EPSRC Funding Opportunities

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EPSRC Funding Opportunities Peer Review

• Dr Tracy Hanlon
• University Interface Manager
• tracy.hanlon_at_epsrc.ac.uk
• 01793 444464
• 14th November 2006

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University Interface Manager (UIM)
UIM

• PEER REVIEW
• Convene panels
• Work with
• Process teams,
• APMs and PMs
• Proposers

• PROJECT WORK
• Special scheme contact
• Scheme evaluations
• Internal projects
• Training
• University briefs

• UNIVERSITY
• INTERFACE
• contact for research
• offices, University
• Managers, academics
• Provide data and
• information on
• best practice

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www.epsrc.ac.uk
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Support for Research Responsive Mode Grants

• About 65 of research grants through RM
• No closing dates
• Any topic in EPSRCs remit
• Research direction decided by applicant
• Primary assessment criterion is quality
• Includes First Grants, Overseas Travel Grants

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Support for Research Responsive Mode Grants

• Can apply for
• Staff (Research, Technician, Others, Visiting
  Researchers, Fellows, Project Students)
• Travel Subsistence
• Consumables
• Equipment
• Investigators
• Facilities Services
• Estates Indirect Costs

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Responsive Mode -Joint Research Councils/MoD
scheme

• MoD will part fund proposals of defence relevance
  judged to be of high scientific merit through
  peer review
• Proposers must discuss proposals with MoD staff
  in advance of applying
• Guidance to applicant and topics of interest at
  www.dstl.gov.uk under technology transfer

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Support for Research Targeted Mode Grants

• Approx 35 is managed
• For research in a particular subject area
• Proposal must meet certain criteria to be
  considered against the call
• Assessment criteria will be given
• Fixed closing date, often an outline stage
• Latest calls for proposals at www.epsrc.ac.uk
• Sign up for an automatic email alert!

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Support for Education and Training

• Doctoral Training Accounts (DTAs)
• Based on research grant income
• Collaborative Training Account (CTAs)
• Engineering Doctorate, Masters Training Packages,
  Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Industrial CASE,
  Research Assistants Industrial Secondment, CASE
  for New Academics
• Research Grants
• Project Students

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Supporting New Academics - First Grant Scheme
changes today!!!

• New academics first application
• Research Fellows supported externally may now be
  eligible organisation must support as permanent
  academic staff (check website for details)
• Within 36 months of appointment or until end of
  probation period, whichever is longer
• Should still be within 10yrs of PhD
• Upper limit removed (trial period 1 year)
• Previously 250k

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Supporting New Academics First Grant Scheme

• At RM panel ranked with other First Grants
• Standard form with Case for Support
• Co-investigators must be different discipline
• Describe plans for developing research careers
• Host organisation statement describing dedicated
  support to the new academic
• Important part of peer review of FG
• Invited resubmissions (panel only)
• High quality, but element needs revising
• 3 months to resubmit

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Supporting New Academics - CNA

• CASE for New Academics
• CASE Co-operative Awards in Science
  Engineering.
• New academics build links with company through
  co-supervision of a CASE student.
• Academics appointed within the last two years
  looking to supervise their first EPSRC
  studentship
• Project agreed between company academic partner
• Student spends at least 3 months with company
• Awards are non-competitive

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Supporting Collaboration - Networks

• UK based networks link research groups
  industrial organisations
• To develop new collaborations
• Overseas partners can be included
• No funding limit, but for a max of 3 years
• Demonstrate added value of EPSRC funding
• Support for PI one Co-I (not participants),
  TS, Administration

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International Collaboration Overseas Travel
Grants

• To recognised centres abroad
• Develop future collaborations
• Study new techniques
• Visit labs to gauge the state of the art
• Not for Conference attendance
• Supports PI salary, TS
• Allow at least 12 weeks to process

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International Collaboration Visiting
Researchers

• Visits by scientists or engineers of acknowledged
  standing
• To applicants institution to provide advice
  assistance
• In research fields in which the visitor is
  eminent
• In introducing new techniques developments
• In connection with specific research projects
• Funds for salary, TS
• Max 12 months per individual
• Via RM - either in its own right, or as part of a
  larger project

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Supporting World Leading Groups - Platform
Grants

• Aim to provide world leading groups with
• continuity of funding for key staff,
• opportunity to undertake short term adventurous
  research
• enhanced national and international networking
• Staff-centric
• Up to 5 years, 80-140 man-months of staff time
• Specifically in Engineering, Materials, ICT
• Support for Research/technical staff, travel,
  consumables

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Supporting Individuals EPSRC Fellowships

• Fellowship schemes focus on different stages of
• an academic career
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
• New researchers who have recently
• completed a PhD
• Advanced Research Fellowships
• Researchers with 3 to 10 yrs postdoc experience
• Senior Research Fellowships
• Established researchers of international repute

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Supporting Individuals Post Doctoral
Fellowships

• Enable outstanding young researchers to establish
  an independent research career
• Available in
• Maths (at least 7 per year)
• Theoretical Physics (up to 6)
• Theoretical Computer Science (1M invested)
• Engineering (8, jointly supported by the Royal
  Academy of Eng)
• Life Sciences Interface (up to 12) up to half
  total duration spent overseas
• Full time research for 3 years, engineering 5
  years
• No nationality restrictions

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Supporting Individuals Advanced Research
Fellowships

• Prestigious awards for outstanding young
  researchers
• Expectation of establishing an independent
  research career of international standing
• Full time research for up to 5 years
• 50 awarded annually
• No nationality restrictions
• Permanent and non-permanent eligible
• Applicants can apply for a research costs at the
  same time

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Supporting Individuals Senior Research
Fellowships

