Category Archives: Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Rights, Equality and Citizenship in Europe

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The European Commission has launched a new funding scheme around rights, equality and citizenship. This blog gives an overview of the scheme. Individual calls will be launched over the coming months.

Funding Body: Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme

Overview:

Specific objectives are to:-

  • Promote non-discrimination
  • Combat racism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance
  • Promote rights of persons with disabilities
  • Promote equality between women and men and gender mainstreaming
  • Prevent violence against children, young people, women and other groups at risk
  • Promote the rights of the child
  • Ensure the highest quality of data protection
  • Promote the rights deriving from Union citizenship
  • Enforce consumer rights

Support is available for training, awareness raising, networking and transnational cooperation.

Activities to be funded include:-

  • Training activities (staff exchanges, workshops, development of training modules etc.)
  • Mutual learning, cooperation activities, exchanges of good practices, peer reviews, development of ICT tools etc.
  • Awareness-raising activities, dissemination, conferences etc.
  • Support to main actors/key stakeholders

Budget: It may not be the same for all strands but many of them look like they will offer to fund 80% of project costs.

Deadlines: Separate calls are planned under each of the Programme objectives, the majority are planned for the second half of 2014, although some are set for the second quarter of the year.

Further Information: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/programmes-2014-2020/rec/index_en.htm

You can see a breakdown of upcoming calls on the International Unit website: http://www.international.ac.uk/newsletters/european-funding-bulletin-june/summaries-of-2014-work-programmes.aspx

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Postgraduate Bursaries

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The Royal Photographic Society invites applications for its postgraduate bursaries. These enable postgraduate students to undertake study or research in photography, including digital and traditional photographic media, the art and science of photography and image-based written work or research. Applicants may be studying in the UK or abroad. The bursary is worth £3,500.

The closing date for applications is 30th June 2014 for courses and projects with start dates in Autumn 2014 and January 2015.

To viist the funders website please Click HERE

Universities play a key role in Smart Specialisation

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s3p_logohttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/10157/a180cb45-b272-455b-9211-3e351a6626d3

This Smart Specialisation Strategy Policy Brief analyses the potential role of universities in the development and implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies. These strategies are a central part of the new EU Cohesion Policy framework, designed to ensure effective spending of the large amount of EU funds that will be available for research and innovation.

Universites are often crucial institutions in regional innovation systems, especially in those with an absence of a dynamic, research led private sector, and there is rich history of academic and policy analysis in this area. However, with the new smart specialisation agenda, which differs in emphasis and design from previous regional innovation policies, universities have a potentially pivotal role to play in its delivery. This Policy Brief makes concrete suggestions on how universities can be integrated into Smart Specialisation Strategies to deliver their desired economic and social outcomes.

 

 

 

Biotechnology young entrepreneurs scheme

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The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, under its Innovation and Skills Group and the University of Nottingham, under the Haydn Green Institute, invite applications for their biotechnology young entrepreneurs scheme.

This is aimed at raising awareness of commercialisation of bioscience research among postgraduate students and postdoctoral scientists.

Teams will develop a business plan for a company based on a hypothetical but plausible idea based on real markets over the course of one of the following three-day workshops:

  • plant and microbial and environmental sciences workshop that will take place between 8 and 10 October 2014 at Jealott’s Hill
  • chemistry YES workshop that will take place between 15 and 17 October 2014 in Manchester
  • north west workshop that will take place between 15 and 17 October 2014 in Manchester
  • biomedical YES workshop that will take place between 22 and 24 October 2014
  • food YES workshop that will take place between 5 and 7 November 2014
  • southern workshop that will take place between 5 and 7 November 2014 in Leatherhead
  • Scottish workshop that will take place between 12 and 14 November 2014 in Edinburgh.

Up to three teams from each workshop are selected to progress to the final, which will take place on 8 December 2014 in London.

Applicants must be teams of researchers working in the biosciences in UK universities. Individuals who have already participated in the YES workshops and individuals with formal business training are ineligible. There are no age limits, although the aim is to support early-career researchers. Teams are required to pay a refundable deposit of £250 prior to applying.

The winning team will receive £2,500 plus a trip to USA and an invite to the UK Bioindustry Association’s Gala dinner.

Closing date 13 Jun 14

For further information go to http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/business/commercialisation/biotechnology-yes.aspx

International Exchange with China

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This fund is for scientists who want to stimulate new collaborations with leading scientists in China through either a one-off visit or bilateral travel. Similar schemes are also available for Taiwan and Ireland.

Funding Body: Royal Society

Scheme: International Exchanges Scheme- China cost-share programme

Overview: This stimulates new collaborations within the natural sciences between scientists in the UK and China.

The UK applicant must apply to the Royal Society and the Chinese applicant must apply to NSFC. Both applicants must have completed a PhD or have extensive experience at an equivalent level. They must hold a permanent or fixed term contract in an eligible organisation in their respective countries. The participation of junior scientists is encouraged.

Budget: The Royal Society provides up to £12,000 for the UK team’s airfare to China and the Chinese team’s subsistence whilst in the UK. Up to £2,000 of this amount may be spent on research expenses and consumables. An additional £12,000 equivalent is available from NSFC to the Chinese team’s airfare to the UK and the UK team’s subsistence whilst in China.

Deadlines: 21 October 2014 (this call repeats annually)

Further Information: https://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/international-exchanges/

 

Royal Society priorities include

  • Promoting science and its benefits
  • Recognising excellence in science
  • Supporting outstanding science
  • Providing scientific advice for policy
  • Fostering international and global cooperation
  • Education and public engagement

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Have your say on Future and Emerging Technologies!

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Consultation closes: 15/06/2014
The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) programme launches a public consultation to identify promising and potentially game-changing directions for future research in any technological domain.

€2,7 billion will be invested in Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) under the new research programme Horizon 2020#H2020 (2014-2020). This represents a nearly threefold increase in budget compared to the previous research programme, FP7. FET actions are part of the Excellent science pillar of Horizon 2020.

The objective of FET is to foster radical new technologies by exploring novel and high-risk ideas building on scientific foundations. By providing flexible support to goal-oriented and interdisciplinary collaborative research, and by adopting innovative research practices, FET research seizes the opportunities that will deliver long-term benefit for our society and economy.

The aim of the public consultation is to identify promising and potentially game-changing directions for future research in any technological domain.

Vice-President of the European Commission @NeelieKroesEU, responsible for the Digital Agenda, said: “From protecting the environment to curing disease – the choices and investments we make today will make a difference to the jobs and lives we enjoy tomorrow. Researchers and entrepreneurs, innovators, creators or interested bystanders – whoever you are, I hope you will take this opportunity to take part in determining Europe’s future“.

The consultation is organised as a series of discussions, in which contributors can suggest ideas for a new FET Proactive initiative or discuss the 9 research topics identified in the previous consultation to determine whether they are still relevant today.

The ideas collected via the public consultation will contribute to future FET work programmes, notably the next one (2016-17). This participative process has already been used to draft the current work programme (2014-15).

Participate now in the consultation

Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC)

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The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, together with the Medical Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council, invites applications for its diet and health research industry club. The DRINC scheme supports UK universities and research institutes with innovative basic research that addresses the theme of improving the understanding of the relationship between diet and health. Proposals should seek to relate improved understanding to the challenges facing the food and drink industry and address one of the following research challenges:

  • understanding the relationship between food processing and nutrition
  • designing foods to maintain and improve health
  • understanding food choice and eating behaviour to improve health through diet

Principal applicants must be resident in the UK and hold an academic staff appointment, at the lecturer level or equivalent, at a higher education institution or research council institute. Research teams must include expertise for designing and running clinical trials. Collaborative applications bringing together groups with relevant expertise or experience to move research closer to application are encouraged.

A budget of approximately £3 million will support a portfolio of projects at 80 per cent full economic cost. Projects are typically three to four years in duration, but projects up to five years will be considered.

Outline application deadline: 9 July 2014, 4pm

A workshop for the call will be held on 3 June 2014 in London and will be an opportunity for applicants to:

  • understand the DRINC research challenges and assessment process
  • meet other potential applicants and form new collaborations
  • discuss proposals with representatives from the DRINC steering group, the Club’s company members and the Research Councils

For further information go to: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/business/collaborative-research/industry-clubs/drinc/apply.aspx

H2020 – wide range of volume of applications per call

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Data released on five Horizon 2020 calls that closed in April show a wide variation in application volume, ranging from only one to over 450 responses per call.

Of the programmes for which data has been released, a call for personalising health and care under the societal challenges pillar was most popular. With a budget of €185 million, the call received 451 proposals. The data was published on the European Commission’s Research & Innovation Participant Portal between 12 and 15 May.

A health co-ordination activities call, also part of the societal challenges pillar, received 49 proposals. The call carries a total budget of €40m. There were 26 proposals for a €6m call for joint EU-Japan call relating to the future of the internet. This call is part of the industrial leadership pillar.

The least popular calls were both under the programme’s excellent science pillar, each of which received only one proposal. The e-infrastructures call has a budget of €13m, while the call for supporting innovation, human resources, policy and international cooperation carries a budget of €2m. –

Summary of 2014 work programme:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-1122_en.htm

Number of responses per call:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/call_updates.html

Commission Consultation on Europe 2020 Goals

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The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the Europe 2020 Strategy, which will feed into the mid-term review of the strategy planned for 2015. The deadline for submitting a response is 31 October 2014.

The Europe 2020 Strategy is the overarching set of current EU policies, including the Innovation Union and Digital Agenda initiatives whose priorities have a strong influence on Horizon 2020 funding. The aim of the consultation is to ‘draw lessons from the first four years of the strategy and to make sure it acts as an effective post-crisis strategy for growth and jobs in Europe’.
The consultation covers the ‘scope, nature, instruments, ownership and delivery of the strategy’, and will provide important evidence for the mid-term review of the strategy in 2015. The consultation closes on 31 October 2014.

NIHR – Health services and delivery research programme – researcher-led workstream

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The National Institute for Health Research invites proposals for the researcher-led workstream of its health services and delivery research programme. This workstream focuses on research into the quality, appropriateness, effectiveness, equity and patient experience of health services. Research should lead to improvements in health services that will be of greatest benefit to the NHS and to patients. This workstream has a continued interest in applications for research in areas highlighted as a priority in previous NIHR themed calls. Applicants may submit either a standard outline proposal or an evidence synthesis full proposal.

Large scale studies of national importance are particularly encouraged in this call, including primary research projects that:

•address an issue of major strategic importance to the NHS, with the cost in line with the significance of the problem to be investigated;

•are likely to lead to changes in practice that will have a significant impact on a large number of patients across the UK;

•aim to fill a clear evidence gap, and are likely to generate new knowledge of direct relevance to the NHS;

•have the potential for findings to be applied to other conditions or situations outside the immediate area of research;

•bring together a team with strong expertise and track record across the full range of relevant disciplines;

•will be carried out across more than one research site.

NHS organisations, universities and other organisations in England, Scotland and Wales are eligible to apply. NIHR will fund HEIs at a maximum of 80 per cent of full economic cost, and non-HEIs at 100 per cent of full economic cost.

For more information Click HERE