Marie Sklodowska-Curie Co-funding

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Holly Hoar

This fund should be of interest to doctoral or fellowship projects which are either new or already have funding. They can be run at regional, national or international level.

Funding Body: Horizon 2020

Scheme: H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2015 Marie Sklodowska-Curie co-funding of regional, national and international programmes

Overview: This aims to stimulate regional, national or international programmes to foster excellence in researchers’ training, mobility and career development. This will be achieved by co-funding new or existing regional, national, and international programmes to open up to, and provide for, international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary research training as well as transnational and cross-sectoral mobility of researchers at all stages of their career.

Applicants must submit multi-annual proposals for new or existing doctoral programmes or fellowship programmes that may be run at regional, national or international level. Doctoral programmes address the development and broadening of the research competencies of early-stage researchers. Fellowship programmes fund individual research training and career development fellowships for experienced researchers. Support cannot be awarded to researchers who are already permanently employed at the host institution. Limitations regarding the researchers’ origin and destination should be avoided. Research teams will not be funded. Participants are required to be legal entities established in a member state or associated country that fund or manage doctoral or fellowship programmes for researchers. International European interest organisations that fund or manage doctoral or fellowship programmes for researchers can also participate.

Budget: The total indicative budget for this call in 2015 is €80 million. Funding is given at flat rates.

Deadlines: Proposals invited between 14 April 2015 and 5pm Brussels local time, 1 October 2015.

Further Information: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/calls/h2020-msca-cofund-2015.html

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ESRC – funding for future research leaders

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

The Economic and Social Research Council invites proposals for its future research leaders scheme. This scheme supports outstanding early-career researchers to carry out excellent research and to develop all aspects of their research and knowledge exchange skills. Proposals are welcome in any topic that falls within the ESRC’s remit.

The scheme is open to high-quality candidates from anywhere in the world who have a maximum of four years’ postdoctoral experience and the support of an eligible UK research organisation.

Grants will last a maximum of three years with an overall limit of £350,000 at 100 per cent full economic cost of which the ESRC will pay 80 per cent. Up to 40 grants will be funded. Closing date 20 Jan 15

Further details http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/15938/carousel-future-research-leaders.aspx

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Leverhulme research project grants – appications invited

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

The Leverhulme Trust invites proposals for its research project grants. These support innovative and original research projects on a topic of the applicant’s choice. The trust welcomes applications for research in any academic discipline.

Eligible applicants will already be employed by an institution or be an academic who has maintained close links with that institution following retirement. Institutions eligible to apply are universities, other institutions of higher education in the UK, and registered charities in the UK that have equivalent research capacity.

The scheme is also open to institutions or organisations of similar standing in countries where the provision of research funding is seriously limited. The award is paid directly to the institution at which the applicant is employed. Up to three co-applicants from the same institution or different institutions may apply.

Grants may be held for up to five years for a maximum sum of £500,000. Eligible costs include research staff, postgraduate students and the tuition fees and maintenance costs of one or more PhD studentships, as well as research-associated costs such as travel and subsistence, consumables and technical costs or services.

Exclusions

The trust does not support

Research directly relevant to clinicians, medical professionals or the pharmaceutical industry, as well as policy-driven research where the principal objective is to assemble an evidence base for immediate policy initiatives.
Research aimed principally at an immediate commercial application.
Principal investigators may not apply from institutions or organisations located in North America or elsewhere in the EU.

Application procedure

http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/RPG/RPG.cfm

Research Project Grants are assessed via a two-stage process. There are no deadlines for Outline Applications, and their assessment is normally completed within three months. An invitation to progress to the second stage – preparation of a Detailed Application – will be sent to those whose Outline Application has been approved.

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Information day on European Funding for Materials and Nanotechnology, Chemistry and Manufacturing Communities

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Holly Hoar

This event will give you a chance to hear insights from the European Commission on the opportunities for funding under Horizon 2020 for materials and nanotechnology, chemistry and manufacturing organisations.It is free to attend and will be held in Birmingham on 3 October.

