Paul Instrument Fund

The Paul Instrument Fund (PIF) provides grants for the design and construction of apparatus to measure phenomena in the physical sciences. Applications should contain genuinely new ideas, techniques or highly novel applications of existing ideas and techniques. The design and construction of a novel instrument as a result of combining several concepts and/or commercially available parts is only acceptable if the result is greater and more innovative than the sum of the constituent parts. The instrument should, as far as possible, be a standalone device and might be an outcome of a previous extensive research programme. The fund requested should not be to acquire or part fund an instrument or facility to support an existing or future programme of research in the sole applicant's and collaborators' laboratory. Instead, the proposer must demonstrate the applicability of the instrument to others in the scientific community. This scheme is for scientists in the UK who want to design and construct a novel instrument to measure phenomena in the physical sciences. Applicants can apply for up to £200,000 over 1-3 years to cover staff costs (up to 30% of the total) and research expenses including consumables and small items of equipment. The Royal Society recognises that diversity is essential for delivering excellence in science and encourages applications from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.