School of Biology

Deadline:  16 May 2012

The EPSRC and NC3Rs (National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research) is seeking high-quality research proposals to address genuine mathematical challenges which develop new, or apply existing mathematical models to toxicology research and safety testing with the aim of:

• Providing more scientifically relevant information for human and environmental safety assessment
• Reducing reliance on animals and/or improving animal welfare

Mathematical modelling is already being applied to a wide range of topics in medicine and biology, helping to understand diseases and make predictions about biological processes. As such maths could play a valuable role in developing new methods for toxicology research and testing, and also help to support the replacement, reduction or refinement of animal use.

Deadline:  28 May 2012

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs invites applications for its analysis of the potential effects of various influences and interventions on woodland management and creation decisions, using a segmentation model to categorise sub-groups.

The aim of this project is to conduct primary research into the potential effects of various policy levers on woodland owners and managers. This analysis will be grounded in an agreed segmentation of woodland owner or manager type, and include a review of the effectiveness of current interventions, in order to identify phenomena, structures or relationships which influence behaviours. This is a two-stage project. The first stage is to develop a segmentation model which then allows for the development of stage two – analysis of policy options for achieving specific outputs and their effectiveness. The scope of this work is England only. The project is expected to start in June and take no more than seven months to complete ending in December 2012. FFG 1147.

Deadline:  1 June 2012

We are inviting proposals from organisations with proven expertise in research methodology and design to provide National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Services. There will be up to ten regional Research Design Service offices. Together these will form a national Research Design Service (RDS), liaising with each other to develop common processes and a consistent service to the research community.

The aim of the RDS is to provide advice and support on research design, methodology and scope so as to increase the number and proportion of applications for NIHR research funding that are high quality. This will be monitored through annual reports and quantitative data. The purpose of the RDS will be to help researchers to prepare research proposals for submission to national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research. A key aspect of the work will be with NHS researchers, supporting their applications for NIHR Programmes. However the RDS should provide a service to all applied health and social care researchers who require support.

Deadline:  1 June 2012

EU Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are home to
exceptional biodiversity. Situated in the three large oceans and at a range of latitudes, these entities
are very biodiversity rich and play host to more endemic species (species that are exclusive to a
restricted geographical area) than are found on the whole of continental Europe. Considering both
terrestrial and marine areas and their associated specificities, marine biodiversity constitutes a
significant part of the biodiversity in the Overseas Entities. The interaction between terrestrial and
marine ecosystems is key to their respective functioning. Effective management of vulnerable
island ecosystems protects island biodiversity, helps adaptation to impacts of climate change,
contributes to climate change mitigation and supports island economies and the way of life.The objectives of the preparatory action are to provide further means to protect biodiversity and
ecosystem services in the EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories. In this
context, whenever possible, social, environmental, economic and governance dimensions of
sustainability are considered.

Specific objectives are:

a) promote the establishment and effective management of marine and terrestrial protected areas
(PAs) in the EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories, also taking into
account already existing PAs;

b) implement sustainable management of marine and terrestrial resources, which contribute to
protecting important species, habitats and ecosystem functions outside PAs;

c) strengthen conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU
Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories by:

- addressing the wider ecosystem challenge of climate change by maintaining healthy,
resilient ecosystems and fostering green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches to
climate change adaptation and mitigation which often bring multiple benefits;

- strengthening capacities at a local and regional scale, including the neighbouring countries,
by promoting exchange of information and best practice amongst all stakeholders including
local administration, landowners, private sector, researchers and civil societies etc… ;

- strengthening existing nature conservation programmes and related efforts within and
outside conservation areas;

- broadening the knowledge base and filling the knowledge gaps, including quantifying the
value of ecosystem functions and services;

d) encourage and facilitate transboundary working; addressing issues such as invasive alien species,
the impacts of climate change and the implementation of international conventions in particular
CITES2 and the three Rio Conventions3;

e) develop mechanisms to lever resources including ‘payments for ecosystem-services’ (PES).

Deadline:  6 June 2012

The Pathfinder Award Scheme is intended to kick-start pilot projects that have significant potential to help develop innovative new products in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of orphan and neglected diseases. In the scheme, an academic lead (or a lead from a not-for-profit entity) will build on or establish a partnership with a company that has specialist knowledge and access to technologies to facilitate the development of a specific product.

The company partner needs to provide evidence that it has previously developed and subsequently taken a product to market. In addition, the company needs to provide a matching funding contribution.

Projects covering any aspect of product development for neglected and orphan diseases could be considered.

