RF473 PDF

Updated daily at www.ResearchProfessional.
com
Founded by William Cullerne Bown
24 February 2016
Researchers back HEFCEs

postponed REF consultation p4
Identity crisis Are we a community? p22
Ten-year turnaround Reforming an elite
club into charity with a mission p6
Mental health report

lacks research specifics
Academics say change hard to achieve without detail on funding
Senior academics have criticised the governments stance

on mental health research, saying they are disappointed
at the lack of concrete recommendations for improving
the condition of research on mental health in England.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, published on 15 February by the governments Mental
Health Taskforce to the NHS in England, made a series
of recommendations for improving mental health services, which it said were in a poor state. In particular,
the taskforce admitted that research in the area is
under-fundedreceiving less than 5.5per cent of all
health research funding. The report said that for every
115 million spent on mental health, 970m is spent
on research on physical health.
As well as identifying research areas to addresssuch
as prevention in young peoplethe document said that
the UK should create a coordinated plan for strengthening and developing the research pipeline. The
Department of Health should start planning a 10-year
strategy on mental health research in 2017, it said.
Although academics have welcomed the renewed
government focus on mental health, they say that
the research chapter of the report needs to be more
detailed in order to effect real change.
It needs to be far more prescriptive, said Kathryn
Abel, professor of psychiatry at the University of
Manchester and national specialty co-lead at the Clinical
Research Network on mental health. Its a bit wishywashy. We know we should be looking at young people
and prevention; we know that early intervention is key
in mental illness, Abel said. The fact is that it doesnt
matter what the strategy is, we need more money.
Jonathan Roiser, professor of neuroscience and
mental health at University College Londons Institute
of Cognitive Neuroscience, echoed this point. He said
that it was an interesting omission that the report
acknowledged the low funding levels for mental health
research without setting out how this should change.
However, one source, who saw an early draft of the
chapter on research and asked not to be named, told
Research Fortnight that there had been more detail on
funding, but it had been taken out before publication.
by Anna McKie
amnews@ResearchResearch.com
Simon Wessely, president of the Royal College of

Psychiatrists, who advised on the report, acknowledged that parts had been changed to cut down the
number of recommendations. It is always a compromise, he said, adding that the group had tried to focus
on recommendations likely to be accepted. Referring to
the research chapter, he stressed that some important
elements remained, such as a recommendation that the
Higher Education Funding Council for England reviews
the criteria for assessing mental health research in the
Research Excellence Framework.
Neuroscience and mental health lost quite a considerable settlement in the last REF because of how
the units of assessment were organised, he said. It
was a real own goal and the taskforce has called on the
government to reverse this.
Wessely added that the taskforces workincluding its recommendationswas not principally about
research. There is excellent rhetoric from the top
about mental health but money has been withdrawn
from primary and community care since 2010, he
said. This has to be addressed and there needs to be
clear accountability on what money is spent on.
Cynthia Joyce, chief executive of the mental health
research charity MQ, acknowledged the breadth of
the report, saying that it was great that research
had been included. Joyce said that she particularly
welcomed the reports recommendation to follow the
guidance set out by the European-Commission-funded
project Roamer in 2015, which produced a roadmap for
mental health research spanning biological, psychological and social research.
Joyce said that she hoped this
Every new opportunity
holistic view would emphasise the
for research funding
fact that the field needed more than
from every sponsor in
just a cash injection. Not only do we
the UK, EU, US & beyond
need more funding but also a longterm strategy to look at what we can
Every discipline
do with research and how we can tap
Every fortnight
into areas of real promise, she said.
Issue No. 473
2 editorial
Research Fortnight, 24 February 2016

Edited by Ehsan Masood
news@ResearchResearch.com
Tel: 020 7216 6500
Fax: 020 7216 6501
Unit 111, 134-146 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3AR
Watch this space

Nicholas Stern could shake things up for the REF
So now we know: as Lindsay McKenzie and Cristina Gallardo report on page
four, the Higher Education Funding Council for England did not plan to
ask radical questions in its consultation on the next Research Excellence
Framework, and for understandable reasons. After the changes to the 2014
REF, the managers who have to administer the framework are tired, if not
wary, of further change. HEFCE appears not to want to add to their worries.
But, as Marie Breen-Smyth writes on page 23, many academics
being assessed do not have a sunny outlook on research evaluation.
Fundamentally, the REF exists to function as a performance management
system. Like most such mechanisms it contributes to stress and anxiety,
not to mention the loss of some high-profile academics. Breen-Smyth, an
internationally recognised scholar on political violence, lost her position
as a professor of politics at the University of Surrey, in part because of the
REF. She now works in the United States.
In that sense, universities and science minister Jo Johnson has made a
sound choice in putting the brakes on HEFCEs plans and instead appointing economist and British Academy president Nicholas Stern to take a
broader view of research evaluation.
Stern brings at least three strengths to the table. First, as a working
researcher he will have an instinctive grasp of the REFs effects on his
peers. Second, as an economist who works in the area of climate change
he knows a thing or two about the drivers for interdisciplinary research.
Third, Stern is an authority on the effects of metrics on behaviour.
This latter point is an important one. There are some who fear that
Sterns appointment could open the doors to a more metrics-driven process, which has the potential to create yet more stress in the system.
There are reasons behind such fears. We know that former science
minister David Willetts was anticipating a greater role for metrics. And
although The Metric Tide review group made it clear that metrics are not
yet of sufficient robustness to be used for research assessment, we also
know that an impatient Whitehall machine remains interested in metrics
to help it to keep a lid on ever-increasing REF costs.
But, it must be remembered that Stern contributed to the influential
2010report Mismeasuring Our Lives, which took governments to task for
running economies based on flaky indices. A recommendation in that report
was to focus on solid, granular datafor example in healthcareand do
away with composite indicators such as GDP. The report argued that composite indicators have little value beyond the production of league tables,
and that they also encourage gaming. All of this is also true for the REF.
But the REF provides a degree of transparency and accountability. It is a
method of identifying excellence, and it ensures that very small institutions
continue to get quality work funded. But it is costly, and especially so for
institutions looking to boost their scores.
The questions HEFCE proposed for the consultation assumed a continuation of the status quo. They didnt address more fundamental issues of
assessing research excellence. Sterns review has the potential to rethink
the basics. We await with interest whether it will.
elsewhere
The same engineers who built strong
encryption into the iPhone to protect our
users would, ironically, be ordered to
weaken those protections and make our
users less safe.
Apple director Tim Cook says that the US government has overstepped the mark by asking
Apple to build a backdoor to the iPhone to
grant access to the phone of a suspect in the
2015 San Berndino terrorist attack. Apple
open letter, 16/2/16.
To see that women do better than men
in a field where there is a bias against
women is very exciting because it questions social norms around this field.
Commenting on a preprint published in
PeerJ PrePrints, University of Warwick data
scientist Adrian Letchford says that its
worth celebrating that female software programmers have their code accepted more
frequently than their male counterparts.
Nature, 15/2/16.
Making a tiny but high-profile cut
diverts attention from this continuing
problemthe solution to which is in the
governments rather than the House of
Lords hands.
To start writing bills on paper, rather than on
the ancient material vellum, would contribute less than 0.01per cent of the necessary
savings in the House of Lordsthe real problem is the ever-increasing number of peers,
says Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The Guardian, 17/2/16.
Being in the EU is not, of course, of itself
a solution. It will only be a platform for
environmental and scientific collaboration if we continue to push it in that
direction.
Fiona Reynolds, chairwoman of think-tank
Green Alliance, says that a Brexit would be
a risky step that could undermine environmental policies that have been negotiated as
part of the EU. New Scientist, 17/2/16.
decade
The problem is if youre
working in land use, youre
basically dealing with
manure and you might not
get your paper into Nature.
After a review of the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Councils
institutes found some to have poor publication performance, chief executive Julia
Goodfellow says the criticism was of the
written output, rather than the science.
whats going on 3
whats going on
Scottish universities face deep funding cuts
Public spending on Scottish universities in the 2016-17 financial year will be reduced by almost
30 million, according to indicative figures from the Scottish Funding Council. Universities
will face an average budget cut of 3.1 per cent, with the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee and
Edinburgh and Robert Gordon University seeing 3.9 per cent reductions.
Javid and Johnson to campaign for Remain
Business secretary Sajid Javid and science and universities minister Jo Johnson have backed
the campaign for the UK to stay in the European Union, ahead of the referendum on 23 June.
Writing in The Mail on Sunday, Javid said that the UK should never have joined the EU, but that
global economic forecasts made it too risky to leave now.
Academics question unclear anti-lobbying clause
Researchers have called for clarification of how research will be affected by the governments
plan to introduce an anti-lobbying clause into grant agreements. Academics have asked the
government to confirm that the changes will not prevent the use of government-funded research
to influence policymaking, which they say would contradict its own impact agenda.
Health R&D strategy for Northern Ireland launched
Northern Ireland has said that it wants to increase collaboration between health and social care
workers and academics, as well as strengthening links between research and policy, as part of its
revamped health and social care R&D strategy. The 10-year strategy, published on 11 February,
also outlines plans to bid for a National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit.
BIS names Davies director-general for science
Gareth Davies has been appointed director-general for business and science at the Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills on a permanent basis. Davies became interim directorgeneral of knowledge and innovation in February 2015, when John OReilly stepped down.
BBSRC appoints interim chief executive
Melanie Welham will become interim chief executive of the Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council on 1 March until a permanent appointment is made. Jackie Hunter,
the incumbent chief executive, announced in November 2015 that she would step down to
become chief executive of the artificial intelligence and drug discovery firm Stratified Medical.
McDonnell says BIS should have more say in economic development
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said that Labour would consider splitting the Treasurys
present responsibilities to give the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills more control
over economic development. Speaking at the London School of Economics and Political Science on
16 February, McDonnell said he would like BIS to be a proper economic development department.
Dont merge research and innovation budgets, BIS told
The Russell Group has said that the budgets of Innovate UK and the research councils must be
completely separate if the agency is brought under the proposed umbrella body Research UK. In its
response to a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation, the group said that it
was not convinced the move would improve the relationship between the councils and Innovate UK.
4 news
news
Researchers praise steady as

