1. PURPOSE

The SRF provides grants to enable reproduction and fertility research projects (‘the project’ or ‘projects’) to be undertaken on the following terms and conditions.

2. AWARD OF GRANTS

Grants are awarded for the duration of the project to the eligible institution with which the named applicant is associated whether as an employee or otherwise.

3. DURATION OF PROJECTS

Research Grants should commence within twelve months of 1 January 2026, on a date to be agreed, and must be completed within one year of the commencement date.

Extension to the duration of a project, at no additional cost to the SRF, may be approved in special circumstances. Requests, with full justification, for any such extension for a specified period should be sent to the SRF in writing (email accepted) at least four months before the project’s due completion date. Extensions are not valid until confirmed in writing in hard copy or email by the SRF.

4. REPORTS

For all projects the named applicant must submit a written final report and digital lay report (in PowerPoint format) no later than three months after the projects agreed date of conclusion. The lay report will be in the public domain and should therefore not contain any information that is confidential or commercially sensitive (see section 14 below).

The SRF will specify the date by which reports must be submitted. Failure to submit a final report or presentation when required may prove detrimental to future grant applications. The named applicant must alert the SRF of any changes or concerns arising during the project.

5.  EMPLOYMENT OF STAFF

The SRF is not the employer of staff engaged on projects which it supports and accepts no liability for such staff (including compliance with, and claims for, compensation, under any statute or common law and health and safety requirements) beyond retrospective reimbursement of all or part of the individual’s salary, superannuation and national insurance at levels agreed by the SRF. Such staff will be engaged under conditions set by the host institution, and in accordance with relevant legislation.

Where any individual employed on the project is registered for a PhD or other qualification for work associated with the project, the SRF will not be liable for tuition fees or other fees and will not provide funds for the time needed by the individual to write up the thesis or other form of dissertation.

The named applicant must ensure that the objectives of the project are met and that any papers arising from the work are submitted to refereed journals within a reasonable period of the project’s conclusion.

6. FINANCIAL MATTERS

a. Responsibility

The named applicant is responsible for advising the host institution’s finance office of the approved grant for the project, the SRF’s Terms and Conditions of Research Grants and any variation to the grant approved by the SRF.

The named applicant is responsible for ensuring that expenditure of the grant is within the amounts allowed under the headings in the agreed budget for the project and that claims to the SRF for expenditure on the project do not exceed the grant approved by the SRF under any circumstances.

b. Reimbursement (Expense Claims)

Any claims made to the SRF for reimbursement of expenditure within the approved grant must be submitted in arrears. The SRF should be advised if claims are delayed for any reason. The SRF will only reimburse expenditure in line with amounts approved within the grant. The agreed budgets under each heading are as specified in the application form or any agreed variation, save for the policies on under-expenditure and virement at 6d. and 6f. below. Any questions about reimbursement should be directed to srf@conferencecollective.co.uk

c. Over-expenditure

The SRF will only reimburse expenditure up to the amount of the approved grant. Any over-expenditure is the responsibility of the applicant.

d. Under-expenditure

Amounts unspent after reimbursement of the final claim will become immediately unavailable to the project.

e. Modification of Grants

In approving a grant for a project, the SRF reserves the right to reduce the amount requested by the applicant.

f. Virement

Transfer of any amount over £500 from the staff or animal cost headings to another heading in the agreed budget is not permitted without the SRF’s prior written approval.

Any amount may be transferred from the travel, consumables or equipment cost headings to another heading in the agreed budget without obtaining the SRF’s prior written approval.  The named applicant is requested to report any such amendments to the SRF.

g. Disallowance of Expense Claims

The SRF reserves the right to disallow claims, in full or in part, which it considers do not comply with these Terms and Conditions or the requirements of the Grant Claim form.

h. Control of Expenditure and Auditing

The control of expenditure under the SRF’s grants must be governed by the normal standards and procedures of the host institution and must be covered by that institution’s formal audit arrangements. SRF reserves the right to perform spot checks on information held on funded projects to ensure that the terms and conditions of the grant are being adhered to.

i. Final Claims

The final claim must be submitted to the SRF within four months following the project’s agreed completion date. Final claims submitted later than this will not be reimbursed unless by prior arrangement with the SRF.

