Post summary image

Post summary image

The CHARTED project — part of the dRTP Skills network and funded by the UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure programme — has two funding calls open right now, and both are a great fit for people across the DRI community. Fund 2 supports community activities and events, while Fund 4 helps individuals with professional development. CHARTED’s broader aim is to make the digital Research Technical Professional (dRTP) ecosystem easier to navigate, improving the visibility of skills, roles, and training across research software, research data, and research computing infrastructure.

A quick look at what’s on offer, who’s eligible, and how to apply.

Fund 2: Community Activities

Fund 2 supports a wide range of community-building activities — community events, hackathons, working meetings, networking opportunities, mentoring schemes, and training that addresses genuine gaps in the skills ecosystem. The fund is administered on a rolling basis, with submissions reviewed roughly every two months.

The total pot is £150k across the lifetime of the project, with a maximum award of £5k per activity (event series will also be considered). It is designed to reimburse costs such as room/venue hire and catering — it does not cover staff time or equipment, so you’ll want sign-off from your institution for any time spent. Successful activities are funded at 100% of Full Economic Cost.

Who can apply: UK-based researchers and dRTPs involved with research software, research data, or research computing infrastructure, or those supporting other dRTPs. Applicants can be at UK universities or UK-based non-profits, and freelance trainers, educators, and community managers in the sector are eligible too. You can even request funds to bring non-UK collaborators to the UK.

Fund 4: Supporting Professional Development

Fund 4 tackles a familiar problem: dRTPs, often early in their careers, frequently lack funding to attend conferences, training courses, and knowledge exchange events. This fund provides that financial support — covering conference and event attendance, training course or certificate fees, and visits to other institutions for knowledge exchange.

As with Fund 2, the total value is £150k across the project, with a maximum award of £5k per individual. It works on a reimbursement model, so you’ll need to apply and be successful before incurring any costs. Reviews take place towards the end of each month.

Who can apply: Primarily UK-based early career professionals and people transitioning into dRTP roles, regardless of current role or technical background. Applicants are asked to explore other funding sources first, show how the activity helps at their career stage, and explain how they’ll bring what they’ve gained back to their local community — for example through blog posts or webinars on the dRTP skills HUB.

Get involved

Both funds use a light-touch review process to keep awards timely, with applications ranked on the benefit to individuals and their local communities. There are also two further CHARTED calls worth a look — Fund 1: FAIR Ecosystem and Fund 3: Tools and Frameworks — plus an open call for reviewers if you’d like to help assess applications.

These are exactly the kind of community- and capability-building opportunities CAKE loves to see, and a natural complement to our own knowledge exchange work. If you’re organising an event, building a local network, or looking to grow your own skills, do take a look, share these calls with your cohorts and wider networks, and get in touch with the CHARTED team at charted@drtp-skills.ac.uk with any questions.