Skills Policy Awards Stand Up

07.07.23

  • Panos' project extended for paternity leave to March 2024
    • Contract amendment - follow up w/ legal
    • Define paternity leave in writing (Dec & Jan) / follow up w/ SN on amendment
  • November policy training event
    • 1-day (hybrid), £6,500 + VAT for a one-day workshop
      • maximum spaces available?
      • procurement reasons: multiple quotes from civil service college
      • open to RAs
      • if additional spaces, ask Nick if he can advertise via professional devt.
      • travel costs provided
    • Learning needs: engaging effectively with policy-makers and communicating technical results to them, writing for different, different audiences, different types of documentation
    • Primary objectives: meeting learning needs of SPA, workshop for TRF

12.05.23

  • Mentor contract for Cath - no public and indemnity insurance
  • Handover for SPA

28.04.23

  • UFS/DST - 20 June Catch-Up
    • BN to send invite to MF + BN
  • Cath hourly rate / total cost / want to offer the 15k
    Mentor cost: 36*74 = £2664
    Additional cover: £5000
    Total: £7664
    50%: £3832
    • up to £120 w/ VAT
    • BN to await RH hourly rates
  • Yo/OLS project development and scoping for Fellow / ensure it's aligned to call as opposed to OLS funding
    • revisit milestones / open discussion re: yo's work (add milestone w/ lightweight submission for the fellows & ensure it connects to the policy element)
    • decide w/ Yo when proposals are put forward and arrange meeting to discuss
  • BN for Yo
    • deadline for research scope
    • policy angle?
    • how do 3 pieces of work feed in

14.04.23

Actions

  • recosting for FY2 (MF +BN)
  • ~~BN to contact Harriet re: collaborative policy formation event ~~
  • ~~BN to calendar for SPAs / key milestones ~~
  • ~~BN to create learning outcome survey ~~

Agenda

  • timeline for communications on the awards?
    • Turing update awaiting - communicate individually (don't mention their mentor)
    • project update w/o mentors - Turing in May
  • update on Sue's contract
    • 2 separate invoices for Yo/Panos's contract
    • check restrictions for maximum amount to spend in FY2 (£28,800)
    • rationale: rate to be set by consultant in call document / set an hourly rate going forward
  • start putting holds in diaries for SPA calendar? optional? hybrid?
    - key milestone activities
    - highly advised / engaged but not mandatory
    - learning outcomes (survey - what do you hope to gain from the policy formation intensive?)
    • mentee / mentor workshop
    • collaboration workshop
    • policy formation intensive (structured)
      • post note style format
      • suggestions from PPP - developing/creating a policy briefing
      • link w/ Harriet if there's scope? (w/in first 12 months of the TRF)
    • project reviews
    • in-person networking/showcase
    • report writing intensive (structured)
    • report review workshop
    • dissemination workshop

31.03.23

  • TREx
    • Check TREx w/ Emma - me or her?
    • Clarify w/ Panos and Eilis re: home orgs
    • Does Yo have an ethics review process at OLS?
      • First stage submit on her behalf
      • Second stage primarily Yo for content
  • Fixed response for mentor rates
    • Each home insitution provided a different daily/hourly rate - standard practice (wait next week)
    • MF to email Sue
    • Risk register log - set a day rate and send contract
  • Rate for Cath
    • 'Head Of' equivalent rate
    • Benchmark / lead from Rachel
    • Newcastle: £120 Prof approximate
  • Rate for Sue
    • £250 per hour at 4 x p/m?
    • 8/9 hours
    • Total: 12,000
    • VAT: 2,400
    • Additional: 600
  • Vera/Matt confirmed as Yo mentor
    • Comms: primary mentors w/ additional - hold-off until contracts signed

24.03.23

  • Hourly rate for mentor contracts
    • £1,250 a day (AcSer) : Sam Selvarajah
    • £800 - £1,000 (95 w/o VAT)
    • In-person meeting w/ VM?
  • SPA induction (March 27th)

10.03.23

  • Underspend for FY1/ELA?
    • awardees: 49,618
    • ~1k travel/events
    • ~17k mentors
      • action: increase spend to on FTE for Skills Team / quick chat re: spend profile across the project to maximise what is being spent ELA (turing vision) / heads up to Finance
  • Reporting mechanism for the awards
    • Standard ELA/preferred documentation?
      • BN: ask SN re documentation for project updates
      • project impact templates? ASG/Harriet/Jennifer Ding
  • Mentors
    • Widening participation
      • MF: send WP grants list to BN & other contracts
    • Deliverables for mentors (order form)

17.02.23

  • meeting hold for Claire/NDS
    • Panos aiming to work on portal / April & EPSRC update? PP to choose level of engagement
    • EPSRC likely to extend funding / await definite answer / aim for end of March
    • VM: make Panos aware of future of portal / could consider for RSS workshop on portal
    • suitable use cases for the portal?
    • MF: to extend meeting w/ VM to 'take stock' of portal
  • updated delivery plan
    • budget for structured learning activities
      • lunch and learn / writing skills
      • TRF & SPA - workshop on writing for policy? also ask Nick
    • timeline(s)
  • capturing imapct (IPL and survey)
  • March 16th (10:00-16:00) for onboarding
    • March 27th

02.02.23

  • definite funding for top four (Eilis, Panos, Yo, Emma)

    • consideration for 5th - would need 5th mentor
    • additional pool in 2nd year for engagement - 3x per awardee
    • add 12k for impact/engagement (e.g. conferences)
    • cost VM + MF time as internal mentor

  • mentors

    • could be >15k following chat w/ mentor re: time commitment
    • BN: ask their allocation / checks T&Cs for whether they leave their role (half/half) - Catherine C / Giles
    • strategic partners / widening participation
    • BN: pull out summaries of the 4 projects for circulation
    • service agreement or award contract?

