Grant ethics and conditions

Grant Ethics

Use of animal experiments in research funded by the Palaeontological Association:

Use of live or euthanized animals is an essential part of research in many scientific disciplines, including palaeontology. Research Grant awardees must commit to the highest possible ethical standards related to the use of animals.  We require awardees to confirm they will:

• design robust experiments (see https://arriveguidelines.org/arrive-guidelines) that reflect the principles of the 3Rs (replace reduce refine): see https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/the-3rsal
• comply with national legislation in the country where the research is to be undertaken and all institutional regulations and guidelines.

You may find the following sources useful:

• Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour / Animal Behavior Society; see Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research (Animal Behaviour, 2020, 159, I-XI).
• Declaration of Helsinki.
• EU legislation (Directive 2010/63/EU; Regulation (EU) 2019/1010).

Categories of expenditure for which the Palaeontological Association does not provide support

Applicants are advised that the Association does not offer funding for the following costs, and hence none of these items may be included in any budget proposal submitted to the Association:

• Core funding or overheads for institutions. The Association will fund the directly incurred costs of research on awards but, as a charity, we expect the general running costs (e.g. indirect costs, estate costs, support services, directly allocated staff costs) to be provided by the host research institute. We will therefore not fund on a proportion of full economic costs (fEC) basis. Attention is drawn to paragraphs 3.31 to 3.37 of the Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014, HM Treasury (July 2004), which explains arrangements for the provision of overheads linked to charity funding to academic institutions.
• Individual items of equipment over £1000 GBP, sites, buildings or other capital expenditure.
• A shortfall resulting from a withdrawal of or deficiency in public finance.
• Student tuition fees and summer research bursaries, other than Undergraduate Research Bursaries.