Author Archives: Esther KNIGHT

Technology-inspired innovation – information and communications technology

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Innovate UK invites registrations for its call on technology-inspired innovation in information and communications technology. This supports technological innovation feasibility studies on information and communication technology, with a special focus on new software-based technologies or approaches that enable innovation in the areas of data exploration, simpler user experiences, increasing confidence in distributed computing systems, and advanced, modern software engineering. Projects should concentrate on early-stage technical opportunities that contain a significant level of technical risk and some level of uncertainty about how the proposed approach will work in practice.

Companies of any size may apply, however projects must be led by a small or micro business either singly or in collaboration with one other SME or research partner. In addition, companies may submit applications for multiple projects, however they are not allowed to participate in more than one project.

The total budget is worth up to £3 million. Each project should range in size between £50,000 and £150,000, although projects outside this range may be considered. Projects should last six to 15 months. SMEs may receive up to 70 per cent funding of their project costs, medium-sized businesses may receive 60 per cent and large businesses may receive 50 per cent.

  • Closing date 02 Sep 15
  • Deadline information Registrations are invited between 18 May and 12 noon, 2 September; full applications due by 12 noon, 9 September 2015.

Further information:

https://interact.innovateuk.org/competition-display-page/-/asset_publisher/RqEt2AKmEBhi/content/technology-inspired-innovation-may-2015-ict

 

The Thompson Family Charitable Trust

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Grants are available to UK registered charities for general charitable purposes.

Funding is provided at the discretion of the Trustees.

The Trust provides a range of grants from £250 up to an exceptional amount of £500,000. Most grants tend to be between £1,000 and £50,000 with a few grants of £100,000 and £200,000.

The Thompson Family Charitable Trust provides grants to registered charities for general charitable purposes.

Previous grants have been given in the following areas:

  • Health and social welfare.
  • Medical research.
  • Animal welfare.
  • The Arts.
  • Sports.
  • Education.

Applications may be submitted at any time, and UK registered charities are eligible to apply.

Examples of previously funded organisations include:

  • Animal Health Trust
  • Cancer Research UK
  • Cheer Trust
  • Injured Jockeys Fund
  • Katie Piper Foundation
  • Macmillan Cancer Support
  • North London Hospice
  • Parkinson’s UK
  • PCA Benevolent Fund
  • St Andrew’s Primary School
  • St Mary’s Church
  • Scene and Heard
  • Walk the Walk Worldwide
  • Walk with the Wounded

The Trust does not maintain a website or a formal application form.

Applications should be made in writing to the Trust.

 

Contact details:

Katie Woodward

The Thompson Family Charitable Trust
Hillsdown Court
15 Totteridge Common
London
N20 8LR

Telephone:
01608 676789
Email:
roy.copus@btinternet.com

Synergies Between Horizon 2020 and ESIF for Key Enabling Technologies now Available Online

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The presentations and video are now available online from a recent event on synergies between the Key Enabling Technologies in Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).

The event was organised by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions and held in Brussels on 6 May 2015.

Speakers from the Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) and the Committee of the Regions began the event. The speakers highlighted that two thirds of the EU regions have included Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) as part of their Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3).
The presentations included the results from a recent study on “Analysis of Smart Specialisation Strategies in Nanotechnologies, Advanced Manufacturing and Process Technologies”, the report from which is given at the link below.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/index_en.cfm

Speakers from DG RTD noted that whilst there are no particular actions on Smart Specialisation Strategies in Horizon 2020, Horizon 2020 can be used to accelerate the changes set out in the strategies. For example, the Teaming and Twinning calls both link to Smart Specialisation Strategies. They also highlighted that there are 20 topics where synergies can be found with ESIF in the Leadership in Emerging and Industrial Technologies part of the Horizon 2020 Work Programme, which is where the Key Enabling Technologies feature most prominently.

Proposal Development Event on co-creation, growth and inclusion

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Proposal Development event on co-creation, growth and inclusion

15th of June (13:00 till 18:00), Brussels

Registration is now open

ERRIN, invites Universities, Regions and Businesses to the proposal development event on co-creation, growth and inclusion, which will focus of the coming funding opportunities in 2016-17. We would like to engage with the likeminded individuals on the following areas of expertise: Economics, ICT, Technology, Health, Social Sciences.

Co-creation puts end-user or customer in the centre of production process and co-creation of value. At this event we will be looking at co-creation in a context of

(i) purpose-driven innovation,

(ii) end-user involvement and

(iii) cross-boundary collaboration.

