Category Archives: Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Commission Publication on Social Innovation Research

Posted on by

http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/social_innovation.pdf

 This policy review, written by Jane Jenson and Denis Harrisson, has produced a systematic overview of research findings of 17 comparative European projects in the area of social innovation. The review focusses on how these projects address ‘social innovation’ in terms of theory, methodology, policy areas, actors, and level of analysis with the aim of bringing the results to the attention of policy-makers, wider groups of stakeholders and the broader public in a comprehensive way. The report makes substantial recommendations for future research practices on social innovation, including in HORIZON 2020.

 

 

 

Looking to collaborate with the US?

Posted on by

The British Council are running the Global Innovation Initiative which will providing funding for university research collaborations between the UK and US working with either Brazil, China, Indonesia or India.  Science, technology, engineering and mathematical research issues of global significance will be supported through this scheme. The research competition opens on 28th October, with a deadline of 16th December.

Academics interested in applying are encouraged to contact their potential partners now to prepare for the call launch.  Only 20 grants are expected to be supported, with project values proposed between £100,000 – £150,000.

The goals of the scheme are:

  • To increase the global mobility of students, researchers, faculty, and higher education administrators from the U.S., the UK, and other countries;
  • To develop a cadre of people in the U.S., UK, and other countries who have the international experience, outlook and knowledge to confront global challenges and operate in a global context;
  • To encourage international collaborations that develop capacity across a range of universities in the U.S., the UK, and other countries;
  • To forge university and business linkages that support a globally mobile talent pool and a multinational base for the exchange of discovery and innovation.

Further information: http://global-innovation-initiative.org/ 

Please contact externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk if you are developing a proposal for this call.

EPSRC Resource allocation panel: access to ARCHER

Posted on by

EPRSC

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council invites applications for access to ARCHER through its resource allocation panel. This provides access to the council’s new national state-of-the-art high-performance computing facility for proposals of high scientific quality that would benefit from ARCHER.

A non-exclusive list of eligible projects include:

  • short computational projects that do not warrant a full grant application
  • UK led collaborative projects with international or industry partners
  • joint applications from students with high-performance computing experience and their principal investigators
  • projects that link consecutive standard grant applications or that aid the preparation of a grant or fellowship application
  • extended feasibility studies and trialling application developments at scale

Applications should lie primarily within the remit of EPSRC, although proposals in multidisciplinary areas will be accepted. Individuals eligible to hold a full EPSRC grant can apply to the resource allocation panel. Higher education institutions, some research council institutes and independent research organisations are eligible.

Closing date: ARCHER technical assessments due by 4pm, 16 December 2013; applications 4pm, 6 January 2014.

For further information go to: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/2013/Pages/archerrap.aspx

Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) awards

Posted on by

Awards and scholarships

http://www.theiet.org/membership/awards/index.cfm

The IET Awards programme includes awards to reward and celebrate individual excellence and innovation, undergraduate and postgraduate engineering scholarships.

The IET Awards programme includes awards for individual excellence, research and innovation, scholarships, travel awards, prizes and competitions within the engineering and technology sector.

In 2013 the IET will provide over £2m in awards, prizes and scholarships, to celebrate excellence and research in the sector and encourage the next generation of engineers and technicians. This year has seen the launch of new schemes including the Diamond Jubilee scholarships, Apprentice and Technician awards and new scholarships in India and the Americas.

IET Awards - The Institution of Engineering and Technology (Awards logo)

 

EPSRC-NIHR Healthcare Technology Call

Posted on by

EPRSC

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are inviting network proposals to enable collaborations between academia and the 8 National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR) funded Healthcare Technology Cooperatives (HTCs). Each network proposal must be led by an academic at an eligible institution and can be up to £150K (80% FEC) for a maximum duration of 3 years – an investment of up to £1.2M from EPSRC to fund up to 8 EPSRC – NIHR HTC partnership awards.

Each proposal must have support from at least one of the HTCs (but no more than 3). The closing date is the 7th January 2014.  The funding avaliable is £150k for a maximum of 3 years at 80% FEC.

For more information Click HERE

Discipline hopping in Information and Communication Technologies

Posted on by

ICT researchers are being encouraged by EPSRC to pursue “an immersive experience in other disciplines and user environments” by considering Discipline Hopping.

