10 September 2019, 11pm           (Mandatory Expression of Interest) online form

9 October 2019, 4pm                     (Seed-funding application) through Je-S

MRC GCRF Global Multimorbidity – Seed-funding 2019

https://mrc.ukri.org/funding/browse/gcrf-gmsf/gcrf-global-multimorbidity-seed-funding-2019/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

This MRC call has been developed in collaboration with Wellcome, NIHR and the Academy of Medical Sciences.

The call will support seed-funding projects that develop and test innovative ideas, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, build capacity, and lay the groundwork for future large-scale activity aimed at understanding and tackling multimorbidity in LMICs. Note that UK or HIC-focused applications are not eligible for this call.

Up to £2.5M is available, to support grants up to 18 months and up to £200,000.

This call will support seed-funding projects in global multimorbidity. Briefly, subject areas may include, but are not limited to:

• Preliminary data collection and methodological development to understand behavioural, environmental, sociodemographic, and biological factors associated with common clusters/clusters of highest burden and determinants of discordant co-occurring conditions.
• Audit and analysis of existing data to either: i) bring together the fragmented evidence base caused by variations in definition and classification of multimorbidity, ii) utilise existing cohort/surveillance data to identify trends and modifiable risk factors, iii) examine healthcare costs associated with different clusters of conditions and models of care, or iv) assess the impact of existing primary prevention strategies on multimorbidity.
• Feasibility (including acceptability) and pilot work towards the development of primary (e.g., lifestyle interventions), secondary (e.g., preventing multimorbidity once one condition has been diagnosed, polypharmacy effects), and tertiary (e.g., integrated management, mHealth) prevention strategies across all age groups.
• Establishing foundations for studies focused on understanding trends in multimorbidity. Seed-funding would also enable the follow up of previous studies to enable longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional analysis.
• Development of sensitive measures to determine the impact on quality of life for patients and carers of living with multimorbidity.
• Capacity building, networking, and connection of existing resources within LMICs to allow interdisciplinary investigation of multimorbidity.

This call adopts the definition of multimorbidity recommended in the AMS report:

The co-existence of two or more chronic conditions, each one of which is either:

• A physical non-communicable disease of long duration, such as a cardiovascular disease or cancer.
• A mental health condition of long duration, such as a mood disorder or dementia.
• An infectious disease of long duration, such as HIV, MDR TB, or hepatitis C.

Importantly, multimorbidity refers to the co-existence of chronic conditions without a single focus of attention on one condition over and above the others. This is distinct to co-morbidity where additional conditions co-occur alongside an index condition. Proposals focused on co-morbidity are not eligible to apply to this call, although the funder acknowledges that existing cohorts utilised by proposals to this call may have originally been set up with a single condition of focus.

Applications directly from PIs at LMIC Research Organisations, including those based on South-South collaborations, are encouraged (i.e. without the involvement of a UK Co-I).

Where the application is led by a UK PI, it should include effective, sustainable and equitable partnerships with researchers based in the LMIC location(s) where the research will take place, with strong governance and management processes in place. All applications should demonstrate scientific leadership and intellectual contribution from LMIC investigators with a clear plan for sustaining partnerships beyond the duration of the award.

Research into multimorbidity and health systems/health services should be rooted in the context where it will take place with strong engagement with policy makers to maximise potential uptake of the research findings.

Applicants are welcome to contact the office (international@mrc.ukri.org) in advance of submitting an application to discuss remit or eligibility.

Further detail, including assessment criteria, links to the AMS Multimorbidity report and subsequent Workshop, are at the URL above.

Please contact gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk or darren.airey@ncl.ac.uk for assistance with the Pathways to Impact

Please contact Dajana.Dzanovic@newcastle.ac.uk or Elisa.Lawson@newcastle.ac.uk for assistance with the ODA Compliance Statement

Please contact rdm@ncl.ac.uk for assistance with your Data Management Plan

RAEng Research Fellowships 2019 – Big Pitch Form

Please see below for the latest research funding related information and event updates. In summary, these include:

Item 1: Changes to EPSRC Fellowship Areas

Item 2: FINAL REMINDER Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships 2019/20 – Internal selection process

Item 3: UKRI Workshop Report – Circular Economy

Item 4: Multidisciplinary Cancer Research UK-EPSRC Early Detection Innovation Sandpit and Award

Item 5: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) New Generation Thinkers Information Dissemination Session

Item 6: Funding opportunities from The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)

If you have any questions about the items below please contact a member of the Research Funding Development Team.

