FXpedition Project Proposal The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund
Application Form Project Applications are a two-step process. The first submission (Project Proposal: Accepted all year round) will be an application for approval from the FXpeditions Please send this application to: FXpeditions Director: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com
Committee. If your FXpedition is approved, you will then have until November to refine your FXpedition with guidance from the Committee. We do not expect the Project Proposal to be perfect, however, you must demonstrate that you have conducted significant background research into your study site, made contacts in the host country, and have determined a reasonable budget for your FXpedition, including consideration for self-funding and grants.
The second submission (University Funding: mid-November) will be an application for funding provided by the Halpin Charitable Trust and the University of Exeter. By this time, any weak points in your original application should have been amended. Please ensure that you read the FXpedition Handbook “Guidelines for Approval and University Funding” and “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” before completing this form. The application should be submitted electronically. Maps, risk assessments, safety management plans and budgets can be sent separately or as part of this document.
Disclaimer FXpeditions are ‘Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions’ – Expeditions run by students from the University of Exeter and Falmouth University. Each FXpedition team is an entirely independent entity. Teams are responsible for the entirety of their FXpedition (unless hiring an external party for support e.g. travel agent), including their safety, finances, and logistics. They must make their own arrangements for any emergency situations that may arise. The University of Exeter and Falmouth University are not affiliated to the FXpeditions and take no responsibility or liability for these expeditions, nor do they endorse them. Using either University’s logo is not permitted for FXpedition teams. All FXpedition documents have been created by former FXpedition team members who have given up their time to further the progress of FXpeditions. These documents are designed to aid FXpedition teams but must not be treated as gospel. FXpedition teams are responsible to ensure that they have raised sufficient finances for their FXpedition and put rigorous health and safety measures in place for emergency situations etc. The authors of these documents, nor the FXpeditions bear any responsibility or liability for an FXpedition team. In short: If something goes wrong, your FXpedition team is responsible and needs to have made sure that procedures and back-up plans are in place to prevent or minimise the impact of these events.
Section 1: FXpedition Information 1.1 FXpedition Information a
FXpedition title (10 words maximum)
b
FXpedition summary (100-200 words maximum)
1.2 Contact Details a Leader Details Email: Address: Tel: b FXpedition email address: 1.3 Location (Country, region): 1.4 Total Budget:
Section 2: Research details and methodologies
2.1 Research programme details (FAQ 11)
a
Project Aims (What your wants to achieve)
b
Describe the scientific objectives of the FXpedition and how these contribute to achieving the overall aim. (200 words) (FAQ 4 & 21).
c
Explain the rationale for your research programme and how this will make a significant contribution to conservation, geographical and/or ecological knowledge (250 words) (FAQ 3).
d
Outline your research methodology. Give detailed methods and explain how these will achieve the project’s objectives. Focus on details of specific sampling techniques, strategies and required equipment. You should explain how the experience and training of team members provide you with the necessary skills to undertake this research. If your team is inexperienced, what training will you be undertaking? (500 words)
e
What makes your project different from others? (200 words)
f
What is your motivation for this trip? (200 words)
g
Who will benefit from this project? Think not only about those directly involved with the project, but communities both in Cornwall and your host country.
h
How will your findings be analysed and disseminated? Provide a list of proposed outputs for the FXpedition (e.g. final report, articles, published papers, articles, educational material, data, documentaries), indicating approximately when and how each item will be available and for whose benefit it is being produced.
i
Provide a timeline of your activities and tasks in the host country and how these will fulfill the FXpedition objectives. Include an outline of your method of travel, route, accommodation and supplies. If an agency or company is helping with logistics, please make this clear.
2.2 Bibliography of proposed research List at least six publications, maps and/or other materials that have been used to develop the research objectives of the FXpedition.
2.3 Advisors
List at least three key advisors that have helped develop your FXpedition, providing a background on their expertise and qualifications, along with details of what guidance they have provided.
2.4 Association with the host country List key organisations (universities, research centres/institutes, NGOs, GOs etc.) with which you are/will be/are hoping to be collaborating with, both in country and elsewhere. Describe the nature of these collaborations and what value this adds to your project. (FAQ 10)
Section 3: Members of the research team 3.1
Project members (FAQ 5)
a
Number of UK members
b
Number of in-country members
c
Total number of members
d
Reports from previous FXpeditions or research projects If team members have participated in previous FXpeditions, give full references to any resulting reports or papers.
e
Projects returning to locations of previous FXpeditions If you are participating in an FXpedition returning to a site visited by a previous FXpedition please provide details of how your project builds on and is distinct from the previous studies
f
Project ownership (FAQ 12) Who has legal and financial ownership of the project?
