline, from schools outreach to cutting edge research events. The application process has been designed to be simple and we aim to offer a quick response to proposals, usually within a few weeks.
Value of award
The Heilbronn Institute expects many grants to be at the level of £5,000 or less, but we will accept applications up to £10,000, or occasionally greater when a strong case is made.
Scope of the scheme
The funding can be used to support activity involving mathematical research taking place in the UK. The Heilbronn Institute particularly welcomes applications for, but not limited to, the following purposes.
o Partial or full support towards workshops, small conferences, symposia or colloquia.
o Travel and local expenses for visiting professors/academics, PhD students or speakers.
o Support for collaborative research programmes or activities.
o Activities supporting the inspiration, education and training of students and young mathematicians
o Support for activity relating to mathematics and mathematicians that is not eligible for funding from other sources or where funding is limited.
NB: Applicants are responsible for making all the arrangements for the event or activity funded by the award. The Heilbronn Institute is not generally able to host events, collaborations or visitors.
What we’re looking for
o Proposals that deliver impact in mathematics, which may be through producing high quality research, sharing new research developments with the community, creating new collaborations, or inspiring young people via current research mathematics.
o We encourage proposals for projects and events that involve a balance of experienced and early career researchers.
o Representation of mathematicians is very important to the Institute, and proposals may be rejected if diversity has not been taken into account. The LMS has helpful advice on diversity on their website
o Mathematical impact needs to be balanced with environmental concerns, so we encourage applicants to consider this in their proposal – could this work be done as effectively with a lower carbon footprint? Some guidance on sustainable travel is provided in this link.
Your proposal should include:
o A justification of the activity and the impact you expect it to have on mathematics.
o A clear outline budget.
o What contributions you have so far, and how much you expect to request from other sponsors.
o How much funding is requested from the Heilbronn Institute, and how will it be used.
How to apply
Applications should be made at any time to the Heilbronn Administrator at heilbronn-administrator@bristol.ac.uk.
For applications for £5K or less, no more than one page of A4 is needed, and two pages for most larger applications.
Decision-making process
Applications will be reviewed by a panel chaired by the Chair of the Institute. The panel meets regularly in order to give quick decisions on proposals.
Contact details
If you have any questions please contact the Heilbronn Administrator at Heilbronn-administrator@bristol.ac.uk
If your proposal falls outside the above funding scheme, please email your proposal to the Chair at pa-chair-himr@bristol.ac.uk
Grants under this scheme will be funded either through the UKRI/EPSRC ‘Additional Funding Programme for Mathematical Sciences’ (part of the £300M government investment announced in 2020) or by the Heilbronn Institute directly. Institutions will be reimbursed after the event has taken place and receipt of the academic and financial reports. Activities, expenditure, and expense claims need to be completed by the end of September 2025.
Final Report: Successful applicants are required to complete and submit a final report that highlights the key successes and the outcomes of their research activity funded by the Heilbronn Small Grant Scheme. Please complete and submit your final report using this form.