Item 1: Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPSRC) Refresh of Fellowship Priority Areas

A biannual process has been in place since 2013 to publicize the on-going refresh of EPSRC’s thematic priority areas for fellowships. The following announcements have recently been made:

• Energy: As of 30 October 2019 the Energy portfolio will undergo a re-organisation of priority areas. To be removed at all career stages on 30 October 2019: Bioenergy, End-Use Energy Demand, Carbon Capture and Storage, Energy Networks, Energy Storage, Nuclear Fission, Solar Energy, Energy Systems Integration, Offshore renewable energy, Hydrogen and Alternative Energy Vectors. Additions at all career stages in advance of 30 October 2019: Future Electricity generation, Energy for transport, Energy for heat, Energy for industry.
• Mathematical Sciences: To be removed at all career stages: Statistics and Applied Probability effective from 30 October 2019. Addition at all career stages: Statistics and its Interfaces
• Healthcare Technologies: To be removed, effective from 30 October 2019: Developing Future Therapies (Established Career), Frontiers of Physical Intervention (Established Career), Optimising Treatment (Established Career), Transforming Community Health and Care (Established Career)

Please note any related applications in process at the time that advance notice is given will continue to be assessed in good faith. More information can be found here.

Item 2: FINAL REMINDER Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships 2019/20 – Internal selection process

If you wish to be considered for selection to submit to The Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships, and Engineering for Development Fellowships 2020 (https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/grants/support-for-research/raeng-research-fellowship) the internal deadline for submitting your ‘Big Pitch’ form (please find attached) and CV for the internal selection process is midday on Thursday 1 August 2019. Any queries may be addressed to Jarlath McKenna <Jarlath.mckenna@newcastle.ac.uk>.

Item 3: UKRI Workshop Report – Circular Economy

The circular economy is an area of interest to UK Research and Innovation due to its multidisciplinary nature and potential for impact. In June 2019 UKRI held two workshops focusing on the Circular Economy, which brought together stakeholders and facilitated transdisciplinary partnerships. For those interested in the circular economy and EPSRC’s and Defra’s priorities in this area, the report can be found here: https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/pubs/ukri-circular-economy-workshops-june-2019/

Item 4: Multidisciplinary Cancer Research UK-EPSRC Early Detection Innovation Sandpit and Award

This award aims to catalyse new multidisciplinary collaborations to generate novel and innovative ideas that will lead to earlier detection of cancer. In partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Cancer Research UK administers the Early Detection Innovation Sandpit and Award which aims to catalyse new multidisciplinary collaborations to drive forward earlier detection of cancer. Applicants attend an intensive and interactive three-day residential workshop where they have the opportunity to:

• Network and form new collaborations spanning diverse research areas and organisations.
• Work in broad, multidisciplinary teams to generate new and innovative research ideas.
• Pitch projects for seed funding to test the feasibility of their ideas.

The aim of this workshop is to bring in innovative computational approaches from outside of cancer research, and to direct these efforts towards cancer early detection. Developing tools with the potential to translate into a diagnostic and/or surveillance pathway, that can bridge pathology and imaging, are of particular interest. The theme for the November 2019 workshop is applying artificial intelligence techniques to digital pathology images for cancer early detection. Research ideas developed at the workshop could investigate some or a combination of challenges, as outlined here.

Applicants from a wide range of disciplines are eligible including those working in the fields of cancer biology, healthcare professionals, computer scientists, mathematicians and statisticians, engineers, physical scientists, and those working in the digital and technology space.

Teams who successfully pitch proposals at the workshop will receive seed funding for one year to cover the costs of pilot/feasibility studies. Awards of up to £100,000 can be made. Applications must be submitted by the closing date of 30 September 2019. More information can be found here. If you are interested in applying and would like to support with your application please contact Holly Davidson holly.davidson@ncl.ac.uk.

Item 5: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) New Generation Thinkers Information Dissemination Session

The AHRC’s New Generation Thinkers scheme is a development opportunity for early career researchers who wish to cultivate their skills to communicate their research findings to those outside the academic community. This informal session will be Chaired by the Dean of Research and Innovation for the HaSS Faculty, Professor Matthew Grenby. Its purpose is to provide attendees with an opportunity to discuss their ideas, find out what constitutes a good application, and to find out more about the application process.