she goes REF consultation
The Higher Education Funding Council for Englands
planned consultation on the next Research Excellence
Framework has garnered positive reviews from researchers contacted by Research Fortnight, even though the
process has been delayed indefinitely.
The document, obtained through a Freedom of
Information request, suggested that there should be an
overall continuity in the approach to the REF. However,
several ideas put forward would change research evaluation
markedly. These include the introduction of a 5*rating,
increasing the weighting of impact from 20to 25per cent,
and the possibility of decoupling staff and outputs.
James Wilsdon, director of impact and engagement at
the University of Sheffield, said the document was in
line with what one would have expected from the extensive series of evaluations that HEFCE commissioned of
the REF. Clair Thrower, research information manager at
the University of Kent, agrees. Its a good document
HEFCE obviously got a long way ahead with it. Not too
many surprises and some pretty sensible questions.
HEFCE had planned to consult on the document at the
end of 2015, but that was postponed at the request of universities minister Jo Johnson, to allow for a broader review
of UK university research assessment. The economist
Nicholas Stern, president of the British Academy, is carrying out that review and is due to report in the summer.
One question HEFCE had planned to ask respondents was whether a 5*quality rating would better
reflect the panels ability to make more granular judgements. Thrower said there were pros and cons to that
suggestion. Its a good way of distinguishing at the
top and teasing out the bunching of profilesparticularly of impact. But it would make comparisons between
exercises more difficult. In REF 2014, 4*research was
described as world-leading, which is a tricky one to top.
HEFCE also intended to seek opinions on whether to
increase the impact weighting from 20to 25per cent,
which was the figure originally suggested for REF 2014.
In addition the document sought views on whether
the names of staff and their outputs should be decoupled. This was recommended in REF manager Graeme
Rosenbergs 2015 report as a way of reducing the stress
of staff selection in the REF.
Another question was whether the categorisation of
research areas under the units of assessment scheme
should be revised, having been reduced from 69 to
36areas for the 2014 exercise. I dont think you would
want to reduce the number of units any further, said
Alan Penn, dean of University College Londons Bartlett
by Lindsay McKenzie and Cristina Gallardo
faculty of the built environment and chairman of the

sub-panel for the architecture unit in REF 2014.
Frans Berkhout, executive dean of Kings College
Londons faculty of social science and public policy,
and a member of the social sciences panel for REF 2014,
agrees. I think they got the structure more or less right
in the past REF, Berkhout said.
Berkhout said the structure of the panels did not need
significant change, but added that he did have concerns that the REF was not supporting interdisciplinary
work enough, an issue highlighted in the document.
Assessments in systems like the REF should be doing
much more to value interdisciplinary work, he said. I
dont think that means you need to change the structure
of the subpanels, but it does mean something about the
representativeness of people on the sub-panels and the
guidance given to the value of interdisciplinary work.
The consultation document also reveals HEFCEs
intention to mandate open-access monographs in the
exercise after next. HEFCE and two of the research councils commissioned Geoffrey Crossick to write a report on
open-access monographs, which was published in January
2015. Crossick said that the consultation document
marked the first time he had seen the principles laid out
so that the funding councils can move forward to shape
policy. He said that the main points raised in his report
have been dealt with in a very flexible and sensible way.
Martin Eve, senior lecturer in literature, technology and
publishing at Birkbeck, University of London, said that
he hoped HEFCEs approach to open-access monographs
would find its way into any consultation document published after Sterns review. He said that HEFCEs proposed
approach was in line with a recent review led by Adam
Tickell of the University of Birmingham (see View, page 20).
As for whether HEFCEs consultation on the next REF
will take place at a later date, David Sweeney, director of
research, education and knowledge exchange at HEFCE,
said, We will just have to wait and see what Stern recommends and then consider what to do after that.
Despite uncertainty cast over HEFCEs future by the
governments green paper on higher education, Wilsdon
predicts that an updated version of the consultation will
surface at a later date, reflecting recommendations the
government agrees to from the Stern review. If we want
a REF in 2021, the machinery needs to keep on grinding
fairly fast after the review comes out. At the moment there
is no-one to operate that machinery other than HEFCE.
news 5
ESRC emphasises consent in revised

research-ethics framework
Academics should think of consent as an ongoing process throughout the lifetime of a project, according to
updated guidance on research ethics from the Economic
and Social Research Council.
The revised ESRC Framework for Research Ethics, published this month, contains advice on how researchers
should gain and consider consent from participants
in their studies. John Oates, senior lecturer in developmental psychology at the Open University, helped
develop the framework. He said that the guidance now
recognises that consent should be an ongoing process, perhaps extending even to the dissemination of
the results. Gaining written consent at the start of a
piece of research is no longer seen as a sufficient way to
respect individuals autonomy, he said.
David Carpenter, university ethics adviser at the
University of Portsmouth, agreed that ethics reviews
shouldnt be a one-off. However, he said that most universities dont have the resources to monitor ethics for
so long. In some cases the best that can be asked for is
a report at the end of the study and an annual report if
its a long-running project, Carpenter said.
by Cristina Gallardo
cgnews@ResearchResearch.com
This is the third major revision of the ESRCs ethics

guidance. In it, the council said that in some contexts
other forms of consentsuch as audio recordingsmight
be ethically preferable, for instance in cultures where
written consent has negative connotations. In addition,
when securing explicit consent would put the participants at unnecessary risk, such as with political activists,
the ESRC said that researchers should submit a full statement as part of their review justifying the approach taken.
Oates said that the revised framework also aims to
bring researchers and ethics committees closer together,
by including detailed guidance for both groups. There
is a real emphasis now on committees acting as facilitators, to aid research and not to impede it, he said.
Tony Wainwright, senior lecturer in psychology at the
University of Exeter, said that the revised framework was
extremely comprehensive, but that issues surrounding
big data, the treatment of vulnerable groups like refugees and the rapid development of genetic techniques
would need updating regularly.
Ban on boycotts wont cover academic collaboration

Universities are to be banned from boycotting goods
and services on political grounds, but will not be held
accountable if their academics take action on conferences, the Cabinet Office has said.
A set of procurement guidelines published on
17February prevents any public organisationincluding
universities, arms-length bodies and local councils
from imposing a boycott on a country signed up to the
World Trade Organization government-procurement
agreement. Breaching the rules will incur penalties
including damages, fines and contract cancellations,
but will not be considered a criminal offence.
The decision was announced during Cabinet Office
minister Matt Hancocks visit to Israel, but extends
beyond products from Israel. The Cabinet Office said in a
press release that boycotts undermine good community
relations, poisoning and polarising debate, weakening
integration and fuelling anti-Semitism.
Michael Deas, campaign officer at the Palestinian
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee,
which campaigns against Israels policies, says that the
committee will still ask public bodies to boycott companies that contribute to human rights violations in the
Palestinian occupied territories. This, he said, included
boycotting the British multinational security services
firm G4S and the French water services provider Veolia.
by Cristina Gallardo
cgnews@ResearchResearch.com
Simon Johnson, chief executive of the Jewish

Leadership Council, a charity made up of the heads of
Jewish organisations based in London, welcomed the
regulation, saying that universities should not have their
own foreign policy. Boycotts are an impediment to community relations and sow division and discord, he said.
A spokeswoman from the Cabinet Office said that
the ruling would not affect universities whose academics refused to attend events organised by Israeli
institutions. A number of campaigns of this kind have
been organised since the early 2000s. The most recent
launched in October 2015 and has been supported by
more than 300UK researchers. The academics in support
of the movement said that they would not accept invitations for academic visits to Israel or engage in activities
related to Israeli universities, including conferences
funded, organised or sponsored by them.
Claire Fox, director of the libertarian think tank
Institute of Ideas, said that boycotts against Israeli
institutions are a disgrace that go against the principles of academic freedom and collaboration. However,
she added that boycotts should be discouraged through
discussion rather than regulation, which she called very
dangerously prescriptive and interventionist.
6 news
i n t e r v i e w m a t t h e w t a y l o r
Unfinished revolution
Ten years ago, Matthew Taylor left his job advising Tony Blair to reform a society whose
fellows were found from mailing lists. He tells Lindsay McKenzie hes not done yet.
When I walk into Matthew Taylors office hes just putting

the finishing touches to a blog post. A prolific writer,
Taylors room looks suitably creative. Theres a busy flipchart, a wall of post-it notes behind a large desk, and a
guitar propped against a well-stocked bookshelf.
Taylor pulls up a chair and tells me what drew him to
work at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts,
Manufactures and Commerce 10 years ago. His decision
to leave his role as chief political-strategy adviser to
Tony Blair, then prime minister, was surprising to some,
he tells me. When I first came here, everyone asked me
why, because I had a top job, he says. But I came here
not because of what the RSA was, but because of my
vision of what it could become.
The RSA is a difficult organisation to pigeonhole.
Taylor describes it as an apolitical charity with a mission
to mobilise 21st century enlightenment by supporting
peoples power to create. He stresses that it is neither an
arts organisation nor a learned society. It was the RSAs
unusual combination of thought leadership, research,
innovation, mobilisation and engagement that first drew
Taylor to the organisation, he says. This is still what he
finds most exciting about it today.
But being chief executive of such a complex organisation hasnt always been plain sailing, he admits,
especially in the early years. I tried to change the
governance of the organisation before I changed the politics. It meant everything took a few years longer than it
should have, and there was a point when the old guard
those who wanted the RSA to be an elite club rather than
a charity with a fellowshipalmost won.
The RSA used to recruit some of its fellows by buying
mailing lists and writing to people to tell them that they
had been chosen for a fellowship. It was misleading and
bred a lot of cynicism about the RSA, says Taylor. I went
through a hard battle to change that.
We lost some fellows along the way
those for whom the status of being a
Matthew Taylor
fellow was more important than shar2006-present Chief execing our values and working with us.
utive of the RSA
Fellowship of the RSA is now open to
2003-06 Chief politicalstrategy adviser to the
anyone who can demonstrate that they
prime minister
support the mission of the RSA with a
1998-2003 Chief execuwritten application and two character
tive of the Institute for
references. Membership costs 168 a
Public Policy Research
year, and in exchange members receive
1995-98 Labour Party
a quarterly magazine, access to excludirector of policy and
assistant general secretary
sive facilities, lectures and networking
*
*
*
*
events and get to write FRSA after their name. Although

