2014 European Innovation Scoreboard Published

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/regional-innovation/index_en.htm

The 2014 edition of the EU’s Innovation Union Scoreboard has been published. The report suggests that Europe is closing the ‘innovation gap’ with the United States and Japan, but that differences in performance between EU Member States are still high and diminishing only slowly.

At a regional level, the innovation gap is also widening, with the innovation performance having worsened in almost one fifth of EU regions.

The overall ranking by EU country is similar to previous scoreboards with Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden characterised as ‘innovation leaders’ investing the most in research and innovation. The UK is in the next group of countries and rated as an ‘innovation follower’.

The report finds that progress in the last year has been driven by the openness and attractiveness of the EU research system, plus business-academia innovation collaboration and the commercialisation of knowledge by licensing and patent revenues. However, growth in public R&D spending was offset by less venture capital investment and innovation investment in companies.

The Innovation Union Scoreboard uses a set of 25 indicators within three broad areas (enablers; firm activities; outputs).

Innovation Challenge Knowledge Exchange School 2014

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Josephine Beech

Saturday May 10^th to Wednesday May 14^th
The Work Foundation, St.James’, London

Knowledge exchange is increasingly a central part of research projects in all disciplines and is playing an ever greater role in the assessment of academic research. Familiarity with, and experience of, knowledge exchange techniques has become crucial to the development of successful research careers both within the university sector and in the world of commercially focussed research.

This school is for post-graduate research students seeking to raise their awareness of knowledge exchange, team work and approaches to innovation in preparation for post-doctoral work. It is run by Lancaster University in partnership with The Work Foundation and brings together early-career academic researchers with partners from both private and non-profit sectors to work on real-world innovation challenges. It is based on the successful Enterprise School model; as one of our participants put it after the last School: it ‘can absolutely change your way of thinking, approaching life and progress your career’.

Working with tutors and mentors from Lancaster University and The Work Foundation’s partners alongside independent experts, participants will be introduced to a series of key, applied knowledge exchange skills used widely in the business sector. The programme offers the opportunity to develop experience project based teamwork, and skills that will serve students well during their research as well as helping their post-doctoral career development (be it in academia or in another sector).

Working with Astute Radio (a young Internet media company) and a group of The Work Foundation’s network partners from various sectors, teams will deploy and develop these approaches to work on innovation challenges set by the partners and reflecting real-world issues confronted by these various organisations.

The school is hosted by the Work Foundation in London St.James’ and includes hotel accommodation nearby and all necessary refreshments/meals as part of the package.

Cost: the programme costs £600 per student

For an application form please email J.a.beech@staffs.ac.uk

BIOREFINE Cluster Europe

Posted on March 6, 2014 by BENNETT Margaret

Staffordshire University’s ARBOR project under the leadership of Dr Sacha Oberweis has joined the BIOREFINE Cluster Europe, an initiative which links 15 national and international projects and involves more than 80 institutions from 14 EU member states. The projects are all focussed in some way on nutrient and energy cycling.

Sacha is a member of the steering group of the cluster which aims to stimulate project interaction as well as interaction of the institutions, organisations and individuals involved.

The cluster was launched from the NEW INTERREG IV.B project BIOREFINE and it’s aim will be to source sustainable biomass, improve energy technology and refine and recuperate products from the bio-energy process sidestreams.

The total budget for the project exceeds 30 million Euros.

In 2014, the projects within the cluster will work to develop tools and actions to enhance their mutual interaction, stakeholder outreach will be enhanced and project development will be increased.

Ultimately, the cluster aims to develop a community of like-minded organisations sharing a common interest in Biorefinery.

For further information please contact Sacha Oberweis on: S.Oberweis@staffs.ac.uk

Background

Accelerating Renewable Energies through valorisation of Biogenic Organic Raw Material (ARBOR).

The ARBOR project has supported the establishment of a European Centre of Excellence for Biomass Trigeneration based at Staffordshire University, which aims to implement innovative approaches from across Europe, working with a range of organisations to increase the adoption of biomass for energy production. Through European partnerships the project exchanges best practice with other research organisations specialising in biomass.

Part of the Beacon Building is now heated by biomass, realised by ARBOR.

Partners include:

Inagro vzw Belgium,
CRP Henri Tudor Luxembourg,
IZES gGmbH, Saarbrücken
Wageningen University, Netherlands
FlandersBio, Ghent, Belgium
VCM vzw, Brugge,
POM West-Vlaanderen, Brugge, Belgium
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin
DLV Plant, Wageningen, Netherlands
Stoke on Trent City Council,
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgiium
Provincie Utrecht

ARBOR is an INTERREG IVB project with a total value of €7,289,415. The project began in 2010 and is due to end in 2015/16.

Pioneers into Practice – funding available

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

The Climate KIC programme is going from strength to strength. It is now Europe’s biggest trans-national project focused on climate change with a budget in 2014 of €76 million.

