Q1. Can multiple higher education institutes form a consortium to bid for this funding call?
Ans. You can create a consortium of universities but the lead applicant university in Pakistan and the UK must be identified as they will hold the budget and be accountable for monitoring and evaluation, and communication with the HEC and the British Council.
Q2. Can the Principal Applicant/Investigator be from the UK?
Ans. We are inviting joint proposals from universities in Pakistan and the UK. There will be one project lead from Pakistan and another project lead from the UK.
Q3. Can you please let me know either this application is open for all higher education providers in UK or only for a UK university?
Ans. It is open for chartered universities in Pakistan and the UK.
Q4. Who will be the main budget holder for this grant?
Ans. We are inviting joint proposals from universities in Pakistan and the UK. Lead Pakistani university will hold the budget for faculty members/students from Pakistan and lead UK university will hold the budget for faculty members/students from the UK.
Q5. If a faculty member is doctoral student, can they act as Student and PI or Co PI for mobility grant?
Ans. The student/faculty/PI nominations must be approved and submitted by the university. PI or Co PI must hold a permanent position at the university.
Q6. Can a faculty member/student become part of more than one application?
Ans. No.
Q7. Who is eligible to be considered 'Faculty' within an institution?
Ans. Academic personnel, including teaching and research staff.
Q8. Who is eligible to be considered 'students' within an institution?
Ans. Students who are currently enrolled in MS or PhD programmes at the university. Alumni are not eligible to apply.
Q9. In the eligibility section, it states that individuals who have received a grant from the British Council or HEC on a previous occasion are not eligible to apply. Does this mean any grant from the British Council or HEC or only this type of grant?
Ans. This applies to all grants from HEC and the British Council in the past.
Q10. Should we have the consent of any UK university beforehand?
Ans. Yes, you must have a UK partner university at the time of submitting the application. The proposal must be submitted jointly. British Council and HEC will not be matching university partners.
Q11. Can any faculty members from the university be included?
Ans. Faculty members working in the thematic areas covered in the application guidelines are eligible.
The thematic subject areas include the following.
Q12. How will the consent of the VC be taken on the application by the university?
Ans. The proposal form includes a declaration page that requires delegated authority from the applicant university to sign and consent to the application. You can submit a signed letter from the VC Office along with the application.
Q13. Can you please tell me who will be submitting the proposal - the Pakistani or the UK based university?
Ans. We are inviting joint proposals from universities in Pakistan and the UK. Either Pakistani or UK university can submit the proposal on behalf of the partner.
Q14. Do I need to contact any UK university for this partnership program before application submission?
Ans. Yes, you must have a UK partner university at the time of submitting the application.
Q15. I am at the initial stage of the application submission. How can I exactly know about budget of the project to fill spreadsheet?
Ans. All costs should be estimated as accurately as possible at the time of applying. Any additional expense over prescribed limit will be covered by the Universities. Any unspent grant funding will need to be returned to the funder at the end of the programme. Please plan for contingency while preparing the budget.
16Q. What are the most important basic documents I should have at this stage of application submission?
Ans. You must submit the following documents.
- Proposal Form
- Budget sheet
- Consent from both UK and Pakistani university
Q17. Does this grant allow PhD enrolled students of Pakistan to go Scotland for research purpose?
Ans. This is a grant that for UK higher education providers (HEPs) and Pakistani universities to design and deliver academically rigorous short-term mobility opportunities in Pakistan and the UK for faculty members and MS and PhD students from their respective institutions. The length of the mobility period must not exceed two weeks. It covers mobility in Scotland.
Q18. Can there be more than one projects from same university?
Ans. It is advised that one proposal should be submitted from each university to demonstrate value.
Q19. Is it necessary to collaborate with a UK based university to apply?
Ans. Yes, you must have a UK partner university at the time of submitting the application.
20. Should the candidate apply by themselves, or the institutions from Pakistan and the UK will process these applications?
Universities must nominate individuals for the grant. Proposals must be submitted on behalf of the universities.
21. Is MOU necessary among the partner universities in Pakistan and the UK?
No. However, consent from both universities is required.
22. Do we need to mention participants names and their details in the application?
Yes.
23. Is there any list of universities that are HEC partners?
British Council and HEC will not be matching universities in Pakistan and the UK for this grant.
24. What will be covered by the grant?
Funding distributed to the Universities is to cover:
- Travel: one economy class return flight, in-country transfers, visa processing costs, vaccinations, and travel insurance
- Subsistence
- Accommodation
- Contribution to University administrative costs
- Academic activities, such as joint workshops, conference attendance or completion of short courses
- Activities can include both classroom-based and non-classroom-based activities (for example industry visits; workplace tours; NGOs) as part of the mobility experience, provided clear learning outcomes are demonstrated.
