College of Fellows Research Scholarships and Travelling Research Bursaries

Transcription

1 College of Fellows Research Scholarships and Travelling Research Bursaries Food Labelling Research Programme Version

2 Contents A long history of research Programme criteria Programme scholarship eligibility Programme management Frequently asked questions Standard conditions for research scholarship awards How to apply for research scholarships Travelling research bursaries

3 A long history of research The Chartered Trading Standards Institute, through its College of Fellows scholarships, and its own programmes has a long history of engaging in research for the benefit of its Members, the Trading Standards community and the public. Recent projects have included animal health enforcement, fireworks controls, age-restricted sales and e-commerce. Research to capture and exchange useful information encourages excellence and enhances the professionalism of our members. The College of Fellows will provide up to 100% funding for Institute members who meet the criteria. The College is a benevolent charity that promotes educational and research activities, as well as supporting the families of Trading Standards professionals who die in service and celebrates the success of members who have made a significant contribution for the benefit of their colleagues by awarding Fellowships. We operate through elected trustees and a committee who over see all the work of the College and report their work to Council, every six months. This guide will help applicants for the research programme to understand the processes and rules. The guide comprises a list of frequently asked questions, a how to apply section, together with a list of standard conditions for research grants. The College also now offers new opportunities by way of Travelling Research Bursaries, which are explained at the end of this booklet. More information can be obtained by contacting our website or the individuals mentioned later in this document. The website is click on membership and existing member then enter your address and password (membership no.) Then click on the College of Fellows tab. Bob Wright Chairman of the Trustees, CTSI College of Fellows 3

4 Programme criteria All applications for the research scholarship programme will be judged on merit and against the following key criteria: is the research important, to the Trading Standards profession, in local, regional, national or international terms? is the research original and will it provide additional knowledge to the Trading Standards profession? will the research benefit businesses and/or the community, as well as the Trading Standards profession? is the research financially viable? Programme scholarship eligibility In order to apply for funding for a research scholarship, you must have been a member of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute for at least 12 months. However, you are NOT eligible to apply if you: are a Student Member of the Chartered Institute are carrying out research to complete one of the Chartered Institute s qualifications or any undergraduate degree are a person, organisation or company undertaking research for the sole purposes of individual, commercial or political gain are undertaking research in the furtherance of a specific criminal or civil investigation do not intend to publish the results of the research or allow the results of your research to be published Programme management If you would like to discuss your proposal informally, or find out more about our research programme, please contact: Tom Philpott, College of Fellows Trustee who is acting as a first point of contact. to tom.philpottwsm@yahoo.co.uk or Telephone: Mobile: or write to 39 Stanhope Road, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset BS23 4LR. If necessary he will liaise with your place of study or with the Institute Office if your proposals are linked to studies for an academic qualification, if you need help with research methodology or if it impacts on CTSI initiatives. 4

5 College of Fellows Research Scholarships and Travelling Research Bursaries Frequently asked questions What subjects can I research? Any subject linked to the work of Trading Standards; including Legal Metrology, Food Standards, Consumer Protection, Fair Trading, Intellectual Property Rights, Animal Health and Welfare, Explosives, Product Safety, Credit and many more. Examples of previous research projects are listed on the CTSI website at Follow membership - new member and then the college button. Do I need to create my own project or will the Institute provide one? The research scholarship programme is open to all projects that meet the criteria set out in the introduction. It might be advantageous to talk to Tom Philpott or Phil Bottomley the Registrar before you decide. Their contact information is in this brochure. What levels of research scholarship are there? Normally research will fall into one of three levels. 1. Specific topic areas over a short time-limited period or longer term projects in some cases 2. That undertaken in pursuit of higher academic qualification 3. Joint or Corporate research that would be linked to initiatives created by CTSI a Regional Group or possibly a Government Department or Agency Do I need to give up work to undertake research? No. Projects will be designed around the candidates circumstances but employed people should talk things over with their employer before applying. What if my employer refuses to give me time to undertake my research? Most good employers have a policy for employees undertaking study linked to their work. If your employer is unwilling to support you, then we would recommend that you do not proceed with your proposal. How do I know what level of research scholarship I should go for? Your first contact with a College of Fellows representative should establish which level your proposed research fits into. Some scholarships are fully supervised by the College of Fellows, however, if one of the other routes fit best, then appropriate contacts will be made for you. Where can I undertake my research? The research scholarship programme is aimed at Trading Standards professionals who have their normal duties to perform. You do not need to attend an academic institution or give up your work. Employers are encouraged to help staff explore research opportunities within the working environment. 5

