• 3-6 month SECONDMENT of either a researcher to an industry, charity or public sector partner or a staff member from an industry, charity or public sector partner to a University. It is envisaged these SECONDMENTs will be on a part-time basis, probably between ½ day to 4 days per week.

• The SECONDMENT activity must lead to the generation of impact that will demonstrate a significant shift of the South West of England and South Wales towards a green economy through adoption of hydrogen and hydrogen-related technologies e.g. ammonia.

• The SECONDMENT should form part of a programme of network-building capacity and engagement. A secondment could evolve from, or lead to, a GW-SHIFT SPRINT, or a COLLABORATION PROJECT.

• Increase the network of activity on Hydrogen and its carriers in the South-West and South Wales..

• Development of work that will have the potential to scale and generate follow-on funding from industrial partners and investment routes.

• Applications for this round of SECONDMENT funding closed on 12 October 2026 and will be evaluated in batches by a review panel.

• You can expect to hear back on your application within two months.

• Start dates for Secondments will be set when applications are approved, contingent upon the completion of a Collaboration Agreement and fulfilment of any recruitment requirements.

• SECONDMENTS will normally be 3 – 6 months in duration, but the maximum is 9 months. Part-time is envisaged to be between ½ day and 4 days.

A total budget of £330k is available for SECONDMENT funding awards over 36 months of the GW-SHIFT programme. It is anticipated that all funding will be allocated by March 2027.  The scale of funding is between £10-15k per SECONDMENT. The programme aims to fund 24 secondments in total.

As part of the Network Building strand of the GW-SHIFT programme, SECONDMENTs will develop key partnerships across the region to support the cluster to build on emerging innovations and test opportunities where there is anticipated growth potential.  These SECONDMENTs could lead to  high impact, co-created collaborative projects from within GW-SHIFT or grant funded projects with Innovate UK or other grant funding bodies.  There should be clear potential for the region to benefit and a route for progression from the SECONDMENTS.

Funding will release the time and capacities of the universities to work with partners and enable collaborative work on an activity that responds strongly to the scheme criteria and allows for a flow of knowledge.

SECONDMENTs will be university-led with a public sector, charity or industry partner and would look to develop knowledge within an area of challenges that will enable organisations to take their next steps in hydrogen adoption and aid understanding in its implementation. Stakeholders will steer the agenda for this knowledge exchange activity and be encouraged to direct resources, in partnership with a university lead.

Rounds of SECONDMENTs will continue rolling over the course of GW-SHIFT, until all funding is allocated.

• Must be linked to GW-SHIFT aims to grow our regional cluster and associated capacities.

• SECONDMENTs must be include a university and one or more public sector, charity or industry partner and have clear benefits within GW-SHIFT geography (geography as denoted in the regional map).

• Links to PBIAA HyIMPACT, large funding is welcome.

• Applications must come from research staff employed at a university in the UK and eligible to receive EPSRC funding.

• The SECONDMENTs will primarily fund researcher or academic time and/or use of resources/facilities at the University.

• We encourage applications from under-represented groups, including early career researchers, academics identifying as female and academics from the global majority/ ethnic minorities

To ensure balance across the region and areas of focus, it may not be possible to fund multiple bids from one external partner. If your external partner(s) is involved in multiple grant applications, GW-SHIFT reserves the right to contact the external partner to rank each submission in order of importance to them. In this case, GW-SHIFT will notify all Universities with the same external partner so they are aware that the application ranking has been sought.

·       A SECONDMENT proposal that aims to exchange knowledge for the benefit of both the partner organisation and the University to allow for adoption of hydrogen as a fuel source or development of potential products to support the role out of green hydrogen to further the economy of the GW-SHIFT region. What knowledge gap does your SECONDMENT look to address? Or what synergy does it support to develop the hydrogen market within the region?

·       SECONDMENTS that clearly support the aims, objectives and KPIs of GW-SHIFT.

·       Clear potential for growth, impact or engagement within the region to further develop the hydrogen cluster of economic activity through the SECODNMENT knowledge exchange activities with industry, charity or public sector partners.

·       An end-of-SECONDMENT report and periodic updates on developments beyond the lifetime of the SECONDMENT will be required as part of the terms of funding. (list of eligible costs below**).

·       SECONDMENTs should be fully costed and approved through the applicant’s University Pre-Award processes with appropriate sign-offs, noting that overheads cannot be charged to SECONDMENTs (**see eligible and ineligible costs below).

·       Short term postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) contracts are eligible, with an explanation of why they are necessary for the SECONDMENT in the application.  Where there is a named PDRA, you must justify why they are suitable candidate with the right skills and experience for the role.

Match funding from the partner organisation is desirable and would add value to the SECONDMENT. The Non-Academic partner organisation is required for the SECONDMENT and any cash or in-kind contribution resulting from the partner participation should be included as a costed amount in applications. The partner contributions and support for the SECONDMENT must be evidenced in the application either through the letter(s) of support or other suitable documentation e.g an email at least is required from the Non-Academic partner organisation.

Each application must clearly outline how it will deliver growth, impact or engagement within the GW-SHIFT geography.

·       SECONDMENT feasibility: does the proposal demonstrate a clear, deliverable work plan?

·       Value for Money: are the SECONDMENT costs reasonable and robustly justified?

·       SECONDMENT sustainability: is there potential for follow on funding or other mechanisms that will support further development of Hydrogen adoption or product development post SECONDMENT and show potential to deliver on impact within the region post GW-SHIFT funding?

·       GW-SHIFT alignment: does the proposal demonstrate that it will deliver on the aims and objective of GW-SHIFT? Will the project deliver new networks, engagement with industry and enable the achievement of KPIs?

·       Confidence in delivery: does the team supporting the secondee demonstrate the track record, capacity and confidence to deliver a SECONDMENT that will be impactful?

Firstly each application will be assessed to see if it clearly outlines how it will deliver growth, impact or engagement within the GW-SHIFT geography. This is a pass or fail criteria. Those applications receiving an initial pass will then be reviewed by up to four reviewers with one or two academics and one or two public sector/industry panellists. Reviewers will assess each project application against the criteria above.

Activities that are eligible for IAA funding include:

• Travel and subsistence.

• 100% FEC Salary costs

• PI/Co-I salary contributions (nominal amount up to 1hr/week can be costed)

• External contractors for specialist tasks (e.g., design work).

• Equipment up to the value of £9,999 (except laptops and office equipment, which are expected to be supplied by the employer).

• Costs associated with secondary analysis of primary data (the use of data that was collected by someone else for some other purpose)

• Directly incurred costs

 Activities that are ineligible for IAA funding include:

• University indirect costs, including estate costs

• Fundamental research.

• Partner costs.

• Any costs relating to intellectual property protection including but not limited to registering, maintaining, or supporting patents or property rights.

• Attendance at academic conferences or other initiatives with a primarily academic audience.

• Preparation of research grant applications.

• Contributions to KTPs.

• Equipment with a value of £10,000 or more.

• Impact activities which have already been included within an EPSRC IAA funded project.

• Primary/Basic research activities.

• EPSRC  funds cannot be used to support a private company, as they are a public funder and have to adhere to Subsidy Control measures.