Taylor says the goal is not to get as many fellows as possible, it seems that the RSAs offering is popular. So far more
than 27,000 people have signed up.
Taylor views this shift in attitude to RSA fellowship as
one of his biggest achievements to date, but he says that
the organisation has also become much more collaborative in the way it operates. When I arrived there was a
lot of departmentalism, he says. I think any organisation that wants to be innovative and powerful in the
modern world has to find ways of working across silos.
Taylor still has lofty ambitions for the RSA. He says
that the RSA aspires to be as good at mobilising people
as the community action group Citizens UK, as good at
engaging mass audiences as The Guardian, as good at
producing robust research as the Institute for Public
Policy Research, and as influential in government as
Policy Exchange.
When asked about his policy and research successes,
Taylor doesnt hesitate before picking out the societys
work with the City Growth Commission on an approach
to economic growth and inclusion driven by cities. That
was some of the most successful think-tank work that
Ive ever been associated with, he says. The series of
reports the commission published in 2014 garnered
cross-party support and contributed to the governments
Northern Powerhouse strategy.
When asked what he thinks of that strategy, Taylors
response is measured. There are enormous challenges to overcome, but it would be completely churlish to
focus on the problems with it, he tells me. Back when
we embarked on the work with the commission, people
would have thought the Northern Powerhouse was some
kind of soul club. Since that time, Taylor says, enormous
strides have been made. I think when people look back,
they will see George Osbornes commitment as the most
important domestic reform agenda of this government.
After a decade at the RSA, I wonder what Taylor will
turn to next. Perhaps even a move back into politics?
In a perfect world, Id like to have more time to read
and write, support my crap football team and continue to
find out that Ive got absolutely no musical talent whatsoever, he says, gesturing to the guitar. But I guess
Ive always been rather tribal. I love this organisation.
It massively motivates me, and I think its continuing to
become more exciting and more effective than ever. But
there are still unfinished revolutions to be won.
More to say? Email comment@ResearchResearch.com
funding opportunities
Research Fortnight
24 February 2015
every new opportunity every discipline
deadlines
focus points
Opportunities from previous issues of

Research Fortnight, listed by closing
date. European Commission and
associated funders marked EU.
Issue no. 473
Innovate UK photonics
Innovate UK, the Welsh
Government and the
Welsh Opto-Electronics
Forum invite proposals
for their North Wales
photonics launchpad.
The total budget is worth
500,000. Each project
may receive up to 90,000
over a maximum period of
oneyear [9].
NERC doctoral training
The Natural Environment
Research Council invites
outline proposals for
its centre for doctoral
training studentships
on modelling and
quantitative skills in
ecology and evolution.
Studentships are worth up
to 84,936 each [11].
BBSRC training
The Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences
Research Council invites
applications for its
collaborative training
partnerships. Studentships
provide a training support
grant worth 5,000 per
year over four years [20].
MRC/NIHR healthcare
The Medical Research
Council and the
National Institute for
Health Research invite
applications for their
call on methodological
research for health and
care systems modelling
identifying and measuring
spillover effects [23].
n o t t o be
p h o t o c o p ie D
For subscriptions call +44 20 7216 6500
Each entry is followed by a Web id
March
ESRC UK in a changing Europe

commissioning fund 1183731
EU Horizon 2020: Industrial
Leadership H2020-COMPET-2016
competitiveness of the European
space sector: technology and science 1184849
EU Horizon 2020: Industrial Leadership H2020-EO-2016 earth observation 1184847
NERC environmental science impact
programme 1188155
Academy of Medical Sciences/
Wellcome starter grants for clinical
lecturers 255041
Breast Cancer Now pilot grants
255713
British Science Association award
lectures 1183386
Clothworkers' Foundation conservation research fellowship 1158084
College of Optometrists clinical
research fellowships 1187878
College of Optometrists research
fellowships postdoctoral lecturers
1177196
Core Dr Falk Pharma UK/Core
awards 1170893
Core research essay prize 255569
DFID evaluation services for the
Strengthening African Networks
for Governance, Accountability and
Transparency Programme phase II
(SANGAT II) 1188391
East Africa Research Fund understanding the economic contribution
of small-scale mining in East Africa
1188690
European Society for Clinical
Nutrition and Metabolism research
fellowships 1171323
Kidney Research UK innovation
grants 210676
Kidney Research UK research project grants 210675
MOD Defence Science and Technology Laboratory/Direction Gnrale
de l'Armement UK-France joint PhD
programme 1188698
Primate Society of Great Britain
captive care grants 212382
Society for the Study of French History conference grants 1175975
Society for the Study of French

History postgraduate conference
panels 1175976
College of Optometrists postgraduate scholarships 1177197
Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Jacob Blaustein Institute for
Desert Research regular fellowships
210332
Environmental Mutagen Society
small grants scheme for feasibility
or pilot studies 1187072
British Medical Association research
grants 194232
British Society for the Philosophy
of Science doctoral scholarship
1188403
European Federation of Immunological Societies meeting support
grants 1183250
European Federation of Immunological Societies short-term fellowship 1173049
European Federation of Immunological Societies world fellowships
1177162
European Hematology Association/
Japanese Society of Hematology
fellowship exchange programme
1167325
Jrme Lejeune Foundation
research grants 213435
Society of Legal Scholars research
activities fund grants 1171914
Wellbeing of Women entry-level
research scholarships 260835
Wellbeing of Women/Royal College
of Midwives international fellowship
for midwives 1175061
South African National Research
Foundation UK-South Africa
researcher links mobility grants
1185435
CRUK postdoctoral research bursary
for clinical trainees 1186932
EU Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges H2020-CIRC-2016 industry
2020 in the circular economy
single stage 1184915
EU Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges H2020-CIRC-2016 industry
2020 in the circular economy two
stage 1186034
EU Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges H2020-SCC-02-2016 smart
cities and communities 1186037
EU Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges H2020-SCC-2016 smart cities
and communities call topics 3 and
4 1186038
NIHR programme development
grants for applied research 260944
EU Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges H2020-SC5-2016 greening
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the economy, topics 1, 14 and 21

- two stage 1186006
EU Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges H2020-SC5-2016 greening
the economy single stage
1184952
British Academy/Royal Society/
Academy of Medical Sciences
Newton international fellowships
1186801
Henry Moore Foundation conferences, lectures and publications
grants 1157850
Henry Moore Foundation small
research grants 1174482
EU Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges food scanner prize 1180929
Innovate UK surface engineering
and coating technologies for highvalue manufacturing 1188036
Royal Society Newton international
fellowships Brazil, China, India,
Mexico and Turkey 1188363
Royal Society/Academy of Medical
Sciences/Newton Fund international fellowships China and India
1188330
Action on Hearing Loss
international project grant 198200
Anatomical Society of Great Britain
and Ireland Symington bequest
1178584
Anatomical Society research grant
1187680
EU Joint Programme for Neurodegenerative Disease Research
transnational call on harmonisation
and alignment in brain imaging
methods for neurodegeneration
1187770
Intensive Care Society new investigator awards 211290
Leverhulme early-career fellowships
210573
CERN corresponding associates
programme 259704
CERN scientific associates programme 251966
DFID social protection system
capacity strengthening 1188723
Healthcare Infection Society career
development fund 1182303
Institute of Historical Research
Scouloudi historical awards publication awards 1170240
Institute of Historical Research
Scouloudi historical research
awards 211511
Wellcome Trust society awards
261000
Society for Applied Microbiology
president's fund 202163
Action on Hearing Loss
translational research initiative for
hearing grant 1175049
Association of Anaesthetists of
Great Britain and Ireland project
grants 1176027
Association of Anaesthetists of
Great Britain and Ireland travel
grants 205767
EU Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
projects on preparedness and
prevention 213189
EU Directorate-General for Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries study on
the economic benefits of marine
protected areas 1188231
8 funding opportunities
uk
highlights
New opportunities from UK-based funders.
Data science scholarships

The Alan Turing Institute invites applications for its doctoral studentships. These
enable students to pursue doctoral studies in data science at the institute's hub,
as well as at one of the founding partner
universities. Grants cover tuition fees
and a stipend for three and a half years.
Web id: 1188902
Email: doctoral-scheme@turing.ac.uk
No deadline [1]
Postgraduate summer scheme

The British Society for Immunology invites
applications for its medical elective and
summer placement award scheme. Funding enables medical students, and PhD
and MSc students, to undertake a placement in a selected laboratory for their
medical elective or a summer placement.
Awards are worth 1,500 each.
Web id: 1188729
Contact: Hannah Hope
Email: h.hope@immunology.org
No deadline [2]
Emerging technologies
The Royal Society of Chemistry invites
proposals for its emerging technologies competition. This aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative
technologies in the areas of health and
wellbeing, energy and environment, food
and water, and materials. Prizes are worth
up to 20,000 each.
Web id: 1188734
Deadline: 14 March 2016 [3]
STFC Artemis laser facility

The Science and Technology Facilities
Council invites proposals for access to
the Artemis laser facility. Funding enables
researchers to access the Artemis laser
facility and conduct experiments related
to ultra short laser and XUV pulses, as well
as those related to a range of end-stations
for time resolved spectroscopy in gases,
liquids and condensed matter, and for XUV
imaging. Up to 14 weeks' access is available, of which three weeks is for EU access,
provided through Laserlab Europe.
Web id: 1188742
Email: emma.springate@stfc.ac.uk
NERC knowledge exchange

