Author Archives: Esther KNIGHT

Under One Roof – Social Enterprise Launch

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Under One Roof – Social Enterprise Launch

Tuesday 14 October 2104 9:30 a.m. – 15:30 p.m.  The Ballroom – Keele Hall, Keele University

Book your Place to Attend Event

You are warmly invited to attend the launch of “Under One Roof” a partnership project on Social Enterprise led by Keele University in conjunction with Staffordshire University.  “Under One Roof” is one of six Social Enterprise Thematic Clusters funded via a Government initiative offered by UnLtd (https://unltd.org.uk/).This strategic launch event will connect key partners who are passionate about Social Enterprise and its role in Staffordshire. It will address the following questions:

  • What is the national picture for Social Enterprise?
  • How are we responding to Social Enterprise in Staffordshire?
  • How we can all collaborate and champion Social Enterprise across the county?
  • How can organisations connect and share knowledge to raise the profile of Social Enterprise in Staffordshire?

You can expect excellent plenary speakers, including Prof Nick Foskett Vice Chancellor from Keele University and Prof Michael Gunn Vice Chancellor from Staffordshire University as well as representatives from UnLtd, Prime and the YMCA.

The afternoon will offer Social Enterprise workshops as well as opportunities to meet new people and networking opportunities to shape the future of Social Enterprise in Staffordshire.

Agenda

9.30        Arrivals and Registration

Chair for the day:  Kym Billington-Baddley & Pete Twilley

10.00     Welcome Address: Vice Chancellors – Professor Nick Foskett, & Professor Michael Gunn

10.20     Cliff Prior, CEO, UnLtd, HEI perspective and wider partnership initiatives

10.35     Danny Flynn, CEO, YMCA

10.50     CEO, Princes Initiative for Mature Social Enterprise (Prime) to be confirmed

11.05     Round table discussions – Social Enterprise in Staffordshire – Looking to the Future

  •  What will the best possible future for social enterprise in Staffordshire look like?
  •   What will help us get there?

11.30     Coffee break

11.40     Dr Sharon George, Entrepreneurship, Keele

11.0     Peter Twilley, Growing Your Social Enterprise, Staffordshire University

12.00     Workshops 1,2,3,4

1.00       Lunch and networking

2.00       Workshops 1,2,3,4

3.00       Plenary

3.30       Thanks and close

Scientists demand better place for humanities in Horizon 2020

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Horizon 2020 has failed to fully integrate the humanities into its work programmes, according to Science Europe.

More than 90 per cent of the topics covered in the programmes do not include a humanities approach, says a report published by the Science Europe scientific committee for the Humanities on 4 September. The paper analyses the integration of the humanities in the 2014-2015 work programmes.

In the remaining 10 per cent of topics, the humanities expertise asked for is rather narrow and unnecessarily limited, says the report. The work programmes are not very concerned with the ‘human factor’ of research and innovation, such as attitudes or culturally embedded values, according to Science Europe, a group that represents research organisations.

The report also criticises the fact that the humanities are seen mostly as having a translational role between research and the market, but are not pursued to gain better understanding of wider social developments.

See full report:

http://www.scienceeurope.org/uploads/PublicDocumentsAndSpeeches/SCsPublicDocs/Humanities%20Paper_FIN_dig.pdf

September’s Wider Outlook is here!

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Wider Outlook – Funding, Policy updates and Research

Editorial

Welcome to September’s Wider Outlook—the team have chosen the theme of working with Horizon 2020 and SMEs for this month. We have identified and created a number of articles related to this topic.

Once again, current funding opportunities remain part of our daily blog, and  individual opportunities are circulated to relevant groups as a bespoke service.

This edition includes:

  • a report back from the UK Research Office (UKRO) annual conference highlighting key issues for the university
  • the background and programme for our annual UKRO conference on November 20th
  • European Commission Regional funds and our internal champion
  • Intellectual Property and H2020
  • What is an SME?