6 What is meant by the term Corporate Research? The Chartered Institute will consider Corporate Research Projects on subjects identified by and with the Chief Executive. The projects would generally be short-term and set up to establish a policy on the subject and to report back to the Chief Executive or the Chartered Institute s Council. These projects would be jointly funded by Head Office and the College of Fellows. How do I participate in a Corporate Research Project? Either as an individual or as part of a project Task Group, consisting of interested members and possibly some outside experts or specialists. You would discuss the term of the project and receive guidance on what is required from the Chief Executive and the College. What will I be required to produce as a Research Proposal? Your proposal is the foundation of your research. It sets out your aims and objectives, your proposed methodology, the anticipated time-scale and a proposed budget. This should be presented in less than 2,000 words/ 2 sides of A4. What funds are available? Other than for Corporate Research, the Chartered Institute s College of Fellows offers up to 100% funding for eligible Research Scholars. This funding is intended as seed-corn for research projects. So those future members can be offered similar opportunities, the fund needs to be replenished. The money comes from sales of the resultant reports and/or through sponsorship. The Trustees would welcome information about potential sponsors as part of your proposal. Who decides whether my proposal should go ahead? The Trustees of the College of Fellows are ultimately responsible for decisions on funding. The Trustees are keen to promote research and will usually invite you to provide any supporting information they may require to assess your proposal. What will I be required to produce at the end of my research? The output will vary according to the level of research that you undertake. Other than for Corporate Research, you would usually be expected to produce: 1. a full report of the key elements of your research, the methodology adopted, your key findings, conclusions and recommendations to be published by the Chartered Institute 2. a precis of the report for the ts today digital publication 3. summary (up to 3 pages) of your research conclusions and recommendations to be presented to the Chartered Institute s Council and CTSI Lead Officers 4. possibly a paper at Conference and for CTSI branches 5. if you are embarking upon research for an academic qualification the relevant university will also advise you on their particular needs What will happen to my research? As your research will be relevant to the work of Trading Standards professionals, the Chartered Institute would seek to publish the results to ensure wide dissemination and to recover the costs of producing the research. 6

7 College of Fellows Research Scholarships and Travelling Research Bursaries Standard conditions for research scholarship awards you must meet the key funding criteria throughout your research project your Chartered Institute membership subscription must be paid up and remain paid up throughout your research project if you resign from the Chartered Institute during your research project, you will be required to repay immediately any money given to you by the College of Fellows to support your research any financial award made by the College of Fellows must only be used for the purposes outlined in your application the award of funds is not transferable to anyone else any part of the funds advanced to you that are not spent must be returned to the College of Fellows you must keep receipts for all expenditure and provide written confirmation of expenditure in order to obtain payment of funds any false or fraudulent applications will result in the suspension of the research scholarship and you may be referred to the Professional Conduct Committee of the Chartered Institute or to the Police How to apply for research scholarships Write to Tom Philpott 39 Stanhope Road, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 4LR following your first contact and should include the following information: a Curriculum Vitae on not more than two sides of A4 a brief summary of the proposed project on not more than two sides of A4 or 2000 words or the documents to tom.philpottwsm@yahoo.co.uk Your application will be assessed and a decision made that it meets the eligibility requirements and if it is likely to meet the programme criteria. You may be required to provide further information in support of your proposal either orally or in writing. If your application is declined at this stage you will be given an explanation in writing. If you are not pursuing an academic qualification, then this completes the application process. Otherwise, the College of Fellows may liaise with your chosen University and may help you to produce a detailed research proposal in the format they require and will continue to liaise with the University to ensure that your proposals satisfy the funding criteria of the College. 7

8 Other opportunities travelling research bursaries The College of Fellows also offers each year, alongside its research and scholarship programme, a number of Travelling Research Bursaries to the value of 1,250 each. This funding will in most cases cover all necessary travel and subsistence to the country of the applicant s choice, giving the applicant an opportunity to make personal contacts and experience how Trading Standards-related tasks are performed there. Potential topics could relate to trading standards, food, metrology, consumer advice, animal health, product safety, intellectual property rights or any segment of these. Alternatively, it might be training, detection, legal frameworks, penalties, punishments, publicity, management confidentiality, targets or campaigning. In the 1960s, many ambitious trading standards officers had the opportunity to sharpen their experience by working in the new Commonwealth countries. In the 1980s, the focus shifted to exchange visits and other schemes with EC partners. The College of Fellows is keen to offer similar opportunities to the present generation. The bursaries are available to individual members of all categories, and competence in a second language will be considered desirable but not essential. Applicants who bid for a place will be expected to have identified their preferred project, outlined the Institutions to be visited and indicate the extent of potential contacts, endorsement and support, particularly support form senior management. The College will keep the obligations to a minimum. Each candidate will be expected to determine the appropriate time to spend in the selected country, to establish suitable contacts and produce a modest research report of, say, 3000 words, within three months. This should be informative to trading standards colleagues. The candidate will also usually be asked to produce a summary of the information for publication in TS Today and on the CTSI website (subject to editorial approval). For more information, Phil Bottomley, Registrar for the College of Fellows at college@tsi.org.uk or Tom Philpott at tom.philpottwsm@yahoo.co.uk The website is at select the CTSI site and follow instructions under membership. This Brochure and other information about the College of Fellows is available for download from the website as above. Hard copies can be posted if needed. 8