lava layers

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund

We are delighted to announce the new Fermor Seed Corn Fund, which honours Sir Lewis Leigh Fermor OBE FRS and is supported by a generous bequest from Lady Frances Fermor

What is the Fermor Seed Corn Fund?

Portrait of Lewis Fermor

Attaining research funding for UK-based researchers is increasingly competitive. Much of this funding is inaccessible to individuals not employed on permanent academic contracts or those with non-traditional roles. This disproportionately affects early-career researchers (ECRs) on fixed-term contracts, returners and technical staff.

Additionally, the rigid cycle of fixed deadlines associated with many of the large awards made by UK funding organisations means that researchers returning from a career break, or an extended period of ill-health, can be unable to apply for funding at key points in their careers.

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund aims to provide seed funding to individuals who are unable to apply for other, more traditional research funding awards. 

Sir Lewis Leigh Fermor made significant contributions to geosciences in India, holding roles such as President of the Indian National Science Academy and Director of the Geological Survey of India. In recognition of this, the Fund also seeks to provide seed funding to early-career researchers based in India and/or to those who aim to develop international research partnerships between India and the UK. Therefore, one of the available grants will be reserved for individuals who are working in or with India on the project in question.

How can the Fermor Seed Corn Fund be used?

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund should be used to develop an idea into practice, to test a hypothesis or to design a new output, with the aim to seed new discoveries, pilot ideas, and foster collaborations that will be sustained beyond the period of the grant itself. 

All Fermor Seed Corn fund proposals must align to the Fermor bequest:

…for the "furtherance of research into those branches of geology that deal with the study of the principles governing ore deposition, the occurrence of minerals and of mineral bearing rocks, and fundamental research into the origins of [Precambrian] rocks, not excluding extraterrestrial occurrences."

As such, all subjects covered by the Society's five broad science themes are eligible for Fermor Seed Corn support.

If you are considering applying to the Fermor Seed Corn Fund, please see the application guidance document in the Downloads section below.

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund is open to individuals who belong to the following groups:

  • Early Career Researchers (<10 years from completing a PhD), technical staff, or research assistants who are ineligible as lead investigators on standard UKRI grant applications.
  • Researchers who are returning to work following a career break or long-term illness 
  • Early-career researchers working in India, or with plans to foster collaboration with Indian research organisations as part of this funded project (please note a letter of support from the in-country participant(s) will be required). 

The scheme is open to all fellows regardless of geographic location. All applicants must have a PhD by the time that the funded period starts. Applicants that have not yet completed their PhD at the time of application should submit a supporting letter from the host institution where they intend to conduct the relevant research, confirming a contract and position for the duration of the project period.

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund grants are intended to support individuals who cannot easily apply for funding by other means. This is likely to be an individual on a fixed-term academic contract, or a non-academic contract with research capacity, to complete a period of novel academic research. Further, the Fermor Seed Corn Fund grants are primarily intended to fund a research project by otherwise employed researchers who are not able to access other forms of research funding, rather than to form the basis for, and support the salary of, a new position.

This is a research grant, rather than a fellowship, so it is not intended to support the staff costs of research. Should an extension be requested, we would expect no more than 50% of the salary costs to be requested in any application for the panel to review, with applicable justification. Any salary costs would need to be matched by the host institution and would not include overheads.

The fund is not intended as additional funding to support an applicant who is otherwise employed to conduct an ongoing research project, i.e. research fellows or permanent academic appointments where there have been no interruptions to careers.

All applicants are required to be Fellows at the time that funding is awarded. Any queries regarding eligibility should be directed to Fermor@geolsoc.org.uk ahead of the closing date.

To apply, please submit an application form – available in the Downloads section below. The form asks applicants to provide a range of information. In addition to a project rationale, awardees will be asked to consider:

  • The desired impact of their research within their academic field. 
  • The project plan and cost breakdown of their proposed research.
  • The sustainability and environmental impact of the project.
  • Make equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility considerations.
  • Discuss outputs in terms of open access publications and data management.
  • Training/development – have you identified any training opportunities within the scope of this project?

In addition to the form, applicants are asked to submit a detailed budgetary breakdown using the budget template available in the Downloads section below. This should be accompanied by a Justification of Resources (up to two A4 pages) explaining why the various items are necessary for the project.