Discipline Hopping Awards will provide short-term support to allow researchers from core ICT fields to work outside their specialist area, bringing a multidisciplinary and user-driven focus to research.

Alternatively, non ICT specialists can apply for funds to bring a technological perspective to their home discipline.

The call is aimed at researchers who have a proven track record of research and will provide funding to develop skills and collaborations with other disciplines and end users.

EPSRC may signpost specific research areas for discipline hopping from time to time. Details of these areas may be found on the discipline hopping page.

For further information go to: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/open/Pages/disciplinehopping.aspx

No closing date

EU Prize for Women Innovators 2014

Posted on by

pict3

The European Commission has launched the second edition of the EU Prize for Women Innovators. The competition is open until 15th October 2013 and aims to raise public awareness about the need for more innovation and more women innovators. It will reward three women who have developed outstanding innovations and brought them to market, with prizes ranging from €25,000 to €100,000.

Any woman innovator complying with the following criteria can apply:

  • Resides in an EU Member State or in a country associated to the Research Framework Programme.
  • Is a founder or co-founder of an existing and active company.
  • Your company must have been registered before 1st January 2011.
  • The annual turnover of the company must have been a minimum €100,000 in 2011 or 2012.
  • Either you or the company you founded/co-founded have received or is receiving funding from the European Union or the European Atomic Energy Community Research Framework Programme, or from the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

If you would like to participate, please got to the contest website before the 15th October 2013.

NESTA – Digital makers fund

Posted on by

Image of Digital Makers homepage

 

The digital makers fund is about getting 1000’s of young people involved in making digital activities. Something we seem pretty well placed to do as a university.

 NESTA expect successful initiatives will use young people’s existing interests, passions and pastimes as a gateway to digital making, inspiring young people to become creators, not just users of digital technologies. NESTA are looking for applications from organisations, or partnerships between organisations, that have the capacity to engage thousands of young people in digital making activities.

Further details:

http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/digital_education/assets/features/digital_makers_fund_second_open_call

  • Use different interests and content to reach new audiences – how can digital making tie in with music, fashion, sport, film or brands that will inspire young people to participate?
  • The ‘making’ element is important. NESTA want ideas that lead participants to the creation of a digital product that they can show to and share with others.
  • NESTA are interested in reaching different networks and communities for learning – youth clubs, libraries, after school clubs, interest groups and social networks speak to thousands of young people every day. How can they integrate digital making into their activities?

NESTA take a broad view of digital making that encompasses 3D printing and physical computing, as well as coding and programming, and want to work with partners who are noisy advocates for the importance of digital making; who will use all the channels available to them to shout about and promote their projects.

Deadline: 14 November 2013

Grants between £20,000 and £50,000

EPSRC consultation open

Posted on by

EPRSC

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) launched an independent review of the EPSRC peer review process earlier this year. As part of this process, there is a community survey open to all to put forward their views until 30th September. 

  • The peer review process is designed to investigate:
  • Influence of peer review on decision-making
  • How peer review advice is sought and used to inform funding
  • Transparency, cost effectiveness and extent of community ownership

The survey can be accessed at http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/epsrc/irpr_survey.

Further information on the review and the panel leading the review is available at http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2013/Pages/independentreviewofpeerreview.aspx

TSB Funding for Digital Media

Posted on by

The Technology Strategy Board is investing up to £15m in projects that stimulate innovation in the UK digital media sector by addressing convergence in digital technologies. This funding opportunity covers film and television, online video, animation and video games (including pre-production, production and post-production processes, particularly in visual effects technologies). 

Projects must be business-led but can involve collaboration with Universities. The competition will fund feasibility studies as well as collaborative R&D projects. Projects size is expected to vary according to need, ranging from £300K – £2million for R&D activity of up to 24 months and from £100k to £120k for feasibility studies lasting between six and 12 months. 

The competition opens on 23 September 2013. The deadline for registration is 6 November 2013, and the deadline for completed feasibility expressions of interest is noon on 13 November 2013. A briefing event for both strands will take place on 30 September 2013. This event will be filmed and turned into a webinar for applicants to refer to. 

 For further information click here https://www.innovateuk.org/competition-display-page/-/asset_publisher/RqEt2AKmEBhi/content/cross-platform-production-in-digital-media-collaborative-r-d?p_p_auth=LF3BHyMA or contact n.arblaster@staffs.ac.uk.