At the end of the session, attendees will:

• Understand what the AHRC are looking for from applications to their New Generation Thinkers scheme
• Know how the application process works
• Have discussed and refined ideas for potential applications

This informal session offers:

• An overview of the AHRC New Generation Thinkers scheme
• Insight into how to prepare an application
• An opportunity for potential applicants to discuss their application ideas

The session will be held on 4^th September 2019, 12.30pm – 2.00pm in Great North House, Meeting Room 2. If you’d like to attend please register here.

Item 6: Funding opportunities from The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) finds and funds exploitable innovation to support UK defence and security quickly and effectively. The vision is for the UK to maintain its strategic advantage over its adversaries through the most innovative defence and security capabilities in the world. DASA is a cross-Government organisation, launched in December 2016 by the Secretary of State for Defence.

Funding for DASA comes from the £800M Defence Innovation Fund  and is worth around £36M per year. University Academics can apply into DASA via Calls. There are two types of calls; those that are published and those that are open at any time.

There is a Regional Business Partner, Anna Taylor who is based in Newcastle and is extremely keen to develop applications from Newcastle University. She is available to talk with small groups and also  to work individually with staff to advise on applications. A small number of Universities throughout the UK have been involved so far. Funding is 100% of FEC and the success rate is high with around 25-30% of applications being funded.

Themed calls are circulated via the Business Development and enterprise team or staff can sign up for alerts HERE.

Within Business Development and Enterprise contacts to discuss ideas or applications with are as follows:

School of Engineering; sheena.shields@ncl.ac.uk luke.judd@ncl.ac.uk

School of Natural and Environmental Sciences; Jayshree.johnsone@ncl.ac.uk

School of Computing and Maths, Stats, Physics graeme.young@ncl.ac.uk

DASA Presentation and Clinic

Anna Taylor the North East Business Partner will be making a presentation and holding short clinics with individual academics in later September / early October (TBC). Please look out for this date when it becomes available.

Cancer Research UK-EPSRC  –  Early Detection Innovation Sandpit and Award

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/our-funding-schemes/early-detection-innovation-sandpit-and-award

Deadline: 30^th September 2019

Amount: Up to £100k

This award aims to catalyse new multidisciplinary collaborations to generate novel and innovative ideas that will lead to earlier detection of cancer.

In partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Cancer Research UK administers the Early Detection Innovation Sandpit and Award which aims to catalyse new multidisciplinary collaborations to drive forward earlier detection of cancer.

Applicants attend an intensive and interactive three-day residential workshop where they have the opportunity to:

• Network and form new collaborations spanning diverse research areas and organisations.
• Work in broad, multidisciplinary teams to generate new and innovative research ideas.
• Pitch projects for seed funding to test the feasibility of their ideas.

The aim of this workshop is to bring in innovative computational approaches from outside of cancer research, and to direct these efforts towards cancer early detection.

Developing tools with the potential to translate into a diagnostic and/or surveillance pathway, that can bridge pathology and imaging, are of particular interest.

The theme for the November 2019 workshop is applying artificial intelligence techniques to digital pathology images for cancer early detection.

Research ideas developed at the workshop could investigate some or a combination of challenges, as outlined here.

Applicants from a wide range of disciplines are eligible including those working in the fields of cancer biology, healthcare professionals, computer scientists, mathematicians and statisticians, engineers, physical scientists, and those working in the digital and technology space.

Teams who successfully pitch proposals at the workshop will receive seed funding for one year to cover the costs of pilot/feasibility studies.

If you are interested in applying and would like to support with your application please contact Holly Davidson, SAgE RFDM (with Gwen Averley in cc).

BBSRC International Flexible Interchange Programme (I-FLIP)

https://bbsrc.ukri.org/funding/filter/2019-international-flexible-interchange-programme/

Deadline: 11 September 2019

Amount:  Up to £600,000 is available in total (expecting to fund 6 and 10 projects)

Applications can be up to £100,000 per project

Duration: Up to 12 months. All projects must be completed by 31 March 2021

I-FLIP aims to increase and accelerate the uptake and impact of previous BBSRC funded research through facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity building activities that deliver direct tangible and demonstrable benefits to users.