The event will focus on the nanotechnologies, materials and production ‘NMP’ programme including the public-private partnerships SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industries through Resource Efficiency) and Factories of the Future. In addition, Innovate UK (the new name for the Technology Strategy Board) and the Knowledge Transfer Network will highlight opportunities for support. As part of the event, you will have the opportunity to pitch your ideas for projects to the audience and profile the expertise you have to offer as well as network with other participants.

More details and registration are available here

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MSCA ITN: Information and Proposal Writing Events

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Josephine Beech

In its capacity as UK National Contact Point (NCP) for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, UKRO will be running two information and proposal writing events for the 2015 Innovative Training Network (ITN) scheme, for which the call is currently open.

Article

The events aim to provide participants with an in-depth overview of the ITN scheme. Participants should gain a clear understanding of the proposal format and the key issues relating to planning, writing and submitting proposals. Events University of Manchester, Manchester, Thursday 16 October 2014 London, venue and date will be confirmed and announced shortly. Participation in the events is free of charge and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for the Manchester event is now open and can be found via the link below. Registration and information on the London event will be available and announced shortly. The 2015 ITN call opened on 2 September and has a deadline of 13 January 2015.

Additional Information

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Under One Roof – Social Enterprise Launch

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

Under One Roof – Social Enterprise Launch

Tuesday 14 October 2104 9:30 a.m. – 15:30 p.m. The Ballroom – Keele Hall, Keele University

Book your Place to Attend Event

You are warmly invited to attend the launch of “Under One Roof” a partnership project on Social Enterprise led by Keele University in conjunction with Staffordshire University. “Under One Roof” is one of six Social Enterprise Thematic Clusters funded via a Government initiative offered by UnLtd (https://unltd.org.uk/).This strategic launch event will connect key partners who are passionate about Social Enterprise and its role in Staffordshire. It will address the following questions:

What is the national picture for Social Enterprise?
How are we responding to Social Enterprise in Staffordshire?
How we can all collaborate and champion Social Enterprise across the county?
How can organisations connect and share knowledge to raise the profile of Social Enterprise in Staffordshire?

You can expect excellent plenary speakers, including Prof Nick Foskett Vice Chancellor from Keele University and Prof Michael Gunn Vice Chancellor from Staffordshire University as well as representatives from UnLtd, Prime and the YMCA.

The afternoon will offer Social Enterprise workshops as well as opportunities to meet new people and networking opportunities to shape the future of Social Enterprise in Staffordshire.

Agenda

9.30 Arrivals and Registration

Chair for the day: Kym Billington-Baddley & Pete Twilley

10.00 Welcome Address: Vice Chancellors – Professor Nick Foskett, & Professor Michael Gunn

10.20 Cliff Prior, CEO, UnLtd, HEI perspective and wider partnership initiatives

10.35 Danny Flynn, CEO, YMCA

10.50 CEO, Princes Initiative for Mature Social Enterprise (Prime) to be confirmed

11.05 Round table discussions – Social Enterprise in Staffordshire – Looking to the Future

What will the best possible future for social enterprise in Staffordshire look like?
What will help us get there?

11.30 Coffee break

11.40 Dr Sharon George, Entrepreneurship, Keele

11.0 Peter Twilley, Growing Your Social Enterprise, Staffordshire University

12.00 Workshops 1,2,3,4

1.00 Lunch and networking

2.00 Workshops 1,2,3,4

3.00 Plenary

3.30 Thanks and close

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Scientists demand better place for humanities in Horizon 2020

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

Horizon 2020 has failed to fully integrate the humanities into its work programmes, according to Science Europe.

More than 90 per cent of the topics covered in the programmes do not include a humanities approach, says a report published by the Science Europe scientific committee for the Humanities on 4 September. The paper analyses the integration of the humanities in the 2014-2015 work programmes.

In the remaining 10 per cent of topics, the humanities expertise asked for is rather narrow and unnecessarily limited, says the report. The work programmes are not very concerned with the ‘human factor’ of research and innovation, such as attitudes or culturally embedded values, according to Science Europe, a group that represents research organisations.

The report also criticises the fact that the humanities are seen mostly as having a translational role between research and the market, but are not pursued to gain better understanding of wider social developments.

See full report:

http://www.scienceeurope.org/uploads/PublicDocumentsAndSpeeches/SCsPublicDocs/Humanities%20Paper_FIN_dig.pdf

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Up Coming Funding Events

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Holly Hoar

Now that people are returning from summer breaks it seems a good time to send a reminder out for the three upcoming funding events being run by the External Projects Team.

Find Funding for your Research Wednesday 17 September 10:00-11:00

Workshop on using Research Professional to find the latest research funding in your field.

http://bit.ly/Za8Zmc

British Academy Visit to Staffordshire University Thursday 2 October 13:00-16:00

Delegates will learn more about the scheme requirements, success rates, what assessors look for and how best to present applications.

http://bit.ly/1t7XlAW

Be a part of European funding Thursday 20 November various times for each session

Four sessions on various European funding schemes. This year’s visit has a focus on partnering with businesses.

http://bit.ly/1yhFKuR

Visit the links above for full details on each event and how to book.

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HEIF 2011-15 App Competition

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Holly Hoar

Enterprise and Commercial Development have opened a new Mobile App call under HEIF.

Have you created a process, toolkit or algorithm? Do you have research that you would like to disseminate to the public? Have you considered turning it into an app?

This is an exciting competition that challenges academics and postgraduate research students from all faculties to come up with an idea and design a mobile app with a viable business model. The aim is to support the development and use of apps, encourage entrepreneurship, enhance research and help create impact and public engagement opportunities.

Prize: The three winning entries will receive funding for the development of their app by a professional software developer, hosting and initial marketing.

The guidelines and application form for this call are now available for download from Drop Box at the below link:

Deadline: 31 October 2014

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/huxr60xyvaciatc/AAAf4m8hvwHBwntAZ5TnW89Za?dl=0

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September’s Wider Outlook is here!

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Esther KNIGHT

Wider Outlook – Funding, Policy updates and Research

Editorial

Welcome to September’s Wider Outlook—the team have chosen the theme of working with Horizon 2020 and SMEs for this month. We have identified and created a number of articles related to this topic.

Once again, current funding opportunities remain part of our daily blog, and individual opportunities are circulated to relevant groups as a bespoke service.

This edition includes:

a report back from the UK Research Office (UKRO) annual conference highlighting key issues for the university
the background and programme for our annual UKRO conference on November 20th
European Commission Regional funds and our internal champion
Intellectual Property and H2020
What is an SME?

Do continue to use our fantastic Funding Calendar enjoy this edition, and as ever contact us with any comments, ideas or suggestions at externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

The External Projects Team: Jose, Holly, Esther, Chris and Margaret

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UK Research Office (UKRO) annual conference, Bristol

The UK research office (UKRO) represents all the UK research councils in Brussels, providing guidance and advice to the UK university sector as they bid for EU research funding.The conference provided thoughts on issues the UK research community could address and improve.The full programme and presentations for the annual conference can be accessed here:

http://www.ukro.ac.uk/aboutukro/conference/Pages/slides_friday.aspx

http://www.ukro.ac.uk/aboutukro/conference/Pages/slides_thursday.aspx

The conference emphasised that H2020 is not business as usual, in that there is a distinct move away from pure research to addressing societal issues and challenges – such as the ageing population, and the financial crisis. This approach brings in formally a wider range of disciplines, for example the social sciences and humanities, SSH. It also brings in a wider range of sectors. In particular the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise sector (SME) who are the focus within H2020 for bringing the outcomes of research to market.

Key themes and challenges for the university sector arising from the conference are as follows:

Mainstreaming SSH and innovation
Joining up H2020 better to domestic programmes – there is a government science and innovation strategy due in the autumn that is designed to bring the two together
Linking H2020 to the structural funds (UK has an allocation of £11bn for to Local Enterprise Partnerships to prioritise –of which there is £800m allocated to innovation – particularly for taking research outcomes to market)
Developing links to business –SMEs and making the funds accessible

Particular challenges for universities in relation to working with business are:

How to find the right businesses for universities to work with
Questions of why businesses don’t collaborate internationally –linked to Intellectual Property; How to deal with IP rights in H2020 –in the past industry have been reluctant to sign up to EC requirements. See our IP article below.
Questions of why businesses don’t collaborate internationally linked to finding the right partners
Under the first SME call –UK came 3^rd in terms of numbers applications (after Spain and Italy) and second in numbers of approvals.

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Programme for our annual UKRO conference in November

We have planned the date early for the University’s annual European funding event this year, so you can book a place before your diary fills up.

We are especially delighted to welcome both Jane Watkins, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020 to the conference alongside Błażej Thomas our UKRO adviser.

‘Be a Part of European Funding’

Thursday 20 November 2014 09:00-16:30

LT114/116 Ashley Building, Leek Road, Stoke on Trent

Morning Programme

09:00-10:30 – SME involvement in H2020 – How researchers can work with businesses and other non-academic sectors under the different Horizon 2020 programmes. Błażej Thomas, UKRO

10:30-12:00 – Marie Sklodowska Curie funding – An overview of the fund, what we can achieve with it, and the level of detail required for an application. Błażej Thomas, UKRO

12:00- 13:00 Networking Lunch

Afternoon Programme

Information and Networking session for Businesses and University Staff

13:00-14:00 Presenting the Horizon 2020 SME instrument. Jane Watkins, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020

Throughout the afternoon

12:00-16:30 –One to One Sessions with Jane Watkins and Błażej Thomas

Book a one to one session with our European specialists to get inside knowledge on developing your European Project.

Get individual advice on which conferences to attend to meet people, which EU policies you should be focusing on, how to find partners, how to develop your bid and more.

Businesses interested in getting involved with European funded projects are invited to come to the University to find out how the programmes work and talk to academics about how they can collaborate on projects.

The University has lead and partnered on many European projects. It is a great way for businesses to develop their European networks and to get funding to develop a new idea to improve your business.

To book your place for any or all of these sessions email externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

The External Projects Team at the 2013 UKRO event

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European regional funds and our internal champion

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main funds to support to growth and jobs across the EU. They are allocated regionally, to help develop new services and new products within an area.

The 2014-2020 allocation for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent area is worth £138.4 million, and it has a 60% intervention rate. It comprises the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF (£83m) and of the European Social Fund, ESF (£55.3m). In addition, £3.13m is available to support investment for rural enterprise.

Priorities have been set out around these 4 themes:

Innovation (ERDF),
SME competitiveness (ERDF),
Place and environment (ERDF),
Skills, employment and social inclusion (ESF).

4 high value added sectors have been identified within the area: advanced materials, advanced manufacturing and energy, digital and creative industries.

Marie Pandolfo, who is covering Emma Davies’s maternity leave within Enterprise and Commercial Development, acts as the reference point for ERDF.

The University is likely to seek to develop a range of new infrastructures and facilities (Open Innovation platform, incubation space, shared research laboratories), as well as more support for enterprise along with a particular focus on the Creative industries.

If you have any project ideas or requests, please contact

E: marie.pandolfo@staffs.co.uk

T: 01785 353831.

Marie is listing all project ideas in order to get ready for the first call for proposals in the next few months, and to nurture the ESIF framework documents, which are still being discussed.

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Open Access

This is a summary of our Open Access briefing note which examines the meaning according to the EU Commission and the Research Councils

For the full note see Note on open access

Open access, as understood by the European Commission, or the Research Councils, is the free and open access to the outputs of publicly-funded research, usually in the form of academic publications. Open access is required by the funders to promote social and economic benefits as well as aiding the development of new research.

The Research Councils’ general policy is that research and data should also be available to potential users in business, charitable and public sectors, and to the general tax-paying public, on the basis that research funded by the tax payer should be available and accessible to the tax payer.

There is an inevitable tension where the Commission and the Research Councils and other public funders wish to encourage publication of results and research data. However, on general projects and Horizon 2020, the policy has included the taking into account of legitimate concerns in relation to privacy, commercial interests and rights of access to large data volumes. There appears to be an attempt to encourage a culture of sharing scientific and other publications, and permit adequate protection of rights of parties in research and research data.

Learn more, In practical terms however – the European Commission’s IP help desk will look at draft agreements and give comments on proposals

http://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/taxonomy/term/149

Learn more, at the IPR webinar September 3rd 11-30 to 13-00.

http://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/node/2301

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What is an SME?

Working with SMEs? -here is the European Commission’s SME definition

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf

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