Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When can the project start?
A. Research grants are awarded in September each year and must start between 1 November of that year and 1 April of the following year.
Q. Is there any documentation that needs to be completed prior to the start of the project?
A. The Principal Investigator (PI) should complete, sign and return both the terms and conditions form and the payment form. The latter should be returned by the designated institution official and the PI at least one calendar month prior to the grant start date (any time between 1 November of the year of the award, and 1 April of the following year).
Q. What are WCRF International terms and conditions that the PI should comply with?
A. Please refer to section 7 of the Grant Application Package for more information about the terms and conditions.
Q. What currency will funds be paid in?
A. Grants are awarded in the currency of the national member awarding the grant:
- Grants awarded by Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds (WCRF Netherlands) or Fonds Mondial de Recherche contre le Cancer (WCRF France) will be paid in Euros. The amount to be paid is determined on the day of Board approval.
- Grants awarded by WCRF UK will be paid in pounds sterling (£).
- Please note: if the host institution uses a currency other than pounds sterling (£), the monthly payment will be subject to fluctuations in the exchange rate.
Q. Who is the key person to contact about financial issues for the duration of the grant?
A. You can send your query to finance@wcrf.org, copying research@wcrf.org
Q. Can I make a change to the budget?
A. Yes, transfer of funds can be made between the following categories in the budget: personnel, equipment, supplies and travel, so long as the total budget per year does not exceed £75,000. All transfers must be approved by WCRF International in writing prior to expenditure. Please note that the maximum allowance for travel (for the duration of the grant) is £2,400 for Investigator Initiated Grants and £1,200 for Regional Seed Grant.
Q. What should I do if a member of the team working on the grant goes on maternity or long term sick leave?
A. If staff essential to continuing the project are unable to work due to maternity leave or long term sickness, WCRF International will expect a temporary replacement to be sought and should also be informed of this. If it is not possible to find a replacement, WCRF International will consider suspending the grant and all funds would be frozen from this time until the person returns from maternity or long term sick leave. The grant would then be extended and would resume using the remaining funds. In the event that a staff member on maternity or long term sick leave does not return, you are responsible for the recruitment of a replacement member of staff to conclude the project. Please notify WCRF International as soon as you are aware of any of the above issues.
Q. What happens if I need to transfer the grant to a….
- different institution?
A. Grants may be transferred from one institution to another with prior written approval from WCRF International. The PI of the grant is responsible for submitting, with sufficient notice, a letter to WCRF International requesting the transfer of the grant to the new institution. The letter must include the following sections:
- A statement guaranteeing that the new institution has the necessary technical and staff resources to continue with the funded project
- A statement from the new institution officially accepting the WCRF International grant
- The PI’s full address and contact details (including new job title if changed) at the new institution
- The contact details of the relevant head of department and the head of the new institution
- The new institution’s bank details, for the grant payments
- Signatures from the PI, the head of department and the head of the new institution
In addition, WCRF International must also receive a final financial accounting report of all expenditure from the original institution. Payments will only be initiated to the new institution upon receipt of a final financial accounting of all expenditure from the original institution.
WCRF International will notify in writing to the new PI and institution of whether the grant transfer has been approved.
The above requirements also apply to grants that are transferred before the grant start date.
- different PI?
A. Grants may be transferred from one PI to another with prior approval from WCRF International. When a transfer from one PI to another is required, the original PI must submit a letter including the following information:
- A statement explaining the reason for the requested change
- A statement showing evidence that the proposed new PI is eligible and qualified to undertake the project
- A statement of support for the new PI from the institution
- A statement from the new PI accepting the new grant
- Signatures from the original and new PI, and from the head of the institution
- A completed section of the Attachment 3: Biographical information form for the proposed new PI, including CV information (as an attachment to the letter)
If applicable, any co-applicants of the original PI must also write to WCRF International, stating their support for the new PI.
WCRF International will then notify the PI in writing of its decision whether or not to transfer the grant.
Q. What happens if I need more time to finish the project?
A. WCRF International can approve an unfunded extension of up to one year. You should submit an unfunded extension request, outlining the reasons for such request, at least two months prior to the expiration of the grant period. WCRF International will notify you in writing of its decision whether or not to grant the extension.
Q. Is there anything I need to do during the grant period, such as submitting progress reports?
A. You will need to submit yearly progress reports, including details of expenditure. WCRF International will send you the relevant forms in advance of the progress report due date. You should also update WCRF International regarding any abstracts, manuscripts, and publications of research supported in whole or in part by the WCRF global network.
Q. At what stage should I let WCRF International know about a paper that will be published?
A. You should inform WCRF International of any abstracts, manuscripts, and publications of research supported in whole or in part by the WCRF global network. In the yearly progress reports you can indicate their status – whether they are in preparation, in submission, accepted, in press, or published.
However, you should also keep us updated regularly between progress reports if any papers are accepted by a journal or when you hear of an expected publication date. For more information regarding dissemination please see section 7.4 of the GAP.
Q. Why do I need to sign the standard release form?
A. This form allows the WCRF global network to describe the project and identify the organisation and investigators in education and publicity materials, which is vital to our work.
Q. Can WCRF International help with fees for publishing in Open Access journals?
A. Yes, WCRF International offers limited funds for this purpose on a first come, first served basis. This limited fund is separate to the funds available for grants and can only be applied for once a paper has been accepted.
Q. How does WCRF International coordinate press releases?
A. Press releases will be written by WCRF International and cleared through the PI and/or the university press office as appropriate. We ask that the researcher be available for any follow up interviews by the media.
Q. When and how should I acknowledge WCRF?
A. WCRF International manages and administers the grant programme on behalf
of the following WCRF global network national members: WCRF UK, Wereld
Kanker Onderzoek Fonds (WCRF Netherlands), Fonds Mondial de Recherche
contre le Cancer (WCRF France), and WCRF Hong Kong. You should acknowledge
the relevant global network entity that is funding and/or managing the
project, as well as WCRF International, in any publication, poster, or
presentation that includes research supported in whole or in part by
the WCRF global network. Posters and Presentations should also include
the relevant WCRF global network entity logos.
Q. What can happen if I break the Terms and Conditions?
A. Breaking the Terms and Conditions, such as failure to notify WCRF of forthcoming publications or failure to submit the required progress reports, will result in automatic disqualification from submitting a grant application to WCRF International for a three year period.
