Each week this section lists funds available for academic researchers. Items for inclusion should be submitted to research@thes.co.uk
ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
www.epsrc.ac.uk Renewable and New Energy Technologies Through this second call for proposals, EPSRC will continue to provide a focus for research into renewable energy and the enabling technologies. There are particular opportunities for cross/multi-disciplinary research, for example, in the provision of renewable energies for communities, biomass to energy systems, distributed generation and fully integrated systems. In encouraging this field of research, EPSRC has the following objectives:
to focus on medium-to-long-term key research issues for the renewable and clean energy industries; to fund research that will take forward and inform Government policy on new and renewable energy; to continue to take forward the objectives of Foresight, in particular the recommendations of the Energy and Marine Foresight Panels; to allow the development of collaborative/interdisciplinary (larger) programmes of research; to fund more speculative research projects, eg (smaller) feasibility studies; to encourage networking between academia and industry; to coordinate activities with the DTI's New and Renewable Energy programme. This call invites outline proposals in the first instance. Next deadline for outline proposals: May 19. Full details on the web. Contact: Associate Programme Manager, Dr Edward Clarke; tel: 01793 444441; email: edward.clarke@epsrc.ac.uk. BT SHORT-TERM RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP SCHEME www.bt.com/innovation/uni_links/fellow/apply/index.htm This scheme aims to establish beneficial links between the company and academia by offering researchers the opportunity to carry out a short project (usually six weeks) in one of BT's research centres. It is open to lecturers, professors and PhD-qualified research assistants who are working in any field of research relevant to a global telecommunications company. BT's interests are wide ranging and cover more than the 'traditional' engineering disciplines. Projects that seek to innovate or to challenge current thinking are particularly encouraged. Travelling and accommodation expenses will be paid and an honorarium of Pounds 3,800 will be awarded on completion of the project. BT's main laboratory facility is located at Adastral Park near Ipswich, Suffolk. Applications must be submitted using the electronic application form on the website. Deadline: April 28. For further details contact: Dr. Pat Hughes, University Research Programme Manager; email: pat.hughes@bt.com.
BRITISH ACADEMY/CNRS CNRS" target="_blank"> www.britac.ac.uk/guide/overseas.htmlNoCNRS Joint Projects:
Britain and France The British Academy and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique have established a scheme of grants to support joint projects between British and French scholars, in the fields of the humanities and social sciences. Grants will be offered for travel expenses between France and Britain, and maintenance costs for visiting the other country. Grants may be used to support individual visits, or to cover attendance at workshops or symposia in connection with the project. Priority will be given to projects between groups of scholars who have not previously worked together, or new initiatives between groups of scholars who have collaborated in the past. Projects are expected to have a life-span of up to two years. Up to Pounds 2,500 will be available from each side (Pounds 5,000 in total), over a two year period. Applications must be submitted by both sides to the appropriate national body. The British partner should apply to the British Academy on the prescribed application form, available from the International Relations Department; tel: 020 7969 5220; fax: 020 7969 5414; email: overseas@britac.ac.uk, or downloadable as an rtf form from the website. French scholars should apply to the CNRS. Deadline:
April 30.
INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS www.iee.org.uk/Awards/pgschol.htm Postgraduate Scholarships & Grants The IEE offers three scholarships or grants to assist postgraduates with advanced study or research in electrical, electronic science or manufacturing engineering at a university in the UK. The awards are worth a maximum of Pounds 1,200 and are tenable for one year. Open to students whose qualifications have been accepted by the Institution as fulfilling the educational requirements for Corporate Membership of the institution before the application is submitted. Leslie H Paddle Scholarships (www.iee.org.uk/Awards/pgpaddle.htm ) These scholarships are intended for postgraduate research which will further the art, science or practice of electronic engineering or radio engineering at a university within the UK. Two scholarships are available, each worth Pounds 1,250 per annum tenable for two years, with discretion for extension for a third year. Candidates must be members of any class of the Institution at the date of the application.
For both types of scholarship, applications must be made on the prescribed form. Next deadline: 28 April. For further details and application forms, contact: Scholarships and Prizes, IEE, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL; tel: 020 7240 1871 ext. 2211/2235; fax: 020 7497 3609; email: scholarships@iee.org.uk.
