Category Archives: Computing, Engineering and Sciences

UnLTD Social Enterprise Awards – Small Funds Avaliable to Students & Staff

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Staffordshire University have recieved a small allocation of money from the HEFCE supported UnLTD Social Enterprise awards scheme which has been matched with HEIF (Higher Education Innovation Funding) which is managed by Enterprise and Commercial Development. This small awards scheme aims to facilitate students or staff in trying new ideas that have or create social value, this can be an idea about starting a social enterprise venture, to supporting social enterprises that are already in existence.The awards start at up to £500 and dependent on your idea there may be additonal money you can access. Applcations will be accepted up until the 31st July 2014. In terms of the application process, there is a short application form to fill in, you will be required to keep reciepts and meet with us to ensure you are on track.

If you have an idea, or know of someone that does, if they are a student or a member of staff and they have an idea or a venture that they would like to discuss please contact Peter Twilley on 01782 294968 to find out more or email Peter at P.L.Twilley@staffs.ac.uk

 

 

24 steps to a successful start up

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We recently attended the PraxisUnico conference where Bill Aulet from MIT gave a presentation on “The coming crisis in entrepreneurship education and what to do about it”.

Entrepreneurship is exploding globally and many people believe that this is something that cannot be taught and those that are successful are born with the skills for it. Bill however does not agree this is the case. He believes some of the greatest entrepreneurs – Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates – have one thing in common: they made great products.

He also stated that the single condition needed to be successful is a paying customer. The customer should be involved from the very beginning so you know who they are and what they require. By not carrying out market research and selecting the market segment you will be most successful in you are likely to fail.

For more detail on the 24 steps to a successful start-up you can sign up for the Disciplined Entrepreneurship Toolbox at http://detoolbox.com/ or purchase the book http://disciplinedentrepreneurship.com/

The 24 steps game plan is below

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Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorships

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The objective of these awards is to enable distinguished academics based overseas to spend between three and twelve months at a UK university, in order to enhance the skills of academic staff or students within the host institution. Any field of research is eligible.

Visiting Professors may also wish to use the opportunity to further their own academic interests.

Criteria for selection are:

  • the academic standing and achievements of the professor in terms of research and teaching
  • the ability of the host institution to benefit from the imported skills and expertise

Applications must be made by a member of academic staff, based in a UK university or other higher education institution, who will be responsible for coordinating the visit. Priority is given to new or recent collaborative ventures.

A maintenance grant up to a level commensurate with the salary of a professor in the relevant field at the receiving institution may be requested. Economy travel costs to and from the UK and research costs will also be met.

For further information go to: http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/VP/VP.cfm

 

Royal Academy of Engineering – enterprise fellowships

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The Royal Academy of Engineering invites applications for its enterprise fellowships. These enable aspiring entrepreneurs to commercialise technology-based business ideas from academic institutions into spinout companies.

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Applicants must be working in engineering departments or engineering-focused research areas at UK higher education institutions, at postdoctoral level or above. PhD students may apply, but must have received their PhD before they start the fellowship. The proposed technology must be an innovation or invention in engineering or technology.

Each fellow is provided with up to £85,000 to enable them to spend 12 months establishing their own business. In addition to the financial support, training will be provided to develop business skills. Mentors will be allocated to each fellow to provide additional support, advice and access to their entrepreneurial and venture capital networks during the enterprise fellowship.

Closing date 01/09/2014

Enterprise fellows are expected to start by 31 March 2015.

http://www.raeng.org.uk/research/researcher/eef/default.htm

New EU LIFE Programme funds launched

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Funding for Europe’s new LIFE Programme has been launched.These projects address the needs of nature, biodiversity, environment and climate action.

Funding Body: European Environment Programme

Scheme: LIFE 2014-2020

Overview:

The 2014 call under the new LIFE programme, will fund the following types of projects:

Traditional projects
These are projects focusing on development of best practice, demonstration, pilot or information activities, awareness and dissemination projects in the following key fields:

  • Nature and Biodiversity
  • Environment and Resource Efficiency
  • Environmental Governance and Information
  • Climate Change Mitigation
  • Climate Change Adaptation
  • Climate Governance and Information

Preparatory projects
These address specific needs for the development and implementation of Union environmental or climate policy and legislation.

Integrated projects
These are projects implementing on a regional, national or trans-national scale environmental or climate plans or strategies required by specific EU environmental or climate legislation, which could be developed by EU Member States’ authorities. The focus areas are nature water, waste, air and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Technical Assistance projects
These provide, by way of action grants, financial support to help applicants prepare integrated projects.

Capacity Building projects
These provide financial support to activities required to build the capacity of EU Member States, including LIFE national or regional contact points, with a view to enabling these countries to participate more effectively in the LIFE Programme.

LIFE projects have an emphasis on demonstration, best practice and pilot projects rather than the research focus which you find in Horizon 2020. Some of the themes also allow dissemination and awareness projects to be carried out.

More details on the specifications for projects, and on these priority areas, can be found on the European Commission web page indicated below.

Projects do not have to be transnational, but they are encouraged.

Budget: The European commission with fund 60% of project costs. Except in cases where the project focuses on conservation of priority species or habitats, where the funding is 75%.

