Supporting Research

The UK Catalysis Hub is committed to supporting research across all catalysis disciplines and supporting the UK catalysis community. The Hub supports research through a number of mechanisms including (but not limited to) hosting researchers especially ECRs, enabling access to facilities and equipment, arranging workshops and facilitating dissemination at conferences, webinars and workshops.  The Hub also participates in outreach activities. Requests for support have come from all over the UK catalysis community as a follow on from Hub grants but also from researchers who do not have direct funding from the Hub.

The Management Group of the Hub discusses each proposal to determine how interaction can benefit the project proposed, the Hub, and researchers involved to develop appropriate mechanism of interaction to strengthen proposals.  

If you are writing a funding proposal and wish a letter of support from the Hub to detail the interactions with the Hub and its support please send an outline of the proposal including mechanisms of interaction with the Hub (e.g. a draft of the vision and approach for UKRI proposals or equivalent) and a draft letter of support to the UK Catalysis Hub Project Manager, Josie Goodall: josie.goodall@rc-harwell.ac.uk. Please send required information at least two weeks prior to your application deadline.

Letters of Support procedure

The researcher should write their own letter, should outlining why they believe their work fits with Hub science themes and highlighting the national facility collaboration and interactions with the UK Catalysis Hub and the UK catalysis community. It should highlight what they will do to join in with the UK Catalysis Hub – e.g. organising a symposium or workshop. We expect all letters to clearly explain how the researcher plans to work with the UK Catalysis Hub, e.g.  developing new kit, techniques or tools open to the community.

Please note proposals must show how projects will interact with the UK Catalysis Hub and the UK catalysis community, and what the impact, interaction and benefit will be to both parties.

Proposals and letters of support need to show a clear and strong link with the UK Catalysis Hub.

The Management group reviews every proposal to ensure we are supporting a real two way collaborations and there is benefit to the UK catalysis community and the proposal.

Suggested outline
  1. Paragraph 1 – describe/summarise the proposal key science and aims and how these fit in with the Hub
  2. Paragraph 2 – outline how the researcher will work with the Hub. What will they bring to the community in the Hub? 
  3. Paragraph 3 – outline any support the Hub offers the proposal.  This may include in kind costs within UKRI rules and may involve (but are not limited to) time e.g. supporting workshops and events, access to Hub facilities, hosting PDRAs and PhD students. The attendance of Hub members on Steering or advisory groups.
Further information

Please see the Catalysis facilities at Harwell and Infrastructure and Equipment pages on the Hub facilities, and interactions with the community including mechanisms for accessing the national facilities.