Category Archives: Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Building and Social Housing World Habitat Awards

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BSHF Logo    WHA Home

The Building and Social Housing Foundation invites preliminary submissions for the World Habitat Awards. The awards were established in 1985 as part of its contribution to the United Nations International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. Two awards are given annually to projects that provide practical and innovative solutions to current housing needs and problems. Suggested areas for submission include:

  • provision of low-cost, affordable housing for low-income households
  • environmentally sustainable housing
  • restoration of existing housing
  • provision of housing designed to withstand natural disasters
  • housing provision for those with special needs
  • technical innovation
  • housing developed and managed on a cooperative or other socially sustainable basis
  • projects and processes that ensure the right to land and housing

Any individual, organisation or government with an innovative and practical solution to housing needs and problems may apply. Applications should relate to housing projects and processes that are either completed or in progress. Submissions may be made in English, Spanish or French.

Awards of £10,000 will be made to each of the two winning projects at the World Urban Forum (even years) and UN-Habitat Governing Council (odd years).

Closing date 30 Apr 15

For further information go to: http://www.worldhabitatawards.org/enter/?lang=00

 

InfoDay announced: Knowledge and Sector Skills Alliances – November 12th

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The Erasmus+ InfoDay: Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances will take place in Brussels on 12th November 2014.

Knowledge Alliances are between higher education institutions and enterprises and aim to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, employability, knowledge exchange and/or multidisciplinary teaching and learning;

Sector Skills Alliances support the design and delivery of joint vocational training curricula, programmes and teaching and training methodologies, drawing on evidence of trends in a specific economic sector and skills needed in order to perform in one or more professional fields

The aim of the event is to explain the funding opportunities available under Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances

Speakers will offer advice and tips on preparing and submitting proposals as well as provide support with the financial aspects of funding.

There will be the chance to follow the meeting online.

More information about the event and the agenda will be available shortly at the web link below.

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/news/12th-november-2014-erasmus-plus-infoday-knowledge-alliances-and-sector-skills-alliances_en

Find the full programme document here:

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf

Call for proposals: Does human spaceflight affect the perception and uptake of STEM subjects?

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UK Space Agency logo  esrc logo

The UK Space Agency, in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council, invites proposals for the call: Does human spaceflight affect the perceptions and uptake of STEM subjects?

It aims to fund social research into the effects of human spaceflight programmes and the correlation between astronaut programmes and the interest in and uptake of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) among children.

Proposals for studies must address the following areas:

  • levels of engagement with STEM subjects in school, especially at key stages two and three
  • social mobility, namely the increased engagement in STEM from disadvantaged students and schools in underprivileged areas
  • knowledge of societal usefulness of space

It is anticipated that funding in the region of £300,000 to £350,000 will be available, over three years. This may cover research time, research assistants and other resources relevant and necessary to the proposed research.

This call is open to researchers at research organisations eligible for ESRC funding.

Closing date: 13 October 2014

For further information go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/353124/Human_Spaceflight_and_STEM_-_Call_for_proposals_II.pdf

 

H2020: ‘Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies’ 2016-2017

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Europe in a changing world

 

The European Commission has published a report summarising external advice on the next work programme for the Societal Challenge 6 of the Horizon 2020. It presents the outcomes of consultations undertaken during conferences, participatory workshops and on line questionnaires.

The report is structured around the main topic of the Societal Challenge 6 the Horizon 2020 programme:

  • Inclusive societies;
  • Innovative societies;
  • Reflective societies – Cultural heritage and European identity.

The views of around 3000 stakeholders  from the research community, sector, public authorities, industry and non-governmental organisations will contribute to shaping the future priorities and topics of calls for proposals 2016-2017.

This external advice report complements the recommendations from the Advisory Group of the Societal Challenge 6 published in July 2014. Further debate among the Member States about the next work programme will be taking place in the Programme Committee.

The link below gives the full report.

https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/sites/horizon2020/files/External%20advice%20and%20societal%20engagement-SC6-2016-2017.pdf

Ths link takes you to the European commission’s site for this Societal challenge

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/europe-changing-world-inclusive-innovative-and-reflective-societies

 

NEW – EPSRC calls for proposals

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EPRSC

Fresh Ideas Fund

The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices (MeDe Innovation), is inviting project proposals to their ‘Fresh Ideas Fund’, which identify key challenges in medical device manufacturing (Class III, musculoskeletal).