Proposed rates must be within reasonable limits.
25. Why does the application require lengthy written material?
This is a competitive opportunity and requires a proposal that demonstrates value.
26. Can I share a proposal for conducting a conference with a UK University?
No. The call for proposals is for academically rigorous mobility activities.
27. If a faculty member had got HEC Scholarship during their PhD or any other research project from HEC, are they eligible to apply for this opportunity?
No. Individuals who have received a grant from the British Council or HEC on a previous occasion are not eligible to apply.
28. How should I initiate my application?
Please initiate your application through the university.
29. Who should be the project lead from the university?
The university must appoint a qualified project lead at their discretion.
30. How is the grant awarded?
The grant will be awarded to the lead applicant universities from Pakistan and the UK separately according to proposed budget, provided it meets the eligibility criteria and caps.
31. What portion of the fund should be utilized by the administration and technical support staff?
All costs must be within reasonable limits. Administrative costs such as processing fee for universities for documentation, etc. should be based on standard official rates.
32. Will the deadline be extended?
The application will close on January 31, 2023, at 23.59 BST as planned. No changes are being considered to this deadline at this time. Any changes to the deadline will be advertised.
33. What is the ideal number of partner universities?
There should be a lead university each from Pakistan and the UK.
34. What would British Council suggest to the lead university to plan more activities or include more participants, knowing the limitation of the fund?
The grants are flexible. The bid must demonstrate value through inclusive academically rigorous activity.
35. Can I submit a proposal individually with a UK based professor?
Universities must nominate the faculty members and students. It is advised to nominate a group of individuals to demonstrate value for the bid.
36. Do we need to mention participants names and their details in the application?
Yes.
37. Does the application form require to be submitted by both PAK and UK institutions separately?
Please submit a joint form. We are inviting joint proposals from universities in Pakistan and the UK. Either Pakistani or UK university can submit the proposal on behalf of the partner.
38. What outcomes are expected from this collaboration?
- Increase the levels of outward mobility of faculty members from the UK and Pakistan.
- Enhance the employability of UK and Pakistani faculty members, recognising the positive correlation between international experience, academic performance, teaching techniques and professional growth;
- Support the internationalisation of higher education institutions in UK and Pakistan through the diversification of the academic body, and through establishing links with the potential to seed deeper institutional partnerships and academic & research collaboration in the specific thematic area.
39. Does the grant cover equipment cost?
No.
40. Is it compulsory that visit should be done by both Pakistan and UK collaborators?
Yes.
41. I have obtained British council grants in another country previously. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes.
42. What is the role and responsibility of the project team? Who will they be?
The project team will be appointed by the university and will be accountable for project management and delivery according to standards of the British Council and HEC.
43. How many faculty members/students should be nominated from Pakistan and the UK?
It is advised that there should be an equal number of nominations of students and faculty members from Pakistan and the UK. There is no minimum or maximum number, provided the reasonable cost criteria is met.
44. Can one proposal cover multiple thematic areas?
Yes.
45. What is the currency in which the grant will be awarded?
Pakistani universities will be awarded a grant in PKR. UK universities will be awarded a grant in GBP.
46. Faculty members from other HEIs can also participate. How will their cost be covered?
The lead university can nominate faculty members from other universities if they are related to the same thematic group and study area. Their costs must be included in the budget and will be managed by the lead applicant university nominating the individual.
47. The guidelines mention 'The costs of the accompanying representative will be paid through the grant received by the University. The Higher Education Commission/ British Council will pay the Subsistence/DA to their nominee as per the rules.' Do we include £4,000 for this representative in our budget?
Please include the following for the representatives.
- Travel: one economy class return flight, in-country transfers, visa processing costs, vaccinations, and travel insurance
- Accommodation
- Contingency
48. Can one HEI submit multiple applications in the same thematic area with different UK HEIs?
It is advised that you submit one proposal. It can cover multiple thematic areas. Lead applicant university in Pakistan and the UK must be identified. Individuals from multiple universities can be nominated by the lead university.
49. Will the British Council/HEC person accompanying faculty members be funded by Pakistani HEIs budget?
Yes.
50. Can the recipient of PK-UK Higher Education Link grant can compete for the Going Global Partnership PAK-UK Education Gateway Mobility Partnership for Faculty?
No.
51. Can we call external resources to arrange workshops and deliver the project?
Yes, provided it is accounted in the proposed budget.