In the context of this scheme:

• neglected diseases are those listed in the Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases (G-FINDER) report and website
• orphan indications are those listed by the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research.

Deadline:  11 June 2012

NOTE:  Anyone intending to submit a proposal to this call must register their interest by email to Neil Bateman by the 30th April 2012, including in the email the project partners, names of the PI and any CoIs, the subject area and an approximate value of funds to be requested.

Proposals are invited for collaborative research proposals for fundamental research that will address the challenges that marine energy (wave and tidal) faces in the 2050 time horizon.

The remit of this call will be those aspects of marine energy generation technologies, the environmental impacts of the technologies and the socioeconomic aspects of marine energy (including policy) that will need to be addressed for the UK to meet its planned 2050 marine energy deployment targets as defined in the main call document.

Deadline:  11 June 2012

This scheme offers opportunities for postdoctoral scientists to undertake research at the interfaces between biology/medicine and mathematics, engineering, computer, physical or chemical sciences, firstly at MIT and then at a UK institution.

Candidates will be expected to identify an important biomedical research question and to propose a personal interdisciplinary training programme to achieve their research aims.

The aim is to support those who will train in a new research area that is complementary to, but distinct from, their current field of expertise, to enable an interdisciplinary approach to their research question - e.g. you might be a physicist wanting to work on a biology-based programme, or a biologist wanting to undertake a bio-engineering pr

You should be about to submit your doctoral thesis or have up to, but no more than, three years’ postdoctoral experience from date of your PhD viva to the deadline for applications to the scheme.

Deadline:  12 June 2012

This scheme is for scientists in the UK who are at an early stage in their career and want to purchase specialised equipment and consumables,  or for academics to research the history of science.

The scheme provides ‘seed corn’ funding for new projects of timeliness and promise. The objective of the scheme is to increase the availability of specialised equipment and essential consumable materials, and to support essential field research. The scheme also provides support for research in the history of science or to assist with publication of scholarly works in the history of science.

The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine. Applications within the history of science field will also be accepted.

For the life and physical sciences, the applicant must:

• hold a PhD or be of equivalent standing in their profession
• be within the first 5 years of the start date of their first permanent or limited-tenured academic position
• be holding a permanent position or a limited-tenure academic position at an eligible institution (or have been appointed to one of these positions)
• be a UK resident at the time of application

Applicants must play a major part and take a leading role in the project and not make its fulfilment more than marginally dependent on the services of postgraduate/doctoral students.

Non-tenured researchers and retired scientists may apply for research support and publication support grants if the application is in the history of science field and the applicant works in association with an eligible institution.

Deadline:  14 June 2012

The MRC wishes to understand better the link between research and wider economic and societal impacts, and to use this understanding to improve strategies for the future support of research.

There is a need for all areas of public spending to examine the contribution it is making to economic growth in the UK, and to consider ways in which impact can be maximised. However research organisations lack rigorous and quantitative methodologies to measure return on investment and demonstrate their impact on the economy.

In order to encourage high quality research the MRC has decided to make funding available for a small number of pilot/feasibility studies of up to one year in duration. If promising results can be generated, consideration will be given to providing a second round of new/continuation funding.

The MRC is particularly interested in developing a portfolio of studies that can deliver one or more of the following:

• Actionable policy recommendations relevant to medical research funding strategy in the UK.
• Better estimates of the return on investment from research.
• International/cross funder comparisons of different environments/policy approaches, which highlight ways to maximise impact.
• Critical success factors and improved intermediate indicators for measuring impact.
• Learning from missed opportunities or negative results.
• User/beneficiary views on the contribution of academic research and MRC input into this.

Applications are encouraged that:

• Contribute to establishing new methodological approaches and models for measuring the economic impact of research.
• Employ existing methodologies and datasets, if it can be shown that the results will provide new insight into the link between research and impact.

PLEASE NOTE that projects chosen for funding must be able to deliver a statement of interim results by May 2013 in order that early consideration can be given to progress with this initiative.

Deadline:  21 June 2012

The Foundation is interested in original research ideas which take new approaches, and suggest new solutions, to real world social problems: innovative research which breaks with existing explanatory frameworks so as to address afresh empirical problems with no currently adequate theory or investigative methodology and which is unlikely to be funded by existing funding bodies. Innovation may also come from controversial theoretical approaches motivated by critical challenge of incumbent theories. Projects ranging across the breadth of the social scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary research fields are welcome.