• Prestigious awards for outstanding academics of
  international repute - very best of UK research
• Full time research for up to 5 years
• Up to 6 awards expected
• Ambassadorial role
• Senior-lecturer/reader/professorial level
• History of exceptional research
• Established international reputation
• Currently at UK institution

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Supporting Public Engagement - PPE Awards

• Partnerships for Public Engagement
• Set up to support EPSRCs objective of
  communicating with the public
• Researchers seek partnerships to communicate
  challenge excitement of their research to the
  public.
• Examples interactive exhibits, media
  partnerships, videos
• Submit anytime, two panels per year
• PI/Co-I holds/has held EPSRC grant research
  being promoted in EPSRC remit

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You want to apply

• If unsure, check eligibility and remit
• Check Je-S access
• Look at how to apply on website, also
• Call documents, FAQs, referee forms
• Speak to Head of Department
• Speak to Central Admin about costings
• Check if any internal procedures to follow
• Speak to project partners (Letters of Support)
• Start preparations well in advance of deadline
• If in doubt, ask
• Do not miss the deadline!!!!

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Standard Paperwork

• Application form
• Case for Support (max 8 sides A4)
• Candidates track record (2 sides)
• Proposed Research (6 sides)
• Diagrammatic Workplan (one side A4)
• Justification of Resources (one side A4)
• Where applicable
• CV (max 2 sides A4, each) for named researchers
  Visiting Researchers
• Letters of Support from any project partners
• Quotes for equipment

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Case for Support referees view

• Look at referee assessment form
• Convey your excitement about the research
• Communicate novelty timeliness
• Must convince refs they are the experts!
• Be clear about the objectives and management
  issues (especially multidisciplinary)
• Provide a good, clear and concise work-plan
• Justify your resources properly
• Dont expect referees/panel members to read links
  all relevant info must be in Case for Support

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Who are the referees?

• At least one applicant-nominated referee.
• Usually two College referees (more for
  multidisciplinary and large proposals).
• Looking for a balance of referees reflecting the
  content of the proposal.
• Use of industrialists / overseas.

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Who selects them?- Associate Programme Manager
(APM)

• Knowledge of research areas and the communities
• Identifies scientific content/takes ownership of
  proposals
• Identifies any potential interest from other
  Programmes/Councils

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Unsupportive/Supportive?

• EPSRC staff review referee report progress
• how many have replied?
• are they good reports?
• have we covered the expertise?
• do we need to add more?
• need 3, but sometimes more reply!
• APM review of referee comments.
• Are at least two strongly supportive?
• If not, proposal is sifted out (and applicants
  may resubmit in six months).

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Applicants Response

• Referees comments sent to applicants 1 month
  before panel
• Applicants may provide response (one side of A4)
• Positive Referee Reports - still need to be read
  carefully
• Unsupportive Referee Reports need careful
  consideration before responding
• Address specifics avoiding aggressive or
  dismissive responses
• Not waste the opportunity to clarify issues

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Applicants Response

• A key input into the decision process
• Panels place great emphasis on the usefulness and
  quality of the response
• Lack of response to key issues can cause concern
  were referees right?
• Lack of suitable response to key issues may lead
  to a lower ranking of a really good proposal

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What does a panel do?

• The role of the Panel is
• To generate a rank ordered list of proposals in
  priority order for funding
• Primary criterion quality of research
• Using
• referee assessments
• applicants responses
• technical assessments from facilities

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Panel Members Who are they?

• Typically 8-12 members, drawn primarily from the
  EPSRC College.
• Selected by APMs to ensure coverage across all
  applications.
• Carry over of one or two members from a previous
  panel.

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Specific Individuals

• Chair Person (non-EPSRC)
• Leads the meeting.
• Introduces speakers.
• Ensures fair discussion.
• Enforces panel guidelines.
• EPSRC Convenor
• Ensures due process is followed.
• Record decisions.
• Communicates any specific feedback to PI.

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Panel Process

• Speakers
• Two assigned per proposal
• highlight important issues identified by the
  referees, and how well the applicant has
  responded.
• note discrepancies between referees comments.
• agree a score on a scale 10 (high) - 1 (low).
• Panel
• review and fine tune ranking through further
  discussion.

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Panel Guidelines

• Panel members should
• judge applications as written the programme of
  work should not be changed.
• not re-referee applications
• not change the resources on applications
• Panel Members must
• declare conflicts of interest
• keep panel discussion and papers confidential.

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Case for Support panel view

• Panel has a lot of paperwork!
• Clear title, objectives and summary
• Get members who are not speaking to application
  interested
• Make it easy to read!
• Limit technical jargon where possible
• Explain acronyms on first usage
• Remember the nature of the panel membership not
  all experts in your research

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Tips for Interviews?

• Read and follow guidance sent with invitation
• Arrive early
• You are often given interview panel membership
  look them up
• Predict likely questions
• Be aware of context of your research
• Practice presentation and interview
• Ask for advice if something is unclear

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Hints and Tips

• Read all information carefully relating to the
  scheme
• Scheme guidance on web, or
• Call documents
• FAQs
• Je-S system help
• Funding guide (cost headings, terms conditions)
• Bear in mind the assessment criteria
• Look at referees assessment form

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Hints and Tips

• Show your proposal to a more experienced
  colleague
• Generalist can be helpful too
• Only include relevant letters of support
• Justify the resources requested
• Deadline? Then
• Submit application well in advance to allow for
  internal procedures
• Begin preparation early

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In Summary

• www.epsrc.ac.uk for
• Information about funding opportunities
• Details of current Calls for proposals, sign up
  for email alerts
• Advice on writing a proposal how to apply
• Links to Je-S, funding guide, forms, latest news
• Information about Programmes
• Staff contact details its all on there!

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Thank you for your attention Any questions?