Call for Fundamental Research and Feasibility Studies
Call open: 10 February 2021
Deadline: 10 March 2021, 5 pm
The EPSRC NetworkPlus in Digitalised Surface Manufacturing is keen to promote digital technologies to innovate cost-effective scalable manufacturing of bio-safe surfaces. Reliable bio-safe surface engineering technologies require multi-disciplinary research efforts to address the growing need in this area. DSM Network wants to act as a catalyst to promote stronger collaborations between manufacturing and biological sciences while taking advantage of the modern digital technologies and tools.
DSM Network is keen to fund up to two feasibility studies elucidating novel understanding of the importance of surfaces from a fundamental modelling perspective to demonstrate how frequently touched surfaces can make a difference to the mode of microbial transmission. We are equally interested to understand what makes a particular surface protective against a particular type of pathogen and not others.
We aim to fund two Fundamental Research and Feasibility Studies in this round.
This funding cannot be used for the purchase of equipment or to support PhD studentships (top-up) in line with extant EPSRC funding rules.
Proposals demonstrating stronger bio-contributions to enhance resilience of engineered surfaces will particularly suit this call. Adoption of digital tools to achieve scalability in the manufacturing of engineered bio-safe surfaces would be desirable.
Proposals are expected to address challenges at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs 1-3). Proposals should demonstrate the potential to have significant wider impact in the digital/surface manufacturing sectors.
The Network has a strong commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Priority will be given to those bids that leverage additional funds for the benefit of the Network and/or are led by ECRs and/or are led by under-represented groups in engineering.
(https://epsrc.ukri.org/funding/applicationprocess/fundingguide/eligibility/investigators/)
Should you be in any doubt regarding your eligibility, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected].
Eligible organisations include all UK Higher Education Institutions that receive grant funding from one of the UK higher education funding bodies, along with research institutes for which the Research Councils have established a long-term involvement as a major funder. Other independent research organisations (IROs) may also be eligible. Further information on the Eligibility criteria and List of Eligible institutions could be found here.
All Estates, Infrastructure technician and Indirect costs are ineligible.
We value equality and diversity. In order to reduce potential impact of any form of bias and that the selection of projects are on the basis of merit as per the selection criteria, a two part form will be used. and track record information.
Part 1 will contain contact details, project team and track record information. Part 2 is where you would be required to outline the Case for Support, which will be considered anonymously by a selection committee or a panel of experts. Please ensure that the form is completed in Century Gothic 11 and that neither of the parts are more than 4 pages each. References can be included as an appendix. A breakdown of the allocation of the funds with a short justification for each category is also required.
The budget should be submitted via a separate template with the application form.
Completed forms should be emailed to [email protected] by 5 pm on 10 March 2021.
In addition to the specific outputs outlined in your proposal, each feasibility study project team is required to:
Call for proposals: 10 Feb 2021
Deadline for submission: 10 March 2021, 5 pm
Successful proposal announcement: Mid April 2021.
All feasibility studies should have to complete within the given time-period as per individual project timelines.