Deadline:  26 June 2012

This scheme is for world-class scientists who would benefit from a period of long-term support to allow them to focus on research and collaboration based at an institution in the UK.

The scheme provides salary costs, a one-off start-up grant and research expenses. Appointments are usually made for 10 years.

The Professorships may be awarded in any field across the natural sciences, some awards will be restricted to specific areas as follows:

• The Royal Society Wolfson Research Professorship in Physics or Chemistry at the interface with Biology
• The Royal Society GSK Research Professorship in Molecular aspects of Medicine
• The Royal Society Noreen Murray Research Professorship in Neurobiology

Applicants can be of any nationality, and applications are particularly welcomed from scientists currently resident outside the UK.

Deadline:  04 July 2012

NIHR Knowledge Mobilisation Fellowships are open to individuals with significant NHS and / or academic experience and who can demonstrate that they have the potential to mobilise research derived knowledge within health care settings.  In order to encourage partnership working between the NHS and Higher Education Institutions, applications must be supported by at least two organisations from these different sectors. NHS organisations may be providers or commissioners of NHS health services.

Knowledge Mobilisation Fellowships are personal awards designed to buy out an individual's salary costs, fund a training and development programme and fund the activities needed to complete an identified knowledge mobilisation project.

Further details, including eligibility criteria and instructions for application submission, are to be found in the guidance notes published to accompany the three separate components of the application form.

Deadline:  16 July 2012

This Fellowship supports outstanding non-clinical scientists at the start of their independent careers. Fellows will have shown special promise in their initial studies in a cancer-relevant research field, but may not yet have sufficient experience or the track record to obtain a more senior fellowship. The Fellowship provides the opportunity to set up an independent research group for the first time.

Applicants for this scheme should have between three and eight years post doctoral research experience since the date of their viva.

Applications are invited from those with interests in any area of basic, biomedical science (including biology, chemistry, physics and maths) and population research, providing the applicant is able to explain the relevance of their proposal to cancer research. All applicants must ensure that their proposed work fits within the remit of the Cancer Research UK research strategy:

http://science.cancerresearchuk.org/research/research-strategy/

Deadline:  20 July 2012 (CV details check)

The Ethics and Society Programme will support research that explores the ethical and social aspects of biomedical research and health interventions, with the ultimate aim of achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health.

• You will be employed at an eligible higher education or research institution on a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract, salaried by your host institution.
• You should be no more than five years from appointment to your first established academic post on the date you submit your main application.
• You are also eligible to apply if you have a written guarantee of an established academic post at your host institution, which you will take up by the start of the award.
• We encourage applications from outstanding individuals who have taken career breaks. Time spent outside a research environment (full- or part-time) will be considered when assessing your eligibility.
• Unsuccessful applicants will normally be expected to wait 18 months before resubmitting an application.
• You may hold only one New Investigator Award at any one time.
• Wellcome will consider parallel, linked applications from two individuals of equivalent standing who are working closely together towards a shared vision. Please contact the Trust for advice.

Deadline:  None

The Research Networking Scheme is intended to support forums for the discussion and exchange of ideas on a specified thematic area, issue or problem, which includes Care for the Future and Science in Culture. The intention is to facilitate interactions between researchers and stakeholders through, for example, a short-term series of workshops, seminars, networking activities or other events. The aim of these activities is to stimulate new debate across boundaries, for example, disciplinary, conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and/or international. Proposals should explore new areas, be multi-institutional, can include creative or innovative approaches or entrepreneurship and can be submitted for full economic costs up to £30,000 for a period of up to two years.

Deadline:  None

This is a 'proof of concept' fund to support the commercialisation of ideas arising from research funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, and the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council. Pathfinder awards are available to carry out work that will help you develop a greater understanding of the commercial aspects and possibilities of your research, and hence a more robust, better informed application for a full Follow-on Fund grant. Although not a formal requirement for subsequent application to the full Follow-on Fund, undertaking Pathfinder work of the type described is an approach strongly encouraged by NERC's Assessment Panel. Awards are typically in region of £7k - £10k (FEC), although up to £20k may be awarded in exceptional cases.

Deadline:  None

Projects must also address an unmet need in healthcare or in applied medical research, offer a potential new solution, and have a realistic expectation that the innovation will be developed further by the market. However, for Strategic Translation Awards the Trust will normally actively participate in the stewardship of the project and lead on intellectual property management and exploitation. A wide range of biomedical developments can be considered, including therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics, enabling technologies (including research tools), medical devices and regenerative medicine.