I-FLIP will provide funding to directly address challenges faced by developing countries by supporting the movement of people between the UK academic base and user organisations in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs).

This Call will support interchanges between the UK academic base and user organisations in DAC list countries.

Accordingly, all proposals to this Call must include at least one user organisation from a country on the DAC list as a project partner

Private, public or third-sector organisations or institutions with an interest that falls within BBSRC’s remit are eligible to be considered as users in the context of this Call.

These include: private industry, public bodies (such as government departments, local government, regulatory authorities, etc.), non-government organisations or charities and other third-sector organisations.

Research Council Institutes, HEIs and IROs are not eligible as users. Any number of user organisations can be included in a single project, and each participating organisation can send and/or receive any number of interchangers.

BBSRC expects that interchangers from the UK will spend a period of time working within the country that the I-FLIP project aims to support.

BBSRC welcomes researchers, technical staff and professional service staff to participate as interchangers in order to maximise the transfer of knowledge and know-how from previous research.

Each I-FLIP project can include any number of interchanges, which can operate in either direction, between UK academic institutions and user organisations.

Interchanges can occur on a full-time, part-time or intermittent basis.

Official Development Assistance

Applicants must demonstrate that the primary purpose of their proposed project is to promote the economic development and welfare of people in the DAC partner country.

The scale and breadth of its potential impact will be an important consideration in the assessment of proposals.

Successful proposals aiming to work with a country on the DAC list of ODA recipients will focus on delivering outcomes that promote the long-term sustainable growth of that country (or countries).

Funding within this call will therefore be awarded in a manner that fits with ODA guidelines.

Please ensure to read the full call outline and guidance (pdf) available through the link above.

Genome Editing Mice for Medicine (GEMM Call 6)

https://mrc.ukri.org/funding/browse/gemm/genome-editing-mice-for-medicine/

https://www.har.mrc.ac.uk/international-programmes/gemms

Deadline 25^th October 2019

MRC has committed up to £4.5m over 5 years to the Mary Lyon Centre to administer the Genome Editing Mice for Medicine (GEMM) funding scheme.

This will exploit the Centre’s expertise to deliver novel mouse lines to advance knowledge of human disease and/or be of wide use in biomedical science.

The UK academic research community is invited to nominate mouse lines for production and outline their own experimental plans for them.

GEMM Call 6 is a full call open to nominations for mouse lines carrying bespoke indels, deletions, point mutations, conditionals and cassette knock-ins.

Nominations will be assessed by a cross-discipline panel of experts across two key themes:

• The nominator’s own research hypotheses and specific research plans for the mouse.
• The beneficial impact the proposed novel mouse line will have on the wider academic community.

This award will financially support mouse line generation and archiving, but not the nominator’s own experimental research costs.

Applicants will therefore be asked to describe the funding in place to support their proposed downstream work.

Successfully-generated mouse lines will be made publicly-available through the European Mouse Mutant Archive.

If you are interested in applying, please ensure to read the full call guidance available through the links above and also the GEMM 6 guide (pdf available via links).

Details of how to apply are given in the GEMM 6 guide.

2020 Notice

2019 Prizewinners

2020 Terms and Conditions.doc

Lister Institute Research Prizes 2020

https://www.lister-institute.org.uk/what-are-the-research-prizes/

Deadline: Friday 27 September 2019

The Lister Institute’s research prizes are awarded as lump sums of £250,000 which must be spent within a five-year period.

The Institute currently receives around 100 applications for the six prizes. From these, approximately 20 candidates are long-listed and up to 12 are then interviewed.

Please ensure to read the full call guidance available through the link above.

Anyone who is thinking of applying should contact Gwen Averley (gwen.averley@newcastle.ac.uk) and Darren Airey (darren.airey@newcastle.ac.uk) before making an application.

2020 Sir Jules Thorn Award for Biomedical Research

https://julesthorntrust.org.uk/programmes/medical-research/the-sir-jules-thorn-award-for-biomedical-research/

The Trust offers one grant of up to £1.7 million to support a five-year programme of translational biomedical research.

UK medical schools and NHS organisations are able to submit one application annually, selected following an internal process.

Please ensure to read the guidance notes and terms and conditions documents available via the link above.

Internal selection process

Deadline: 5pm, Monday 2^nd September 2019

The Award enables successful applicants to pursue their own independent research programme.

The work must include research involving patients.

