July 2008 Issue 63
Keeping you in touch with opportunities from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
www.epsrc.ac.uk
Think Big Encouraging ambitious science ENHANCING the international competitiveness of UK research is one of the key aims of EPSRC’s delivery plan. A major part of this strategy will be to encourage and support more ambitious research projects through larger, longer grants. This support will be made through programme grants – large-scale, managed proposals consisting of interlinked projects addressing a theme or issue. Programme grants, allocated within the responsive mode budget, will provide research groups with the time and funding needed to tackle major issues across EPSRC’s remit. Dr Lesley Thompson, EPSRC’s director of research base, said: “We want to ensure our best researchers have the support and flexibility they need to tackle major research challenges. “If we are going to meet our aim then we need to make significant changes. We believe larger more ambitious grants have the potential to deliver research that will be truly internationally leading. Increasing the number of these grants within our portfolio is a priority. “These projects are likely to involve larger research groups addressing problems that with take longer than three or four years to solve. “We also need to ensure the peer review process is open to funding projects that potentially carry a higher risk.” EPSRC’s target is to commit around half of its responsive mode budget to grants of four or more years duration by 2011. In cash terms this represents £430m from a budget of £866m.
“We want to ensure our best researchers have the support and flexibility they need to tackle major research challenges.” Dr Thompson added: “The strategy will not alter the total amount of money available in responsive mode, it will only change the way it is delivered. “We understand that not all proposals will be appropriate for this funding method and responsive mode will continue to cater for other proposal types. “We believe our delivery plan will create a well-balanced research portfolio that allows UK research teams, across our remit, to carry out work that will have significant international impact.”
The strategy was endorsed by Council, EPSRC’s decision making body, following extensive consultations with the research community, evidence from international reviews and guidance from EPSRC’s strategic advisory teams, technical opportunities panel and user panel. During consultations the research community was highly supportive of the strategy but was also clear the peer review process would need to be managed to support the objective. The community view was that without intervention, peer review would tend to act conservatively and fund safer, smaller research projects. Atti Emecz, EPSRC’s director of communications and information, said EPSRC’s role was to set the policy framework whilst allowing the research community a high level of flexibility in terms of the proposals submitted. He said funding larger, longer grants was a responsive mode priority and added: “Our budget allocation reflects this priority and as such programme grants will, in many cases, be assessed by separate panels with separate budgets. “The process will include an outline stage, interviews and proposals will be judged against additional criteria such as vision, ambition and management strategy. Within any peer review panel list relative research quality remains the most important criteria,” he added. “To be effective peer review must retain the confidence of those engaged within it and we therefore aim to be open and transparent in our approach.” Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk
Inside 2 Solid-State NMR Service
to Protect 3 Science Cultural Legacy
the 4 Promoting Impact of Research
5 Calls
Forthcoming EPSRC funding opportunities
Research 6 Realising Potential