The Natural Environment Research Council invites applications for its open knowledge exchange fellowships. These enable
the sharing and flow of knowledge and
expertise between NERC-funded researchers and their user communities. Fellowships cover salary on a pro-rata basis, as
well as up to 40,000 for travel and other
costs, over three years.
Web id: 1188776
Contact: Lynne Porter
Email: keschemes@nerc.ac.uk
CRUK/DH experimental centres

Cancer Research UK and the Department
of Health, under the experimental cancer
medicine centres (ECMCs) network, invite
expressions of interest for their 2017-22
Quinquennium. This enables experimental cancer medicine centres to contrib-

ute to a leading network of early-phase
clinical trials, and enhances the existing
bench-to-bedside pathway by supporting
key infrastructures tailored to the needs
of each ECMC site. The award provides
support over a period of five years.
Web id: 154831
Email: centresandecmcs@cancer.org.uk
Gastroenterology trainees
Core and the British Society of Gastroenterology invite applications for their
trainee research grants. These support
trainees who are conducting research on
an area of clinical need within gastroenterology which has clear patient benefit.
Grants are worth up to 5,000 each.
Web id: 1188799
Contact: Alice Kington
Email: research@corecharity.org.uk
Novice dissemination award

The European Oncology Nursing Society
invites applications for its novice dissemination award. This enables oncology
nursing researchers to attend the EONS10
congress, to be held from 17 to 18 October
2016 in Dublin, Ireland. Awards cover registration fees and up to 1,500 (1,200)
for travel and accommodation.
Web id: 1188693
Email: eons2016@abbey.ie
Innovate UK photonics R&D

Innovate UK, the Welsh Government and
the Welsh Opto-Electronics Forum invite
proposals for their North Wales photonics
launchpad. Funding supports innovative
and industrial R&D projects that aim to
stimulate photonics, electro-optics and
opto-electronics businesses in North Wales
by enabling them to go further towards commercial success. The total budget is worth
500,000. Each project may receive up to
90,000 over a maximum period of one year.
Web id: 1188842
Email: support@innovateuk.gov.uk
Deadline: 6 April 2016 [9]
Innovate UK sharing economy

Innovate UK invites proposals for its
call on digital innovation in the sharing
economy. Funding aims to encourage
innovation in the sharing economy across
the themes of trust, tourism and travel;
opening up new sectors; home improvements; construction; and data and analytics. Awards are worth up to 30,000 each.
Web id: 1188836
Email: support@innovateuk.gov.uk
NERC doctoral training awards

The Natural Environment Research Council invites outline proposals for its centre
for doctoral training studentships on
modelling and quantitative skills in ecology and evolution. These aim to train the
next generation of UK environmental
scientists in various aspects of data collection, modelling, statistical analysis
and inference with input from a range
of quantitative disciplines, producing
researchers with substantial quantitative expertise capable of developing new
theoretical modelling methods. Studentships are worth up to 84,936 each.
Web id: 1187488
Email: stag@nerc.ac.uk
AHRC leadership fellows
BBSRC collaborative training
The Arts and Humanities Research Council

invites applications for its priority area
leadership fellowships on design, heritage and modern languages. These support
research related to design, heritage or
modern languages. Fellowships are tenable for up to three years and cover up to
80 per cent of full-time equivalent, with
the option to include up to 40 per cent FTE
for personal research activity.
Web id: 1188917
Contact: Jessica Clark
Email: j.clark@ahrc.ac.uk
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council invites applications

for its collaborative training partnerships.
These aim to train the next generation
of skilled people for the research base
and wider bioeconomy by providing PhD
students with a first-rate, challenging
research training experience within the
context of a mutually beneficial research
collaboration, between academic and
partner organisations. Studentships are
calculated on a four-year basis, and provide a research training support grant
worth 5,000 per year.
Web id: 1188797
Email: simon.cutler@bbsrc.ac.uk
Deadline: 25 May 2016 [20]
Philosophy conference award

The British Society for the History of
Philosophy invites applications for its
major conference award. This funds an
international conference held in the UK
on any aspect of the history of philosophy.
The award is worth 1,000.
Web id: 1188034
Contact: Michael Beaney
Email: bjhp@bshp.org.uk
Soil health and biology

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and the British Beet Research
Organisation invite applications for their
research partnerships on management
for soil biology and soil health. Funding
supports research partnerships that aim
to better understand soil biology and key
soil health metrics, in order to improve
management for soil health across a
range of systems including arable rotations, grassland systems and production
systems for perennial crops. Each partnership may receive about 200,000 per
year over a maximum period of five years.
Web id: 1188743
Email: amanda.bennet@ahdb.org.uk
Rare diseases research

The Pfizer Rare Disease Research Unit and
the Chief Scientist Office invite proposals for their collaborative drug discovery
research projects. Funding supports collaborative projects in the area of rare diseases
that aim to advance the RDC model into
repositioning and repurposing of legacy,
clinic ready Pfizer assets for rare diseases.
Web id: 1188860
Email: alan.mcnair@gov.scot
Arts impact research grants

Arts Council England invites applications for its research grants programme.
These support projects that aim to better
understand the impact of arts and culture
and promote greater collaboration and
cooperation between the arts, cultural
sector and research partners. The budget
is 1.11million and grants are worth up
to 200,000 each.
Web id: 1183462
Email: enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk
Regional studies grants

The Regional Studies Associations invites
applications for the following grants:
fellowship research grants, worth up
to 7,500 each. Web id: 1188831
membership research grants, worth
up to 5,000 each.Web id: 1188828
Travel awards
The Rank Prize Funds invites applications
for its travel awards. These enable earlyand mid-career scientists to establish contacts with international counterparts by
spending time in an institution outside the
UK. Awards are worth up to 7,500 each.
Web id: 1188919
Email: enquiries@rankprize.org.
Deadline: 6 June 2016 [21]
General surgery fellowship

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh invites applications for the Alban
Barros D'Sa memorial travelling fellowship
in general surgery. This supports travel
abroad to gain further experience or training. The fellowship is worth up to 1,000.
Web id: 1188889
Email: mail@rcsed.ac.uk
MRC/NIHR healthcare systems

The Medical Research Council and the
National Institute for Health Research
invite applications for their call on methodological research for health and care
systems modelling identifying and
measuring spillover effects. This highlight notice supports research into methodologies for developing models which
may enable identification, measurement
and understanding of spillover effects in
health service and public health systems.
Web id: 1188840
Email: david.crosby@headoffice.mrc.
ac.uk
Political studies grants

The Political Studies Association invites
applications for its international visitor
grants. These support the presentation
of research at the annual Political Studies Association conference by members
of partner associations across the world.
Grants are worth around 500 each.
Web id: 1186334
Email: info@psa.ac.uk
Deadline: 1 September 2016 [24]
Graduate music award

The Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research invites applications for
the Aubrey Hickman award. This promotes
research in the fields of education, music
and psychology. The award is worth 500.
Web id: 1188750
Contact: Graham Welch
Email: g.welch@sempre.org.uk
Deadline: 21 October 2016 [25]
funding opportunities 9
uk
other
Renewed opportunities from funders based
in the UK.
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N OT TO B E P H OTO C OP I E D
Japan fellowships
The Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science and the Royal Society invite applications for their postdoctoral fellowship
programme. This enables young postdoctoral researchers from the UK to conduct cooperative research with research
groups in universities and other Japanese
institutions. Fellowships are tenable for
12 to 24 months and provide subsistence
worth JPY362,000 (2,200) per month,
a settling-in allowance of JPY200,000, a
return air ticket and insurance.
Web id: 260856
Email: international.jsps@royalsociety.
org
Scottish research
The Carnegie Trust for the Universities
of Scotland invites applications for its
research incentive grants. These support
short research projects, either standalone projects or initial studies that may
lead to a more extensive project, that are
likely to be of benefit to one or more of the
universities of Scotland. Grants are worth
between 500 and 7,500 each.
Web id: 253138
MRC regenerative medicine

The Medical Research Council, under the
biomedical catalyst programme, invites
proposals for its call on regenerative
medicine research. This supports the
translation of fundamental discoveries
that aim to develop regenerative medicine therapies in order to improve human
health. Proposals are funded on the basis
of 80 per cent of full economic costs,
except for exceptional costs which are
funded at 100 per cent. MRC aims to meet
the academic costs of the project only.
Web id: 1167138
Email: grants@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Research merit awards

The Royal Society, in partnership with
the Wolfson Foundation and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,
invites nominations for the Wolfson
research merit awards. These enable
universities to attract, or keep in the UK,
respected researchers in all areas of the
life and physical sciences, including engineering. Awards are worth up to 30,000
per year over a maximum of five years.
Web id: 255189
Email: seniorfellowships@royalsociety.
org
Ecology fellowship
The British Ecological Society invites
applications for its fellowship at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. This enables a postgraduate student
to work with POST on a three-month placement. The fellowship provides 5,000 to
cover living costs.
Web id: 211926
Contact: Ben Connor
Email: ben@britishecologicalsociety.org
EPSRC large-area electronics
Education disadvantages
The Engineering and Physical Sciences

Research Council, under its Centre for
Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area
Electronics, invites proposals for its call
on large-area electronics pathfinders.
This enables academic and postdoctoral
researchers to undertake short pathfinder
projects for innovative manufacturing in
large-area electronics. Grants are worth
up to 50,000 per project at 80 per cent
full economic cost for a maximum period
of six months.
Web id: 1185278
Email: info@largeareaelectronics.org
The Education Endowment Foundation

invites proposals for its general project
funding. This supports the evaluation of
interventions or approaches that improve
the learning and development of children
aged three and four, as well as pupils in
mainstream schools from ages five to 16.
Grants are worth up to 1.8million each.
Web id: 1171336
Email: info@eefoundation.org.uk
Physician grants
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh invites applications for the Myre Sim
Fund research and travel grants. These support activities that assist viable research
projects, such as payments for secretarial,
library or computer facilities; nursing,
laboratory or student assistance; travel
expenses to attend scientific meetings;
courses of postgraduate education; visits
to special clinics; other educational activities. Grants are worth up to 2,000 each.
Web id: 1179916
Contact: Roselin Combe
Email: r.combe@rcpe.ac.uk
Royal Society fellowships