There must be a clear specification of the hypothesis based on pre-clinical experimental data supporting the rationale of the clinical study, arising from the applicant’s own work, (not derivative of someone else’s observations).

Further work to support the hypothesis in the early phase of the grant or, indeed, to substantiate questions arising from clinical experiments may be supported by experimental animal models.

There must be a clear strategy defining how the research will translate into benefit for patients and the timescale within which this will take place.

The research must have a justifiable claim to be at the leading edge of international science and must be led by a clearly identified Principal Applicant of outstanding quality in the early years of an established research and academic career.

The Award may not be used to meet the salary costs of the applicant(s) who should be in institutionally funded posts for the duration of the grant.

The studies might include for example:-.

• Significant proposals which could lead to improved diagnosis and/or prognostic methods and to new treatments.
• Concept validation.
• Intervention trials.

All proposals must be based on appropriate bio-statistical analysis

Requested documents

• 1 page project outline
• 2 page CV

Please could the requested application documents be sent, by the deadline, to Darren Airey (darren.airey@newcastle.ac.uk) and Gwen Averley (gwen.averley@newcastle.ac.uk).

Please note – The Trust’s charitable status does not permit the provision of a grant which might, whether directly or indirectly, contribute to a commercial profit for a manufacturer.

An application cannot, therefore, be considered where a manufacturer is supplying a cash grant or equipment, materials, drugs etc. at no cost, whether express or implied, for commercial use of the findings of the project.

The full scheme timeline is outlined via the link above but key dates are highlighted below:

Internal selection deadline –2^nd September 2019 (applicants will be informed of the internal selection outcome as soon as is possible after the deadline)

Preliminary stage deadline for selected nominee – 31^st October 2019

Full stage deadline for selected nominee – 30^th April 2020

AMS FLIER Programme Expression of Interest Form

The Academy of Medical Sciences has launched its second annual call for the  Future Leaders in Innovation, Enterprise and Research (FLIER) Programme
https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/mentoring-and-other-schemes/FLIER

People are invited to complete an Expression of Interest for the internal selection process (as detailed below) if they wish to apply to be part of this programme.

The Programme

Please note that this is not intended as a general leadership programme but is aimed to develop leaders of the future who can create collaborations across academia, industry, the NHS and government to drive innovation across the life sciences sector – i.e. researchers who need to work cross-sector

The Individual

• They are looking for individuals in the middle of their career, established within their own sector, with the seniority to effect organisational change and to undertake a cross-sector project currently or in the near future.
• Participants will have an emerging vision of how cross-sector working and collaboration could help maximise opportunities and solve the future challenges of research and healthcare. They will be looking to explore and shape their vision in dialogue with colleagues across sectors.
• They are looking for key characteristics including motivation, vision and potential to make a difference and lead change across the sectors, learning agility, and creative, innovative and radical thinking.
• Participants will be active in the research endeavour of the organisation in which they are working and will therefore have a wide range of outputs depending on the setting. Participants may have portfolio careers, but even if they are not spending all their time on research, we would expect this to be a key element of their role.

The first cohort of 17, which included Dr Niina Kolehmainen in IHS, can be seen here:

https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/mentoring-and-other-schemes/FLIER/flier-round-1-participants

Dr Niina Kolehmainen is, very kindly, willing to discuss her experience of participating in the first FLIER cohort, so those thinking of applying are encouraged to contact her in advance of making their application.

The employer has to commit to contributing £5,000, excl. VAT. towards the cost of the two year programme and, therefore we are holding this internal selection process.

Participants are expected to organise and fund their own travel.
Note that FLIER will provide accommodation for the residential workshops and some contribution to increased childcare during workshops.

Applicants must check that they are available for the specified dates of the events within the FLIER programme.

Selected applicants have to complete an application form, a two-page CV and upload a three minute video outlining the cross-sector work-based project that they would like to carry out as part of the FLIER programme.
These have to be submitted via Flexi-Grant by 5pm on Thursday 19 September 2019.

For the internal selection process, please send the following documents

• a completed Expression of Interest Form (see attachment)
• a 2-page CV covering education, past employment, major relevant contributions and achievements, such as key publications and patents, funding awards, prizes and awards, patents, spin-offs, commercialisation of products, evidence of impact, etc.

To Gwen Averley gwen.averley@ncl.ac.uk by 1pm on Tuesday 13 August