Hello. In this edition you will find information on:
1. ERA-NET Towards Sustainable and Organic Food Systems (EU)
2. ERC Starting Grants and Synergy Grants (EU)
3. H2020 Work Programmes published – €11bn available (EU)
4. NEW! Pre Call GCRF Conflict Intersections Partnership Development Award (GCRF)
5. Global Challenges Urgency Grants (GCRF)
6. GCRF Clusters: Funds to link current/former GCRF projects (GCRF)
7. Joint Global Health Trials -Call 10 (MRC/DFIF/UKAId/Wellcome/NIHR)
8. Wellcome International funds for Exchanges and Research Development Awards in Humanities, Social Sciences and Bioethics (Wellcome International)
9. Multiple calls through UKRI Fund for International Collaboration (FIC)
10. NEW! UK-US Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions: Pre Call Announcement for Partnership Development Grants (FIC)
11. UK-China Research-Industry Creative Partnerships Call incl. museum technologies and big data (FIC)
12. British Academy international, interdisciplinary grant with a focus on hazard and risk, cultures of forecasting, and the meaning of resilience (British Academy)
13. Global Challenges Academy Rapid Response Funds for project development (internal)
14. Events: including NEW! Innovative Training Networks, 7th Oct
Towards Sustainable and Organic Food Systems
Attaining secure food and nutrition supply in the future will require a transition from current linear food production, to sustainable, cyclical oriented systems (on land and sea) that also respond to consumers demand for a diverse, healthy, safe and attractive diet.
Consortia must comprise a minimum of 3 partners from the 18 funder countries. Projects can request up to 1.5 million Euro over 36 months.
Topics can include:
• Resource-efficient, circular and zero-waste food systems
• Diversity in food from field to plate
• Mild food processing
• Sustainable and smart packaging
Deadline for pre-proposals is 4th November 2019.
More information is here.
Information webinar is being held on 20th September 2019.
ERC Starting Grants and Synergy Grants open for application
ERC funds high-risk, high-reward research in any discipline. It funds the kind of blue skies project that might not sit comfortably elsewhere, that might be considered off-the-wall, but is the intellectual challenge you’ve always wanted. Applicants should have an outstanding track-record, relevant to their career stage. Additional funds are available for relocation and equipment. Team members from any country are allowed.
Starting Grants 2020: For researchers 2-7 post PhD, awarded up to €1.5 million over 5 years. Deadline 16th October 2019.
Synergy Grants 2020: For 2-4 PIs, leaders in their field appropriate to their career stage, one of whom may be based outside of the EU/Associated Countries. Award is up to €10 million over 6 years. Deadline 5th November 2019.
Please note that some rules vary between the 2019 and 2020 calls so please ensure you read the correct Work Programme.
If you have any questions on the implications to this scheme of Brexit, please contact Dajana.Dzanovic@ncl.ac.uk / +44 191 208 5373.
Work Programmes for Societal Challenges and Cross-Cutting Themes
Many of these Work Programmes have now been formally adopted. Around €11bn is available in projects calls up to 2020.
For datasets on previously funded EU projects, please see the new Dashboard.
• Societal Challenge 1: Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing – Information Day materials now available, please contact the team if you are interested.
• Societal Challenge 2: Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy
• Societal Challenge 3: Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy – Information Day web-stream now available, please contact the team if you are interested.
• Societal Challenge 4: Smart, Green and Integrated Transport
• Societal Challenge 5 : Climate Action, environment, Resource efficiency and raw materials
• Societal Challenge 6: Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
• Societal Challenge 7: Secure societies – Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
• Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing (NMBP)
• ICT Work Programme
• Space Work Programme Pre-Published
• Future and Emerging Technologies
• European Innovation Council
• Research Infrastructures
• Marie Curie Actions, including Staff Exchange and Doctoral Training
• Science with and for Society
• Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation
GCRF Conflict Intersections Global Partnership Development Awards
Opening early 2020, this call aims to develop innovative approaches to preventative and resilience building measures in developing country contexts affected by both conflict, fragility and violence (including contexts of conflict prevention and transitions from conflict) and extreme poverty and inequalities.
Opening date: tba
Closing date: 01/05/209
More information here.
Global Challenges Urgency Grants
Funds from this pilot scheme, delivered by AHRC, could fall under either of these two main categories:
• Research (including the collection, analysis or critical interpretation of data) into the short term impacts of / informing responses or resilience to or recovery from a range of specific events affecting LMICs which could not have been planned for in advance.
• An unexpected opportunity to conduct substantive research over a period of months informing, observing or collecting data at, or to participate in (e.g. placements) a one-off time-limited major policy or practice event (e.g. a peacebuilding / reconciliation process, public inquiry, policy review process) which offer a substantial and unique opportunity for innovative research, research synthesis and/or knowledge exchange relating to international development and/or directly relating to development in one or more LMIC.