The Royal Society, in collaboration with
the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council and Rolls-Royce, invites
applications for its industry fellowships.
These enable academic scientists to work
on collaborative projects with industry, or
individuals employed in industry to work
on collaborative projects with university departments or non-profit research
organisations. Fellowships support a
period of up to two years and cover basic
salary and research expenses of up to
2,000 per year.
Web id: 255580
Email: innovationgrants@royalsociety.
org
Higher education prize

The Society for Research into Higher
Education, in collaboration with the Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, invites
applications for its prize for newer
researchers. This supports early-stage
researchers in the field of higher education, by enabling them to undertake a
research project in their own right, or to
develop research skills which will help
advance their research career. Grants are
worth 3,000 each over one year.
Web id: 1161423
Contact: Rob Gresham
Email: rgresham@srhe.ac.uk
Biochemical grants
The Biochemical Society invites applications for the Eric Reid fund for methodology. Funding supports benchwork, with
an emphasis on methodology and preferably cellular or bioanalytical work. Grants
are worth up to 2,000 each.
Web id: 251628
Email: rowena.mitchell@biochemistry.
org
Civil engineering travel

The Institution of Civil Engineers invites
applications for the QUEST travel award.
This enables candidates to travel overseas
and undertake an activity that furthers
their professional development. The
award is worth up to 6,000.
Web id: 1169776
Email: quest.awards@ice.org.uk
Oxford Near Eastern studies

The University of Oxford's Faculty of Oriental Studies invites applications for the
Gerald Averay Wainwright research grants
for Near Eastern archaeology. These
encourage the study of non-classical
archaeology of Middle Eastern countries.
Web id: 208714
Email: wainwright.fund@orinst.ox.ac.uk
Cereals and oilseeds

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's cereals and oilseeds division
invites applications for its student research
bursaries. These enable postgraduate or
postdoctoral researchers working on current cereals and oilseeds-funded projects
to supervise undergraduate students while
they conduct a short research project that
may benefit the cereals and oilseeds industry. Bursaries are worth up to 10,000 each.
Web id: 1172993
Email: cereals.research@ahdb.org.uk
Art/medicine grants
The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
invites applications for its medical
research travel grants. These enable candidates to visits laboratories to gain new
clinical and laboratory skills, and to set up
inter-institutional collaborative research.
Web id: 213946
Veterinary award
The British Veterinary Association invites
applications for the Harry Steele-Bodger
memorial travel scholarship. This enables
an individual to undertake a visit to a veterinary or agricultural school, or research
institute, or some other course of study
approved by the governing committee.
The scholarship is worth 1,000.
Web id: 192663
Contact: Helen Cotton
Email: helenc@bva.co.uk
NIHR applied research

The National Institute for Health Research
invites applications for its programme
grants for applied research. These support
high-quality projects, feasibility or pilot
studies that aim to provide evidence to
improve health outcomes in England
through the promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and optimal disease
management, with particular emphasis
on conditions causing significant disease
burden. There is no fixed upper limit,
although funding in excess of 2.5million is unusual.
Web id: 254032
Email: info@nihr-ccf.org.uk
UK-China student award

The Great Britain-China Educational
Trust invites applications for its student
awards, and administers awards on behalf
of the Sino-British Fellowship Trust, the
Universities' China Committee in London,
and the Han Suyin Trust. These enable
students to pursue doctoral research
by contributing towards their university
tuition fees and living expenses. Awards
Web id: 143335
Email: trust@gbcc.org.uk
Economic history
The Economic History Society, with the
Institute of Historical Research, invites
applications for its fellowships. Funding
offers one-year postdoctoral fellowships
in economic and social history, tenable
at the Institute of Historical Research.
Web id: 1175190
Email: ihr.reception@sas.ac.uk
Tudor history prize

The Institute of Historical Research
invites submissions for the Sir John
Neale prize in early modern British history. This recognises a historian in the
early stages of their career for studies
relating to early modern British history,
with a specific focus on the years from
1450 to 1700. The prize is worth 1,000,
with an additional payment of 500 to
support the development of the winner's
scholarly career.
Web id: 212032
Email: ihr.fellowships@sas.ac.uk
STFC beam time access

The Science and Technology Facilities
Council invites applications for beam time
access. Academic and industry researchers may apply for free access to neutron
and muon instruments, provided by the
ISIS Centre for Research in the Physical
and Life Sciences, in order to investigate
the properties of materials on the atomic
scale. The instruments are free to use,
provided results from experiments are
published in the public domain.
Web id: 253215
Email: isisuo@stfc.ac.uk
Surgical fellowships
The Royal College of Surgeons of England
and the Dunhill Medical Trust invite applications for their joint research fellowships. These support research that focuses
on conditions that predominantly affect
people aged over 70 as well as interventions that address these. Fellowships
cover salary and some running expenses
for a two-year period.
Web id: 1164973
Email: research@rcseng.ac.uk

English language education
Cambridge Asian anthropology
The International Research Foundation for

English Language Education and the British
Council invite proposals for their doctoral
dissertation grants. These support students
whose dissertation research is related to
English language education. Grants are
worth up to US$5,000 (3,500) each.
Web id: 1184598
Email: info@tirfonline.org
Cambridge University invites applications for the Evans fund fellowship. This
supports the study of anthropology and
archaeology in Cambridge. The fellowship
is worth up to 18,000 over three years.
Web id: 1172154
Contact: Madeline Watt
Email: mmw23@cam.ac.uk
NERC environmental risks

The Natural Environment Research Council invites expressions of interest for its
call on environmental risks to infrastructure innovation. This supports a balanced
portfolio of projects which cover the range
of environmental hazards and sectors of
interest to Environmental Risks to Infrastructure Innovation Programme members. The total budget is worth 1million.
Web id: 1179157
Contact: Kay Heuser
Email: kaus@nerc.ac.uk
Epilepsy research bursaries

Epilepsy Action invites applications for its
postgraduate research bursaries. These
support non-laboratory research focusing
on clinical, healthcare, medical, educational, social or psychological aspects of
epilepsy. Bursaries are worth 3,000 each.
Web id: 206331
Contact: Amanda Stoneman
Email: researchadmin@epilepsy.org.uk
Diabetes care grants

The Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation invites applications for grants for
healthcare professionals. These support
clinical projects, training and education
within the field of diabetes mellitus.
Grants may support the costs of clinical
projects, meeting attendance, courses,
or study at home or overseas.
Web id: 1165007
Contact: Jackie Shuttlewood
Email: ukresearchfoundation@
novonordisk.com
NIHR public health

invites proposals for commissioned
research under its public health research
programme. This supports research on
local interventions to reduce intake and
harm from alcohol, interventions to build
resilience in children and young people
or preventing the uptake of smoking by
children and young people.
Web id: 1186774
Email: info@phr.ac.uk
Biological fellowships
The National Centre for the Replacement,
Refinement and Reduction of Animals in
Research (NC3Rs) invites outlines for the
David Sainsbury fellowships. These support early-career scientists with the transition to an independent career within one
of the three areas of replacement, reduction and refinement and in any area of
medical, biological or veterinary research.
The total budget is worth 1million.
Web id: 1169823
Email: fellowships@nc3rs.org.uk
Psychology research award

The British Psychological Society invites
nominations for its lifetime achievement
award. This recognises distinctive and
exemplary contributions to psychological
knowledge. The award is worth 1,000
Web id: 1172419
Email: elizabeth.beech@bps.org.uk
NIHR medical fellowships

invites applications for its in-practice fellowships. These offer academic training
to qualified general practitioners, dental
practitioners and community dentists who
have spent some time in NHS practice in
England and who have had little formal
academic training at the current point of
their careers. Fellowships cover salary for
applicants currently in vocational training at senior clinical lecturer spine point
2 or equivalent for a maximum period of
two years. For all other applicants, the
salary funding is limited to the top of the
consultant UK scale.
Web id: 210916
Email: iatenquiries@nihrtcc.org.uk
Charity/medical grants
The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust
invites applications for the following
grants:
general grants. Web id: 1160928
minor medical research grants, worth
up to 15,000 each. Web id: 1177353
Contact: Michelle Bertenshaw
Email: secretary@peeltrust.com
Email: secretary@
germanhistorysociety.org
Continence research
The International Continence Society
invites applications for the following
opportunities:
fellowships, worth up to 5,000 each.
Web id: 1168377
international, multidisciplinary research project grants, worth up to 10,000
each. Web id: 1168369
Email: awards@icsoffice.org
Glaucoma research awards

The International Glaucoma Association, in collaboration with the College
of Optometrists, invites applications
for its glaucoma care research awards.
These facilitate research into supporting
patients during their glaucoma care.
Awards are worth up to 25,000 each.
Web id: 1171665
Contact: Richenda Kew
Email: r.kew@iga.org.uk
Wellcome master's awards

The Wellcome Trust invites applications
for its master's awards in humanities and
social science. These enable individuals
to undertake any humanities or social science master's course which has a predominant focus on human or animal health.
Awards include a stipend, as well as UK
home student level fees, for one year.
Web id: 1165131
Email: hssgrants@wellcome.ac.uk
Pharmacy research
Pharmacy Research UK invites applications for the following opportunities:
personal research awards.
Web id: 195473
research training bursaries, worth up
to 30,000 each. Web id: 255178
Email: yen.truong@rpharms.com
Geriatrics research
Scottish enterprise fellows
The British Geriatrics Society invites

applications for its specialist registrar
travel and start-up grants. These provide
short-term assistance to early-stage speculative and innovative research, in order
to enable geriatricians to take advantage
of unique or rare opportunities. Grants are
worth up to 10,000 each.
Web id: 196002
The Royal Society of Edinburgh invites

applications for the following fellowships:
BBSRC enterprise fellowships.
Web id: 259761
Scottish Enterprise fellowships.
Web id: 256331
STFC enterprise fellowships.
Web id: 1161927
Email: resfells@royalsoced.org.uk
Economic history grants
Leverhulme fellowships
The Economic History Society invites

applications for the Carnevali small
research grants scheme. This encourages small-scale research initiatives or
pilot studies in economic or social history.
Web id: 1175188
German studies
The German History Society invites applications for its postgraduate bursaries.
These may support language courses,
archive study trips, fees or general maintenance. Bursaries are worth 2,000 each.
Web id: 1170660
Contact: Matthew Stibbe
The Leverhulme Trust invites applications

for its major research fellowships in the
humanities and social sciences. These
enable humanities and social sciences
researchers to work on a single project. Fellowships are awarded for up to three years
and cover salary costs, as well as research
expenses worth up to 6,000 per year.
Web id: 258101
Contact: Nicola Thorp
Email: nthorp@leverhulme.ac.uk
CRUK small molecule cancer

