Category Archives: Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Ethics and rights in a security context

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This fund aligns with a number of the research areas in the University. It looks like a good opportunity for a few ARCs to collaborate. As well as collaboration across the University, applications would need to collaborate with other institutions. The Research Council UK is keen to see a cross-disciplinary approach to this research.

Anyone interested in pursuing this fund should make sure they attend the Town Meeting on 23 September 2013 (details from the web link below). Plus they should get in touch with the External projects Team externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk to say they are following it up, this will help us to make a University orientated response rather than just a faculty based response.

 Funding Body: ESRC, AHRC, EPSRC

Scheme: Ethics and rights in a security context

Overview: The Economic and Social Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council invite proposals for their ethics and right in a security context, under the Research Councils UK Global Uncertainties programme. This call aims to develop greater understanding of how questions of ethics and rights play out in a security environment, with a focus on government. The call focuses on the following research themes:

•legitimacy; •jurisdiction; •autonomy; •temporality; •surveillance; •protection; •agency.

Collaborative research groups which address at least two of the councils’ remits may apply. Projects are for a duration of 24 months. It is anticipated that eight to 10 research grants will be awarded. Grants will commence on 1 September 2014.

Budget: The total budget for this call is between £2 million and £2.5m. Funding is worth up to £200,000 at 80 per cent of the full economic costs

Deadlines: 21 November 2013

Further Information: http://www.globaluncertainties.org.uk/funding/pre-call-ethics-and-rights-in-a-security-context.aspx

Binary Matrix Security

Prestigious Awards Releasing Scientists from Teaching

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The Royal Society has launched a call for Research Professorships. These awards come up highly infrequently and they are extremely prestigious. The aim of these awards is to release the best scientists from teaching and administration, allowing them to focus on research. There is plenty of time to consider an application, as bids are due in on 13 March 2014.

Funding Body: Royal Society

Scheme: Research Professorship

Overview: These prestigious posts provide long-term support for internationally recognised scientists of outstanding achievement and promise. The Professorships may be awarded in any field across the natural sciences. Applicants can be of any nationality, and applications are particularly welcomed from scientists currently resident outside the UK.

Budget: The scheme provides salary costs, a one-off start-up grant and research expenses. Appointments are usually made for up to 10 years.

Deadlines: 13 March 2014

Further Information: http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/research-professorship/

 

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Fostering digital entrepreneurship in Europe

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The European Commission has launched a tender which aims to foster digital entrepreneurship with SMEs. They want to promote SMEs that are good at developing digital products. The tender fits a number of different skill and research areas in the University so it may be a project that is well suited to be worked on across faculties.

Funding Body: European Commission –Competitiveness and Innovation
Scheme: Fostering digital entrepreneurship in Europe: raising awareness and the visibility of digital icons and creation of a European e-mentors ecosystem
Overview: The commission wants to:
•    Raise media attention to European business and entrepreneurs that offer new digital products and services, invent innovative business models and thrive through the intelligent use of novel digital technologies
•    Set up a mentoring ecosystem to help spark, support and expand new business ideas and fuel Digital Entrepreneurship in Europe
Projects will last up to 24 months.
Budget: Maximum price €3m
Deadlines: 6 September 2013
Further Information: Below is the link to the tender, plus on this blog you can download a factsheet giving a broader overview of the tender below the link.
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=6795&lang=en&title=Fostering-digital-entrepreneurship-in-Europe%3A-raising-awareness-and-the-visibility-of-digital-icons-and-creation-of-a-European-e-mentors-ecosystem

Fostering digital entrepreneurship in Europe

Royal Society Industry Fellowships

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The Royal Society, in collaboration with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, Rolls-Royce and BP, invites applications for its industry fellowships.

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 with a university department or a not-for-profit research organisation.

It aims to enhance knowledge transfer in science and technology between those in industry and those in academia in the UK. It is anticipated that fellows will establish personal and corporate links between the two sectors in the UK as a foundation for their long-term future development.

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.

All natural sciences, including agriculture, mathematics, biotechnology, environmental research, medical and engineering sciences, are eligible. Projects at any stage from fundamental science to industrial innovation will be supported.

Applications involving spin-offs or small companies are encouraged.

Awards can be for any period up to two years full time or four years pro rata.

Closing date 16 Oct 13 (Forecast)

For further information go to: http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/industry-fellowship/

EPSRC Funding for the Internet of Things

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This is a fund for researchers involved in internet-embedded applications. There is no specified budget per project, but it looks as though there could be around £350,000 per project. Proposals should focus on early stage directed research through to implementation, testing and iterative improvement of technologies or methods with potential beneficiaries. Projects must have a user partner who is actively engaged in the research.

