STFC – External Innovations and Global Challenges Funding Opportunities

We would like to draw your attention to several funding opportunities that are available and starting shortly. We have the RSE/STFC Enterprise Fellowships, Global Challenge Networks, Global Challenge Exploration Awards and the CLASP – Security Call, full details below.

 

RSE/STFC Enterprise Fellowships

The STFC, along with the RSE (Royal Society of Edinburgh), offer support for STFC funded scientists who want to develop a business idea based on STFC funded research. The fellowship gives one year’s salary and business training, to the Enterprise Fellow – the aim being to give someone the time and skills to set up a viable business as a result of the STFC science programme.

Enterprise Fellowships are designed to encourage exploitation of the STFC research programme. Applications may be submitted on any subject provided that the original research or technological developments have their origin as part of a programme largely funded by STFC, or in the case of nuclear physics programme previously funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The next closing date for applications is 27th April 2015.

This scheme is run jointly by STFC and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and is part of the Council’s Industry Programme.

Fellowships include one year’s salary costs and some additional support funding, and can be held at any UK Higher Education Institution or Institution that agrees to host the work. The Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for researchers to spend a year gaining business training whilst developing the commercialisation of their existing research. The training provided aims to support fellows through an active process of business planning and implementation.

For further information and application forms, please go to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. If you have any questions, please email Anne Fraser (RSE), or Phillip Tait (STFC).

 

 

Global Challenge Networks

The STFC is announcing a new call for Global Challenge Networks, the call opens on the 30th March 2015 and closes on 11th June 2015.

The STFC provides funding to create new multidisciplinary research communities at the STFC-Global Challenge interface which are focused on addressing user needs, including those of Government departments, Government agencies, industry and other academic communities. Three types of Networks are funded, depending on the stage of development of the community: Standard Network, Network+ and Extended Network+.

The aims of Standard Networks are to:

  • Support interactions between STFC-funded researchers and appropriate science, technology, industry and end-user groups to build interdisciplinary communities at the interface between STFC science and Global Challenge areas
  • Facilitate knowledge sharing and identify priority user-needs that STFC science could have a role in addressing
  • Create new multidisciplinary project teams to develop proposals to seek funding for projects addressing the Global Challenges

Network+ and Extended Network have the same aims as Standard Networks but additionally aim to:

  • Network+
    • Demonstrate STFC-funded capability to address Global Challenges and de-risking of concepts to facilitate applications for next-stage funding

 

  • Extended Network+
    • Maximise the impact of earlier Standard Network or Network+ activities
    • Further demonstrate STFC-funded capability to address Global Challenges and de-risking of concepts to facilitate applications for next-stage funding

For further information please see the Guidance for Global Challenge Network Applications

 

 

Global Challenge Exploration Awards

The STFC would like to remind applicants that the next quarterly assessment date for the Global Challenge Exploration awards is the 24th April 2015.

A key enabling activity in developing the Global Challenge Programme, especially in the creation of Networks, is early-stage exploration of challenge-led priorities and identification of where STFC-funded capabilities could be applied to help provide solutions to these. The Global Challenge Exploration Awards scheme provides a mechanism for Research Organisations to undertake early stage enabling activities aimed at identifying and exploring the potential of STFC-funded research to contribute to solutions to Global Challenges. STFC expects to make awards up to a total budget of £75k in the 2015/16 financial year.

Funding may be used to:

  • Engage with potential users at the STFC-Global Challenge interface to identify their research priorities and matching STFC capabilities
  • Identify existing and potential applications of STFC-funded research to the Global Challenges

Proposals may cover any topic of relevance to the Global Challenges. The scheme will provide funds of up to £20k to be used for:

  • Interdisciplinary workshops, exchange visits or other appropriate activities to help STFC-funded researchers to engage with potential users (academic or non-academic) of research in the Global Challenge Theme areas, in order to identify user priorities and matching STFC-funded capabilities
  • Identification and review of past, current and potential future applications of STFC-funded capability to Global Challenge Solutions within a department or Research Organisation in order to identify potential new projects and demonstrate impact

The aim is to contribute to the community’s and STFC’s knowledge of the Global Challenge landscape, inform strategy and provide evidence of impact.

For further information and to apply please go to Exploration Awards

Next quarterly cut-off dates for assessment: 24th April 2015, 24th July 2015, 23rd October 2015, 22nd January 2016.

 

 

Challenge Led Applied Systems Programme (CLASP)

Security Call

STFC Innovations Club is running a Launch Event for the STFC CLASP Security call on the 20th May at the Royal College of Physicians. The event aims to bring together academia, industry and knowledge exchange professionals from across the security sector to discuss how CLASP can support projects that apply STFC-funded research and capabilities to address key security challenges.

STFC External Innovations is now offering £1.5M to fund a range of projects from short feasibility studies to large developmental projects using STFC-funded research to solve key challenges in the Security sector.

CLASP is intended to support the de-risking of the R&D process for industry through the development of technology demonstrators and industry-ready prototype systems.

The day will comprise of presentations from academic researchers and security professionals highlighting their work in the security sector, as well as information on funding opportunities and a chance to meet your future collaborators.

There is a two stage application process for CLASP. Applicants are invited to submit a short outline, which is assessed by the CLASP panel. Short listed applicants are then invited to develop a full proposal with the assistance of CLASP panel members assigned as mentors.

The call opens on the 1st August 2015 and closes on 1st September 2015.

To come to this exciting Launch event please register here. For more details on the scheme please go to http://www.stfc.ac.uk/clasp.aspx