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Accessibility Fund

Our Accessibility Fund is a dedicated fund designed to enable equitable participation in BRAID activities. The fund is open to applicants and award-holders. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

BRAID is committed to equality of opportunity. We seek to locate and amplify under-represented voices and perspectives on responsible AI and work to promote a positive culture, one that celebrates difference, challenges prejudice and ensures fairness and respect.

Accessibility Fund

Our Accessibility Fund is a dedicated fund designed to enable equitable participation in BRAID activities. The fund is open to existing BRAID award-holders, and to those applying for BRAID schemes. Participants attending BRAID events can also request support.

Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Some examples of what may be considered include:

  • Resources to enhance accessibility for disabled researchers, addressing barriers they may encounter e.g. a BSL interpreter.
  • Assistance for researchers with caregiving responsibilities who need to work away from home and where alternative care arrangements cannot be made.
  • Resources identified by BRAID researchers as supporting wider participation in their projects.
  • Travel costs to support Early Career Researchers or people from under-represented communities to attend a BRAID event.

Who can apply?

  • The applicant must be a current award holder on any BRAID scheme OR intending to apply for a BRAID award in the next 6 months OR intending to participate in a BRAID event in the next 6 months.
  • If the applicant is not a current award holder, they must identify the scheme to which they intend to apply OR the event they wish to attend.  The applicant must meet the eligibility requirements for the scheme they intend to apply for OR be a relevant participant at the event they wish to attend.
  • If the applicant is a current award holder, the funds can only be used during the remaining time of the award.

Scope of funding

Applicants, award-holders and event participants with additional needs relating to their personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions are invited to request support.

We will also consider requests from researchers who wish to improve the accessibility of their BRAID projects for participants e.g. financial support to allow Early Career Researchers or other under-represented groups to participate in events.

We are still establishing the type of support that is useful to people, so please ask for what you need.

The following lists eligible and ineligible costs:

  • Items that we would reasonably assume would be covered by, or available at, your employing institution are not eligible for funding.
  • Day-to-day childcare or other caring responsibilities costs are not eligible but caring costs necessary for special activities would be considered eligible when they are provided by a Government-approved childcare provider (i.e. a registered childminder, nanny, playscheme, nursery, club, school, or a home care worker working for a registered home care agency).
  • Funding cannot be applied retroactively, so any purchases made before application or while awaiting a decision on your application will not be eligible, even if included in your application.
  • Once funding has been agreed, costs will be processed retrospectively via the University of Edinburgh’s processes which require receipts for all costs.

Applicants and award-holders with additional needs relating to their personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions are invited to request support.

We will also consider requests from researchers who wish to improve the accessibility of their BRAID projects for participants e.g. financial support to allow Early Career Researchers or other under-represented groups to participate in events.

We are still establishing the type of support that is useful to people, so please ask for what you need.

The following lists eligible and ineligible costs:

  • Items that we would reasonably assume would be covered by, or available at, your employing institution are not eligible for funding.
  • Day-to-day childcare or other caring responsibilities costs are not eligible but caring costs necessary for special activities would be considered eligible when they are provided by a Government-approved childcare provider (i.e. a registered childminder, nanny, playscheme, nursery, club, school, or a home care worker working for a registered home care agency).
  • Funding cannot be applied retroactively, so any purchases made before application or while awaiting a decision on your application will not be eligible, even if included in your application.
  • Once funding has been agreed, costs will be processed retrospectively via the University of Edinburgh’s processes which require receipts for all costs.

How to apply

Should you wish to make a request for support, please provide the following details and we will endeavour to come back to you as soon as possible:

  1. Applicant name
  2. Applicant email address
  3. Personal statement & justification for costs: please outline your reasoning for the additional funds – what is the support you need and what would it allow you to do.
  4. Value sought: please outline the financial value of your request (£).
  5. If an existing BRAID grant holder: name of your project
  6. If applying to a new BRAID funding call OR applying for support to attend an event – please include a copy of your most recent CV so we can check your eligibility.

Further information and support

If you have additional needs and wish to discuss how the programme can support you, please contact our Head of Operations and Engagement, Tina Donnelly (tina.donnelly@ed.ac.uk).

Key information:

Open to current award holders,  those intending to apply for a BRAID funding call in the next 6 months and those intending to participate in a BRAID event.

For more information contact Tina Donnelly (tina.donnelly@ed.ac.uk).