We are looking to focus on Co Creation

  • In Health Diet, Diabetes, Smoking and Obesity
  • In Culture Virtual Museums and Social Platform on European digital heritage, memory, identity and cultural interaction
  • In Responsible Research and Innovation: specifically gender related
  • In Design: User-driven innovation: value creation through design-enabled innovation
  • In ICT: Please note this is a major Cross cutting theme.
  • In Security: Anti-corruption, fraud and cybercrime
  • In Mobility: mobility of people and money and its consequences for the European social and economic system

What is the aim of Brokerage Event? It is an event that provides the opportunity to meet consortium partners and discuss project proposals ahead of the 2016/2017 calls with the potential to develop consortia.

How to get the best out of the Brokerage Event Prior to the Brokerage Event, we invite all participants to make their project ideas and/or expertise known via the ERRIN Site. Participants will have the opportunity to present their idea in a facilitated round table session in a short project pitch to promote their proposal.

Who should attend? Regions, companies and universities with the following areas of expertise:

Economics, ICT, Technology, Health, Social Sciences who are interested in developing project proposals and partners in for the 2016-17 topics as well as some 2015 ones. This is the right place to bring together well targeted ideas and clearly defined cooperation needs from the research and business sector.

For more information and participation please contact:

Tatiana Panteli, European Business and Research Development Manager, t.panteli@wlv.ac.uk

 

Celebrate volunteers’ week with the Staffordshire University Fringe Festival

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Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK – and it’s taking place from the 1-7 June 2015.

Staffs Fringe Festival is the University’s annual public engagement festival.

Senior lecturer, Penny Vincent coordinates it and works with our community partners to facilitate a feast of free events and activities, ending with the Fantastic Fringe Finale on the last day (Saturday).

volunteers week logoImagine what the world would be like without volunteers. From the Staffs Live journalism team, to documentary photographers and workshop leaders at the Fantastic Finale – there are many students and local residents volunteering to make Fringe Festival go with a swing.

We will celebrate community arts with a Big Lunch picnic in Hanley Park with Park Live! performance on the bandstand by local people and a Photo walk led by the Photographers Collective North Staffs who are all volunteers.

The wonderful London Rd Festival on the 13th and 14th June is coordinated by a group of committed and skilful volunteers from Stoke West and Oakhill area.

Check out all the Volunteers Week events on their website here.

Newton Researcher Links workshop grants –

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The British Council, working with the Higher Education International Unit, have opened a call for proposals for workshop grants under the Newton Researcher Links programme, a part of the Newton Fund.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is also partnering with the British Council to fund successful workshops in some countries.

This element of Newton Researcher Links provides financial support to bring together a UK/partner country bilateral cohort of early career researchers to take part in workshops to:

  • build research capacity in developing economies
  • building links for future collaboration
  • enhancing the researchers’ career opportunities

The Newton Fund is part of the UK’s official development assistance programme. Through the Newton Fund, the UK will use its strength in research and innovation to promote economic development and social welfare of partner countries.

Deadline for applications: 16:00 UK time on 13 July 2015.

The workshops must take place between 1st November 2015 and 31st March 2016.

Partner countries:

Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and Russia*.

Other countries may added in due course, and any additions will be announced here.

*Russia is not a Newton Fund country and is a part of this call outside of the Newton Fund. The application process is the same, however there is no need to articulate the relevance of the application to economic development and social welfare where the partner country is Russia.

Workshop themes and priority areas

Partner countries may have areas of research priority, and workshops must be themed around one of these. All priority areas are listed in Annex 1 of the Guidelines document available in the Downloads section.

In Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey proposals in the Chemical Sciences would also be welcome and, if selected, may be co-funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility criteria apply, please download and read the Guidelines document in full before applying (available in the Downloads section).

HOW TO APPLY

Before applying please download and read the guidelines document from the Downloads section below. Once ready, you can apply online. You can view the information requested in the application form in the word document available in the Downloads section.

For advice on applying to funding schemes, read this article from the British Council Director, Science and Research.

CONTACT

If you have any enquiries relating to this call, please contact UK-researcherlinks@britishcouncil.org

Newton Researcher Links travel grants –

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The British Council, have opened a call for proposals for travel grants under the Newton Researcher Links programme, a part of the Newton Fund.

Researchers based in the UK and one of the partner countries may apply to spend up to 6 months in a research institution, either in the UK (if researcher is based in a partner country), or one of the partner countries (if researcher is based in the UK).

For further information on the specifics of the call, please read the Guidelines document in full (available from the Downloads section below).

The Newton Fund is part of the UK’s official development assistance programme. Through the Newton Fund, the UK will use its strength in research and innovation to promote economic development and social welfare of partner countries.

Deadline for applications: 16:00 UK time on 13 July 2015.

Travel funded by the grant must take place before 31 March 2016.

Partner countries

Turkey, Vietnam. Other countries may added in due course,

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be based in the UK or one of the partner countries identified above. There is no restriction on nationality.
  • Only one application can be made per person.
  • Applicants must have already been awarded a PhD. PhD students are not eligible.
  • Partner countries may have priority areas of research, and in these cases applications will be restricted to researchers in these fields. Please check the guidelines document for country specific restrictions.

