The first step is to complete an Expression of Interest form, this will help us to form you into collaborative groups to take forward research ideas.
We will keep our Expressions of Interest forms open all year, but the main time for applications is throughout the summer period, by the end of December.
Participants in the FTVG are intended to be emerging career professionals in the first ten years of their career. It is aimed at those that may not readily have the same resources or platforms as more senior professionals.
Anybody in the first ten years of their career can take part, regardless of age.
The FTVG is intended to be a collaborative initiative that fosters cross-sector networks. Your idea can be discussed in one of our group forums and potentially be taken forward as a group project.
Yes, after you complete your expression of interest form, we will invite you to one of our collaboration forums where you can meet like-minded individuals and choose a project you want to get involved with.
The FTVG is intended to foster cross-sector collaboration and we will ensure all groups include a mixture of people from different organisations and sectors. Each member of your group will need to complete individual Expression of Interest forms so we can obtain your contact details for organising the forums.
The forums are intended to encourage cross-sector collaboration between people who have similar ideas. Over the course of the forum, you will be encouraged to debate and discuss your initial ideas and transform these into deliverable project ideas. This may mean splitting into several project groups based on the number of ideas that emerge.
Your project group will be responsible for refining your idea into a definable project and funding request. This will be submitted to the FTVG Steering Group for consideration.
Yes, the FTVG Steering Group will assess your application based on the other project criteria.
Funding will be allocated by the FTVG Steering Group and the level of funding will be dependent on the number of groups taking part. Our working assumption is that funding requests will be less than £10,000 each.
This will depend on the number of submissions received and the amount of funding requested. The FTVG Steering Group will be responsible for all funding decisions.
Your group will be given feedback and you are welcome to progress your project independently, however you would not be eligible for FTVG funding or consideration for our awards.
This depends on your project and the outcomes you’re seeking to achieve. You may wish to spend it on developing a product, or commissioning a survey. Essentially it is intended to cover expenses that you and your group would otherwise struggle to fund yourself.
This is largely down to you and your group, depending on how complex your project might be. Your FTVG project should not detract from your day-to-day responsibilities and is largely expected to be undertaken in your own time. We recommend speaking to your employer as some may allow you to use in-work time on professional development.
Some contributions for time spent on the project can be considered, but it is expected your projects will largely be developed in your spare time. You will need to make arrangements with your employer to bill your time out to the initiative and FTVG will not be responsible for any level of overspend on your project.
Your funding will be monitored by our steering group and it will be possible to request small extensions of funding if needed. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring your project finishes within budget as FTVG will not be liable for any overspend.
You’ll have between 8-9 months to complete the project before submissions are collated by the Steering Group. If your project is delayed, you may not be considered for the final awards.
All groups who reach this stage will be invited to present their findings at a forum session in summer 2023. Your project will also be considered by the Steering Group for the “Outstanding Project” Award, which will be announced at the forum.
These will be published on the FTVG website and are intended to help advance the wider transport sector. You and your group will be credited for your work.
The FTVG will fund a prize for you and your group, including additional research budgets and costs for travel to conferences and events.