Policy input: EU Framework Programme for R&D: Call for Evidence - closing date 4 January 2011

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has published a Call for Evidence, inviting the UK’s R&D community to have their say on the European Union’s Framework Programme. The Framework is the EU's main mechanism for funding research, technological development and demonstration. UK participation in the current 2007-2013 iteration of the Framework Programme (known as FP7) has been strong – with UK researchers receiving €1.83 billion of funding from the €12.7 billion awarded to date.

BIS would like to hear from those with first-hand experiences of this initiative – academics, researchers and businesspeople – so that BIS can better equip the UK to maximise on the opportunities on offer and strengthen the UK's negotiating position in advance of the next Programme.

The main call for evidence document can be found at www.bis.gov.uk/fp8-call-for-evidence In addition, a more informal discussion is available via the Technology Strategy Board _connect platform.

The call for evidence closes on 4th January 2011.

R&D Society: Government must maintain support for all areas of UK R&D, from academia to business

In response to Vince Cable’s Science, Research and Innovation speech of 8 September 2010, Sir Richard Sykes, President of the R&D Society comments:

The Government must maintain the support of UK R&D - from academia to businesses large and small - if we are to prosper financially and socially in future. This includes maintaining investment in our world-class science base to attract investment and people from all over the world, and finding ways of encouraging businesses and academia to work together effectively.

Vince Cable asks how to encourage academics to collaborate with industry to maximise the benefit of their research. Universities cannot simply increase the commercial viability of their research by turning on a tap. They need encouragement and support to do so – but they also need businesses who are willing, able and capable of working with them. For academic-business links to succeed, businesses need encouragement too, especially now, when many are having to focus on short-term survival in place of longer-term, R&D-based investment. The commercial R&D sector has been under severe pressure in this recession, and we have seen several commercial R&D labs close or scale back in the UK over the past year.

Though Vince Cable did mention support for the Small Business Research Initiative, he omits to discuss how business might be encouraged to work with academia – for example R&D tax credits, networking support, skills transfer schemes. Businesses want to get on with their job in hand, so Government must be a supporting catalyst, not prescriptive – a midwife, not a nanny. This should not happen at the expense of support for business-business knowledge transfer - the Cinderella largely ignored by successive Governments, but one that powers much of UK innovation, especially around smaller enterprises.

The UK is an attractive place to do R&D, and Vince Cable is rightly proud that many multinational companies locate their R&D operations in the UK. But they will only do so whilst it is in their best interests to. Businesses have told the R&D Society about many different reasons why they choose the UK, and one of the most important is the high quality of UK universities. This provides local access to world-class research, and a regular supply of skilled graduates. We are very worried at the cuts to UK science hinted at in Vince Cable’s speech will have the double whammy of reducing the research and teaching capacity of UK universities and discouraging students from studying research-relevant subjects – resulting in more top performing graduates "heading straight for high finance rather than science and engineering", as Mr Cable laments. In order to maintain the flow of ideas to wealth in the long term, a broad portfolio of high-class 'basic' research must be maintained as the fruits of the future.

Royal Society Industry Fellowships - closing date 29 October 2010

Applications are invited to this scheme, which promotes knowledge exchange between academia and industry by establishing personal and corporate links.
Funding is available to enable:

1. academic scientists to work on a collaborative project with industry, or
2. someone in industry to work on a collaborative project with a university or not-for-profit, non-publicly funded research organisation

More information is available on the Royal Society website. The closing date is 29 Oct 2010.

Opportunity: TSB announces £13m crop protection R&D competition, c/d 25 Feb 2010

The Technology Strategy Board has announced a new competition with £13m available for industry-led projects that will help growers respond to the challenge of increasing crop productivity whilst also reducing the environmental impact of crop production.

The competition opens on January 18th 2010 and aims to meet existing and new EU regulation on the approval and use of pesticides. This call is relevant to businesses and stakeholders across the agricultural supply chain, including those involved in the following sectors:

• arable crops including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, potatoes and pulse crops
• horticulture
• grasses and forage crops
• crops for biofuels, and other non-food uses
• in the field or protected cultivation

Further information is available at the Technology Strategy Board website.

The Biosciences KTN, which is free to join, can help assist by providing advice on project scope and fit to eligibility criteria; identification of potential collaborative partners; confidential review of draft proposals.

Funding: Royal Society Industry Fellowship Scheme, c/d 14 Oct 2009

This scheme aims to enhance knowledge transfer in science and technology between those in industry and those in academia. It provides opportunities for an academic scientist to work on a collaborative project with industry, or someone employed in industry to work on a collaborative project with a university department or a not-for-profit research organisation. It is anticipated that fellows will establish personal and corporate links between the two sectors in the UK as a foundation for their long-term future development. These appointments are funded by the Royal Society, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, Rolls-Royce plc and Astra Zeneca.

The closing date for applications is 14 October 2009. See the Royal Society website for more details.

