The Cambridge Interfaith Knowledge Hub is pleased to announce a call for applications for Pump Priming funding.

Grants of up to £1000 are available to support collaborations between Cambridge academics and external stakeholders.

Update: This call has now moved to a rolling deadline. The spending deadline of 15 July continues to apply, and applications arriving later than 30 June cannot be considered. Prospective applicants are strongly advised to discuss proposals with the Programme Manager in advance of submitting a complete application.

The Pump Priming funds come from the University of Cambridge’s HEIF award, which focuses on how academic research is translated or jointly produced in order to benefit wider society. The mechanisms for knowledge exchange include a range of activity, from public and community-oriented events to consultancy and licensing.

We will be looking for meaningful activities that draw on existing Cambridge research or present a clear opportunity for new collaborative research that builds on the lead applicant’s interests and skillset. Applications should align with the remit of the Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum (broadly defined). This spans work in the domain of religion and inter-religious relations.

Proposals require a lead Cambridge academic (the proposer) and at least one non-academic stakeholder, normally an organisation. Activities should run between April and July, with funds to be used up (and where appropriate a request for reimbursement submitted) by 15 July 2025.

Significant dates:

• Wednesday 26 March: Final applications must be submitted by 22:00 GMT. 
• Friday 4 April: We aim to communicate a decision by end of Friday 4 April. In some cases, we may need to consult further on details of an application, budget, etc. 
• Tuesday 15 July: All spending must be complete by this date. This is also the final date to submit invoices and expense claims for funded activity. 

Warning: We will not be available to answer questions between 5pm on Wednesday 19 March and 2pm on Monday 24 March.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must be researchers based at the University of Cambridge.

PhD students may apply as lead academic. In this case, please also identify a senior mentor (also at the University of Cambridge) who is available to support you with the delivery of the project or activity. 

We will also consider applications from those who have recently completed a Cambridge PhD and not yet obtained an independent position. Such cases will also require support from another Cambridge academic.

Those in teaching-only roles (e.g., Teaching Associates) may also propose projects, especially where the proposal represents an opportunity for the creation of new initiatives that may lead to future research and/or knowledge exchange grant applications.

Those in threshold institutions (e.g., within the Cambridge Theological Federation) will need to collaborate with an eligible academic researcher from the collegiate university. Priority may be given to those who are members (or seeking membership) of the Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum.

What criteria will be used to determine how funds are awarded?

Applications must fulfil SMART criteria:

• Specific: Indicate who will do what, how and why.
• Measurable: Make clear how you will evaluate the success of what is proposed.
• Achievable: Focus on what could meaningfully happen with the time & budget available.
• Relevant: Attend to the purposes of the fund (knowledge exchange). 
• Time-bound: Include an indicative timeline, with respect to funded activity and future consequences. 

We expect that successful applications will also exhibit some of the following characteristics:

• More than one Faculty or Department involved
• Creative use of funding 
• Innovative approaches to build partnerships
• Connect with new partner(s) 
• Add value to existing partnership(s) 
• Include match funding (and/or significant in-kind commitment)
• Strong prospect of sustainable benefit(s) beyond the funded period
• Aligns with Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum small grant priorities, and/or School-level strategic priorities. (See links below.)

How will funds be distributed?

For events hosted at the University of Cambridge, payments for supplies such as catering will be handled directly with the supplier following all procurement rules. (Please ask for budgeting guidance if uncertain.)

University expense claim procedures will apply for all out-of-pocket expenses including travel (which should be by public transport wherever possible). Such payments will be by reimbursement.

Where a supplier (including a participating organisation) is new to the University, we will have to carry out due diligence as part of the supplier setup process. Please allow time for this when planning activities.

There are a number of exclusions (i.e. types of activity that cannot be funded). These include: research or teaching that does not involve an external partner; capital expenditure; research administration; outreach programmes primarily aimed at student recruitment or widening participation.

Please note: The University of Cambridge does not pay invoices in advance of service delivery. All invoices and expense claims must be received by midnight on 15 July 2025.

I have a question that has not been answered. Can I get advice on a draft application?

We recommend drafting your application on the system and submitting an early version. This can help us to understand your idea and provide feedback, including on any specific questions. You will be able to return and edit the draft until the final deadline (26 March 2025), and you can write to us (hub at interfaith.cam.ac.uk) to request feedback on a submission. 

Please note that final decisions will be based on the portfolio of applications received. This means we cannot predict the success of any application in advance of the decision-making process.

Cambridge University staff and students can download the application questions to use while drafting responses to the web form. 

Further information

About the Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum small grant scheme

Strategic priorities for the School of Arts & Humanities (SAH)

School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) Research Framework

Apply online from 3 March 2025 (Forms.office.com)

You may also find it useful to consult the Pump Priming scheme slidepack (PDF download).