The maximum funding that may be sought is £150,000 for a period of up to 12 months is available.
Expressions of interest may be submitted at any time during the period of the pilot scheme. If the expression of interest is considered to fall within the scope of the scheme, applicants will then be invited to submit a full application.
This Pilot Scheme will close to new expressions of interest on 31 October 2020 after which AHRC will review the pilot and may consider extending or revising the scheme.
For more information please see here.
GCRF Clusters: Funds to link current/former GCRF projects
Former and current GCRF award holders are invited to bid for funds for Challenge Clusters that will increase the impact on SDGs by linking together related projects.
Proposals can be led by any current of former GCRF grant holder (based in the UK or abroad), based in a Research Organisation, who is named either as a PI or a Co-I. Clusters should include at least two related GCRF funded projects and other UK or internationally funded development projects.
Initially around 20 projects will be awarded up to £150K for work over a 12 month period. These will then be evaluated with a subsequent opportunity to apply for £1-2 million over 3 years.
Call deadline: 24th September, 2019
More information is available here.
Joint Global Health Trials – Call 10
Call 10 specifically invites applications for definitive RCTs that provide generalisable data, beyond a single country. The evidence generated should be robust and relevant to international and regional policy makers and directly answer questions to change policy and guidance. Trials should address the major causes of mortality or morbidity in low and middle income countries, particularly those that affect the most vulnerable populations.
£20 million is available. They are open to funding a smaller number of more ambitious trials than in previous years.
Around £1 million of the total amount is expected to be spent on several trial development grants.
Deadline: 17th October, 2019, 16:00 for outline proposal. Invited full proposals by Feb 2020.
International Exchange Programmes in Humanities, Social Science and Bioethics
This funding will help researchers to run international exchange programmes and gain in-depth experience of working and teaching outside their home countries.
Level of funding: Up to £1.5 million
Duration of funding: 3 to 5 years
Preliminary applications deadline: 3 March 2020
For more information please see here.
Research Development Awards in Humanities, Social Sciences and Bioethics
For groups of researchers who want the time and resources to shape the direction of their future work. The development programmes will lay the foundation for research that takes risks and pushes academic boundaries
Host organisation: Anywhere in the world
Level of funding: Up to £1 million
Duration: 3 to 5 years
Preliminary applications deadline: 3 March 2020
For more information please see here.
UKRI Fund for International Collaboration (FIC) – wave 2
UKRI have recently announced wave 2 of FIC, £60 million in total, the UKRI press release is here. FIC is a relatively new fund whose purpose is to enable UK to collaborate with developed economies, more specifically the following countries: Australia, Canada, China, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea and USA.
A quick summary of the calls is (including deadlines where known):
• NERC-India: Tackling AMR in the Environment from Antimicrobial Manufacturing Waste , UKRI funding £3.8 million, Notice of Intent to Submit 14th October
• NERC-USA: The Changing North Atlantic Ocean and its Impact on Climate, UKRI funding: £5.1 million
• UK(NERC)-Canada: Understanding and adapting to a changing environment
• BBSRC(EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC)-USA/Israel/China: Next generation transdisciplinary international research collaborations in Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID), UKRI funding: £8.3 million
• UK(ESRC, InnovateUK, MRC)-China Healthy Ageing Flagship Challenge, UKRI funding: £8.3 million, deadline 18 Sep 2019
• UK(MRC, ESRC)-Australia Built Environment and Prevention Research Scheme, UKRI funding: £2.1 million, deadline 15 Oct 2019
• UKRI(ESRC, AHRC)-Japan Joint Call on Artificial Intelligence and Society, UKRI funding: £2.1 million
• UK(ESRC, AHRC, EPSRC, MRC)-Canada Collaboration on Artificial Intelligence: Building competitive, resilient economies and societies, UKRI funding: £5.2 million, deadline 12 Sep 2019
• UK(UKRI,NERC)-Canada Globalink Doctoral Exchange Scheme, UKRI funding: £1.4 million, call opens Autumn
• UK(Innovate UK)-Canada/Singapore/India/USA Global Incubator Programme, UKRI funding: £3.3 million
• UK(AHRC)-Ireland Digital transformation in humanities research: UK-Irish collaboration in the digital humanities, UKRI funding: £4 million
• UK(Innovate UK)-USA Business Innovation Bridge, UKRI funding: £5 million
• UK(STFC)-India EPIC: UK-India Extreme Photonics Innovation Centre, UKRI funding: £4 million
UK-US Collaboration for Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions: Pre Call for Partnership Development Grant
Funding will support a broad range of research and partnership development activities that have the potential to deliver a transformational impact on digital methods and research in museums and cultural institutions.
Activities could include pilot / developmental / exploratory research; new cross-disciplinary engagements; scoping and proof of concept activity; feasibility studies; workshops, conferences and networking; outreach, engagement and knowledge exchange activity. Projects will be required to involve an appropriate combination of Research Organisations and cultural institutions in both countries.