Opportunity: Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowships, c/d 6 Oct 2009

Each year the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust aims to award 100 Travelling Fellowships to British citizens. Each Fellow receives a grant to cover return and internal travel, daily living and travel insurance within the countries visited. Categories for application include Business & Finance and Science, Engineering & Enterprise. For further information and to apply, visit the Trust's website. Closing date 6 October 2009.

Event: research connection 2009, Prague, 7 and 8 May 2009

The European Commission is holding a conference, research connection 2009, in Prague on 7 and 8 May 2009, for scientists, entrepreneurs and researchers interested in research and innovation. The European Commission budget for research and innovation is increasing each year, and the conference aims to give participants first-hand information about priorities, objectives and participation rules. The participation fee will be €50 for the two days. One-day passes will be available for €30.

Funding: Scottish Enterprise/RSE Enterprise Fellowships c/d 24 April 2009

Researchers in Scottish universities can apply for a Scottish Enterprise/RSE Enterprise Fellowship to develop a spin-out business around technological ideas. These Fellowships will be tenable for a period of one year commencing on or around October 2009. The aims to increase the commercialisation of the Scottish academic research base, raise understanding of commercialisation throughout Scottish universities and research institutes, and to create sustainable companies with high-value jobs. The programme is funded by Scottish Enterprise and delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Apply via their website, closing date 24 April 2009.

Funding: EU Eco-Innovation Funding Call, c/d 11 Sep 2008

This call supports eco-innovative projects in different sectors which aim at the prevention or reduction of environmental impacts or which contribute to the optimal use of resources. The deadline for applications is 11th September 2008. Part of this call seeks:

• Innovative building processes or products that reduce environmental impact and/or support a rational use of natural resources.
• Green building techniques that leverage the use of recycled materials and renewable sources. New water-saving systems such as rainwater collection, grey water use, green roofs. Sustainable construction, maintenance, repair, retrofitting or demolition techniques.

There is more information and some useful guidance from a series of presentations (pdf files - UK in Farnham in May).

(Information courtesy of the MBE KTN)

Funding: Royal Society Industry Fellowships 2008, cd 13 March 2008

The Royal Society Industry Fellowship Scheme aims to foster knowledge transfer and exchange between academia and industry. The Fellowships provide the chance for scientists with permanent positions in industry or academia (or not-for-profit research organisations) to work for up to two years (full-time) or 4 years (part-time) in the other sector. The personal and corporate links forged will provide a foundation for future collaborative development. The fellowships are jointly funded with EPSRC, BBSRC, NERC, Rolls Royce plc and Astra Zeneca Ltd. Closing Dates: 18 October 2007 and 13 March 2008.

Funding: NERC Knowledge Transfer Call, c/d 4 March 2008

NERC is inviting applications for the first round of the 2008 Knowledge Transfer Call, with a closing date of 4 March (4pm). The KT Call helps maximise the transfer of knowledge, people, skills and expertise between the UK's research base and the user community (public and private sector organisations). The Call is flexible, to cater for the many types of knowledge flow. The next round will have a closing date of 5 August. The KT Call is open to applicants based in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), NERC Research and Collaborative Centres, and Independent Research Organisations (IROs) approved by NERC. Applications should fall within the NERC science remit. Examples of networks which have been funded through the Knowledge Transfer Call, to exchange ideas and knowledge between the science and user communities are on the NERC website.

Funding: 1851 Commission Industrial Fellowships 2008, cd 31 January 2008

The 1851 Commission offers eight Industrial Fellowships to fund the placement of industry employees in UK universities, to conduct a research programme that will benefit both the company and the academic partner. The scheme is targeted to recent graduates in engineering, science or medicine, and all areas of industry are eligible. One Fellowship is offered in the electro-technology sector in cooperation with the ERA Foundation. The Fellowship contributes toward salary costs, university fees and overseas travel costs. Closing date for applications is 31 January 2008.

Funding: Media Sandbox for South West England digital media R&D, c/d 29 Nov 2007

Media Sandbox is a new commissioning scheme to support South West companies/organisations to research emerging possibilities in digital media. It is looking to make six catalytic investments in innovative Research and Development pilots which exploit opportunities in digital media presented by pervasive computing/wireless technologies. The scheme is an entirely unique opportunity for SMEs to collaboratively create radical new products and processes – pushing forward understanding and potential usage of next generation digital media. Applicants must attend a collaborative ideas lab on 29 November 2007 in Bristol. The projects
must be innovative and Research and Development based, with at least one partner based in the South West of England.

Funding: SPARK Award Call 2007, c/d 16 November 2007

The Electronics Enabled Products KTN, is pleased to announce a new call for SPARK awards aimed at building relationships between SMEs (Small to Medium sized Enterprises) and HEIs (Higher Education Institutes). The grants, which are of a fixed value of £5,000 each, will be awarded to the relevant HEI to tackle a problem of direct relevance to the SME. The grants aim to help the SME tackle a problem they are currently facing, and to lead to longer-term relationships between the educational institutes and the business community. Applications, which may be made online, are actively encouraged in the areas of design, development and manufacture of complex products with integrated electronic and mechanical function.