We fund Expert Fellow Secondments - partnerships between academics and non-academic organisations – and PhD student placements.
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Up to £10,000 per academic secondment
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Up to £3,000 per PhD placement
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Funding to cover travel & subsistence and academic buyout time.
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Typical duration: 4–6 week secondments with potential for follow-on projects.
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Matched partners submit a short proposal after the event, and receive a decision quickly.
1. Expert Fellow Secondments
Funding of up to £10,000 is available for an Expert Fellow’s secondment within a partner organisation. If an Expert Fellow and an organisation match during the event, they can prepare and submit a one-page proposal for an academic secondment.
The proposals are evaluated by the SPRITE+ team based on the following assessment criteria:
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Does secondment project tackle an important challenge at the intersection of Extended and Virtual Reality and Trust, Identity, Privacy, and Security?
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Does the project have a significant research component?
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Does the project have potential to have real-world impact?
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Based on the project proposal, is there potential for the development of a long-term partnership, beyond the secondment?
SPRITE+ funding can be used towards academic buyout time from an academic’s university employer and/or travel & subsistence expenses.
The typical duration of SPRITE+ sponsored academic secondment is 4-6 weeks. Longer periods and any follow-on projects would need to be funded by the host organisations.
2. PhD Placements
Funding of up to £3,000 is available for PhD student placements within a partner organisation. If a PhD student and an organisation match during the event, the student has the option to apply for a placement.
This will require submitting the following documents:
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A one-page proposal for the placement outlining the placement objectives, proposed activities (including any travel), timeline, and budget. The placement must be timed to end before PhD graduation.
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A supporting letter from the proposed host organisation.
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Supporting letter from PhD supervisor for the placement.
Applications will be evaluated by the SPRITE+ team based on the following criteria:
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Does the PhD student meet eligibility criteria?
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Does placement project tackle an important challenge at the intersection of Extended and Virtual Reality and Trust, Identity, Privacy, and Security?
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Does the placement project have a research component?
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Does the placement project have potential to create benefit for the host organisation?
The typical duration of SPRITE+ sponsored PhD placement 8-15 weeks. Longer periods and any follow-on projects would need to be funded by the host organisations.
3. Post-visit travel funding.
Funding is available to support exploratory post-event visits between Expert Fellows, PhD students, and organisations. SPRITE+ provides funding for academics to visit organisations to explore potential research collaborations.
The funding covers reasonable expenses associated with one UK round-trip and, if necessary, 1 night accommodation costs. Visits must take place by 31st July 2026.
