Category Archives: Sciences

NEW – EPSRC calls for proposals

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EPRSC

Fresh Ideas Fund

The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices (MeDe Innovation), is inviting project proposals to their ‘Fresh Ideas Fund’, which identify key challenges in medical device manufacturing (Class III, musculoskeletal).

Issue date: 24 September 2014 / Closing date: 19 December 2014 at 17:30

Type: Invitation for proposals

Related themes: Engineering, Healthcare technologies, Manufacturing the future

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/freshideasfund/

 Future Manufacturing Research Hubs

EPSRC is inviting outline applications for a number of large-scale, multidisciplinary research Hubs to address major, long-term challenges facing manufacturing industries, as well as capture opportunities from emerging research areas.

Issue date: 23 September 2014 / Closing date: 11 November 2014 at 16:00

Type: Invitation for proposals

Related themes: Manufacturing the future

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/future-manufacturing-research-hubs/

Transforming approaches to improving hearing aid technology

This call is to encourage Engineering, Information and Communication Technologies, Physical and Mathematical Sciences researchers to develop disruptive technologies for use in hearing aid devices.

Issue date: 22 September 2014 / Closing date: 27 November 2014 at 16:00

Type: Invitation for proposals

Related themes: Engineering, Healthcare technologies, ICT, Manufacturing the future, Mathematical sciences, Physical sciences

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/improvinghearingaidtechnology/

New Materials for RF and Microwave Technologies Workshop: Call for Expressions of Interest

EPSRC invites expressions of interest to attend a workshop in the Birmingham area (venue TBA), to engage with the research communities in the area of RF and Microwave Devices.

Issue date: 17 September 2014 / Closing date: 23 October 2014 at 16:00

Type: Expression of interest

Related themes: ICT, Physical sciences

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/calls/newmaterialsrfmwworkshopeoi/

Fellowships

Fellowships are available in a number of priority areas

LINK http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/fellows/areas/

Valuing Natural Capital in Low Carbon Energy Pathways – Consortia Awards

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NERC logo

NERC invites proposals to the new research programme Valuing Natural Capital in Low Carbon Energy Pathways (VNC).

Proposals should form a challenge for phase 3 of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) and should also include links to the new NERC Valuing Nature programme.

This call is for consortium projects (minimum of three research organisations) of up to £1·9m (80% FEC). Projects should be five years in duration and should start no later than March 2015. It is expected that one multidisciplinary consortium project will be funded, with four or five associated PhD studentships that should start in October 2015.

The main aim of this research programme is to understand the implications for natural capital and the provision of ecosystem services of a range of future energy scenarios, including scenarios that are compatible with the UK’s energy policy goals of maintaining energy security, keeping energy affordable and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.

Closing date for proposals: 2 October 2014

For further information go to: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/funded/programmes/valuingnaturalcapital/news/ao/

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

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Funding-for-SMEs

 

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

 

 

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

Buttercup

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/

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

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

index

 

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

Biotechnology young entrepreneurs scheme

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Small anniversary JPG logo (JPG 74KB)

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

Have your say on Future and Emerging Technologies!

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h2020_overview

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