The Chartered Institute Of Management Accountants' General Charitable Trust Fund

Charity Number: 257750

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £225,000 (expenditure 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: £3,000 - £25,000
  • Geographic Focus: International (global)

Contact Details

Address: 8th Floor, 30 Crown Place, London, EC2A 4EB

Phone: 020 3814 2403

Email: baljeet.basra@aicpa-cima.com (general contact)

research@aicpa-cima.com (research grant enquiries)

Website: www.aicpa-cima.com

Overview

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' General Charitable Trust Fund (Charity No. 257750) was established to advance the science of management accounting. With an annual expenditure of £225,000 (2024) and total income of £113,000, the Trust supports academic research into innovative areas of management accounting that benefit CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) designation holders and the broader accounting profession. The fund makes grants available to both early-career and experienced researchers from anywhere in the world to explore issues and provide fresh perspectives on topics of interest to CIMA members. The Trust operates through regular global calls for proposals, regional calls targeted at specific geographic areas, and ad-hoc applications outside regular call periods.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Early Career Researchers:

  • PhD students: up to £3,000
  • Post-doctoral researchers: up to £5,000

Experienced Researchers:

  • Research grants: up to £25,000

Application Methods:

  • Global Calls: Held periodically (next global call scheduled for 2027)
  • Regional Calls: Targeted at researchers exploring topics within regional business and regulatory contexts (recent focus on Southern African region including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius, Lesotho, and eSwatini)
  • Ad-hoc Applications: Proposals can be submitted outside regular call periods by contacting research@aicpa-cima.com

Priority Areas

The Trust welcomes proposals investigating aspects of management accounting that have relevance across multiple geographies, businesses, and industries. Recent calls have focused on:

  • Digitalisation: Including artificial intelligence applications (ChatGPT, Co-Pilot), cybersecurity
  • Sustainability: ESG integration, sustainable value creation, SDGs reporting
  • Strategy and Innovation: Strategic pricing, management of technological innovation (blockchain, IoT, robotics)
  • Enterprise Risk Management: Organizational resilience and adaptation
  • Workplace Evolution: Diversity, equity, inclusion, hybrid workplace models
  • Professional Development: New skills and mindsets required by management accountants
  • Digital Transformation: The evolving role of management accountants in the digital age

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Trust is focused exclusively on management accounting research. Projects must have a clear application to management accounting and control practice.

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Governance and Leadership

The charity has 3 trustees, though specific trustee names are not publicly available on the Charity Commission register. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Academic Research Governance:

The academic research programme is governed by the Research and Development Panel, which helps set the research agenda and oversees the management of funded projects. The Panel comprises leading global management accounting faculty, scholars, and CIMA members, and reports to the CIMA Thought Leadership and Business Ethics Committee.

Panel members are drawn from two virtual advisory groups:

  • CIMA Research Board: Made up of management accounting academics
  • CIMA Advisory Panel: Made up of CIMA members

Review Process:

All proposals are reviewed by an external panel for academic rigour, quality, originality, and potential contribution to CIMA's research objectives.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through structured call processes. Applicants must:

  • Information about upcoming regional calls
  • Ad-hoc application submissions outside regular calls
  • Requesting a copy of the standard research contract
  • General enquiries

Decision Timeline

Projects are generally expected to be no more than 12 months in length. Specific decision timelines from submission to award notification are not publicly disclosed.

Success Rates

Success rate statistics are not publicly available. Applicants are encouraged to contact research@aicpa-cima.com for guidance on application competitiveness.

Reapplication Policy

Information on reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. Contact research@aicpa-cima.com for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Based on CIMA's published guidance and funded project examples, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Clear Practical Application

Proposals must have a clear application to management accounting and control practice, demonstrable throughout the bid. The Trust emphasizes research that will benefit practitioners, not just contribute to academic literature.

2. Academic Rigour and Originality

All proposals are evaluated for academic quality, rigour, and originality. Projects should advance the science of management accounting through innovative approaches.

3. Broad Relevance

CIMA welcomes proposals that investigate aspects of management accounting with relevance across multiple geographies, businesses, and industries. Regional calls allow for context-specific research, but even these should offer insights of broader applicability.

4. Administrative Compliance

Not having university pre-approval on CIMA's standard research contract will result in immediate rejection at any stage of the review process. This is a critical administrative requirement that applicants must address before submission.

5. Alignment with Current Themes

Recent funded projects demonstrate alignment with contemporary issues in management accounting, including digital transformation, sustainability, and the evolving role of the profession.

Examples of Funded Projects:

  • University of Lincoln: “Reshaping teaching excellence through accounting and business students as generators and co-creators of value for business and society: An eleven-country, five-continent comparative analysis” (Dr. Nadia Gulko)
  • Bocconi University: "Practicing Integrated Thinking and Reporting – Evidence from executives' incentives and remuneration" (Gaia Melloni and Ariela Caglio, £5,000)
  • University of South Australia: Drivers, barriers and benefits of technological innovation in the wine industry
  • Essec Business School: Work, challenges and roles of French and German management accountants in the digital age
  • Royal Holloway University: Evolving role of management accountants in organizational resilience and sustainable practices (Professor Leonardo Rinaldi)
  • Bristol University: Pricing theory and the role of the management accountant (Professor David Dugdale)
  • LUISS University: Purpose to Impact framework for Sustainable Value Creation (Professor Cristiano Busco)
  • Free University of Bolzano: ESG integration within business practices and corporate reporting

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Contract pre-approval is critical: Ensure your university has reviewed and agreed to CIMA's standard research contract before submitting - this is grounds for immediate rejection if not in place
  • Emphasize practical application: Throughout your proposal, clearly demonstrate how the research will benefit management accounting practitioners, not just contribute to academic knowledge
  • Consider timing strategically: With the next global call scheduled for 2027, explore ad-hoc application opportunities or regional calls by contacting research@aicpa-cima.com
  • Regional calls offer alternative pathways: If your research has a strong regional focus (particularly Southern Africa currently), regional calls may be more appropriate than global calls
  • Submit in Word format: Applications must be in MS Word, not PDF
  • Think globally: Even for smaller grants, demonstrate relevance across multiple contexts, geographies, and industries
  • Connect with current priorities: Align proposals with contemporary themes such as digital transformation, AI, sustainability, and ESG

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