Guiding Principles

The Isaac Newton Trust funds research at the University of Cambridge in all subjects.

What we do: 

• Attempt to be responsive and flexible
• Prefer to help projects get off the ground, rather than sustain existing projects
• Aim to help secure funding from outside the University and/or from the School or Faculty
• Expect applicants to approach other funding bodies first wherever possible
• Prioritise Early Career Researchers and Postdoctoral Research Associate salaries 
• Assume that senior PIs will not need to approach the Trust, except for Emergency or Strategic funding
• Make modest contributions to consumables and travel if a special case is made
• Occasionally contribute to purchasing a key item of equipment
• Occasionally fund researchers who have not gained a PhD qualification but are otherwise highly skilled, but only where this is specifically justified 

What we do not: 

• Fund research undertaken outside the University of Cambridge
• Provide all the funding for any project or act as a primary funder – other awards should be applied for before applying to the INT
• Increase, contribute to, or extend existing awards from external funding bodies unless a strong strategic rationale for the necessity is made or where this can be done at no extra cost to the Trust
• Reconsider unsuccessful applications for the same project unless there has been a substantial material change in circumstances
• Revise the amount offered (unless there has been an error)
• Provide long-term funding – we commit to no more than five years at any time and standard Research Grants are almost always for less than three years
• Tide over post-doctoral researchers repeatedly
• Consider grant applications between rounds – see our How to Apply page for round deadlines

Further information can be found in our Terms & Conditions (PDF 163.14 KB).