Sources for research funds

Each week this section lists funds available for researchers. Items for inclusion should be submitted to research@thesis.co.uk

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL www.esrc.ac.uk 1999/2000 Research Centres Competition - Environmental Decision Making The aim is to undertake research that will lead to more efficient, legitimate, equitable and environmentally-effective decisions. The development of interdisciplinary approaches, collaboration with other Research Councils and engagement with users is encouraged. The competition for Research Centres and Research Groups will be a two stage process. The first stage is the outline application stage.

Deadline for the submission of outline applications: 5.00pm, October 11.

Full details are available on the ESRC website. Or contact: Naomi Beaumont, Research Division, ESRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1UJ; Email: naomi. beaumont@esrc.ac.uk BIRTH DEFECTSFOUNDATION www.birthdefects.co.uk Research Grants The Trustees invite applications for 1-2 year research grants.The grants will not exceed Pounds 70,000 in total. The research must be carried out in the UK. Applications should be relevant to the aetiology, prevention and treatment of birth defects. Whilst the Foundation wishes to encourage a broad range of research, applications into areas such as fetal loss and late onset genetic disorders will only be funded in exceptional circumstances. Eligibility: Open to all institutions, applications not accepted from individuals or charities on behalf of researchers. Application forms are available from: Birth Defects Foundation, Stonebridge House, 28-32 Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8BZ; Tel: 01372 374111.

Deadline: October 8.

WELLCOME TRUST AND UK GOVERNMENT www.epsrc.ac.uk Joint Infrastructure Fund - Call for Proposals Proposals are invited under this initiative which seeks to transform the scientific research environment within universities in the UK. The remit of the Fund covers all elements of research infrastructure: the whole spectrum of research equipment and infrastructural research facilities; new scientific research buildings; refurbishment of laboratory or research related space. The Fund covers the full spectrum of science and engineering encompassed by the remits of the Wellcome Trust, the BBSRC, the EPSRC, the ESRC, the MRC, the NERC, and the PPARC. Full details, contact names and application forms are available on the website. Next application deadline: October 11.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY www.rsc.org Research Fund This exists to assist members in their research by the provision of grants of up to Pounds 1000, for example for the purchase of chemicals, equipment or for running expenses of chemical education research. Applications from members of The Royal Society of Chemistry will be considered on merit, but account will be taken of any other source of financial aid available to applicants. Preference will be given to those working in less well-endowed institutions and to those supporting their own research. Applications of a "pump priming" nature are particularly sought-after. Applications are limited to one per department and must be submitted through the head of that department. Application forms, together with the regulations governing the Fund, may be obtained from Mr S S Langer, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V OBN; email: langers@rsc.org Deadline: October 31.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY www.royalsoc.ac.uk Collaboration between British and Japanese Research Groups Joint projects are for research to take place between two individuals or, more commonly, two research groups, one in the UK and one in Japan, over a period of two years. Projects may build on already existing collaborations. Applications will be considered for research in the natural and applied sciences, including mathematics, engineering, medicine and the scientific research aspects of psychology archaeology, geography, agriculture and the history of science. All visits funded by the grant must be made by collaborators (from either country) of at least postdoctoral status who may not concurrently hold another award under the Society's UK-Japan exchange programmes. British collaborators should normally be resident in the UK. Funding may be requested for two years' duration, for international travel and subsistence for the UK team to visit Japan. A maximum of Pounds 6000 per annum may be requested.

Annual deadline: October 7. Application forms can be downloaded from the website. In case of difficulty contact the International Exchanges Section either by phone: 0171 451 2557 or email: japanandkorea@royalsoc.ac.uk THE ROCHE ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION RESEARCH FOUNDATION www.rotrf.org The ROTRF is a registered medical research charity whose mission is to advance the science of organ transplantation by supporting research programs through operating grants directly allocated to research projects. Research must aim to improve the outcomes of recipients of organ transplants. In the first instance, applicants must submit a letter of intent via the website. Those passing the first review process will then be asked to provide a full application. Deadline: October 1. Enquiries to: ROTRF, Postfach 222,6045 Meggen, Switzerland; Tel: + 41 41 377 53 35; Fax: + 41 41 377 53 34; Email: admin@ROTRF .org Figure 3: Variant generation tree for a Fibonacci-type L-system There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, "It is just as I feared! - Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!" Edward Lear 38 researchThe Times HigherJSeptember 17J1999 Figure 1: simulated trees with binary splitting Figure 2: Generation tree for a Fibonacci-type L-system The Times HigherJSeptember 17J1999research 39 Figure 4 (top): Fibonacci-type L-system derivation tree for the limerick metre Figure 5: an alternative parsing of the same pattern inverted and shaded to resemble a tree Figure 6: start of the second half of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag Funding listings are compiled by Sarah Knowles0171 782 3225Email: sarah. knowles@ newsint.co.uk