Planning research projects

Plan the project’s societal benefits and impacts. Many research funding bodies require a description of the project’s impact. Impact may, for example, relate to scientific, societal, political or economic effects.

Consider the following at an early stage:

• what needs or challenges the project addresses
• who might benefit from the results
• what short- and long-term effects the project might have
• how the results might be utilised outside academia

Funding bodies have different requirements regarding how impact should be described in the application. Always follow the funding body’s instructions.

Tools and resources

Depending on the funding body and the call for proposals, there may be tools to help you identify, describe and quantify the project’s expected impact. You can obtain support with this from the Division for Research and Partnership Support.

Tools:

• Impact Planning Canvas
• EU Horizon Europe has an Impact Canvas

UU Innovation offers advice on commercialisation, intellectual property and what may be relevant to protect when applying for research funding.

You can get support with:

• developing an impact plan
• identifying potential applications for the project’s results
• dealing with issues relating to intellectual property
• developing an IP strategy

Read more

Describing impact in an application

Many projects are developed in collaboration with other universities, companies, public authorities, healthcare providers or organisations in the community.

You need to consider:

• the expertise required
• the choice of partners
• roles and responsibilities
• funders’ requirements

Even at the planning stage, it is important to consider what expertise and collaborations are needed for the project to achieve its objectives.

In international projects, roles, the division of responsibilities and the composition of the consortium are often particularly important for both the implementation of the project and the application process.

Plan early on how the project is to be organised, how roles and responsibilities are to be allocated, and how collaboration between participating parties is to function.

For example, you can receive support to:

• plan the project’s organisation and management (management plan for collaborative projects)
• allocate roles and responsibilities (division of responsibilities and governance)
• design forms of collaboration and the consortium structure
• handle legal issues relating to collaborations

You can make use of the university-wide international networks and regional centres of which Uppsala University is a member to develop collaborations and find project partners.

You can also receive help in finding and establishing contact with suitable organisations both in Sweden and across Europe that can complement your project.

Read more / guidance on establishing and organising research collaborations

• building consortia and international collaborations
• collaboration with external partners
• examples of collaborations

University-wide international networks at Uppsala University

Many funding bodies do not cover the full costs of a project. You should therefore find out at an early stage what the requirements are regarding the budget, indirect costs and any co-funding from your department, faculty or research area.

You need to consider:

• indirect costs
• co-funding requirements
• equipment and premises
• funders’ budget rules

Some projects may involve specific costs for, for example:

• equipment
• research infrastructure
• subcontractors
• premises

Ask your finance administrator or head of department if you have any questions about project budgets and co-funding.

Special rules may apply to certain international funding bodies, such as US federal funding.

Read more

Externally funded projects – budget, reporting and templates (in Swedish)

Special rules for budgeting and co-funding for US federal funding

Access to relevant research infrastructure can be crucial to the successful implementation of the project.

You need to consider:

• what equipment is required
• databases and resources
• availability and booking procedures
• costs

Find out at an early stage what research infrastructure and resources the project requires and what the terms of access are.

This may include, for example:

• experimental equipment
• databases
• libraries
• collections
• biobanks

Research infrastructures at Uppsala University

Plan how research data will be managed throughout the project.

You need to consider:

• collection and documentation
• secure storage
• personal data
• sharing and archiving

Many funding bodies require data management plans and the secure handling of research data.

The University offers support for:

• data management plans
• secure storage and analysis environments
• information classification
• archiving of research data.

Plan your data management – data management plan, agreements and permissions, as well as data security and information classification

Research projects may require ethical review or involve the special handling of personal data and sensitive data.

Consider the following issues at an early stage:

• ethical review
• research involving human subjects
• the handling of personal data and the GDPR
• biological material and the Nagoya Protocol
• good research practice.

Rules and guidance on ethics and data protection in research

Permits and ethical review

Research involving humans

U.S. funding – human studies and good research practice

International collaborations and certain types of research may involve additional legal requirements and regulations.

These may include, for example:

• research agreements
• export controls
• regulations governing intellectual property
• funding body-specific requirements
• access to and sharing of genetic resources and traditional knowledge (the Nagoya Protocol) 

Legal matters in research

Some funding bodies require that sex and gender dimensions be integrated into the research design, methodology or analysis. Plan how gender aspects can be integrated into the research design and analysis.

You need to consider:

• relevance to the project
• funding body requirements
• impact on methodology and analysis

Deciding at an early stage whether such aspects are relevant to the project can strengthen both the project planning and the application.

Sex and gender dimensions in research