Cancer Research UK invites applications for
its small molecule drug discovery project
awards. These support research on the
jobs 11
Jobs
Policy, Management & Support plus Expert Committees
Highlights
Research Development Manager
(two posts) 38,896-46,414
Research Office,
Loughborough University
Closing date: 03/03/2016
Contact: Amy Collins
Email: a.collins@lboro.ac.uk
Tel: 01509 228598
Temporary Editorial
Researchers Funding Content
(two posts)
20,000
*Research,
Details: For an application pack
and a short editorial test, please
send your CV and covering letter
to Charlotte van Hek
Email: charlotte.vanhek@
researchresearch.com
Senior Business Manager
Technology Transfer
NS
Medical Research Council
Technology (MRCT)
Email: recruitment@tech.mrc.
ac.uk
Business Manager Technology
Transfer
NS
Medical Research Council
Technology (MRCT)
Email: recruitment@tech.mrc.
ac.uk
Data Analyst 20,000-30,000
Policy Research Centre
NatCen Social Research
Contact: Caireen Roberts
Tel: 020 7549 7063
Senior Business Interaction
Manager 36,033 plus benefits
Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC)
Details: Please visit
www.topcareer.jobs to submit
your CV and covering letter
Research Fellow
30,738-37,768
Department of Electrical
& Electronic Engineering,
University of Surrey
Contact: Prof Klaus Moessne
Email: k.moessner@surrey.ac.uk
For more details and the complete
list of jobs, please visit:
www.researchresearch.com/jobs
24 February 2016
Student-led policy exchange calls for

institutional buy-in to survive
An initiative to help early-career researchers at the
University of Cambridge connect with policymakers
will need institutional support if it is to last in the
long term, one of the groups founders has said.
The Cambridge University Science and Policy
Exchange was formed in 2012 by a group of PhD
students and postdocs interested in improving
engagement with policymakers. The exchange aims
to provide insight on evidence-based policy through
public lectures and professional-development
workshops, which are all free to attend.
However, because the exchange depends on
students and early-career researchers, it loses
expertise and experience on a fairly regular basis.
The big problem is that members are relatively
transitory, said James Dolan, who co-founded
the group and is now its deputy president. Theyre
around for three or four years at most and its
difficult to pass on knowledge.
The exchange has enjoyed the support of senior
colleagues, especially from academics at the
universitys Centre for Science and Policy, but Dolan
says that he believes support and funding from the
university itself is necessary to extend the groups
life. Some sort of promise of continuity from the
university would be immensely helpful, he said.
IT support or a small amount of funding so the
group didnt have to worry about the first term of
each yearyou want sufficient impetus that it wont
disappear with the loss of a couple of people.
by James Field
jfnews@ResearchResearch.com
Jackie Ouchikh, head of programmes at the

Centre for Science Policy, agrees that institutional
support is important, and is optimistic that
the exchange will secure it as interest in policy
engagement grows across the university.
I think were getting closer to institutional
networks of support, she said. There are lots of
centres and groups getting involved in this sort
of work. The challenge now, she added, was to
work out how to be more joined-up with various
groups at the university. The Centre for Science
Policy was trying to kick this off, she said, and had
recently hosted a meeting for people from across
the university to work out how to work together on
professional development in policymaking.
In the meantime, Dolan says that he is hopeful
the group will continue to gain momentum and
build a reputation that will attract more members
as well as funding. Alumni have gone on to
work as policy officers at the Royal Academy of
Engineering, the Wellcome Trust and the Royal
College of Surgeons; others have gone into the
civil service Fast Stream, he said. Of course I
cant link their success directly to membership
of the exchange, Dolan said, but these were
the sorts of people involved from the start, and
now theyre real role models for us current PhD
students and postdocs.
Have you got what it takes to be a policy idol?

Could you change the world in just three
minutes? That is the challenge for entrants to
Policy Idol, a competition organised by the Policy
Institute at Kings College London.
Open to students and staff at Kings, entrants
are asked to come up with ideas for policies and
then pitch them to a panel of judgeswhich this
year includes chief medical officer Sally Davies
and Labour MP for Barking Margaret Hodge. Ten
finalists will be offered the chance to have their
work published by the Policy Institute, and one will
walk away with a cash prize of 1,000.
The competition was launched last year with
15,000 from Kings 2014 impact-acceleration grant
from the Economic and Social Research Council. It
aims to get researchers to think about how they can
talk about their research with policymakers.
One of last years finalists, Erin Montague, came
up with an idea to create a tax break for young people
to encourage them to vote. I wanted to present an
issue that was a personal concern of mine, and this
was a great way for me to do that, she said.
Montague, who now works at the Policy
Institute, was doing a masters in public service,
policy and management when she applied. She
said that the competition taught her how to make
by Lindsay McKenzielmnews@ResearchResearch.com
a strong pitch. A business degree might prepare

you for how to make an elevator pitch, but Id
never had this kind of training before, she said.
It really made me appreciate the importance of
getting to the issue right away, then answering
the question of why decision makers should care,
and what we plan to do about it.
Matthew Lam, communications manager at the
Policy Institute, is organising the second round
of the competition, the final of which will be held
on 22March. The feedback from participants has
been great so far, he said. Not only has it helped
them to practice their communication skills, its
also raised their confidence and helped them to
think about their research in new ways.
Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and
technology policy at the University of Manchester,
said that the competition had a lot of potential,
not just to get people interested enough to take
part, but also to raise awareness and create a
buzz. However, he cautioned that Policy Idols
format implies a very linear, one-way transmission
of ideas into policy, which we know is rarely how
things happen.
12 jobs
POLICY MANAGEMENT &
SUPPORT VACANCIES
Senior Contracts Manager Ops
Group
37,024-43,520
Laboratory of Molecular Biology,
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Email: mrcrecruitment@
headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Director of the NTU Research
Office
76,612-82,824
Nottingham Trent University
Email: job.vacancies@ntu.ac.uk
Research Contracts Officer
32,600-37,768
Research Services,
University of Kent
Email: jobs@kent.ac.uk
Research Development Manager
38,896-47,801
Research Services,
University of Reading
Email: recruitment@reading.
ac.uk
Business Development Manager
RAL Space 28,384-38,426
Science and Technology Facilities
Council (STFC)
Details: Please visit
www.topcareer.jobs.
Queen's University Belfast

Email: personnel@qub.ac.uk
Senior Policy Manager Policy

and Analysis 36,033-43,164
RCUK Executive Directorate,
Engineering and Physical
(EPSRC)
Email: jobs@uksbs.co.uk
Senior Policy Manager
Operations, Policy and Analysis
36,033-43,164
RCUK Executive Directorate,
Engineering and Physical
(EPSRC)
Email: jobs@uksbs.co.uk
Tel: 01793 867000

32,600-37,768
Law and Criminology Department,
Swansea University
Email: jobs@swansea.ac.uk
Economic Development Funding
Manager
38,896-46,414
Business and Innovation
Services, Durham University
Email: e.recruitment@durham.
ac.uk
Assistant Business
Development Manager
28,467-35,566
Public Health England
Contact: Darren Clahane
CPRD Head of Business
Email: darren.clahane@phe.
Development
gov.uk
63,000-75,000
Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency
36,243-43,483
Strategic Development,
Email: fibi.tekle@mhra.gsi.gov.uk
University of the Arts London
Commercialisation Manager
Contact: Recruitment Team
38,896-50,702
Research and Enterprise,
Email: ual_jobs@arts.ac.uk
Research Study Senior

Coordinator 28,982-37,768
Department of Haematology,
University of Cambridge
Contact: Human Resources
Email: hrenquiries@admin.cam.
ac.uk
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research
and Impact
NS
University of Ulster
Email: jobs@ulster.ac.uk
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global
Engagement
NS
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education
NS
Policy Research Programme:
Call for proposals
Call for Applications
The microbiome and

neurodegenerative disease
The Department of Health Policy Research

Programme invites applications in the
following areas:
The Reta Lila Weston Trust is delighted to issue a request

for proposals for novel research on the microbiome that
will accelerate the development of therapeutics, identify
preventative strategies for neurodegenerative diseases and
neurocognitive decline or understand the resilience against
such conditions or decline in elderly individuals as a result of
microbiome activity.
1. Creating dementia friendly communities

a policy evaluation
2. Supporting a culture of openness in the
NHS a policy evaluation
Up to 200,000 per project per annum for up to 3 years

is available.
The programme is open to UK institutes and charities only.
Researchers should be at or above the level of
postdoctoral fellow or equivalent from registered
charitable institutions.
Please visit the Policy Research Programme

Central Commissioning Facility website at
www.prp-ccf.org.uk to access the research
specifications, application form, guidance notes
and closing dates for the above calls.
Application is a two-step process the first of which is a short

Letter of Intent. To register interest and receive materials
please email: microbiome2016@retalilawestontrust.com
or visit www.retalilawestontrust.com
RLWT Research Fortnight 89x125 Ad 2.indd 2
Project Manager inHANSEHeaR