Settlement of the final claim will be withheld until the final report and PowerPoint presentation is received by SRF unless a later submission date is agreed with SRF.

j. Eligible Costs

Further detail is given in the table appearing below showing permissible expenditure for main and small research projects.

7. EQUIPMENT PURCHASED UNDER A GRANT

Where equipment is purchased with a grant from the SRF, the equipment will be owned by the host institution. Should the named applicant move to another institution during the life of the project, the SRF reserves the right to require that the equipment be transferred to that institution with the named applicant.

The SRF is liable only for equipment costs approved within the grant. All other costs (e.g. maintenance, insurance) and liabilities relating to equipment purchased with a grant or provided by any other means for use in the project, are the responsibility of the host institution, except for recurrent costs that are dedicated to the project and provided for in the SRF’s grant for the project.

 8. OVERSEAS ACTIVITIES

The named applicant is responsible for ensuring that data collection or other research activity undertaken by project collaborators outside the UK can clearly be applied to the field of Reproduction and Fertility. SRF grants can be used to fund overseas travel for the named applicant and/or members of the research team, but not for employing a person overseas. For example, within the agreed budget, SRF grant funding could be used for the named applicant to travel abroad to collect samples but not to fund someone based overseas outside the research team to collect samples and send them back to UK.

9. PUBLICATIONS

If the named applicant and/or his/her colleagues publish information arising from the project in refereed scientific journals, the SRF must be informed. This should include the full citation with a digital link to the online version of record (i.e. doi). Pdfs may also be provided if the journal’s copyright agreement permits this.

10. AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The SRF’s support must be acknowledged in written publications and oral presentations arising from the project.

11. SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES USING ANIMALS

Adherence to the SRF’s ‘Policy on use of animals in research’ forms part of these Terms and Conditions of Research Grants. Acceptance, by any institution/body, of a grant for a project involving the use of animals includes acceptance of the Policy Statement set out at the end of these Terms and Conditions

12. LICENCES AND CONSENTS

The host institution must ensure that all necessary licences and consents required for the project are held throughout the duration of the project and all conditions and requirements attached to such licences and consents are complied with. Copies of any such licences and consents shall be produced to the SRF on request.

13. NAMED APPLICANT

If the named applicant moves to another institution during the project, they must notify the SRF in writing before moving, and the SRF will determine whether the project and grant will move with them. They must provide whatever information is required by the SRF to make its decision. If a change of named applicant becomes necessary, the SRF’s approval for such a change must be sought and received in writing, in advance.

14. PROTECTION OF COMMERCIALLY RELEVANT INFORMATION AND MANAGEMENT OF DATASETS

The named applicant or the host institution is requested to inform the SRF of any results that may be considered commercially valuable, including patent protection, for the purpose of the SRF’s own evaluation of the outcomes arising from research investment. The SRF should also be advised if publication of the results of the project will be delayed as a result of a patent pending. The SRF does not seek to derive any financial benefit arising from its funded projects. SRF should be advised of large datasets (such as sequencing data) that are generated as a result of the project. These datasets should be made available to applicants applying for SRF funding for related work and must be lodged in the public domain.

15. TERMINATION OF PROJECTS AND WITHDRAWAL OF GRANTS

The SRF reserves the right at any time and without notice to terminate projects and withdraw the grant in full or in part. In such cases, the SRF will reimburse expenditure properly incurred up to the date of termination and will not be liable for any matters or circumstances, including financial, after this date. The SRF will reimburse salaries contractually payable by the host institution to project staff in lieu of the contracted notice period (or part thereof as appropriate) if necessary.

16. ACCEPTANCE OF GRANTS

Any grant offered for a project is not valid until the grant, these Terms and Conditions of SRF Research Grants and any other terms or conditions that the SRF may apply to that project or that grant, have been accepted in writing by the named applicant, the host institution and by any other parties whose acceptance may be required by the SRF.

17. CHANGES TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SRF RESEARCH GRANTS

The SRF reserves the right to modify or vary these Terms and Conditions of Research Grants, and to add further Terms and Conditions, at any time.