Capacity building projects for members States are co-financed at 100%

Deadlines: A variety of strands are open, the deadlines are in October 2014.

Further Information: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life2014/index.htm

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University Research Fellowship

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The Royal Society

This scheme is for outstanding scientists in the UK who are in the early stages of their research career and have the potential to become leaders in their field. Approximately 35 fellowships will be awarded each year.

The scheme provides the opportunity to build an independent research career. Those appointed are expected to be strong candidates for permanent posts in universities at the end of their fellowships.
The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine and any researcher addressing a direct biomedical research question.

The applicant must:
  • have a PhD
  • be in the early stages of their research career and must have between 3 to 8 years of research experience since their PhD by the closing date of the round
  • not hold a permanent post in a university or not-for-profit organization in the European Economic Area (EEA)
  • be a citizen of the EEA or a be a Swiss citizen (or have a relevant connection to the EEA or Switzerland)

The EEA consists of the European Union (including the UK), Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

Initially funding is provided for five years with the opportunity to apply for an extension of three additional years. The University Research Fellowship can be held part-time, and allows sabbaticals, secondments or international experience

The basic salary requested should be at a level commensurate with the applicant’s skills, responsibilities, expertise and experience, up to a maximum of £38,759.20 per annum.

Closing date 17 Sep 14 (Forecast)

For further information go to: https://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/university-research/

New call for Agri-food-themed KTPs announced

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The Technology Strategy Board, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Invest Northern Ireland, the Scottish Funding Council and the Welsh Government, are to invest jointly up to £2.3m to establish Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) to improve the competitiveness, resilience and responsiveness of the agri-food supply chain.

The aim of this initiative is to give businesses access to the UK knowledge base so that they can develop innovative solutions to global challenges facing the agri-food sector.

Its scope spans primary production, including aquaculture, through to retail. This competition will provide new opportunities for open innovation and knowledge exchange across supply chains and sectors. It will help companies to mitigate commercial risk and improve business performance – and to achieve growth as a result.

Project proposals should address at least one of three high-level challenges:

• innovating to benefit consumer health, wellbeing and choice

• improving productivity, resource efficiency and resilience in the supply chain

• assuring safety and security across the supply chain.

Examples of potential project areas include: application of genetic and breeding approaches to crops and livestock; food safety, authenticity and traceability; improved methods to control yield/productivity loss or product quality; improving nutritional quality through better products or ingredients; modern manufacturing methods; technologies, approaches or services which support the sustained modification of consumer or employee behaviours; use of data (e.g. generation and interpretation of  large data sets relevant to the agri-food supply chain).

The call opens today (19th June) and will close on 11th Feb 2015.

For further information, read the full competition briefing on the TSB’s ‘innovateuk’ website here, or contact Dominic Collins in Enterprise & Commercial Development: Tel: 01785 353404, email: d.collins@staffs.ac.uk

Be a Part of European Funding: November 20th

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Be a Part of European Funding

The External Projects team’s annual UK Research Office (UKRO) event is on Thursday November 20th, LT114/116 Ashley Building, Stoke. This is our opportunity to hear the latest EU research funding news from our Brussels based UKRO representative Blazej Thomas.

9:00-10:30 –SME involvement- how researchers can work with businesses and other non-academic sectors under the different Horizon 2020 programmes

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

12:00-16:30 – Information and Networking session for Businesses and University Staff 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. This event is free and includes lunch.

12:00-16:30 –One to One Sessions Book a one to one session with our European specialist 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.

To book your place email externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk saying which sessions you wish to attend.

Attract an outstanding scientific researcher

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Funding from the Royal Society to attract or keep an outstanding scientific researcher (including engineering) at the University for up to five years.

Funding Body: Royal Society

Scheme: Wolfson research merit awards

Overview: These enable universities to attract, or keep in the UK, researchers of outstanding achievement and potential. The award covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering.

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.

Budget: Funding in the form of salary enhancements, usually worth £10,000 to £30,000 per year, will be provided for up to five years. Research expenses will be considered for overseas researchers to support integration into the UK research environment.

Deadlines: 08 July 2014 –This call repeats, we do not have exact dates available, but it is roughly an annual call.

Further Information: http://royalsociety.org/Wolfson-Research-Merit-Awards/

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Wellcome Trust: Sustaining Health awards

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The Wellcome Trust Strategic Plan includes a specific challenge in the area of ‘connecting environment, nutrition and health’ – seeking deeper insights into the issues at stake and develop strategies to mitigate the risks to human health.  This embraces the research themes of

  • behaviour change
  • global nutrition
  • health impacts of climate change
  • ecological public health

Public health is seriously threatened by a lack of access to nutritious food, clean water and sanitation, by poor air quality, and by environmental (including climate) change. These interlinked dangers are developing in parallel with dietary choices and lifestyles that are contributing to an unprecedented burden of obesity and chronic diseases.

This call aims to stimulate the formation of creative partnerships that bring together the diversity of competences required to tackle these complex problems and inform the global response through multidisciplinary research.

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Innovations/Awards/Sustaining-Health/index.htm

Closing date for initial outline: July 25th 2014