Submit your collaborative research idea to be entered into our competition.
To mark the beginning of the new academic year we’re running a competition for the best new research ideas listed on RIC-KI. Enter your collaborative research idea by 8 December for your chance to win!
There are five prizes available for ideas that demonstrate innovation in the broad categories of health, wellbeing or sport: a £75 voucher for the best idea, £50 voucher for second place and £25 vouchers for three runner-up ideas.
Our full range of innovative ideas can be viewed on the RIC-KI website. If you would like to discuss your idea before submitting it, please email ric-ki@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk.
To enter the competition, complete the online form and you will be automatically entered.
Terms and conditions
Entry & selection
- The competition is open to academics, researchers and doctoral students.
- A maximum of two ideas can be submitted per person; further ideas may be submitted to the RIC-KI website but will not be eligible for the draw.
- Ideas must be submitted by 11.59pm (GMT), 8 December 2025.
- Ideas should be submitted using our online form. Ideas can also be submitted via email to ric-ki@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk upon request.
- RIC-KI is not responsible for technical failures or lost submissions.
- There is no selection criteria; all ideas submitted in accordance with these terms will be considered.
- The winner will be selected at the sole discretion of RIC-KI, without reference to merit or quality.
- The decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Prizes will be distributed within one month of the winners being announced.
- RIC-KI reserves the right to amend or cancel the competition at any time.
- By entering, participants agree to these Competition Terms and Conditions and the terms and conditions of RIC-KI.
Publication on website
- By entering, participants grant the organiser a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish and display a summary of their proposal on RIC-KI – Research Ideas Catalogue – Knowledge & Impact for the purpose of academic networking and collaboration. This licence is limited to the public display of the summary and does not extend to any commercial use, modification, or further distribution of the proposal content.
- Publication does not imply endorsement or selection.
- Proposal summaries will remain visible on the RIC-KI website until a collaboration has been formed. Entrants may request removal of their submission at any time by contacting ric-ki@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk, and the RIC-KI team will endeavour to remove the content within a reasonable timeframe.
Data Protection and Privacy
- Personal data collected during the competition will be processed in accordance with applicable data protection laws and RIC-KI’s existing Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy – RIC-KI.
- Data collected includes name, contact details, institutional affiliation, and submission content.
- This data will be used solely for the administration of the competition and publication on RIC-KI website, where applicable.
- Entrants may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal data by contacting ric-ki@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk.
- The RIC-KI team will not share personal data with third parties except as necessary for judging, publication, or legal compliance.
Liability
- RIC-KI is not responsible for the accuracy, originality, legality, or feasibility of any submitted ideas.
- RIC-KI shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or dispute arising from the use, development, or sharing of submitted ideas
- Entrants are solely responsible for ensuring that their submissions do not infringe the intellectual property rights, confidentiality obligations, or any other legal rights of third parties. By entering the competition, each entrant warrants that their submission is original, does not contain any material owned by others without appropriate permission, and does not violate any applicable laws or regulations. RIC-KI accepts no liability for any claims arising from the content of submissions and reserves the right to remove any material that is alleged to infringe third-party rights.
- Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless RIC-KI, its affiliates, and partners from any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising out of or related to any breach of these warranties or infringement of third-party rights.
- RIC-KI reserves the right to disqualify any entrant and remove any submission found to be in breach of these Terms and Conditions.
Partnership
- RIC-KI does not endorse or guarantee any future collaboration, commercialisation, or outcome arising from ideas shared via the website.
- Participation in the competition or publication of ideas does not create any partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship between RIC-KI and any participant.
- Any collaboration between participants is entirely independent of RIC-KI and will be subject to separate substantive agreements between the parties involved.
- RIC-KI is not responsible for facilitating or enforcing such agreements, for further information please refer to the terms and conditions Terms and conditions – RIC-KI.
Intellectual Property
- Submission of a research proposal idea as part of this competition does not constitute a transfer of ownership of any intellectual property rights. All intellectual property rights in any materials submitted by entrants shall remain with the respective entrant. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall be construed as granting or purporting to grant any rights, title, or interest in or to any intellectual property of the entrant to the competition organiser or any third party.
- By entering the competition, entrants acknowledge that their proposal summaries may be published on RIC-KI Website. However, publication does not imply any assignment or licensing of rights to the organiser or any third party.
- Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall be construed as granting or purporting to grant any rights, title, or interest in or to any intellectual property of the entrant beyond the limited right to display the submitted summary for networking purposes.
Jurisdiction
- These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
- Any disputes arising in connection with the competition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.