The University provides a range of support services for researchers (academics and students) at all career stages.

Research Directory

Our Research Directory provides a list of useful contacts across the University and is an invaluable tool to make sure you are signposted to the right person or team. The directory also includes handy research resource links to guide and support you on your research journey.

Training

RIFS provides staff development through the Researcher Development Programme. We also provide bespoke training of the various University research systems for groups, contact research@northampton.ac.uk for further information.

Research systems

Obtaining access to the research systems used for research administration at the University are through your institutional staff account. If you do not have a profile on Pure, please contact pure@northampton.ac.uk in the first instance.  The research administration applications are Pure,  Pure Award Management, Funding Institutional and SciVal.  

Research news

To keep updated with research news and events head over to Yammer (which is part of Microsoft 365) and enrol on the ‘Research and Enterprise Support’ community feed.  

Funding database

Prior to proposal development the PI can find funding opportunities by using Funding Institutional; a searchable database containing data on funding opportunities, funders and awarded grants. It is designed to help you find active, accurate funding opportunities from a wide range of research councils, government, charities and private funding sources, and offers insight into research that has already been funded in your area of interest. 

Postgraduate Research students

The University is committed to supporting postgraduate research students and all our PhD and MPhil programmes are available to study full-time and part-time. Funding can be a concern for prospective students and the University is able to offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries thanks to the generous support from charities, partners and individuals. To find out more, visit the PGR page.

Early Career Researchers (ECRs)

Our aim is to support the development of all research staff and to nurture our Early Career Researchers (ECRs). Further information and advice is available on our ECR page. 

Support for researchers

When it comes to funding your research there are many routes to consider. In the last few years there has been a change in the funding environment, the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union as well as the rise of international funding opportunities. Researchers are being encouraged to expand beyond their collaborations. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are one of the main sponsors of UK research, covering arts and humanities to astronomy, physics, chemistry, engineering, economics, social sciences and medical and biological sciences. If your project idea is more niche or relates to a specific topic of research then charities could be another stream of funding for you to consider. There are a wide range of charities, foundations and trusts who support research that fits in with their charitable aims and objectives. There are other funding sources to consider when looking for funding for your project, some government organisations provide funding covering a range of research activities. Horizon Europe is the new EU research & innovation framework programme for 2021-2027 and, as in the past Framework Programmes, the heart of Horizon is a collection of subject-specific “work programmes” that lay out the Commission’s research objectives in health, energy, ICT and other fields. Finally, there are Tenders, a formal process where businesses are invited to bid for contracts from public or private sector organisations.