Do continue to use our fantastic Funding Calendar enjoy this edition, and as ever contact us with any comments, ideas or suggestions at  externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

The External Projects Team: Jose, Holly, Esther, Chris and Margaret

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UK Research Office (UKRO) annual conference, Bristol

The UK research office (UKRO) represents all the UK research councils in Brussels, providing guidance and advice to the UK university sector as they bid for EU research funding.The conference provided thoughts on issues the UK research community could address and improve.The full programme and presentations for the annual conference can be accessed here:

http://www.ukro.ac.uk/aboutukro/conference/Pages/slides_friday.aspx

http://www.ukro.ac.uk/aboutukro/conference/Pages/slides_thursday.aspx

The conference emphasised that H2020 is not business as usual, in that there is a distinct move away from pure research to addressing societal issues and challenges – such as the ageing population, and the financial crisis. This approach brings in formally a wider range of disciplines, for example the social sciences and humanities, SSH. It also brings in a wider range of sectors. In particular the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise sector (SME) who are the focus within H2020 for bringing the outcomes of research to market.

Key themes and challenges for the university sector arising from the conference are as follows:

  • Mainstreaming SSH and innovation
  • Joining up H2020 better to domestic programmes – there is a government science and innovation strategy due in the autumn that is designed to bring the two together
  • Linking H2020 to the structural funds (UK has an allocation of £11bn for to Local Enterprise Partnerships to prioritise –of which there is £800m allocated to innovation – particularly for taking research outcomes to market)
  • Developing links to business –SMEs and making the funds accessible

h2020 business

Particular challenges for universities in relation to working with business are:

      • How to find the right businesses for universities to work with
      • Questions of why businesses don’t collaborate internationally –linked to Intellectual Property; How to deal with IP rights in H2020 –in the past industry have been reluctant to sign up to EC requirements. See our IP article below.
      • Questions of why businesses don’t collaborate internationally linked to finding the right partners
      • Under the first SME call –UK came 3rd in terms of numbers applications (after Spain and Italy) and second in numbers of approvals.

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Programme for our annual UKRO conference in November

We have planned the date early for the University’s annual European funding event this year, so you can book a place before your diary fills up.

We are especially delighted to welcome both Jane Watkins, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020 to the conference alongside Błażej Thomas our UKRO adviser.

‘Be a Part of European Funding’

Thursday 20 November 2014   09:00-16:30

LT114/116 Ashley Building, Leek Road, Stoke on Trent

Morning Programme

09:00-10:30 – SME involvement in H2020 – How researchers can work with businesses and other non-academic sectors under the different Horizon 2020 programmes. Błażej Thomas, UKRO 

10:30-12:00 – Marie Sklodowska Curie funding –  An overview of the fund, what we can achieve with it, and the level of detail required for an application. Błażej Thomas, UKRO

 12:00- 13:00 Networking Lunch

Afternoon Programme

Information and Networking session for Businesses and University Staff

 13:00-14:00 Presenting the Horizon 2020 SME instrument. Jane Watkins, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020 

Throughout the afternoon

12:00-16:30 –One to One Sessions with Jane Watkins and Błażej Thomas

Book a one to one session with our European specialists to get inside knowledge on developing your European Project.

Get individual advice on which conferences to attend to meet people, which EU policies you should be focusing on, how to find partners, how to develop your bid and more.

Businesses interested in getting involved with European funded projects are invited to come to the University to find out how the programmes work and talk to academics about how they can collaborate on projects.

The University has lead and partnered on many European projects. It is a great way for businesses to develop their European networks and to get funding to develop a new idea to improve your business.

To book your place for any or all of these sessions email externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

2013-12-11 14.07.39

The External Projects Team at the 2013 UKRO event

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European regional funds and our internal champion

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main funds to support to growth and jobs across the EU. They are allocated regionally, to help develop new services and new products within an area.