28,982-37,768
Defence Centre for Hearing
Research, Institute of Head and
Neck Studies and Education,
University of Birmingham
Email: jobs@contacts.bham.
ac.uk
05/02/2016 09:27
jobs 13
C A L L F O R A P P L I C AT I O N S
Daphne Jackson
Fellowship Opportunities
Daphne Jackson Fellowships are unique they offer STEM
professionals, wishing to return to a research career after
a break of 2 or more years, the opportunity to balance an
individually tailored retraining programme with a challenging
research project. Fellowships are held part-time over 2 years
and include at least 100 hours retraining per year.
Current sponsored fellowship opportunity:
EFIC-GRNENTHAL GRANT
RESEARCH GRANTS FOR CLINICAL AND
HUMAN EXPERIMENTAL PAIN RESEARCH
2016
These biennial grants totalling 200,000 from Grnenthal GmbH are

supporting young scientists early in their career to carry out innovative
clinical pain research in any member country of EFIC (see www.EFIC.org).
John Innes Centre, Norwich (www.jic.ac.uk) Fellowship

hosted and half-sponsored by the John Innes Centre, an
internationally renowned centre of excellence
in plant and microbial science.
Closing date for applications: 18 March 2016
Individual research grants are valued at up to 40,000 per project for a

duration of up to two years.
Research grants are intended for clinical and human experimental pain
research. Research proposals on animals, computer simulations, cell lines
etc. will not be considered.
The remaining funding will be secured by the Daphne

Jackson Trust from an additional sponsor.
The decision of the awards is made independently by the Scientific

Research Committee of the European Pain Federation EFIC.
For full details of this opportunity, eligibility criteria and how to

apply please visit our website www.daphnejackson.org
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: December 31st 2016

GUIDELINES, QUALITY CRITERIA,
ONLINE APPLICATION FORMS: www.e-g-g.info
CONTACT Mrs Gaby Erkens - E-G-G administration, c/o Grnenthal GmbH,
e-mail:admin@e-g-g.info, phone: +49 241 569-1304
Contact the Daphne Jackson Trust office on 01483 689166,

or email djmft@surrey.ac.uk
Appl_Anzeigen_2016_RZ.indd 1
Policy and market intelligence for senior managers and their advisers
Coping with a constantly shifting higher education landscape can be exhausting.*HE is designed to help
by providing timely analysis of market trends and policy developments, cutting through the information
overload to make sense of what is happening.
With a subscription you gain:
8am Playbook
A highly readable weekday briefing on the day
ahead, plus a review of the morning papers.
Parliamentary Monitor
Daily updates of all relevant parliamentary activity
in the national and devolved administrations.
Hot Topics
In-depth coverage of major events from the
moment the news breaks, with regular updates.
Policy Watch
Concise coverage with analysis of the
implications for universities.
News
Succinct and timely analysis of political
developments and market shifts.
*HE Grid
An online event listing and planning tool.
Try *HE for free with a trial subscription. Contact aw@researchresearch.com
info.researchprofessional.com/he
09.02.16 20:40
14 jobs
Research funding available

in health economics
The Health Foundation is seeking a provider to undertake
a programme of research into health and social care funding
trends, innovations and public acceptability in the UK.
300,000 available for research completed over two years.
Are you interested?
The closing date for applications is
Monday 7 March 2016.
www.health.org.uk/fundingoptions
HF funding advert AW.indd 1
13/01/2016 13:41
Where universities work together

*Unity is the new way to work with anyone in universities and research.
Its a simple place to form groups, share files and work on them together.
Built by universities, for universities, with some help from us at *Research
Try *Unity now at www.unity.ac

identification and validation of new targets,
and the discovery of novel small molecule
therapeutic and preventive agents. Awards
are typically worth 100,000 per year, and
cover salaries and running expenses.
Web id: 1184483
Email: matthew.ashenden@cancer.org.uk
Leverhulme leadership
The Leverhulme Trust invites applications
for its research leadership awards. These
support researchers with established
university careers who wish to build
a research team to address a distinct
research problem. Awards are worth up
to 1million each for four to five years.
Web id: 168388
Contact: Gillian Dupin
Email: gdupin@leverhulme.ac.uk
BBSRC fellowships
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council invites applications
for the David Phillips fellowships. These
support researchers who wish to establish
their first independent research group in
any area of science within the council's
remit, which includes research on plants,
microbes, animals, and tools and technology underpinning biological research.
Each fellowship is worth up to 1million
at 80 per cent full economic cost.
Web id: 1162893
Email: postdoc.fellowships@bbsrc.ac.uk
Leverhulme prizes
The Leverhulme Trust invites nominations
for the Philip Leverhulme prizes. These
recognise the achievement of researchers
whose work has attracted international
recognition and whose future career is
promising. Prizes are worth 100,000 each.
Web id: 205620
Contact: Bridget Kerr
Email: bkerr@leverhulme.ac.uk
CRUK fellowship
Cancer Research UK invites applications
for the following fellowships:
advanced clinician scientist fellowship. Web id: 1186517
clinician scientist fellowships.
Web id: 189108
Email: rachael.panizzo@cancer.org.uk
Animals in research
The National Centre for the Replacement,
Refinement and Reduction of Animals
in Research (NC3Rs) invites outlines
for its PhD studentships. These support
the training of graduate scientists from
a broad range of scientific backgrounds
within one of the three areas of replacement, reduction and refinement and in
any area of medical, biological or veterinary research. Awards are worth up to
90,000 each over three years. The total
budget is worth 1.08million.
Web id: 1159302
Email: studentships@nc3rs.org.uk
Wellcome senior fellowships

The Wellcome Trust invites applications
for the following fellowships:
senior research fellowships in basic
biomedical science. Web id: 251190
senior research fellowships in clinical

science. Web id: 254862
Email: sciencegrants@wellcome.ac.uk
Irish awards
Universities Ireland invites applications
for the following opportunities:
north-south postgraduate scholarships, worth 15,000 (11,600) each.
Web id: 1162239
PhD history bursary, worth 6,500
Email: eimear.donnelly@qub.ac.uk
Urology research
The Urology Foundation invites applications for its smaller research projects
fund. This supports projects for patient
benefit that aim to improve clinical services, treatments and education, as well
as communication with patients and carers. Grants are worth up to 10,000 each.
Web id: 1179538
Email: info@theurologyfoundation.org
Cardiovascular research
The British Society for Cardiovascular
Research invites applications for the Bernard and Joan Marshall research prizes.
These recognise research in any area of
cardiovascular biology or medicine. Prizes
Web id: 1165206
Contact: David Grieve
Email: d.grieve@qub.ac.uk
recent history relating to the countries of

the Commonwealth, excluding Britain. The
fellowship is worth up to 4,000.
Web id: 1163319
Email: chloe.pieters@sas.ac.uk
Radiology awards
The Society for Radiological Protection
invites applications for its research and
innovation grants. These support projects
in the field of radiological protection.
Awards are worth up to 10,000 each.
Web id: 1174264
Email: admin@srp-uk.org
Hand surgery awards

The British Society for Surgery of the
Hand invites applications for its pump
priming research grants. These support
early studies and systematic reviews with
the potential to benefit patients within a
three to five-year time span. Grants are
worth up to 10,000 each.
Web id: 1175287
Email: secretariat@bssh.ac.uk
CRUK drug discovery awards

for its biotherapeutic drug discovery
project awards. These support projects at
all stages of drug discovery, from target
identification and validation to early
preclinical studies. Awards are typically
worth 300,000 each.
Web id: 1182473
Email: marjolein.schaap@cancer.org.uk
modular training partnerships.

Web id: 212336
strategic training awards for research
skills. Web id: 1186703
Library & information studies

The Chartered Institute of Library and
Information Professionals invites applications for the following bursaries:
the John Campbell conference and
travel bursary, worth up to 1,000.
Web id: 1166007
the John Campbell student research
bursary, worth up to 1,000.
Web id: 1166008
Email: membership@cilip.org.uk
Science prizes
The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
invites applications for the Daiwa Adrian
prizes. These recognise British-Japanese
collaboration in pure or applied science,
including physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, agricultural, biological and medical research,
and the scientific aspects of archaeology,
geology and experimental psychology.
Prizes are worth up to 10,000 each.
Web id: 180374
Email: grants@dajf.org.uk
Surgical awards
Diabetes UK invites applications for the

following opportunities:
project grants. Web id: 210483
small grants, worth up to 15,000
Email: info@diabetes.org.uk
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh invites applications for the following opportunities:
the Cutner travelling fellowship in
orthopaedics, worth up to 3,000.
Web id: 1185420
the John Steyn travelling fellowship
in urology, worth 900. Web id: 1185421
the Sir James Fraser travelling fellowship in general surgery, worth 2,000.
Web id: 1185422
small research pump priming grants,
worth up to 10,000 each. Web id: 255235
Antarctic research
CRUK clinical awards
The Regional Studies Association invites

applications for its early-career grants.
These enable association members to conduct research in regional studies or regional
science. The grant is worth up to 10,000.
Web id: 1165109
Email: office@regionalstudies.org
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic

Research invites applications for its Antarctic research fellowships. These encourage
active involvement of early-career scientists and engineers in Antarctic research, in
order to strengthen international capacity
and cooperation in the field. Awards are
worth up to US$15,000 (10,400) each.
Web id: 199203
Email: info@scar.org
Neuropsychiatry research
Textiles award

for the following opportunities:
biomarker project awards, worth up to
300,000 each. Web id: 255327
feasibility study project grants, worth
up to 150,000 each. Web id: 255375
phase III clinical trial grants, worth
up to 1million each. Web id: 257327
prospective sample collections project grants. Web id: 255338
Email: clinicalresearch@cancer.org.uk
Endocrinology exchanges
The European Society of Endocrinology
invites applications for its short-term
fellowship. This enables early-career candidates to undertake research exchanges
between two laboratories based in different countries in order to promote
scientific collaboration. The fellowship
is worth up to 2,500 (1,900).
Web id: 1178994
Email: info@euro-endo.org
Regional studies grants
The Royal College of Psychiatrists, with

a contribution from the Gosling Estate,
invites applications for the Gosling fellowship, under the faculty of academic
psychiatry. This enables psychiatry trainees
to complete a research project related to
neuropsychiatry as part of their training
programme. The fellowship is worth 5,000.
Web id: 1184383
Email: kkottasz@rcpsych.ac.uk
Commonwealth studies
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies at
the School of Advanced Study invites applications for the Henry Charles Chapman fellowship. This supports research conducted
at the institute in the social sciences or in
Diabetes grants
The Textile Society invites applications

for its museum, archive and conservation
award. This supports a textile-related project within the museum, archive or conservation studio for exhibitions, publications
or conservation that will help achieve
greater awareness and access for the public. Awards are worth up to 5,000 each.
Web id: 1157782
Contact: Ngozi Ikoku
Email: museumaward@textilesociety.
org.uk
BBSRC awards
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council invites applications for the following opportunities:
MRC/NIHR methodology
The Medical Research Council and the
National Institute for Health Research
invite proposals for their methodology
research programme. This supports the
development of methods to underpin the
biomedical and health sciences, as well as
their implementation in research standards.
Grants may be awarded for up to five years.
Web id: 212394
Email: david.crosby@headoffice.mrc.
ac.uk
Head and neck fellowship