Further eligibility criteria may apply. Please read the Guidelines document in full (available in the Downloads section below).

How to apply

Before applying please download and read the guidelines document from the Downloads section below. Once ready, you can apply online. You can view the information requested in the application form in the word document available in the Downloads section.

For advice on applying to funding schemes, read this article from the British Council Director, Science and Research.

Contact

If you have any enquiries relating to this call, please contact

UK-researcherlinks@britishcouncil.org

National teaching fellowship scheme

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The Higher Education Academy invites applications for its national teaching fellowship scheme. This recognises, rewards and celebrates individuals who make an outstanding impact on the student learning experience.

Higher education institutions in the UK participating in the scheme are eligible to nominate up to three members of staff. Staff are eligible to be nominated under part-time, full-time and fixed-term contracts. There are no nationality requirements.

For more details see:

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/professional-recognition/awards/national-teaching-fellowship-scheme-ntfs

 Closing date : tbc – expected to be early 2016.

 

Horizon’s 2020 SME Instrument: Looking for Europe’s next innovation leaders

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As part of the Horizon 2020 programme, the European Commission is hand-picking potentially disruptive businesses to invest and support as part of the SME Instrument. Your business could receive up to €2.5 million in funding, and world-class business coaching.

Who should apply?

The EU are looking for high growth, highly innovative SMEs [Check the EU definition of SME] with global ambitions that want to disrupt the established value networks and existing markets. It’s a good sign if your company is based in an innovation hub, has received grants or venture capital funding, received innovation-related tax benefits, or won an innovation prize in the last 2 years.

Phases

The funding will take place in three phases, with the aim of transforming disruptive ideas into concrete, innovative solutions with a European and global impact. SMEs are recommended to apply for Phase 1, but may also apply for subsequent phases depending on the progress of their proposals:

Phase 1. Concept & Feasibility Assessment; Idea to concept (6 months)

The European Union will provide €50 000 in funding, and carry out a feasibility study to verify the viability of the proposed disruptive innovation or concept.

The SME will draft an initial business proposal (around 10 pages).

Phase 2. Demonstration, Market Replication, R&D; Concept to Market-Maturity (1-2 years)

Assisted by the EU, the SME will further develop its proposal through innovation activities, such as demonstration, testing, piloting, scaling up, and miniaturisation. It will also draft a more developed business plan (around 30 pages).

Proposals will be based on a business plan developed on phase 1 or otherwise. The EU aims to contribute between €0.5 million and €2.5 million.

Phase 3. Commercialisation, Prepare for Market Launch

SMEs will receive extensive support, training, mentorship and facilitating access to risk finance as the project is further polished into a marketable product.

Additional support and networking opportunities will be provided by Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

The EU will not provide additional direct funding in this phase.

Themes

In 2014 and 2015 the SME Instrument will sponsor SMEs operating within 13 themes:

  • High risk ICT innovation
  • Nanotech, or other advanced tech for manufacturing and materials
  • Space research and development
  • Clinical research for the validation of diagnostics devices and biomarkers
  • Sustainable food production and processing
  • Blue growth
  • Low carbon energy systems
  • Greener and more integrated transport
  • Eco-innovation and sustainable raw material supply
  • Urban critical infrastructure
  • Biotechnology-based industrial processes
  • Mobile e-government applications (2015 only)
  • SME business model innovation (2015 only)

Here is a SME Instrument Case Study

FABPulous is a SME based in The Netherlands which was spun out of Maastricht University at the end of 2008, which will receive €1.6 m. from the European Union under Horizon 2020 SME Instrument programme to develop the Rapidex project.

Thanks to its researching FABPulous has developed a rapid test for the cardiac biomarker so called heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), to aid in the first-line diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) commonly known as a heart attack.

“It is able to distinguish patients who would have a heart attack to those wouldn’t have it. So a test like this could be identified those disinclined patients and send them home in three hours which is a big achievement”, states Mr. Conor O’Brien, Managing Director of FABPulous.

This offers great advantages in the point-of-care and home testing setting, over current technology.  Also it will help to relieve Emergency department overcrowding in Europe since “at the moment about 1 in 5 patients who seek medical attention with chest pain have a confirmed acute myocardial infarction but they have treat all of them”, points O’Brien.

For this company H2020 SME Instrument programme helps in generating critical evidences in this medical concern and boosts clinical research for the validation of biomarkers and/or diagnostic medical devices.

Deadlines:

Phase 1 &  Phase 2 17/06/2015; 17/02/09/2015; 25/11/2015

Find out more :

http://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/horizons-2020-sme-instrument