FULBRIGHT COMMISSION www.ftclondon.co.uk/ cancer.htm Fulbright Cancer Research Fellowship 2000/2001 The award will enable a postdoctoral scientist, clinician or allied professional who is active in cancer research to spend a period of between six months and a year in the United States. The successful candidate will carry out research in the field of cancer. Proposals which include health service research will be particularly welcomed. Deadline: April 18. The fellowship will comprise a grant of Pounds 15,000 (inclusive of round trip travel) for a minimum of six months in the USA. The fellow's visa fee will be paid by the Commission. Applicants must be citizens of, and be ordinarily resident in, the UK or its dependent territories. Those either holding, or entitled to hold, a US passport are ineligible to apply. Letters of invitation from US institution(s) should be included with the application. The award may begin any time from September 2000 to Easter 2001. Send applications to: The Programme Director, Fulbright Commission, 62 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LS.
Notes & application forms available online.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL www.nerc.ac.uk Environmental Sciences Business Plan Competition This competition is open to all publicly funded scientists investigating the natural environment who wish to see their research developed into a commercial business proposition. Entries are welcome from individuals or teams, who will need to submit an outline business idea in the first instance. Initial acceptance into the competition will result in training and mentoring from business experts on how to develop comprehensive and detailed business plans incorporating issues such as business finance, intellectual property management, human resource issues and assessing user benefits. A prize of at least Pounds 10,000 to the individual or team, submitting the best plan will enable further development of the business proposal. Deadline: April 25. Further information and application forms can be downloaded from the web or contact: Mrs Lynne Bell; tel 01793 411712; fax: 01793 444513; email: l.bell@nerc.ac.uk .
JAPANESE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION www.embjapan.org.uk Research Scholarships The Japanese Ministry of Education (Monbusho) is offering 20 postgraduate research scholarships for UK graduates to study in Japan from 2001. There are two categories: a two year scholarship from April 2001 and an eighteen month scholarship from October 2000. Return airfare, tuition fees and a monthly allowance of about Pounds 1090 are provided. The term shall normally include six months of Japanese language study. Study in Japan may be undertaken in almost any field. Applicants must be under 35 years of age as of April 1, 2001. Deadline: August 4. Interviews will be held in September. Applications must be made on forms provided by the Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1V 9FN; tel: 020 7465 6583. UK nationals only may apply through the Japanese Embassy in London. Other nationalities should contact the Japanese Embassy in their home country.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA www.nla.gov.au/collect/feldoc.html Harold White Fellowships Aims of the fellowships:
¸to promote the Library as a centre of scholarly activity and research ¸to encourage scholarly and literary use of the collections and the production of publications based on them ¸to publicise the Library's collections Each year a limited number of fellowships have been awarded to enable established scholars and writers to work for periods of three to six months on materials in the Library's collections.
There are currently two categories of fellows:
Fellows - awarded to scholars and writers wishing to undertake original research based on the Library's collections. The Library will provide each fellow with the cost of the cheapest return airfare to Canberra from his or her home and a grant-in-aid towards the fellow's living expenses in Canberra. Fellows appointed in 2000 were given grants of up to $500 a week. Honorary Fellows - awarded to scholars and writers who, being in receipt of full salaries or funds from other sources, do not require financial assistance but who would benefit from the other privileges of fellowships. Both categories of fellowships are open to the residents of any country. The Library reserves the right of invitation. Normally fellowships will not be awarded to candidates who are working towards higher degrees. Candidates awarded fellowships will be expected to take them up during the 2001 calendar year. Fellows will be required to work in Canberra and spend at least three-quarters of their time there. Deadline: April 30. See the web or contact: Mr Graeme Powell, Manuscript Librarian, National Library of Australia, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; tel: (02) 6262 1258; fax: (02) 6262 1516; email: g.powell@nla.gov.au.
LEVERHULME TRUST www.leverhulme.org.uk Major Research Fellowships The trustees propose to offer up to 20 two or three-year Major Research Fellowships in UK universities, designed to enable researchers to devote themselves to a single project of outstanding originality and significance. Eligible fields: all fields in the humanities and social sciences.
Duration and starting date: each fellowship will normally be held for two or three years and the tenure of most fellowships will commence on October 1, 2001. Eligible applicants: candidates holding an established post in the humanities or social sciences at a UK university who have held a post in the UK for at least the past five years. Candidates must be of an age to return to full-time academic posts for at least two years after holding a fellowship. Priority will be given to applications from candidates over the age of 35.
Full details on the web or enquiries to: Ruth Cowling; tel: 020 7822 6897. Deadline: 4.30 pm on May 5.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL www.bbsrc.ac.uk Initiative on Gene Flow in Plants and Microorganisms BBSRC and NERC wish to support research aimed at providing soundly based information on aspects of the impact of GM crops and micro-organisms, including potential benefits, with particular emphasis on optimising the process of DNA insertion and understanding the consequences of gene flow.