Themes will be finalised at workshop in US on 18-19 Sept, though attendance is not a precondition to application.
£50 – £100K is available for UK partners, with US partners needing to find cash or in-kind support. Project duration 6-12 months (tbc)
Call opens: tbc
Call closes: 5/12/2019
If this call is of interest please contact Dajana.Dzanovic@ncl.ac.uk/Victoria.Bainbridge@ncl.ac.uk. More information here.
UK-China Research-Industry Creative Partnerships Call
This call is to facilitate a rapid scaling-up of engagements between the UK and China, with a specific focus on Shanghai as China’s cultural and creative industries powerhouse. The call aims to facilitate new collaborations in the creative industries that deliver sustained economic, cultural and intellectual benefits in both countries.
Partnerships should be framed around R&D activity in: Creative Design, Theatre and Performing Arts, Fashion and Textiles, Story-telling and Animation, Use of Interactive Technologies in Cultural Institutions, Gaming.
Interdisciplinary activity is strongly encouraged, both within the arts and humanities and, more widely, through the integration of the social sciences and STEM disciplines. However, proposals should be mainly grounded within AHRC’s remit; those that are not will be deemed ineligible.
Funding of up to £500,000 is available per project on a full economic cost (fEC) basis with AHRC meeting 80% of the fEC. Projects should last for a maximum of 36 months and start by 1 February 2020.
Deadline: 24th October 2019, 16:00 UK time.
More information here.
British Academy: Knowledge Frontiers – International Interdisciplinary Research 2020
The British Academy is inviting proposals from UK-based researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to develop international interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with colleagues from the natural, engineering and/or medical sciences, with a focus on hazard and risk, cultures of forecasting, and the meaning of resilience.
The lead applicant must be a researcher from the humanities or social sciences, and be based at an eligible UK university or research institute. S/he must be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research experience).
Projects must involve at least one co-applicant from the natural, engineering and/or medical sciences.
Collaboration between researchers in different institutions is encouraged, where appropriate, given the nature and aims of the programme, and applications may include co-applicants and other participants from overseas.
Awards of 24 months in duration and up to £200,000 are available.
Projects must begin on 1 April 2020.
Deadline: 23rd October, 2020
More information here.
Global Challenges Academy Rapid Response Fund
Newcastle University’s Global Challenges Academy can provide agile, quick turnaround funding of around £2k to support research-related activity directly benefiting DAC list countries.
To be eligible your proposed activity must directly and primarily promote the economic development and social welfare of partner countries on the DAC list and align to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG).
Activities should be co-created with international partner and examples of eligible activity include:
• International networking and partnership building activity, addressing specific global challenges, which will lead to GCRF or Newton style funding proposals
• Preliminary data collection, pilot projects or other preparatory work needed ahead of making a external research funding application
• Activity as a response to an urgent research need in a DAC list country or a critical policy moment in a sustainable development related area
• Activity that builds on previous ODA research and might add impact (social, economic or academic capacity) or extend benefits to further geographic regions/demographic groups
If you would like to discuss an application prior to submission, please contact Dr Elisa Lawson.
Application form. This scheme operates with no deadlines. Submit a request at any time and decisions will be made within 5 working days. Awarded funds must be spent within 3 months of the decision notification. There is no limit on the number of applications which can be submitted for the same project/relationship but it’s expected only one will be active at any time. Short reports will be requested 1 month after completion.
EU Information Days
• Societal Challenge 4: Smart, green and integrated transport – 7 October 2019
• Societal Challenge 5: Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials – 16-17 September 2019
• European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures Roadmap – 25 September 2019
• ICT Proposers’ Day – 19-20 September 2019 (EU Presidency event in Helsinki)
• Space Information Day: 12-13 September in Prague
Information Days Available Online
• Societal Challenge 1: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
• Societal Challenge 2: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy
• Societal Challenge 3: Secure, clean and efficient energy
• Societal Challenge 4: Smart, Green and Integrated Transport webinar 27th Sept, registration here.
• Research Infrastructures: III RICH Symposium, European Research Infrastructures: From WP 2020 Calls to Horizon Europe
• European Innovation Council Pathfinder and Future and Emerging Technologies
• Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking
Briefings for Innovative Training Networks
Save the date, 7th October, Edinburgh Napier University, 10.00 – 15.00
Briefings for ERC Starting Grants 2020
UKRO-led briefings are also taking place in Manchester, 13th Sept and London, 17th Sept. Attendance is free of charge but registration is required through the above links.
European Big Data Value Forum (EBDVF) 2019
EBDVF is the main event of the European Big Data and Data-Driven AI Research and Innovation community. It will take place on 14-16 October in Helsinki, Finland
SWAFS 2020 Knowledge and Brokerage event, October 14-15, Warsaw
This will be of interest if you want to learn more about and collaborate for the current Science with and for Society calls. More information is here.