Project members: Please complete the table below with details of all team members. Each row should correspond to one team member. You may expand boxes and add as many rows to the table as is necessary. Name in full (with title as appropriate)
Affiliation/organisation (include position or year, course of study and faculty)
Nationality
Role on team i.e. leader/ medical officer/ scientific officer etc.
Skills, experience and qualifications that are related to the research objectives, project methodology, environment and responsibilities i.e. experience and training with equipment and proposed methods/ medical training/ language skills/ past FXpedition experience etc. *
Section 4: Logistics, health and safety, and finances 4.1 Dates in the field From:
To:
Number of days:
Please clearly indicate what time will be dedicated to fieldwork, travel, and personal time (FAQ 11).
4.2
Study site details
a
Location (Country, region) :
b
Latitude (degrees, minutes N or S): Longitude (degrees, minutes E or W):
c
Geography of your research area: Include details that illustrate the environmental conditions, including the season, expected temperatures and rainfall, you expect to encounter and the remoteness of your field site/accommodation. Please attach a detailed map of your project area to this application (200 words)
4.3
Risk assessment Please attach the assessment to your application form. You must complete both a full risk assessment and a condensed two-page version of the document (FAQ 13).
4.4
Crisis management plan A crisis management plan (that outlines the procedure should an emergency arise) must also be included with this application. This must include plans for communication and emergency evacuation. This should not be more than one page long (FAQ 14).
4.5
Emergency contact details Please provide full contact details of the home contact in the UK and in-country contact while the research team is in the field. These can be contacted in the event of an emergency. Home agent (UK) Name: Address: Tel: Email:
In-country contact Name: Address: Tel: Email:
4.6
Permissions
a
Describe the steps that have been taken to obtain the necessary permissions from the in-country authorities to undertake your FXpedition and the stage you have reached. What stage are your applications at? Tourist visas are not sufficient.
b
Do you intend to bring any scientific samples back to Britain? Yes/No If yes, please state which authorities in the UK you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.
If yes, please state which authorities in country you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.
c
Notification of travel: Please indicate which of the following notifications have been made Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Yes/No
(This includes informing the FCO of your travel plans and obtaining the latest relevant FCO travel advice bulletin). British High Commission / Embassy in-country Yes/No 4.7 Environmental, social, and cultural impacts All FXpeditions must be conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. Please illustrate any potential negative environmental, social and cultural impacts that your FXpedition may have. Provide details of the attitudes and strategies that you will adopt to minimise and mitigate these (150 words) Refer to FAQ 12 for further details.
4.8 Insurance Please provide details of the insurance you have arranged for team members, kits etc.
4.9 Budget Provide details of your planned FXpedition income and expenditure under the following sections. Add any appropriate budget headings.
Pre-fieldwork / preparation Training International travel (flights) Subsistence (accommodation and food) In-country travel Local counterparts / guides Field equipment Insurance (see FAQ 17 for further guidance)
EXPENDITURE £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Please indicate your insurance provider Medical / health & safety Film / photography Post-fieldwork activities Preparation of project report Dissemination of findings Other (please itemise) Contingency (usually 10% of sub-total) TOTAL
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ INCOME
Grant giving trusts Fund raising events & activities Commercial sponsorship Individuals donations (FAQ 6) Other sources TOTAL
£ £ £ £ £ £
Support from other organisations What other funding bodies will you applying to? What stages are these applications at? Have you received any additional funding? What will you do with any excess (FAQ 7)?
Section 5: Other information 5.1
Referee statements Two referee statements are required for the University Funding application. We recommend that you seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to mentor you and provide a reference. Your other should be from an appropriate contact in country, preferably from a government representative or an academic helping with your research programme. For this Project Proposal we require the referee statement from your in-country reference. Your referees must not be members of the fieldwork team. Please send each referee the Guide for Referees (available at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow) and ask them to return their statements directly (by email: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com). Your application will be jeopardised if your referee statements do not arrive on time.
5.2 Please indicate how you heard about the FXpeditions
5.3 Data Protection The information you have given on this form will be held on the FXpedition’s database and may be released to others planning research FXpeditions, potential sponsors and/or the media Please check the box if you do not wish to have this information released: 5.4 Declaration The information submitted in this application is to the best of my knowledge correct at the time this application was made. Should any significant developments arise after this application is made, such as change of team members or official permits being gained, I will keep the FXpedition Advisory Board informed of such developments (FAQ 22). I have informed my in-country referee that their statement should be returned directly to the FXpeditions Director. Should this project be cancelled or postponed subsequent to receiving support from the Board, I will return the grant awarded. Please check the box to confirm that you have read and will abide by this declaration: NOTE: Please remember to attach your full risk assessment and map of your project area to this application. Your application will not be processed until the risk assessment; map and two referee statements have been received. Any other supporting documents will be accepted. For further advice or clarification regarding the grant or application process please contact us directly: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com