Shortlisting Process

Overview of the Research Grant Awards shortlisting process

Following the Research Grant Awards deadline, the Nahrein Network Management Committee approves a shortlist of up to ten Expressions of Interest for further development. 

The development works in three phases. Moving to the next phase is conditioned by the successful completion of the previous phase. Only projects which successfully complete all three development phases will be awarded funding and will be able to move to implementation. Applications which do not make good progress during these three stages will not be funded.  

Stage 1: People and project plans 

We invited the teams to develop a more detailed research plan, encompassing all elements of the project from initiation to publication, explaining who will be responsible for each element and how you will evaluate the success of the project. They receive via email the following: 

• Feedback on the EoI from the Peer Review College and Management Committee 
• Templates for: 
  • 2-page CVs for the team
  • Project research plan and list of outputs 
  • Month-by-month timeline, up to 24 months (the maximum duration of all projects) 

Stage 2: Finance, risk and ethics 

Projects which develop a viable work plan will be invited to submit further technical documentation. We provide projects with guidance on:  

• Eligible cost categories and payment rates 
• How to request any institutional support/approval letters needed
• Templates for: 
  • Month-by-month budget 
  • Risk review 
  • Ethics approval, if the project intends to work with living subjects 
  • Participant consent forms, if the project intends to work with living subjects 
  • Data management plan, if new data is collected

Teams who have submitted Phase 2 documentation will receive feedback in writing and/or in an online meeting, as well as further training on UCL brand use, social media and communications. 

Stage 3: Contracting  

Alongside the development of project plans, we undertake the following preparatory legal work with the applicants: 

• Due diligence checks for the home university/organisation, if based outside the UK and the Nahrein Network has not funded projects there before, or the current UCL due diligence check has expired 
• Establish a payment mechanism for the project. Payments to Iraq will be made via StarsOrbit, a respected Jordanian company that handles money transfers for the UN and other international agencies 
• Identify the authorised signatory in the home university/organisation for the contract, and share a draft contract with that person  

Once we have completed the technical checks satisfactorily, and we have agreed a finalised version of the project proposal in the light of the feedback, UCL will issue the successful applicant's home organisation with a contract for the project.  

Project reporting 

As a condition of the award, funded projects report to the Nahrein Network every three months on: 

• - Financial expenditure, including completed timesheets and copies of receipts 
• - Activities and outputs 
• - Problems and changes of plan 
• - Any funding received for related activities 

We will provide templates for this reporting.