- Research Development and Support Office

EPSRC update - 28 March 2012

Following my email of 16 December 2011 highlighting EPSRC planned investment for the majority of their research portfolio between April 2012 and March 2013, this note summarises the key points from the EPSRC 28 March announcement:
 
This note includes a summary of the main points for you:
i)                   The increase in EPSRC’s investment
ii)                 The final shaping of the EPSRC portfolio
iii)               Changes to their peer review; and
iv)               How the Research Development & Collaborations Team within RDSO can help you.
 
i) The increase in EPSRC’s investment
Early this week EPSRC announced that they will invest £976million in the next 12 months.
 
I fully support David Bird’s and Gary Hawley’s email to Heads of Departments and Chairs of Departmental Research Committees with the message to prepare to submit research proposals between now and the end of June 2012, in order to get a decision before March 2013. All forms of proposals are encouraged, including calls for proposals, standard ones (responsive mode) and in particular fellowships.
 
There are now even more research areas for Fellowships you can apply for.
 
Please note that in January/February 2013 there will be a call for Centres for Doctoral Training. They will want to retain, refresh and close some Centres. EPSRC are also looking to change the Doctoral Training Grant.
 
ii) The final shaping of the EPSRC portfolio
The EPSRC research portfolio is now fully ‘shaped’ and as such all grow, maintain and reduce areas are known. Just to clarify that these changes are relative, in their words are ‘trajectories’ it doesn’t mean cliff edges or that areas will cease to be.
 
All proposals from April will need to take Shaping into account as part of the national importance section within the case for support.
 
Further information about which areas are grow, maintain and reduce is available.
 
iii) Changes to their peer review
All EPSRC panels will now take National Importance into account when making funding decisions, which includes justifying why they should fund a reduced area, but quality is still the primary criterion. The panel will get a presentation from the EPSRC to help the decision making process. They are also adding an additional speaker (introducers), from two to three per proposal. 
 
iv) How the Research Development & Collaborations Team within RDSO can help you
We are already striving to embed ourselves into bidding teams to co-develop proposals aimed at calls for proposals (‘managed calls’) and following feedback at the EPSRC Shaping and Sharing events we ran, we have developed a more transparent approach to disseminating, coordinating and assisting these opportunities. 
 
We also run Application surgeries, offer 1:1 advice and review large bids (as a critical friend) and continue to develop tools such as bid templates.
 
Please contact me if you have any queries.
 
Dr Jon Hunt
RDSO
28 March 2012