Applications are invited from UK universities, approved academic analogues, and BBSRC and NERC sponsored institutes. Consortia-based multidisciplinary applications, and applications that include comparative studies between conventional varieties and agronomic practices and the GM alternatives, will be particularly welcomed. Consideration will be given, where an appropriate case can be clearly made, for longer-term projects up to a maximum of 5 years.
Deadline: May 15.
Further particulars including eligibility requirements and application forms are obtainable on the BBSRC web site.
Scientific enquiries about this call should be made to: Guy Richards, AgriFood Branch, BBSRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1UH; tel: 01793 414654; fax: 01793 414675; email: guy.richards@bbsrc.ac.uk.
ROYAL SOCIETY www.royalsoc.ac.uk COPUS Grants The Committee on the Public Understanding of Science offers grants to support projects which enable people to access contemporary issues and ideas in science, engineering and technology whether it be through debate or demonstration, interaction or exhibition, the arts or other pursuits.
There are currently three types of COPUS grant, all for projects within the UK: (1) a seed grant intended to pump prime activities on a local scale (maximum Pounds 3,000); (2) a development grant to support larger scale initiatives (maximum Pounds 20,000); and (3), a National Science Week grant for activities and events specifically intended for the annual National Science Week (maximum Pounds 3,000). All applicants must be resident in the UK and need to show clearly how their project relates to public understanding of science in the UK. Established as well as novel projects are considered. Development grants are conditional on securing matching funding; no matching funding is required for seed or National Science Week grants. The Council of the Royal Society is advised on suitable recipients by the Public Understanding of Science Grants allocating panel. Contact: Ms Anna Link; email: anna.link@ royalsoc.ac.uk; tel: 020 7451 2581; fax: 020 7930 2170. Next deadline: May 31.
EUROPEAN SCIENCE FOUNDATION www.esf.org/workshops/call2000.htm Exploratory Workshop Fund The ESF supports a limited number of Exploratory Workshops, which allows leading European scientists and scholars to meet to explore novel ideas at the European level with the aim of spearheading new areas of research. The aim of a workshop is to:
¸initiate the exchange of knowledge and experiences between researchers from across Europe in an emerging area of research ¸help establish new collaborative links between different disciplines ¸test innovative ideas and develop potential collaborative research projects. Each year the ESF Scientific Standing Committees select particular topics of interest as well as providing the opportunity for an "open" section. The selected topics are: Life and environmental sciences: functional aspects of biodiversity; mantle dynamics, plate tectonics and earthquake prediction; environmental connections to emerging infections; open. Medical sciences: clinical trials (including pharmacogenetics and pharmacoepidemiology); beyond the human genome sequence; computational science; novel biological approaches to treatment; public health. Applications from other fields of clinical and biomedical research are very much encouraged. Physical and engineering sciences : novel and strongly inter-disciplinary topics in chemistry, physics, mathematics, fundamental engineering sciences, material sciences and technologies research; interdisciplinarity may also touch on other science domains sucn as life, environmental, medical and social sciences and humanities; open. Social science s:
mobility, migration and family in Europe; corporate governance in Europe; European urban space: growth, social equity and quality of life; open. Humanities : minority languages in Europe, a multidisciplinary approach; law and civic culture in Europe; comparative literature; preserving and enhancing the European cultural heritage; open element.
Applications must be of the highest quality and will be subject to rigorous peer review. They must demonstrate the potential importance of European collaboration in the chosen field. Exploratory workshop awards will normally be for around 20-25 participants up to a maximum value of n 15,000 and the awards are for workshops to be held in the calendar year 2001. The award normally covers the costs of workshop activities and travel and subsistence for participants. Deadline: June 2.
NHS NORTHERN AND YORKSHIRE, R&D DIRECTORATE www.doh.gov.uk/nth&york/prop5.htm Regional R&D Programme:
Healthy Ageing The Regional Commissioned Research Committee invites applications in the form of project outlines to undertake research within the above topic area that aims to increase knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by users and practitioners in relation to health and social care for older people. Projects will be subject to external peer review. Awards will be made using the following criteria: scientific merit, policy requirements and value for money, (not in order of importance). Projects will be for a maximum of three years duration with the option to extend for a further twelve months. Applicants should have a proven research record. The committee normally funds projects to a maximum of Pounds 150,000 (total budget, including institutional overheads) and would not under any circumstance expect to fund projects costing in excess of Pounds 200,000. Application will be through a two-stage process. Outline bid deadline: April 28. Full applications by August 18. Final funding decisions will be made in September. Application details available on the web or email: barbara.sutherland@doh.gsi.gov.uk; or angela.merry@doh.gsi.gov.uk; fax: 0191 301 1473.