Awards
The Research Council of the Velocity Interoperability Network makes awards to member organisations of the Velocity Interoperability Network under its programmes. An award is a commitment of funds for a defined piece of research, for a defined period, subject to the conditions set out below. The awards confirmed at establishment consolidate research that member organisations were already funding, together with commitments transferred to the Council during the transition period from 10 August to 5 September 2026.
Awards at establishment. The figures below record the position on 6 September 2026.
- 38
- Awards confirmed at establishment on 6 September 2026
- 25,000,000
- Credits committed across the six programmes
- 146
- Researchers supported under Council awards
- 12
- Member organisations holding one or more awards
Of the 146 researchers supported, 52 are principal investigators or co-investigators, 71 are research staff employed on an award and 23 are doctoral candidates whose studentships are funded under an award. Twelve member organisations hold awards; the largest number held by one organisation is seven.
Awards by programme. The value shown is the total committed over the term of each award, in credits. The average is rounded to the nearest thousand.
| Programme | Awards | Value (credits) | Average award (credits) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interoperability Standards Programme | 9 | 6,400,000 | 711,000 |
| Network Resilience Programme | 7 | 5,100,000 | 729,000 |
| Data Stewardship Programme | 6 | 3,900,000 | 650,000 |
| Materials and Infrastructure Programme | 5 | 4,750,000 | 950,000 |
| Health and Environment Programme | 6 | 3,600,000 | 600,000 |
| Early Career Fellowships | 5 | 1,250,000 | 250,000 |
| Total | 38 | 25,000,000 | 658,000 |
Awards by site. Research under the awards is carried out at five sites of the Network. An award is recorded against the site at which the principal investigator is based; some awards involve staff at more than one site.
| Site | Awards | Value (credits) | Researchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastfield Campus | 14 | 9,150,000 | 58 |
| Central Exchange | 9 | 6,300,000 | 34 |
| Southbank Terminal | 6 | 3,850,000 | 22 |
| Northgate Relay | 5 | 3,400,000 | 19 |
| Meridian Court | 4 | 2,300,000 | 13 |
| Total | 38 | 25,000,000 | 146 |
- 4
- Years: the longest term of any award in the first round
- 2.9
- Years: the average term of an award in the first round
- 31
- Awards led by a principal investigator holding their first Council award
- October 2026
- First quarterly payment to award holders
Conditions of award. The conditions below attach to every award made by the Council, including those confirmed at establishment. They are set out in full in the award agreement.
- Purpose
- The award may be spent only on the research described in the proposal as approved. Changes to the aims, the principal investigator or the host organisation require the written consent of the Awards Office.
- Payment
- The award is paid to the member organisation quarterly in arrears against a statement of expenditure. Unspent funds at the end of the award are returned to the Council.
- Reporting
- The principal investigator submits a report each year on the anniversary of the start date and a final report within three months of the end date. Reports are read by the Awards Office and summarised for the programme panel.
- Open research
- Results, data and code produced under the award must be made available in accordance with the Council's open research requirements, and every output must acknowledge the award by its reference.
- Research integrity
- The research must be conducted in accordance with the Council's standards of research integrity. The member organisation must investigate concerns under the Council's procedure and report them to the Integrity Office.
- Variation and termination
- The Council may vary or terminate an award where the conditions are not met, where the research is no longer feasible, or where the host organisation ceases to be a member of the Network. Notice of not less than three months is given except in a case of misconduct.
How an award is administered. The steps below apply from the offer of an award to its closure and are carried out by the Awards Office.
Step 1: The award agreement is signed
The Awards Office issues an award agreement setting out the award reference, the value by year, the start and end dates and the conditions. The member organisation signs and returns it within thirty days.
Step 2: The award starts
The research begins on the start date in the agreement, which may be no later than six months after the agreement is signed. The Awards Office confirms the start by email and opens the payment schedule.
Step 3: Payments are claimed
At the end of each quarter the member organisation submits a statement of expenditure under each budget heading. The Awards Office pays the amount claimed, within the annual value of the award, within thirty days of receipt.
Step 4: Progress is reported
The annual report describes the work done, the results obtained, the outputs published and any departure from the work plan. The Awards Office may ask for further information before the next payment is made.
Step 5: The award closes
Within three months of the end date the member organisation submits the final report and the final statement of expenditure. The Awards Office reconciles the account, recovers any unspent funds and records the award as closed in the register.
The register of awards is maintained by the Awards Office and revised when awards are made, varied or closed; the next revision will follow the outcomes of Open Round 2026 in February 2027. Award holders may write to contact@research.gov.vin, quoting their award reference, marked for the attention of the Awards Office. For the requirements that apply to outputs, see Open Research; for how to apply for a new award, see Applying for Funding.