The 2014-2020 allocation for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent area is worth £138.4 million, and it has a 60% intervention rate. It comprises the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF (£83m) and of the European Social Fund, ESF (£55.3m). In addition, £3.13m is available to support investment for rural enterprise.

Priorities have been set out around these 4 themes:

  •  Innovation (ERDF),
  •  SME competitiveness (ERDF),
  • Place and environment (ERDF),
  • Skills, employment and social inclusion (ESF).

4 high value added sectors have been identified within the area: advanced materials, advanced manufacturing and energy, digital and creative industries.

Marie Pandolfo, who is covering Emma Davies’s maternity leave within Enterprise and Commercial Development, acts as the reference point for ERDF.

The University is likely to seek to develop a range of new infrastructures and facilities (Open Innovation platform, incubation space, shared research laboratories), as well as more support for enterprise along with a particular focus on the Creative industries.

If you have any project ideas or requests, please contact

E: marie.pandolfo@staffs.co.uk

T: 01785 353831.

Marie is listing all project ideas in order to get ready for the first call for proposals in the next few months, and to nurture the ESIF framework documents, which are still being discussed.

 

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Open Access

This is a summary of our Open Access briefing note which examines the meaning according to the EU Commission and the Research Councils

For the full note see Note on open access

Open access, as understood by the European Commission, or the Research Councils, is the free and open access to the outputs of publicly-funded research, usually in the form of academic publications.  Open access is required by the funders to promote social and economic benefits as well as aiding the development of new research.

The Research Councils’ general policy is that research and data should also be available to potential users in business, charitable and public sectors, and to the general tax-paying public, on the basis that research funded by the tax payer should be available and accessible to the tax payer.

There is an inevitable tension where the Commission and the Research Councils and other public funders wish to encourage publication of results and research data.  However, on general projects and Horizon 2020, the policy has included the taking into account of legitimate concerns in relation to privacy, commercial interests and rights of access to large data volumes.  There appears to be an attempt to encourage a culture of sharing scientific and other publications, and permit adequate protection of rights of parties in research and research data.

Learn more, In practical terms however – the European Commission’s IP help desk will look at draft agreements and give comments on proposals

http://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/taxonomy/term/149

Learn more, at the IPR webinar September 3rd 11-30 to 13-00.

http://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/node/2301

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What is an SME?

Working with SMEs? -here is the European Commission’s SME definition

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf

horizon2020_0

 

Thematic partnerships with Indian Universities

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The British Council’s UK-India education and research initiative and the Department of Science and Technology of India invite applications for their thematic partnerships. These facilitate collaborations between faculties and researchers and enable registered PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in India and the UK to undertake short-term visits to work on research projects. The key subject areas match well with Staffordshire University’s:

•climate change;

•computer science;

•public health and well-being;

•food water energy;

•sustainable cities;

•big data;

•high value manufacturing.

Multidisciplinary research is encouraged. These partnerships are intended for institution-based research teams, in the UK and India, of proven research ability. The project leaders should be faculty members or researchers in an institution or research laboratory in a UK university or institution. EU citizens may apply provided that they hold a permanent position in the UK, and non-EU citizens should have held a permanent position at a UK institution for at least three consecutive years. Indian project leaders should be based in an Indian university or institution and be resident in India.

Funds are available for partnerships of up to 15 months in duration and provide a maximum of £40,000 equivalent in Indian rupees.

Closing date 15th September

http://www.ukieri.org/call-for-bids-2014-15.html

 

RCUK consults on open access

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Research Councils UK has launched a call for evidence to inform a review of how its open-access policy has been implemented.

The review panel, chaired by former University of Leicester vice-chancellor Bob Burgess, wants to hear from anyone who is interested in the open-access policy. The deadline for evidence is 12 September and the panel hopes to report interim findings by the end of 2014.

The review is aimed at helping RCUK to understand how effective the policy has been and what impact it has had on universities, research organisations, publishers and researchers.

