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The Hub Award frequently asked questions

Can I apply if I'm not based at a university? What if I am self-employed?

Yes! We are interested in applicants from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including science communication, the health professions, journalism, law, the arts and academia. Applications will also be accepted from commercial companies who would not otherwise be able to undertake the proposed work. However, grants will normally be awarded to an organisation - such as a university, a charitable body, or another non-profit organisation - rather than to individuals directly.

We will consider applications from Group Leaders who are self-employed, but we would ask that you get in touch with us to talk through any financial arrangements before you apply.

Finally, whatever your professional background, like all our applicants, you will need to sign up to the Wellcome Trust Grant Conditions [Word 36KB].

I am a scientist, and my research project is science-based. Is The Hub relevant to me?

Potentially. The aim of The Hub is to bring researchers from widely different areas together, so your idea and group would need to involve a range of specialties where scientists are working with input from other disciplines such as the arts, humanities or social sciences. The Hub will be a flexible space which will meet a broad range of needs but it won't be suitable for scientific lab-based research.

Does collaboration need to be central to my bid? How interdisciplinary does the project need to be? What areas of expertise will you consider?

Collaboration absolutely needs to be central to your bid. It is important that your application demonstrates how the different expertise sets offered by the Core Group members are relevant, what they'll be contributing, and how they will complement each other.

As to areas of expertise: we are keen to consider applications where there is collaboration between all kinds of creative minds, including artists, scholars, scientists, media professionals, journalists, lawyers, policy advisers, etc.

How will I interact with Wellcome Collection and the Wellcome Library? Will there be opportunities to contribute to the events and exhibitions in the building?

We hope that the team which occupies The Hub will find useful ways of interacting with the various activities that take place in Wellcome Collection, the Wellcome Library and the Wellcome Trust. Given the long lead times for our exhibitions (we programme these over two years in advance), it's unlikely that The Hub team will be able to develop their own exhibition for display at Wellcome Collection. But there will be many other opportunities for exchanging ideas and expertise with Wellcome Trust staff, such as contributing to Wellcome Collection's vibrant public events offering, for example. At the application stage, we would certainly expect applicants to demonstrate how they intend to work creatively with - and add value to - the activities in the Wellcome Library, Wellcome Collection and the Wellcome Trust.

What outputs and outcomes do you expect from a Hub project?

We want this to be open. We are keen to hear from you and your team about the outputs and outcomes you expect to produce during your two years at The Hub (and beyond). However, your application will need to be clear about why these are important, original and impactful. The kind of outputs we would expect to see might include:

  • scholarly or research outputs, such as edited volumes, articles and essays
  • creative outputs, such as the production of new artworks, exhibitions, or other public engagement activities (whether at Wellcome Collection or elsewhere)
  • methodological innovations in your fields
  • seminars, workshops, lectures, debates or public talks
  • capacity building and training for younger scholars or professionals
  • policy outputs, such as consultations, white papers or expert reviews.

Does the proposed project have to be self-contained or completely new?

Not necessarily. You don't have to be doing new, primary research; your project might make connections across existing research and knowledge or develop original insights from cross-disciplinary activities. Of course, your application should identify the intended outputs and outcomes both during the time of your residency in The Hub and afterwards. But The Hub occupancy doesn't have to involve a discrete project. Instead, it could present an opportunity to complete a project that has already been started. Or it could be used to kick-start a new project that you would continue developing beyond your residency at The Hub.

Does the project have to be two academic years? Can I apply on a part-time basis?

Awards will normally be full-time, for the duration of two academic years, starting in October. We will consider applications that cover a longer (or shorter) period of time (up to three years and no shorter than one year). You will, however, have to make a very strong case in your application for why this would be the most appropriate arrangement.

What can I budget for in my application? Who will receive the money?

The Award of up to £1 000 000 can be used to fund a whole variety of activities as well as meeting research costs. Below are just some examples:

  • backfilling the posts of the Core Group
  • attracting relevant visiting fellows to join the team
  • paying for consultancy fees
  • hiring research associates or other staff
  • purchasing specialist equipment that might be necessary for the project
  • programming public engagement activities, such as talks or exhibitions
  • paying for any necessary travel.

Of these, only staff costs will be awarded to the Group Leader's organisation. All other costs will be paid for directly by the Wellcome Trust.

What kind of support will the Wellcome Trust provide for managing the space? For example, what about IT facilities?

The Hub will be staffed by a dedicated Wellcome Trust employee who will offer support in both the day-to-day running of The Hub and in the events and activities that may arise from it. They'll also facilitate collaboration with the Wellcome Library and Wellcome Collection teams and help you to draw on the expertise of the Wellcome Trust's global network of funded researchers.

The Hub workspace will include managed IT services (printing, scanning, telephony, high-speed internet). Both Apple Mac and Windows laptops will be catered for, in case you want to bring your own device. Alternatively, the Wellcome Trust will be able to provide laptops on a loan basis for the duration of your time in The Hub.

Do you expect the team to always be in The Hub? And would the team need to have the same team members throughout?

Not necessarily, but it is expected that The Hub will be the primary base of the Core Group for the duration of the grant. If you consider an alternative arrangement to be more appropriate, please make sure that the reasons why are detailed within the application and that you've budgeted for this as well.

We would expect the Group Leader and the Core Group members to remain constant, but there may well be other collaborators who join the group for short- and long-term residencies to create an environment of knowledge and cultural exchange linked to the theme.

Taking this award would involve my relocating. Would the Trust help me with this? What about London weighting?

We are very keen to attract non-London-based applicants to The Hub. Should one or more members of the successful group be based beyond commuting distance from London, the Trust will discuss relocation packages and London weighting with you.

What will the space look like? Will there be studio space for artists in residence? What other facilities will be available? Can I look at the space before applying? Will the incoming group be able to change the space themselves?

The space has been designed to be as conducive to collaboration as possible. It's entirely open-plan, but at the same time, it also has quiet spaces for undisturbed working.

Translation Fund
Artist impression giving a flavour of what the space will be like.

As well as their own meeting and seminar rooms, Hub residents will also have access to a variety of facilities at Wellcome Collection and the Wellcome Trust, including a studio space, a lecture theatre, a recording studio and the staff cafe. Unfortunately you won't be able to see the space just yet - it's still in development, and construction work will start in summer 2013 as part of the Wellcome Collection Development Project. But within reason, the successful applicants will be able to adapt the space to suit any special needs they may have.

Will there be anyone else working in The Hub?

The Hub will have desk space for about 20 people at any given time. We would expect half of those desks to be occupied by people working on your project. The rest will be available on an ad hoc basis to like-minded individuals who have been invited by the Wellcome Trust and who will be working on a variety of projects and for varying lengths of time.

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