Issue date: 24 September 2014 / Closing date: 19 December 2014 at 17:30

Type: Invitation for proposals

Related themes: Engineering, Healthcare technologies, Manufacturing the future

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/freshideasfund/

 Future Manufacturing Research Hubs

EPSRC is inviting outline applications for a number of large-scale, multidisciplinary research Hubs to address major, long-term challenges facing manufacturing industries, as well as capture opportunities from emerging research areas.

Issue date: 23 September 2014 / Closing date: 11 November 2014 at 16:00

Type: Invitation for proposals

Related themes: Manufacturing the future

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/future-manufacturing-research-hubs/

Transforming approaches to improving hearing aid technology

This call is to encourage Engineering, Information and Communication Technologies, Physical and Mathematical Sciences researchers to develop disruptive technologies for use in hearing aid devices.

Issue date: 22 September 2014 / Closing date: 27 November 2014 at 16:00

Type: Invitation for proposals

Related themes: Engineering, Healthcare technologies, ICT, Manufacturing the future, Mathematical sciences, Physical sciences

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

New Materials for RF and Microwave Technologies Workshop: Call for Expressions of Interest

EPSRC invites expressions of interest to attend a workshop in the Birmingham area (venue TBA), to engage with the research communities in the area of RF and Microwave Devices.

Issue date: 17 September 2014 / Closing date: 23 October 2014 at 16:00

Type: Expression of interest

Related themes: ICT, Physical sciences

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/newmaterialsrfmwworkshopeoi/

Fellowships

Fellowships are available in a number of priority areas

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/fellows/areas/

Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Awards

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Sir Isaac Wolfson FRS (1897-1991) Sir Isaac Wolfson FRS (1897-1991) was a businessman who distributed most of his fortune to good causes.

The Royal Society, in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, invites nominations for the Wolfson Research Merit Awards. These enable universities to attract or retain researchers of outstanding achievement and potential. The award covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering but excluding medicine.

It provides a salary enhancement for up to five years, usually worth £10,000 to £30,000 per year, in addition to the basic salary.

Awards are made to the university and therefore researchers must remain at the university named on the application. Researchers may be of any nationality but must hold or have received a firm offer for a permanent post at a UK university.

Closing date: 4 November 2014

For further information go to the Wolfson Foundation.

https://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/wolfson-research-merit/

Leverhulme research project grants – appications invited

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The Leverhulme Trust invites proposals for its research project grants. These support innovative and original research projects on a topic of the applicant’s choice. The trust welcomes applications for research in any academic discipline.

Eligible applicants will already be employed by an institution or be an academic who has maintained close links with that institution following retirement. Institutions eligible to apply are universities, other institutions of higher education in the UK, and registered charities in the UK that have equivalent research capacity.

The scheme is also open to institutions or organisations of similar standing in countries where the provision of research funding is seriously limited. The award is paid directly to the institution at which the applicant is employed. Up to three co-applicants from the same institution or different institutions may apply.

Grants may be held for up to five years for a maximum sum of £500,000. Eligible costs include research staff, postgraduate students and the tuition fees and maintenance costs of one or more PhD studentships, as well as research-associated costs such as travel and subsistence, consumables and technical costs or services.

Exclusions

The trust does not support

  •  Research directly relevant to clinicians, medical professionals or the pharmaceutical industry, as well as policy-driven research where the principal objective is to assemble an evidence base for immediate policy initiatives.
  •  Research aimed principally at an immediate commercial application.
  • Principal investigators may not apply from institutions or organisations located in North America or elsewhere in the EU.

Application procedure

http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/RPG/RPG.cfm

Research Project Grants are assessed via a two-stage process. There are no deadlines for Outline Applications, and their assessment is normally completed within three months. An invitation to progress to the second stage – preparation of a Detailed Application – will be sent to those whose Outline Application has been approved.

Information day on European Funding for Materials and Nanotechnology, Chemistry and Manufacturing Communities

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This event will give you a chance to hear insights from the European Commission on the opportunities for funding under Horizon 2020 for materials and nanotechnology, chemistry and manufacturing organisations.It is free to attend and will be held in Birmingham on 3 October.

The event will focus on the nanotechnologies, materials and production ‘NMP’ programme including the public-private partnerships SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industries through Resource Efficiency) and Factories of the Future.  In addition, Innovate UK (the new name for the Technology Strategy Board) and the Knowledge Transfer Network will highlight opportunities for support.  As part of the event, you will have the opportunity to pitch your ideas for projects to the audience and profile the expertise you have to offer as well as network with other participants.

More details and registration are available here

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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