See http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/media/news/140717/

The review panel, chaired by former University of Leicester vice-chancellor Bob Burgess, wants to hear from anyone who is interested in the open-access policy. The deadline for evidence is 12 September and the panel hopes to report interim findings by the end of 2014.

 

Individual fellowships

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FRIAS

http://www.frias.uni-freiburg.de/en/news/call-for-applications/call-for-applications-frias-cofund-fellowship-programme-fcfp-2015-16

The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies invites applications for its individual fellowships. These support innovative research across existing boundaries, between disciplines, different cultures and countries, established and younger researchers and engages in activities that opens the research community to society and politics. There are two types of fellowships, junior and senior.

Applicants for junior fellowships must have a PhD and one to six years of postdoctoral experience. For a senior fellowship a minimum of six years of postdoctoral experience is required. There are no restrictions on research disciplines or researcher nationality. Applicants may not have had their main residence in Germany for more than one year out of the last three prior to the application deadline, which is 15th October 2014.

Each fellow receives a monthly allowance of up to €450 in theoretical disciplines and €1,050 in experimental disciplines. Fellows without a work contract with their home institute will receive an attractive salary. A mentoring programme for junior fellows, office space and assistance with accommodation is also available. A senior fellowship last for three to 12 months and a junior fellowships lasts 12 months for humanities and social sciences and up to 24 months for natural sciences, engineering and medicine. There is a total of 20 fellowships available.

UK expertise to access £200bn large scale urban projects market

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catapult

 

The UK’s experience in managing large-scale urban projects and its design, data and low-carbon standards make it well positioned to take advantage of the £200-billion global cities market, a report from the Future Cities Catapult has said.

Future Cities Catapult

However, How can the UK Innovate for the World’s Cities? adds that there is more work to be done to link businesses, research and public services in order for the country to take full advantage.

The report says it is intended to provoke conversation and connect people. An announcement from the catapult says that the UK’s activities related to future cities are “already worth more than £16bn”. The report aims to identify areas of strength that the country should build on.

These include the ability to deliver large-scale projects such as the Olympics, urban regeneration and the use of brownfield sites, digital creativity and standards that are respected around the world. It also says the country has expertise in spatial data analysis and multidisciplinary projects.

EPSRC calls for partners to develop Alan Turing Institute

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The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has opened a call for applications from institutions that want to be part of the £42-million Alan Turing Institute for data research.

Announced in the budget, the Institute will build on the nation’s strengths and help position the UK as a world leader in the analysis and application of Big Data.

The call for expressions of interest opened on 18 July and will close on 30 October.

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/turinginstituteeoinotice/

Minister of State for Universities and Science, Greg Clarke said:

It is a fitting tribute to Alan Turing that this Institute will push the boundaries of mathematics and lead the way in research, education and knowledge transfer.

The Institute’s objective will be to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of the analytical methods that support the country’s ability to exploit publicly or privately owned large datasets.

It will provide a national centre to promote advanced research and translational work in the application of data science and the associated computational algorithms.

The government’s investment of £42 million to 2020 includes an initial capital investment of £20 million and support for operating costs to assist in funding the Institute.

The Institute will have a physical location and will bring together leaders in advanced mathematics and computing science. Its work is expected to encompass a wide range of scientific disciplines and be relevant to a wide range of business sectors.

Find Funding for your Research via ‘Research Professional’

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Wednesday 17 September 10:00-11:00

In Room C101 of the Cadman building, Stoke.

(the room is booked till 12pm so you can test the site)

The university subscribes to an online database of research funding. Research Professional covers all academic fields. The site can be used to carry out a specific fund search or you can put in your research interests and get sent a weekly email each time a fund comes up which covers your field.

www.researchprofessional.com

The External Projects Team is inviting staff to come along to a one hour workshop to go though some of the site features. The workshop will provide a walk through on the site and then give staff the chance to explore the site and ask questions. The room is booked till 12pm and staff will be on hand to help you set up personalised updates on upcoming funding in your research area.

To book a place email externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk