We are now two years into our HEIF programme and a lot has happened. So I thought it would be useful to provide some high level figures on the activity that has taken place from Aug 2011- July 2013. Please find attached a document demonstrating the outputs achieved to date. View here: HEIF mid term review – External Copy (Nov 2013)
Alex Harvey, HEIF Programme Manager
Nesta have launched a New small grants fund they want to find new ideas and foster collaboration with a wide array of organisations so a open call has been launched where up to ten projects in total will be funded across the year. The maximum budget is 10k and examples of expected projects are:
NESTA research themes
To find out more click on this link – http://www.nesta.org.uk/Small-Grants-Open-Call
Several UK Horizon 2020 National Contact Points including the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Medical Research Council, and the Economic and Social Research Council have organised a series of regional Horizon 2020 information days taking place over the next two months.
The events will provide an overview of Horizon 2020, legal and financial issues and will include sessions on:
Registration and programme for Cardiff event
The Judgment expected this morning in the UK Supreme Court on the HS2 Action Alliance has rejected the HS2 Action Alliance appeal. The points of appeal are listed below. The administrative law procedure for judicial review permits parties in this significant case to challenge the reasonableness of the Government’s decision to go ahead with its plans for a high speed rail network; the challenge in this case appearing to be failure to consult during the environmental assessment process. A serious question was as to whether sufficient time has been allowed to assess environmental issues, including assessment by Members of Parliament; and thus parliamentary procedure would fail to meet the requirements of the environmental directive. This point of appeal also appears to have been rejected.
The Facts
The Secretary of State issued a Command paper titled ‘High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain’s Future—Decisions and Next Steps’ (DNS) setting out the government’s strategy for a new national high speed rail network called High Speed Two (HS2) from London to Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. The appellants contend that the Decisions and Next Steps (the ‘DNS’) paper is a ‘plan or program’ that is ‘required by administrative provisions’ and ‘sets the framework for development consent’ of HS2 and falls within articles 2 and 3 of Directive 2001/42/EC the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (the SEAD) as transposed by the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. Justice Ouseley, found at first instance, that the consultation process in respect of the compensation decision was so unfair as to be unlawful. On all other grounds, however, he dismissed the claims, as did the Court of Appeal.
Main points of appeal:
1. Whether plans that may influence the Parliamentary consent process should be effectively excluded from the requirements of strategic environmental assessment by an unduly restrictive interpretation or application of the Strategic Envinronmental Assessment Directive (the SEAD); and contrary to EU environmental law.
2. Whether on the facts the Secretary of State’s ‘Decisions and Next Steps’ (DNS) paper would have a sufficient influence on Parliament to engage the SEAD (the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive) and whether its very potential to influence Parliament is a compelling factor since, by the time the Bill process is underway, it will too late to challenge the decision in the DNS and provide proof of actual influence;
The writer has not followed the appeal closely, however the Case summary and Judgment issued this morning given its topicality and public importancea are linked below.
Press Summary:
Click to access UKSC_2013_0172_PressSummary.pdf
Judgment:
The British Academy has launched their annual call for people to hold conferences at the academies London base. The remit for conferences is that they fit around the theme of humanities and social sciences. Plus they are looking for proposals for conferences that will be pivotal events and of lasting significance in the field. This is a chance for leading and emerging scholars to examine current and future issues surrounding novel, dynamic, innovative and exciting subject areas.
Funding Body: British Academy
Scheme: Conference Programme
Overview: The British Academy invites proposals for its 2015 conference programme. This supports conferences on subjects in the humanities and social sciences held at the British Academy’s premises in central London. The academy will support up to six conferences in 2015, with up to 135 participants each.
Any UK-based scholar is eligible to submit a proposal.
Budget: The academy provides the venue, facilities and catering; contributes to travel and accommodation for convenors, speakers and chairs; and promotes and administers the conferences. Themed volumes of essays arising from the conferences may be published in the Proceedings of the British Academy series.
Deadlines: 21 February 2014 –annual call
Further Information: http://www.britac.ac.uk/events/events_proposals_conferences.cfm
The Daphne Jackson Trust invites applications for its fellowships. These aim to return scientists, engineers and technologists to their careers after a break. Fellowships are normally undertaken on a part-time basis in a university or research establishment in the UK. They are flexible and include a tailored training programme to update the skills and knowledge of the fellow, allowing them to return at the appropriate level to their career.
Applicants must be permanent UK residents, with a good first degree in a STEM discipline and at least three years in research or a PhD qualification prior to the career break.
Fellowships last for two years part time and cover a salary with a small additional allowance for expenses such as conference attendance.
The AHRC have an open call for expressions of interest to attend a research development workshop addressing the challenges of Disconnection, Division and Exclusion. This event will be on 18-20 March 2014 at the Novotel Sheffield Centre Hotel as a part of the Connected Communities Programme. The aim is to stimulate the development of innovative, cross-disciplinary, community-engaged, research projects to better understand the disconnections that can occur from, within and between communities in different cultural contexts.
AHRC are seeking applications to participate in the workshop from both researchers funded under the Connected Communities programme, in addition to researchers and non academic partners not current involved but who have relevant expertise. Attendees at the workshop will have an opportunity to apply for ring-fenced funding for follow-up projects of up to £100,000 to take forward the most innovative research ideas that emerge during the workshop.
The deadline for applications to attend the workshop is 30th January. Further information is available at http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Pages/Open-Call-for-applications-to-attend-the-Connected-Communities-Research-Development-Workshop-on-Addressing-the-Challenges-o.aspx
Ecorys and the British Council have advertised webinars for the new Erasmus + programme of funding. These are taking place in January and February.
All of the details on how to register and when the webinars are taking place can be found Here
The External Projects Team will be listening in to the Webinars, so we will be sending out a blog with all the latest info later this month, in the meantime, if you are interested in accessing the E+ funding please get in touch with us at externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk
This is an opportunity for collaboration between Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (HTA).
The aim is to study the clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent relapse and enhance quitting at twelve months as an extension to current smoking cessation services, including enhanced behavioural support and pharmacotherapy.
An outline proposal on this topic should be submitted by completing the on-line application form at www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/funding/hta-commissioned and submitting it on-line by 8th May 2014.
Joint applications are invited from Australian and UK researchers. Chief investigators may be based in the UK or in Australia.
For further information click on the link: http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/funding/hta-commissioned/briefs/13_155cb.pdf
Please find attached a recent Supreme Court decision regarding the powers of the Courts to intervene in disciplinary hearings for gross misconduct of a medical practitioner. The case involves a secure Hospital serving Psychiatrist, where there was insufficient evidence in the disciplinary proceedings to support wilful or deliberate breach of confidentiality – including allegations of the medical practitioner discussing patient confidential medical notes whilst on a train travelling to work, and the medical notes allegedly in public view during those discussions.
The Supreme Court appears to have upheld the injunction restraining the Trust from proceeding with the disciplinary hearing in breach of contract. The purpose of imposition of the injunction appears to include the opportunity of fresh investigation into the complaints.
The Supreme Court Judgment in Chhabra:
Click to access UKSC_2013_0046_Judgment.pdf
The Press Summary in Chhabra: