Delivery Plan 2011-2015

www.epsrc.ac.uk

March 2011

In touch with opportunities from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

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Chief executive David Delpy describes the thinking behind EPSRC’s new Delivery Plan, and sets out the Council’s goals as it embarks on an ambitious four-year transformative agenda.

“Our 2010 Strategic Plan set out how we will accelerate the pace of change, keep the UK at the heart of global research and innovation, and deliver greater impact than ever before. Our Delivery Plan for 2011-15 builds on this, and shows how we will be more active in partnering with the research community to generate the fundamental knowledge and develop the skilled people essential to business, other research organisations and government.

In essence, our Delivery Plan is about getting the most out of the resources we have been given; the research we support; the facilities we use; the leaders who inspire us. It has three core goals, first set out in our Strategic Plan: Delivering Impact, Shaping Capability and Developing Leaders. We will achieve these objectives through stronger, more active partnerships with the research community as part of a transformative agenda built around a ‘sponsor’ model of research management, in which funding is a strategic investment and not a transfer of funds without obligation.

From funder to sponsor

Our sponsor approach represents a significant change to our relationship with those researchers we support, and we will work more proactively with them to provide direction using strategic advice; obtain regular feedback to inform future funding; and secure commitment and engagement from them in meeting our goals.

Focus on PhD quality

Support for studentships remains a priority for EPSRC, and we are committed to honouring all training support for existing PhD students. However, one important

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strategic decision we have made is to stop supporting project studentships on new research grants. We remain committed to training students in cohorts, through Centres for Doctoral training, and within the flexibility provided to universities through Doctoral training grants. Our decision to stop awarding project studentships has been taken to afford some protection to these other priority routes for supporting studentships.

Impact through excellence

long-term science and engineering research is at the heart of discovery and innovation. We will create an environment that promotes excellence, encourages adventurous and creative research, stimulates creativity and drives cultural, commercial and technological advances.

for an example of research excellence, we need look no further than EPSRC-supported Professor andre geim and Dr Konstanin novoselov, of the University of Manchester, who were awarded the 2010 nobel Prize for Physics for their work with graphene. their success would not have been possible without long-term and strategic EPSRC funding, which began almost a decade ago. Our Delivery Plan is ambitious and cannot be achieved without working more closely than ever with our university and business partners, and with other stakeholders and sectors, as we join together to help rebuild the UK economy, and keep Britain at the forefront of global research and innovation.”

We will create an environment that promotes excellence and encourages adventurous research

CORE GOALS

Delivering Impact: We will embed impact throughout our portfolio by creating an environment in which impact arises naturally, in whatever form, from the knowledge base. We will ask researchers to consider Pathways to Impact at the outset of a project; and to apply for the appropriate resources needed to achieve the impact they identify.

Shaping Capability: We will ensure we have the right people, with the right resources, in the right places to deliver the highest quality long-term research in areas where the UK leads internationally and where there is current or future national need.

Developing Leaders: We will nurture the visionary leaders who set research agendas and the inspirational team leaders who act as role models.

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Putting the Delivery Plan into actionHaving received our settlement and set out an overview of our plans for the next four years, we are now working on the detail of those plans, which we will release over the coming months.

We will continue to engage with the research community, stakeholders and advisory bodies, and will publish a more detailed Implementation Plan in the spring. Our work is focused around our Stategic Plan goals:

Shaping Capability

“Drawing on evidence and advice from leading world scientists, engineers and UK business experts, our aim is to bring greater coherence to the

research base, encouraging curiosity and research creativity while maximising limited resources. We will base our investment decisions on intrinsic excellence and the strategic importance of the research and training to the UK.”

Clive Hayter, associate director (Capability)

Developing Leaders

“Our aim is to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers, providing tailored support for individuals with leadership potential across all career stages.”

Neil Viner, associate director (Leadership)

Delivering Impact

“We will create an environment that promotes excellence, encourages innovation, stimulates creativity and drives cultural, commercial and technological

advances.”

Alison Wall, associate director (Impact)

The Delivery Plan reflects a challenging environment of constrained resources. EPSRC will take strategic decisions to:

• Deliver a programme of transformational

change. We will move from being a

funder to a sponsor of research with more

proactive partnerships with researchers

and where investments act as a national

resource focused on outcomes for the UK.

• Make strategic funding choices based

on international excellence and national

need, shaping the research landscape in line

with UK priorities and strengths. funding

for high priority research will be maintained

by reducing the breadth and volume of

research supported.

• Set a balance between national capability

and challenge themes of around 60:40.

• Help rebuild the UK economy by investing

in challenge themes focused on sustainable

manufacturing, low-carbon energy,

healthcare technologies and the

digital economy.

• Further embed impact, including public

engagement, so that universities deliver it as

normal business.

• Emphasise the role of research leaders.

• Give priority to PhD quality.

• Drive efficiency and effectiveness.

EPSRC’s annual programme spend decreases in real terms by 2014/2015. To meet our commitments, we must make difficult choices, including:

• Maintaining funding for high-priority research at the expense of the breadth and volume of research.

• Stopping our support for project studentships on new research grants; enabling us to protect our quality PhD provision in Centres for Doctoral training and Doctoral training grants.

• Stopping support for our own dedicated public engagement activity. It will be embedded through our research and training investments, enabling us to build a high-quality portfolio more closely linked to the research we fund.

Implementation of the RCUK response to the Wakeham Review of full Economic Cost will provide efficiency savings for us to recycle into research funding. However, if this does not release enough headroom for us to continue to develop our research portfolio in the period 2011/2012-2014/2015, we may have to reduce our existing liabilities further. We will work closely with the community to ensure the decisions we make are the best we can to keep the UK at the heart of global research and innovation.

Delivery Plan 2011-2015Overview and priorities

We will provide our researchers with the space, support and opportunities to foster creativity and to empower them to undertake ambitious work.

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk/pubs/corporate/Pages/default.aspx

calls

to find out more about EPSRC funding opportunities please visit:

www.epsrc.ac.uk/ callsforproposalsor sign-up to e-alerts and RSS feeds.

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Delivering Impact

On track for ImpactEPSRC chief executive David Delpy was guest speaker at a symposium to mark the official opening of a state-of-the-art solid-state nuclear Magnetic Resonance (nMR) facility at the University of Warwick.

the UK 850 MHz solid-state nMR facility, funded by EPSRC and BBSRC, enables world-leading research into areas such as advances in Materials Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Earth Science.

for the facility’s first year of operation, time has been allocated to 21 principal investigators from 11 different UK institutions. Proposals are considered on a six-monthly basis with deadlines of

31 May and 30 november 2011.

Official opening of world-leading nMR facility

Further information: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/850mhz

Contact: Steven Brown S.P.Brown@warwick.ac.uk

Our advice to applicants is:

• Make sure you cover the full range of impacts required.

• Be specific about what you are going

to do during the lifetime of the project to

facilitate the Pathways to Impact.

• Remember to ground the impact activities

clearly in the context of your research

project.

• Think ‘outside the box’ and be creative

and innovative.

• Be realistic; don’t over-egg the pudding.

• Avoid using the phrase ‘the usual...’.

• Don’t waffle. Only use as much of the two

sides as you need.

• Have the reviewer criteria in front of you

when writing your proposal.

• Remember you can request resources

for Pathways to Impact activities as long as

they are project-specific and justified.

Next generation web site will aid better grant applications.

What if I think Impact doesn’t apply to my research; can I factor in patent and other IP costs? How does public engagement fit? What about academic impacts?

the answers to these questions and many more can be found on the EPSRC web site which has been updated with a range of new material, including a guide for applicants and reviewers.

Research Capability’s Susan Morrell says: “Pathways to Impact have been part of applications to EPSRC since april 2009. We wanted to review our guidance for applicants and reviewers, and so a group of portfolio managers from EPSRC recently read a sample of applications to see if there were any issues that were causing problems and that we could address.

“We looked at 10 per cent of the proposals received over the previous year to give us a cross section of different programmes and different schemes.

“the detailed guidance on the RCUK web site includes the definition of impact, and explains how to prepare a Pathways to Impact document, but we have also updated our web site with more information about resources.”

Further information: RCUK: www.rcuk.ac.uk/kei/impacts/Pages/home.aspx

EPSRC: www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/apprev/Pages/default.aspx

Contact: Susan Morrell susan.morrell@epsrc.ac.uk

Collaborative engineering projects co-funded and/or inspired by EPSRC research won five out of a possible 10 categories at The Engineer magazine’s annual Technology & Innovation awards.

• Civil Engineering: Partners: Nottingham University and Roger Bullivant ltd

• Sports Technology: Partners: Southampton University, British Skeleton association, UK Sport, Sheffield Hallam University and BaE Systems

• Manufacturing & Process Innovation: Partners: Loughborough University, Econolyst, Bentley, alcon Components, Delphi, virgin atlantic, Boeing, Mtt

• Defence & Security: Partners: The University of Manchester and Rapiscan Systems

• Environmental Technology: Partners: Durham University, Cambridge Display Technology, thorn lighting

five alive

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk

Remember to update your Je-S account with any changes.

March 2011 Issue 81

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EPSRC completes first phase of mid-range facilities refreshIn August 2009, EPSRC undertook a review of mid-range facilities to determine where there was need for them in the EPSRC community. This was carried out by a cross-programme panel, following submissions of statements of need from a number of EPSRC communities.

EPSRC defines a mid-range facility as a research facility which provides resources that are of limited availability to UK researchers. this could be due to the relative cost of the kit or that the dedicated kit in every university is not needed. It could also be that particular expertise is needed to operate the kit or interpret the results or that progress is enhanced by sharing information or software.

Eighteen mid-range facilities were prioritised and these are being taken forward in three phases. the relevant programmes within EPSRC have been determining the scope of these facilities and undertaking different approaches to determine the location for them. Most, but not all, have pursued a route where potential hosts are invited to

tender for the facility. this is then followed up by a contract agreement. the contracts have been drafted to help ensure that the services provided meet the needs of the research base and deliver the best quality service possible to the EPSRC-sponsored community. Phase One of the mid-range facilities process is now complete. following calls for tender, four facilities have been established:

• the EPSRC national Centre for III-v technologies where the core element is managed at the University of Sheffield with partners at the Universities of Cambridge, glasgow and nottingham.

• the EPSRC national Service for X-ray Crystallography managed by the University of Southampton with Diamond light Source as a partner.

• the EPSRC national Service for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance managed by the University of Manchester with partners at the University of Oxford and the University of St andrews.

• The EPSRC national Service for Computational Chemistry Software managed by Imperial College london with Rutherford appleton laboratories as a partner.

EPSRC has also continued its support of the free Electron laser facility in the netherlands but with an updated contract which reflects some of the best practice for the fully EPSRC-supported facilities.

this first phase represents a total investment of over £22 million for EPSRC and will ensure continuation of a robust research base.

the second phase, which includes determining locations for facilities in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, wave testing, the loan of engineering instruments

and a computational database, is ongoing.

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/facilities/epsrc/Pages/midrange.aspx

Contact: Susie Douglas susie.douglas@epsrc.ac.uk

EPSRC Materials Research Equipment DatabaseThe EPSRC Materials Research Equipment database contains information about research equipment available in UK universities.

anyone can search the database, which provides information on the type of equipment available and research area, as well as its location. Researchers can share their equipment via the web site as well as

look for equipment to use.

Further information: http://equipment.epsrc.ac.uk/

Contact: Alexandra Peden alexandra.peden@epsrc.ac.uk

Research Outcomes ProjectEPSRC is working with RCUK on a common approach for gathering quantitative and qualitative evidence of the outcomes and impact of their investments.

the information gathered from the project is key to the Research Councils strengthening their evidence base for strategy development, and crucial in demonstrating the benefits of Research Council-funded research to society and the economy.

RCUK is establishing an ongoing dialogue with the research community which allows outcomes to be reported at any point within the funding agreement

and beyond. this recognises that often impacts from research are realised some time after funding agreements have been completed.

We hope to migrate much of the existing data we hold to minimise the burden on research organisations by avoiding duplication and to accommodate uploading of data from existing research organisation data collection systems.

Further information: www.rcuk.ac.uk/about/aboutRCUK/Efficiency/ResearchOutcomes/Pages/home.aspx

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EPSRC International wants to hear from you!

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/casestudies/international/Pages/default.aspx Contact: Luanne Thomasluanne.thomas@epsrc.ac.uk

Have your say and influence the future of physicsThe EPSRC Physical Sciences programme is inviting researchers from all disciplines to have their say about the theme and content of its new series of Physics Grand Challenges.

Physics research has an important role to play in many globally-acknowledged challenges – such as providing fusion energy, improving healthcare technology and developing next generation communication systems.

Our new grand Challenge themes reflect these global concerns, and are the result of collaboration between physicists from a wide range of research backgrounds.

While the themes are physics-centric they aren’t exclusively for physics to address, and include subjects at the cutting edge of scientific research, such as room temperature superconductivity, smart design of functional materials, imaging at the limits and developing new physics in extreme conditions.

this is in keeping with EPSRC’s belief that by aiding the research community to

work together we can accelerate progress towards new scientific breakthroughs – where the grand Challenges can be used as the focal point for future research endeavours.

as grand Challenges are all about joining forces across disciplines, we’re inviting researchers from across the science spectrum to have their say in identifying themes that best resonate with the wider UK physics community.

the full list of challenges and a brief description of their goals can be found on the Physics grand Challenges web site (see further information) where people can have their say on the proposed themes through brief questionnaires posted on the site. the deadline for submissions is: 25 February 2011.

the responses received from the questionnaires will help us decide which ideas would be most beneficial to the community for EPSRC to promote. We hope to report the feedback on this site within two months of the survey closing.

Challenges

- assembly and control on the nanoscale.

- Developing new physics in extreme conditions.

- Developing quantum physics for new quantum technologies.

- Room temperature superconductivity.

- towards the smart design of functional materials.

- Understanding emergence in real systems.

- Understanding physical phenomena far from equilibrium.

- Understanding the physics of life.

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/progs/physsci/Pages/physicsgrandchallenges.aspx Contact: Cora O’Reilly cora.o’reilly@epsrc.ac.uk EPSRC.PhysicsGrandChallenge@epsrc.ac.uk

Your chance to show how EPSRC funding has helped you build partnerships across the world – and made a difference to your research.

are you working with an overseas institution or multinational company? Have you set up PhD or PDRa exchanges? Have you gained access to knowledge or equipment you would otherwise not have had access to in the UK? Has your EPSRC-funded project had a positive impact on international development? If so, why not share your experiences with colleagues throughout the research community?

luanne thomas, from the Infrastructure and International programme, says:

“taking part in international projects not only broadens the research experience, it introduces different ways of thinking, develops networking skills and can provide new perspectives on research subjects.

“We’ve collated a range of case studies on the EPSRC International web pages demonstrating how EPSRC funding is being used to build partnerships across the world – and providing examples of how

this experience can really help people’s research.

“We’re looking to build on this valuable source of experience and knowledge, and would like to hear from people with interesting examples of overseas collaborations, so we can highlight the benefits of international working.

“If you have a story to tell, we want to know about it.”

taking part in international projects broadens the research experience

EPSRC Contacts For further programme information: www.epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Materials, Mechanical and Medical Engineering Mark Claydon-Smith 01793 444440 mark.claydon-smith@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Information and Communications Technology liam Blackwell 01793 444217 liam.blackwell@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Energy Multidisciplinary Applications Jason green 01793 444208 jason.green@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Peer Review Susan Morrell 01793 444462 susan.morrell@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Digital Economy John Hand 01793 444394 john.hand@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Next Generation Healthcare Rachel Bishop 01793 444335 rachel.bishop@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Nanotechnology Rachel Bishop 01793 444335 rachel.bishop@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Knowledge Transfer John Baird 01793 444047 john.baird@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Mathematical Sciences and Public Engagement David Harman 01793 444304 david.harman@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Energy Research Capacity Jason green 01793 444208 jason.green@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Engineering for Sustainability Philippa Hemmings 01793 444378 philippa.hemmings@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Cross Disciplinary Interfaces Kedar Pandya 01793 444317 kedar.pandya@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of User Led Knowledge and Skills alan thomas 01793 442806 alan.thomas@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Infrastructure and International Jane nicholson 01793 444065 jane.nicholson@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Physical Sciences andrew Bourne 01793 444358 andrew.bourne@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Research Careers Strategy lucy Brady 01793 444147 lucy.brady@epsrc.ac.uk Maggie Wilson 01793 444333 maggie.wilson@epsrc.ac.uk

Head of Business Relationships Emma feltham 01793 444321 emma.feltham@epsrc.ac.uk

Senior Manager International Edward Clarke 01793 444438 edward.clarke@epsrc.ac.uk

Senior Manager Public Engagement Jo Coleman 01793 444209 joanna.coleman@epsrc.ac.uk Michelle lascelles 01793 444461 michelle.lascelles@epsrc.ac.uk

IDEAS Factory Contact Susan Morrell 01793 444462 susan.morrell@epsrc.ac.uk

for current grant maintenance and grant assessment queries

Engineering Chris Elson 01793 444504 chris.elson@epsrc.ac.uk

Technology valerie Hibberd 01793 444560 valerie.hibberd@epsrc.ac.uk

Science Jan tucker 01793 444046 jan.tucker@epsrc.ac.uk

EPSRC, Polaris House, north Star avenue, Swindon Sn2 1EtTelephone: 01793 444000 www.epsrc.ac.ukEditor: Mark Mallett, mark.mallett@epsrc.ac.ukProduction Editor: Rachael Brown, rachael.brown@epsrc.ac.ukCirculation amendments: connect@epsrc.ac.uk© Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 2011.ISSn 1476-6485Material may be reproduced providing the source is acknowledged.

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March 2011 Issue 81

Research in the cloud Cloud computing – where users can access processing power, data storage, and software on demand via the web – has potential as a platform for research across a wide range of disciplines.

Starting in January 2011, EPSRC and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), which supports UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies, are supporting a number of pilot projects to explore the opportunities and barriers to adoption of cloud computing for research.

the projects range from cloud-based modelling to predict urban flooding to the creation of pilot software to secure data in the cloud. the projects’ leaders will attend a workshop in summer 2011 to share their findings with the wider community.

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk

Contact: Matthew Davis matthew.davis@epsrc.ac.uk

ICt Programme announces two new Centres for Doctoral trainingthe Information & Communications technology (ICt) programme has confirmed support for two new Centres for Doctoral training (CDts) in the Communications and Computer Science fields.

the Manchester Centre for Doctoral training in Computer Science is led by Professor Steve furber.

a new model of PhD training is proposed for the centre, which preserves the deep technical research study associated with the UK PhD, while augmenting it with training and practical experience in subject areas such as creativity and innovation, and scientific evaluation.

the training includes experience of working and communicating with users from outside academia.

the future Communications: People, Power and Performance centre at Bristol University is led by Professor David Bull. the centre aims to establish a world-leading research partnership that is focused on demand and firmly-footed in a commercial context, but allows PhD students the freedom to conduct academically-led blue-skies research.

these centres represent a £4.4 million investment from the ICt programme in tandem with significant additional support from the host institutions.

Further information: www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/progs/ict/Pages/introduction.aspx

Contact: Matthew Ball matthew.ball@epsrc.ac.uk