Author Archives: Josephine Beech

Technology Strategy Board (TSB) – Technology Inpsired Innovation

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 The Technology Strategy Board is to invest up to £10m in fast-track and collaborative research and development projects that stimulate innovation across the key enabling technology areas of advanced materials, biosciences, electronics, sensors and photonics and information and communications technology.

Additional funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) may be available for projects in line with the scope of this competition that contain a significant, high-quality academic research component and demonstrate added value by building on or being complementary to their existing research programmes and portfolios.

We are seeking innovative proposals that focus on projects that advance the development of a recent technological discovery or breakthrough in the context of significant and identifiable technological risk, which can be broadly applied across a wide range of market opportunities and needs.

Projects must be collaborative and business-led.

 For clarity please note that ESP stands for Electronics, Sensors and Photonics; ICT stands for Information & Communication Technologies.

 The competition has two strands:

Strand 1 is a single-stage fast-track process. Projects must be led by a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) and must last between six and 12 months.

Strand 2 is a two-stage competition. Consortia should include at least one SME partner and projects must last between 12 and 24 months.

The competition opens on 3 December 2012.

Open date: 03 December 2012

Registration close date: 23 January 2013

 Close date: 10 April 2013

For more Information please contact Naomi Arblaster on N.Arblaster@staffs.ac.uk or call 01785 353519

 

Commission Consultation on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

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The European Commission is holding a “public consultation on the efficiency of proceedings and accessibility of measures property rights” relating to the civil enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

The consultation closes on 30 March 2013.
As a part of its overall strategy on intellectual property, and in line with the Conclusions of the Competitiveness Council of 31 May 2012, the Commission is continuing to consult stakeholders in order to evaluate the overall functioning of the civil enforcement system for intellectual property rights (e.g. patents, trademarks, designs and copyright) in the EU. This survey is a part of the broad strategy of the Commission to improve the legal framework for intellectual property rights and their enforcement in order to allow innovative services and products to create growth and jobs in Europe.

Purpose and Scope of Consultation
The purpose of this survey is to gather specific information about the enforcement of intellectual property rights through contracts, litigation or other means. This information would allow for comprehensive assessment of efficiency and costs of the civil enforcement systems that are put in place for intellectual property rights in the Member States. Additionally, this round of public consultations gives an opportunity to identify complementary work streams where appropriate.

The survey focuses on the period from May 2006 onwards. It is directed at all interested public and private stakeholders. In particular, this survey is seeking information from stakeholders that participated in civil proceedings concerning infringements of intellectual property rights, namely plaintiffs and defendants as well as from other parties involved in such proceedings.

 to take part in the consultation please click HERE

Call for Proposals: Tempus IV

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Reform of Higher Education through International University Co-operation 

Deadline: 26/03/2013

The European Commission, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, has launched a call for proposals in the provision for the fourth phase of the Tempus programme, a reform of higher education through international university co-operation.

The overall objective of the programme is to support the modernisation of higher education in the EU’s surrounding area. The Tempus programme promotes institutional co-operation and focuses on the reform and modernisation of higher education systems in the partner countries. It contributes to an area of co-operation in higher education involving the European Union and partner countries in its wider proximity. In particular, the programme will promote voluntary convergence with EU developments in the field of higher education, deriving from the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy, the strategic framework for European co-operation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) and the Bologna process.

The purpose of this call for proposals is to promote multilateral co-operation among higher education institutions, authorities and organisations from EU Member States and partner countries, with the focus on the reform and modernisation of higher education.

 To find out more about this call please click HERE