Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC)

Posted on May 22, 2014 by BENNETT Margaret

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

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

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

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

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.

Consultation web page:

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/public-consultation/index_en.htm

Commission Press release:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-504_en.htm

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

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Josephine Beech

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

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust – 2015 Travelling Fellowships

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust are looking for people who will be able to undertake research overseas and on return disseminate their new knowledge and examples of best practice.

Applications are now open for 2015 Travelling Fellowships.

Applicants must demonstrate that their project will have a wider benefit within their community or field, in addition to their own personal development.

Grants cover return and internal travelling, daily living and insurance within the countries visited. No qualifications are required.

If you would like to apply please go to our website, check your eligibility, find the correct category for your project and apply online

Travel funding for ethics in biomedical work

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Holly Hoar

This fund from the Wellcome Trust covers travel funding for people looking at the social or ethical aspects of biomedical research.

Funding Body: Wellcome Trust

Scheme: Small Grants

Overview: This scheme is for small-scale research projects, scoping exercises or meetings whose subject matter falls within the remit of the Society and Ethics programme.

This programme supports research that explores the social and/or ethical aspects of biomedical research and health, with the ultimate aim of achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health.

Key strands:
(1) consider social, economic and cultural factors that influence health, biomedical or health research, the development and implementation of healthcare practices, and health interventions
(2) inform answers to questions about resolving ethical dilemmas arising from biomedical or health research, the development and implementation of healthcare practices, and health interventions.

Research trips under this scheme may be to consult libraries or archives.

This scheme can also provide institutions with financial support for conferences (or a session within a conference), symposia, seminar series etc.

Budget: The normal maximum that can be applied for is £5000.

Awards provide a contribution towards expenses normally incurred in travelling to consult libraries or archives, such as transport, accommodation, subsistence and photocopying costs. They may include the costs of overseas visits.

Support does not include university fees or the applicant’s costs in attending a conference.

Costs for conferences and meetings may include the travel and accommodation of keynote speakers, catering, conference pack publication and any reasonably justified associated expenses.

Deadlines: Open call –applications may be submitted at anytime

Further Information: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Society-and-ethics/funding-schemes/Small-grants/index.htm

UK National Contact Point Events on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

Registration is now open for the Individual Fellowships information and proposal writing events, which the UK Research Office is organising in its capacity as UK National Contact Point for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. The events will take place in Cardiff, Warwick and London on 28 May, 9 June, and 19 June 2014 respectively.

These information and proposal writing events aim to provide participants with a better understanding of the Individual Fellowships scheme and its requirements. The events will focus on the objectives of Individual Fellowships for both potential Fellows and hosts, along with practical information on proposal preparation, submission and finances. The events will also feature a case study from previously successful Individual Fellowship applicants and supervisors.

The events are aimed at staff at both UK academic and non-academic organisations, including research support staff, who are planning to submit a proposal to the Individual Fellowships call. Participants should gain a clear understanding of the proposal format for each scheme and the key issues relating to planning, writing and submitting proposals.

The events are timed to coincide with the first Individual Fellowships call under Horizon 2020, which opened on 12 March with a deadline of 11 September 2014. For registration and further information, please see link the below.

Follow the registration link here, you need to be registered with UKRO – with a xxxx@staffs.ac.uk email address.

http://www.ukro.ac.uk/Lists/MCA1/NewForm.aspx?RootFolder=/Lists/MCA1&Source=http://www.ukro.ac.uk/Pages/140326_mca1.aspx

The draft agandas for each of the sessions are below.

140528_programme_draft_msca_if_cardiff

140609_programme_draft_msca_if_warwick

140619_programme_draft_msca_if_rvc

Opportunity for scientists to meet Indian partners

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Holly Hoar

This fund is for British and Indian scientists to have meetings in either India or the UK. The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.

Funding Body: Royal Society

Scheme: India-UK scientific seminars

Overview: Funding enables groups of early to mid-career scientists from India and the UK to organise scientific seminars in order to promote collaboration and knowledge transfer. The meetings may address any area of the life and physical sciences, although applications focusing on the following priority areas are particularly encouraged:

•sustainable cities and urbanisation;

•public health and well being;

•water, food and energy nexus.

The meetings must take place in either India or the UK and serve up to 20 attendees, five from the visiting country and up to 15 from the host country. All attendees must have a PhD or equivalent research experience. UK attendees must hold a permanent or fixed term contract at an eligible organisation, excluding industrial, private and commercial organisations, university spinout companies, governmental bodies and research institutes and research councils. Indian attendees should be scientists or faculty members working in regular capacity in universities, deemed universities or academic institutes recognised by the University Grants Commission, or in national research and development laboratories or institutes. Applications should be submitted by the UK scientists.

Budget: Between 12 and 20 awards, worth up to £12,000 each, will be granted to support meetings of up to three days’ duration between October 2014 and March 2015. Awards will cover international airfares for up to five scientists, local travel costs, accommodation for up to four nights and organisational support.

The grant does not cover bench fees, conference fees, departmental costs.

Deadlines: 10 June 2014

Further Information: https://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/india-uk-seminars/

Staffordshire University Research and Funding Blog

Category Archives: Health Sciences