  • written feedback for all applicants

  • once projects confirmed,

  • Emma K:

    • proposal is approved subject to some revision, can we have a meeting?
    • extend HR, approval to recruit, check for what to do

27.01.23

  • funding: look at profile for funding ELA and review

    • MF early next week (review scenarios)
    • Cannot spend additional money
    • mentor could potentially be MF/VM?

  • mentors

    • skills team engagement: VM/MF
    • await proposals to seek mentors

  • 3 rejects: harry, graham, oonagh

  • 1 award: eilis

  • unsure: manolis, yo, emma,

  • Awarding a collaborative proposal?

    • Contracts: 3-way agreement or 4?

  • Can Turing staff be mentors? Ideas for how to push?

  • Should we provide individual feedback for unsuccessful applicants?

    • Non-written feedback

13.01.23

  • Tensioning panel (back - up Turing)
    • Florian/Lauren Sweeney
    • Back up: Omar Guerrero,
      • MN: ask Chris for PPP names!
      • RSS workshop on case studies / early heads up / where is the overlap?
  • SPAM, national skills stakeholders to approach?
    • Pending proposals funded, potential interest?
    • Shortlist first?
  • Extending deadline
    • Eligbility - headline topics / which topics (4 thematic areas for mentors)
  • Ways of working w/ DST

16.12.22

  • 17 applications started
  • Mentor call launched
  • New names for Senior Panel / missing 2
    • MN to forward to Amit
    • MF to find another panel member
      * Sign-off on FAQs
  • DST on Jan 17th - Skills collaborative session?
  • Sign-off process

22.11.22

Final amount

  • On costs and not overheads - academic costing
  • Time commitment reflected in agreement?
    • Head of Unit email - assurance
  • Unable for 50/50 payment delivery model bc of ELA restrictions
    • quarterly statement in arrears (Feb/March) / payment in arrears
    • can pay £35 up front
    • EPSRC may extend funding?
  • Award amount
    • 35k 'salary costs'
    • ?? travel/sustenance costs
    • check if finance aligns w/ ?? ask Catherine/Alex if XX being payed by ELA?
    • claim October / over 80%?
    • arrears quarterly statements (best option - clear milestones and deliverables) - timesheet university template?

Decisions

  • Costing template for applicants? Using ELA template?
  • Delay launch on 24th - w/c
    - mentor contracts - 13k each
    - staff costs - 42k
    - low % for VM and MN
    - standard contract
  • Need to work out upper and lower bands of the awards (260k from next year)
    • lower: 41k/128 / upper = 65k
    • pay mentors up front = 13k per mentor on basis of 3 mentors / small awards
    • email to Will w/modelling
    • 262 / 4 =
  • Add conditions to award letter
  • Focus on mentor agreements - signed up before Dec

Actions - send

  • Send modeling to Will - VM & MF
  • MF & BN - underwrite budget for next year (23-24)
  • BN - mentors for each priority areas / mock up
  • BN - key dates: w/c 28 Nov - mon, 16 january 12:00
  • BN - remove mention of non-academics/put in piece about contacting skills team for eligibility
  • BN - letter of reference / q in FG can you confirm you ran numbers via finance
  • BN - review and edit costing template (total no. of hours)
    • MF to finalise the costing guidelines and formula(s)

Are milestones reflected in costing/funding?

11.11.22

Decisions

9-16 January 2023
• Eligibility/shortlisting
Borderline - shortlist
• FlexiGrant 2/3 per app (Turing and DST)
Compile list/waiting list of reviewers
Postdoc/practictioner level
• Final review (half day)
DCMS, VM, (Strategy Team) - MF & BN facilitator

  • New key dates
    • Call opens: 21 November 2022
    • Call launch webinar(s): w/c 5 December 2022 (XX:00–XX:00)
    • Call closes: 6 January 2023 (23:59 GMT)
    (reviews): 9-14 January 2023
    • Outcome decisions: w/c 16 January 2023
    • Project delivery: 13 February 2023 – 26 February 2024

Notes

  • Has Claire taken over from Lee?
  • Contact details/express interest by 16 December/28 November
  • Use skills@turing.ac.uk for any contact queries
  • Block time in calendar for 16 January 2023
  • Costing template/excel file
  • Hourly rate associated w/ the individual as opposed to?? ask MF for clarifying

04.11.22

Decisions

  • Remove any mention of FTE / legal
  • Finalise total award amount
  • Reconfigure key dates
  • Add conditions to CD: meet w/ mentors 2x a month, meet w/ Skills
  • Add quote/budget to FG/estimate breakdown of costs/breakdown of time (provide hourly rate)
  • Total secondee and mentor budgets
  • Q for strategy team: can we spend it in alternative ways?
  • No interviews: eligibilty/reviewers/panel
  • DST process: reviewers and panel

Outstanding questions

  • Why not multiple applicants/a team?

Awards/recruitment/call document

  • National Skills: sentence on policy works, two main bodies we work with & can connect into. 2x policy initiatives
  • Clarity on support provided
  • Suppliers/terminology
  • Conditions: state the expectations as opposed to FTE
  • No overheads/recost
  • FAQ sheet
  • Key dates:
    • Close before xmas
    • Criticism for opening call 3-weeks

Application form

  • Remove CV/replace w/ questions
  • LinkedIn profile field
  • Budget/costing template
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