Funding Body: EPSRC
Scheme: Research in the Wild – Internet of Things
Overview: This seeks to encourage user-driven research in the emerging area of Internet of Things- systems and methodologies that underpins internet-enabled applications, based on physical objects and the environment, seamlessly integrating into this information network.
Activities could either test new technologies and methods with potential beneficiaries in the user domain or look at new ways of using existing technologies and methods. Applications must demonstrate:
•that the research challenge has been co-created with an end-user from the public, private or third sector;
•that the research will be conducted ‘in the wild’, exposing it to potential beneficiaries;
•that the potential impact of the research will be realised by the end-users or related beneficiaries.
Budget: Up to £3.5 million is available to fund approximately 10 projects for a duration of 18 months
Deadlines: 24/10/13
Further Information: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/2013/Pages/internetofthings.aspx

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Funding for Scientific Posts

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This year’s long awaited University Research Fellowship call have finally come out. The Royal Society has funding to pay 80% of costs for a researcher not currently employed in a University. You must have a specific person in mind because they are looking for Outstanding Early Career Researchers who have the potential to become leaders in their field.
They have about 35 fellowships to award. Last year’s success rate was 12%.
Anyone thinking of applying should let the External Projects Team know externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk as bids have to be approved by them before submission.

Funding Body: The Royal Society
Scheme: University Research Fellowship
Overview: The scheme is for a scientific researcher who does not have a permanent post. They must have a PhD, and must have 3-8 years research experience since their PhD, it is expected that they will get a permanent post at the end of the funding. Funding is for five years.
The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine and biomedical research.
Budget: The fund gives 80% of the basic salary costs up to £38,759.20, plus estates costs and indirect costs. Research expenses (up to £13,000 for the first year and up to £11,000 annually thereafter) will also be provided.
Deadlines: 17 September 2013
Further Information: http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/university-research

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Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowships to work with Industry

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The Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowships have announced their Industrial Secondment Scheme for this year, with a deadline of September 30th.  Projects must involve a secondment to an industrial host and focus on exchange of current industry working practices to inform teaching and curriculum development.  It is aimed that the projects will be tha start of a longer term cooperation.  The scheme supports salary costs for the period of the secondment and is open to all disciplines.

Further Information: http://www.raeng.org.uk/research/univ/secondment/default.htm

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Call for Innovations/Inventions for the Cleantech Innovate 2014

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This is a great opportunity for you to get your innovation/invention out there and to promote Staffordshire University! If you are interested or have worked collaboratively with a company who would be interested then please let me know and I will support you in the development of the application and throughout the whole process!

Cleantech Innovate 2014  Feb 13th 2014 | Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London, Sponsored by DECC

ecoConnect’s Cleantech Innovate 2014 is a great way for leading British entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative low carbon designs!

ecoConnect are now actively seeking the great green UK innovations from which they will draw 40 finalists. It is free to apply and applications are welcome from:

  • Corporate Research & Development
  • University and Science Park Research & Development and spin-outs
  • Entrepreneurs with privately developed technology

The 40 finalists will be seen by an audience of:  

  • Investors seeking new investment opportunities in Cleantech
  • Corporate buyers seeking green solutions and partnerships
  • Media covering the sector and its trends
  • Dealmakers from Law Firms and Accountancy practices

Application deadline for presenters: 7 October 2013

How It Works

The day is divided into key sectors, e.g.: Transport, Built Environment; Energy Generation and Storage etc. Presentations within these sectors are organised into groups of 5 – each technology will present for 5 minutes and there will be opportunities for Q&A after each group of 5. Click here to see the day’s agenda http://www.cleantechinnovate.com/agenda/

If you are interested please contact me on n.arblaster@staffs.ac.uk Tel: 01785 353519

EU Call for Tender – Study on ‘ICT & Art Connect’

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The European Commission, Directorate General Communications Networks, has published a call for tenders regarding a study on ‘ICT & art connect’, with a closing date of August 27th 2013.

The study will create a map of institutions and ongoing programmes/activities linking ICT and the arts in Europe and worldwide. It will analyse best practice to enhance interaction between artists and IT experts and to increase the impact of these interactions on innovation and creativity.

From this analysis, recommendations will be drawn for a DG Connect strategy to engage more broadly with the arts in Horizon 2020. The aim is to contribute to enhancing creativity and innovation in society, technology, science, education, and business; and to better embed science and technology in society.The following 4 objectives should be addressed:

1) Provide an overview of European and worldwide activities linking art and ICT in research, education, and innovation.

2) Take stock and analyse best practices in Europe and worldwide for linking art and ICT and thereby enhancing creativity and innovation.

3) A list of recommendations for a DG Connect strategy on how to best engage in H2020 with the arts will be presented and based on the analysis in first objective and second one.

4) The contractor will organise a final 2-day symposium on ‘ICT & art connect’. This event should bring together artists, technologists, scientists and representatives of relevant institutions and funding bodies identified in the study.

Further details:

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/study-ict-art-connect-smart-20130030

 

Looking to collaborate with partners in Australia?

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CAESIE

CAESIE is a new consortium established to promote partnerships between European and Australian Researchers and SMEs

CAESIE (Connecting Australian European Science and Innovation Excellence) is a bilateral partnership supported by the European Union and the Australian government.  It provides a range of support to foster bilateral SME research links including partner brokerage, funding to develop new collaborations and support to access mainstream international collaborative research funding.  We can therefore get assistance to develop links with SMEs in Australia through this scheme. CAESIE prioritises the following three areas:

  • clean energy
  • healthy ageing
  • sustainable cities

Further details: http://caesie.org/