One big part of the activities is Pioneers into Practice, the unique professional development programme open to practitioners of all ages and backgrounds which provides two one month placement opportunities, three workshops with Dutch specialists in transitions thinking and a place at the annual Innovation Festival, this year in Valencia. With all the costs up to €8,000 covered.

The call for people to both participate in this year’s programme and to be a host is now open. Forms can be obtained from the link below.

This is a great opportunity

http://www.innovationbham.com/projects/pioneers-into-practice/2014-programme/

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme – NIHR

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Josephine Beech

The EME Programme funds clinical efficacy studies. The studies test if an intervention works as expected in a well-defined population or group of patients. The Programme also provides an opportunity to use clinical studies to understand disease or treatment mechanisms, which may in turn lead to improvements in health and patient care.

EME funds clinical studies to test interventions where proof of concept has already been demonstrated, allowing their progress through early clinical trials and on to larger, later clinical trials. Treatment with drugs or biological compounds, psychological interventions, public health initiatives, diagnostic tests and medical devices are all within the remit of the Programme. Treatments or interventions intended to prevent disease are also included.

To see the latest calls please click HERE

Horizon 2020: Update on UK National Contact Point events

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

Several UK Horizon 2020 National Contact Points from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Medical Research Council, and the Economic and Social Research Council have organised a series of regional Horizon 2020 information days taking place over the next two months.

The events will provide an overview of Horizon 2020 and legal and financial issues, and include sessions on:

Research Infrastructures;
Societal Challenge 1 – Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing;
Social Sciences and Humanities embedded across Horizon 2020;
Societal Challenge 6 – Europe in a Changing World: Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies; and
Science with and for Society.
The events planned are as follows:
Edinburgh – Monday 17 March event web page.
London – week beginning 24 March (exact date tbc)

EPSRC Manufacturing Advanced Functional Materials

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Josephine Beech

EPSRC are inviting research proposals from consortia across the Engineering and Physical Sciences communities to address the manufacturing research challenges in developing applications, production technologies and future processes that incorporate advanced functional materials.

EPSRC are expecting to commit up to £10 Million on large, long term (up to five years), multidisciplinary programmes that capitalise on the UK’s growing research capability in functional materials and identify the most promising pathways for scale-up to applications and devices of these innovative materials. A two-stage process will be used to allocate the funding. This first stage of the call seeks expressions of interest to submit a full proposal. The submitted expressions of interests will be assessed at a short-listing panel in May 2014 and those that align appropriately with the scope for this call will be invited for the full proposal stage. The deadline for full proposals will be in July 2014 and these will be peer reviewed during the summer. Funding decisions are expected to be made in Autumn 2014

Closing date:15 April 2014

Type: Expression of interest

If you are interested in this call please email externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

Royal Society Industry Fellowship

Posted on February 13, 2014 by BENNETT Margaret

This scheme is for academic scientists who want to work on a collaborative project with industry and for scientists in industry who want to work on a collaborative project with an academic organisation.

The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.

It aims to enhance knowledge transfer in science and technology between industry and academia in the UK and provides a basic salary for the researcher and a contribution towards research costs.

The scheme is funded by the Royal Society, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, Rolls-Royce plc and BP plc.

The applicant must:

have a PhD or be of equivalent standing in their profession
hold a permanent post in a university, not-for-profit research organisation or industry in the UK
be at a stage in their career when they would benefit from establishing or strengthening personal or corporate links between academia and industry as a foundation for long-term collaboration and development

Applications involving spin-offs or small companies are encouraged.

Applicants should ensure that they meet all the eligibility requirements, which are explained in the scheme notes (PDF).

The scheme provides the applicant’s basic salary while on secondment. The employing organisation continue to pay national insurance and pension contributions.

Research expenses may be claimed up to the value of £2,000 per year. Awards can be for any period up to two years full-time or a maximum of four years pro rata, i.e. an award could be held at 50% part-time for four years enabling fellows to maintain links with their employing institution more easily.

For further information go to:

http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/industry-fellowship/

Open Call for Proposals: European Co-operation in Science and Technology

Posted on February 6, 2014 by BENNETT Margaret

Stimulating new, innovative, interdisciplinary and broad research networks, COST invites action proposals contributing to the scientific, technological, economic, cultural or societal development of Europe. Proposals initiated by early-stage researchers are especially welcome.

COST is organised in nine broad domains (biomedicine and molecular biosciences; chemistry and molecular sciences and technologies; earth system science and environmental management; food and agriculture; forests, their products and services; individuals, societies, cultures and health; information and communication technologies; materials, physics and nanosciences; transport and urban development).

Proposers are invited to locate their topic within one domain. However, broad inter-disciplinary proposals not fitting readily into a single domain should be submitted as trans-domain proposals (TDP) and will be evaluated separately.

Proposals should include researchers from a minimum of five COST countries.

Deadline: 07/03/2014

For further information go to: http://www.cost.eu/participate/open_call

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