Deadline:  2 November 2012

This scheme provides awards to fund biomedical research of the highest scientific merit and greatest clinical or translational relevance to MND.

Assessment: Applications for project grants will be judged on the key criteria of:-

• its relevance to 'classical' MND. On receipt of summaries, a decision will be made on their relevance to classical ALS. If they are not sufficiently relevant then they will not be considered by the summary review process.
• scientific merit
• novelty
• the potential clinical and or translational relevance of the research
• how the study fits in with other work in the laboratory / institution.
• Characteristics and abilities of applicants

Deadline:  No Deadline

Work shadowing placements are suitable for researchers and other staff involved in environmental science research at any stage of their career, excluding students. The host partner organisation must be a relevant user of NERC research such as a government department, public agency or charity. Placements are for up to one month and NERC will pay travel and subsistence only. While the funded period for a work shadowing placement is up to four weeks, this does not need to be taken in one block, but can be taken over a period of three months.

Deadline:  None

The aim of the postdoctoral mobility mechanism is to encourage the effective transfer into different research disciplines of knowledge gained by post-doctoral Research Assistants (PDRAs) working on existing EPSRC research grants and enhance the competencies and career opportunities of these researchers. This opportunity complements support for Visiting Researchers available to established researchers who wish to spend periods of time in a different discipline department in a university located in a different region of the UK. Any proposal that involves transfer of knowledge between two distinctly different disciplines can be considered. However, the balance of the research proposed for the follow-on year must be within EPSRC remit.

Deadline:  (No Deadline)

The Expeditions Council is editorially driven; projects must have the potential to yield compelling stories and images. Applications are also judged on the qualifications of applicants and their teams and on the merit and uniqueness of the project. Applicants are expected to have qualifications and experience pertinent to the expedition or project they propose, and advanced academic degrees are not required. Those planning work in countries other than their own should consider including at least one local collaborator as part of their expedition team. In addition to financial support, the Expeditions Council offers its grantees the opportunity to work effectively with the National Geographic's many divisions. Grantees are therefore able to share the results of their expeditions with National Geographic's global audience.

Deadline:  None

These are science-led, responsive mode Industrial Partnership Awards (IPAs) where an industrial partner contributes in cash (not ‘in-kind’) at least 10% of the full economic cost of the project. The BBSRC funding covers the remainder of the cost at 80% of fEC rate. Applicants should describe the value of the partnership and its mutual benefits. The company partner should be registered in the UK or have a UK R&D or manufacturing site. Where a suitable company cannot be found in the UK, an overseas company may be used. However, such collaborations are judged on a case-by-case basis, and clear justification must be provided.

Applications are assessed by the Research Committees, alongside standard applications, using the same criteria. IPA projects are normally funded in preference to standard grants of equivalent scientific merit, because of the industrial contribution.

Deadline:  No Fixed Closing Date
 
If you have an excellent idea for a research project, the best way to seek funding for it is through the standard grants open call. There is considerable flexibility when it comes to subject area, too. As long as you always make sure that your suggested topic falls within ESRC's remit, you are free to concentrate on any research area. 

Deadline:  None

A Daphne Jackson Fellowship is a unique Fellowship designed to return scientists, engineers and technologists to their careers after a break of at least 2 years, although this may include part-time work aimed at trying to keep up to date. 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 designed to update the skills and knowledge of the Fellow thus allowing them to return at the appropriate level to their career. The Fellowship is normally part time for two years and the Fellow is paid a salary, with a small additional allowance for expenses such as conference attendance.  Fellowships are held within a university research laboratory or in a suitable research division in an industrial establishment in the UK.

Deadline:  NERC is pausing the Connect A scheme until March 2013 in the first instance, when the funding situation will be reviewed.

The Connect A scheme facilitates and promotes new partnerships between universities and research institutes and public/private sector science users (industry, business, commerce or public sector agencies). The funds are for planning and initiating collaborative research not eligible for funding through other schemes (LINK, KTP, CASE or contract research).

Awards are made up to £4,000 for the total directly incurred costs per application. Funds will support two basic types of pump priming activities:

• Proof of concept proposals for a specific research activity relating to ideas emerging from the science base that have potential application but have a high degree of technical risk and perhaps lack a clearly defined end user. Project costs sought should be those eligible under standard NERC research grants.
• Costs for workshops or seminars on a theme both partners are interested in. Participants should be from both communities. Funding can be sought for accommodation, hire of audio-visual equipment, travel costs for speakers/rapporteurs and ancillary costs.