Funded research must be conducted at suitable host organisations such as universities or research institutions. The awards will be payable to the host organisation, as opposed to the individual, in arrears and upon submission of quarterly claims against approved expenditure. Therefore, awards will require evidence that an agreement with the desired host organisation is in place at the point of submission, in the form of a letter of support.

Whilst we intend to fund two to three projects in the first round, the Society reserves the right to not make an award in the event that no suitable applications are received.  

  • Call for applications open: 1 July 2025
  • Call for applications closed: 1 October 2025
  • Results of initial assessment: October 2025
  • Interviews: November 2025
  • Final results: December 2025

It is a condition of award funding that the awardee produces a yearly report of the activities undertaken, as well as at the end of the period of funded work. Awardees will also be asked to attend quarterly meetings to discuss research progress with their peers.

Interim reports should include a summary of geological findings and an assessment of how the funding has supported the awardee in achieving their research aims.

Quarterly financial statements detailing how awarded funds have been spent will also be required for funds to be paid (in arrears) to the host institution.

Any published or unpublished report resulting from the grant funding should acknowledge the financial support.

Enquiries

For any enquiries about the Fermor Seed Corn Fund that are not explained in the guidance document linked above, please email Fermor@geolsoc.org.uk

Disability support

We welcome applications from disabled applicants and will accommodate adjustments to the procedures to ensure that these applicants are able to participate fully in the selection process. Adjustments to the application procedure could include:

  • Extension of the application deadline
  • Additional support to complete the application form
  • Technical support during interviews for candidates with hearing or visual impairments
  • Support during interviews for neurodiverse candidates and candidates with mental health conditions

If you have any queries about accessing the support described in this section, please use the contact details above.

The information that you submit in your form will be processed by the Geological Society for the purposes of administering your grant application. It will only be shared with external referees from the relevant committees as part of the review process. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Notice.

As this is a new award scheme, the Society will update our website with the answers to frequently asked questions that come in relating to this award. Therefore, do please check the website for any FAQs before submission.

  • My proposed research fits well within the Society’s five science themes, does it also have to fit within the bequest? (e.g., the bequest states “and fundamental research into the origins of [Precambrian] rocks”).

If the proposed research is aligned with any of the Society’s five science themes, then it is an eligible research topic for the Fermor Seed Corn Fund. Proposed research does not need to focus on Precambrian rocks.

  • Can I apply to the Fermor Fund if I do not currently hold a position?

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund is primarily intended to fund a research project by otherwise employed researchers who are not able to access other forms of research funding, rather than to form the basis for, and support the salary of, a new position. This is a research grant, rather than a fellowship, so it is not intended to support the staff costs of research. Should an extension be requested, we would expect no more than 50% of the salary costs to be requested in any application for the panel to review, with applicable justification.

  • Can I apply for salary costs in my proposal?

The Fermor Seed Corn Fund grants are not intended to wholly cover the costs of salary, being a research grant rather than a fellowship. Some salary costs maybe permissible, but these would need to be matched by the host institution and would not include overheads. We would expect no more than 50% of the salary costs to be requested in any application for the panel to review, with applicable justification. 

  • Can I use Fermor Seed Corn Grant funding to employ a field / lab assistant?

Yes, you would be able to allocate some funds for the employment of an assistant for a fixed / budgeted section of the research project.

  • Can some funds be used to facilitate knowledge exchange initiatives? 

Yes, and we would encourage this.

  • How long should responses on the application form be?

There is currently no word/character limit for the sections of the application form. Different projects may require different levels of detail in the various sections. We would encourage applicants to consider the panel's workload in assessing multiple applications while writing applications.

Downloads

Download the Application Guidance
Download the Application Form
Download the Budget Template
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Fermor Seed Corn Fund Committee - call for panellists

Are you a Fellow and interested in research funding?

Fellows are invited to express interest in sitting on the pool of panellists we call upon for our Fermor Seed Corn Fund application review committee meetings. You will work alongside other experienced Fellows and Society staff. The time requirement is typically two to three days per round. The 2025 panel will next convene in September 2025 (time and date TBC). 

Expressions of interest will be carried forward for a three-year period unless you indicate otherwise. Early Career Researchers are warmly welcomed to apply.

Please email Fermor@geolsoc.org.uk to express your interest, telling us your current position and area of expertise.