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
and the Scottish Oral and Maxillofacial
Society invite applications for their head
and neck oncology fellowship. This enables
a member to undertake a visit of up to six
weeks to the Shanghai Jiatong University to
conduct head and neck oncology research.
The fellowship is worth up to 3,000.
Web id: 1185423
Contact: Cathy McCartney
Email: c.mccartney@rcsed.ac.uk
europe
highlights
New opportunities from European funders,
excluding funders based in the UK.
Interdisciplinary workshops
Bielefeld University's Center for Interdisciplinary Research invites proposals for
its workshop grants. These support the
interdisciplinary exchange of ideas on a
short-term basis, ranging from colloquia
on specific questions to larger scale conferences which discuss the state of the art in
a particular interdisciplinary field. Grants
are worth up to 10,000 (7,700) each.
Web id: 1188653
Email: britta.padberg@uni-bielefeld.de
No deadline [135]
Social psychology grant

The European Asociation of Social Psychology invites applications for its preregistered research grants. These support
pre-registration of research in the area of
social psychology that has received an in
principal acceptance from a peer reviewed
journal. Grants are worth up to 1,000
(770) each.
Web id: 1188896
Email: sibylle@easp.eu
No deadline [136]
Toxicology paper award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry invites applications
for its journals best paper award. This
recognises innovative, creative papers
with transparent, reproducible science
published in the prior volume year. The
prize includes one year's free SETAC membership, registration to the annual meeting, and a cash prize of US$1,000 (700).
Web id: 1188888
Email: setaceu@setac.org
No deadline [137]
EU railway communication
The European Railway Agency invites
tenders for a feasibility study on satcom
for railway communication. The tenderer
will conduct a study to conclude on the
potential feasibility for railway applications of current and future commercially
available satellite communication services and products or equipment, as part
of an integrated radio communication
architecture with other radio communication networks. The contract is worth up to
120,000 (92,700) over eight months.
Web id: 1188784
Email: procurement@era.europa.eu
Respiratory fellowship
The European Respiratory Society invites
applications for the following fellowships:
European Molecular Biology Organisation short-term fellowship.
Web id: 1188804
international short-term fellowship.

Web id: 1188802
GlaxoSmithKline pulmonary arterial
hypertension short-term fellowship.
Web id: 1188805
Email: fellowships@ersnet.org
EU psychological risks
The European Agency for Safety and
Health at Work invites tenders for an
evaluation of the management of psychological risks in European workplaces. The
tenderer will undertake further analysis of
the data on management of psychological risks that were gathered through the
Esener-2 survey. The contract is worth
80,000 (61,700) over 18 months.
Web id: 1188883
Email: procurement-pru@osha.europa.
eu
EU India-UK collaboration
ERA-Net INNO INDIGO invites proposals
for its India-UK collaborative industrial
research and development programme
joint call. This encourages participants
to build sustainable research partnerships
and increase bilateral R&D collaboration
with the goal of generating new intellectual property and developing technology prototypes or processes leading to
economic growth and societal benefit.
Web id: 1188908
Email: office@indigoprojects.eu
Deadline: 20 April 2016 [142.1]
Metals research award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and the International
Copper Association invite applications
for the Chris Lee award. This recognises
a graduate researcher conducting work
on the fate and effects of metals in the
environment. The award is worth up to
US$5,000 (3,500).
Web id: 1188867
Email: laura.swanson@setac.org
europe
other
Renewed opportunities from European
funders, excluding funders based in the UK.
Science policy lectures

The European Molecular Biology Organisation invites applications for its science
policy lectures funding. This supports
non-scientific talks addressing the policy
implications of science and technology
during scientific events. Grants are worth
up to 2,000 (1,500) each.
Web id: 1181696
Contact: Michele Garfinkel
Email: policy@embo.org
No deadline [145]
Microbiology grants
The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases invites
applications for its observerships. These
encourage international training and collaboration by enabling members to visit
ESCMID collaborative centres of infectious
diseases or clinical microbiology in other
countries. Funding covers travel costs and
subsistence of up to 1,700 (1,300).
Web id: 258342
No deadline [146]
Historical humanities
EU ocean energy
The Gerda Henkel Foundation invites

proposals for its small research project
grants. These support projects in the
historical humanities, particularly within
the fields of archaeology, art history,
historical Islamic studies, history, history of law, history of science, prehistory
and early history. Grants are worth up to
15,000 (11,600) each.
Web id: 1181526
Email: info@gerda-henkel-stiftung.de
No deadline [147]
OCEANERA-NET invites proposals for its

joint call. This supports collaborative R&D
projects on wave energy, tidal energy,
tidal and ocean currents, salinity gradient
and ocean thermal energy conversion.
The total budget is 6.4million (4.9m).
Web id: 1182230
Email: karen.fraser@scotent.co.uk
EU neutron and muon access

The Integrated Infrastructure Initiative
for Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy invites proposals for its transnational access call. This provides access
to major national neutron and muon
sources in Europe. Facilities are available
in Germany, Hungary, UK, France, Czech
Republic, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Funding provides free access, as
well as support for travel and subsistence
expenses for one young scientist.
Web id: 1173494
Email: info@nmi3.eu
No deadline [149]
EU ocean research drilling

ERA-Net ECORD, the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling, invites
applications for its summer school scholarships. These enable young scientists to
attend one of the 2016 ECORD summer
schools in Urbino, Italy, Bremen, Germany or Leicester, UK. Scholarships are
worth approximately 1,000 (770) each.
Web id: 1172747
Email: essac.office@erdw.ethz.ch
Social psychology meetings

The European Association of Social
Psychology invites applications from
members for its meetings grants. These
support the organisation of meetings
attractive to EASP members. Grants are
worth up to 6,000 (4,600) per meeting.
Web id: 250973
Youth development prize

The Jacobs Foundation invites nominations for the Klaus J Jacobs research prize.
This rewards scientific contributions from
all disciplines aimed at the improvement
of young people's development and perspectives worldwide. The award is worth
CHF1million (699,300).
Web id: 1166354
Contact: Gelgia Fetz
Email: gelgia.fetz@jacobsfoundation.
org
Immunology grants
The European Federation of Immunological Societies invites applications for its
travel grants. These enable young postdoctoral investigators and PhD students
to attend the International Congress of
Immunology, to be held from 21 to 26
August 2016 in Melbourne, Australia.
Grants are worth 1,500 (1,200) each.
Web id: 1172627
Contact: Thomas Wiley
Email: office@efis.org
Social psychology awards

The European Association of Social Psychology invites applications for the following opportunities:
research knowledge transfer scheme,
with grants worth up to 3,500 (2,700)
seedcorn research grants, worth up to
2,000 each. Web id: 250960
travel grants, worth up to 1,000
Translation studies
The European Society for Translation
Studies invites applications for its book
purchase grant. This enables an academic institution to purchase translation
studies publications. The grant is worth
approximately 1,000 (770).
Web id: 1165753
Contact: gnes Soml
Email: somlo.agnes@btk.ppke.hu
European integration grants

The European University Institute invites
applications for the Srensen grants.
These encourage research on the history of
European integration using primary sources held at EU historical archives. Grants are
worth up to 1,280 (990) each.
Web id: 1177578
Email: laura.burgassi@eui.eu
Sedimentology PhD grants

The International Association of Sedimentologists invites applications for its postgraduate grant scheme. This supports PhD
students in their fieldwork, data acquisition and analysis, visits to other institutes
to use specialised facilities, or participation in field excursions directly related
to their PhD research subject. Grants are
worth about 1,000 (770) each.
Web id: 1168721
Respiratory fellowship
The European Respiratory Society invites
applications for its standard short-term
fellowship. This enables young scientists
and clinicians in the early stages of their
research career in respiratory medicine
to visit a host unit in a European country
other than the candidate's own, with the
aim of learning a research technique not
available in their home unit. Fellowships
are tenable for up to three months and
provide a stipend, child allowance and
travel grant.
Web id: 212908
Email: fellowships@ersnet.org
EU anti-counterfeiting
The European Anti-Fraud Office invites
proposals for the Pericles 2020 programme. This aims to prevent and com-

bat counterfeiting and related fraud,
and more specifically to protect euro
banknotes and coins, by supporting and
supplementing the measures undertaken
by the member states, assist the development of regular cooperation and by
an exchange of best practice. The total
budget is 350,000 (270,400).
Web id: 1163180
Contact: Kristine Vlagsma
Email: ecfin-pericles@ec.europa.eu
Nuclear medicine awards

The European Association of Nuclear
Medicine invites applications for the following awards:
the Eckert and Ziegler abstract
awards, worth 1,000 (770) each.
Web id: 197325
the Marie Curie award, worth 5,000.
Web id: 197320
Email: office@eanm.org
Postdoctoral research grants

The Estonian Research Council, through the
Mobilitas Pluss programme, invites applications for its postdoctoral researcher grants.
These enable researchers who earned
their doctoral degree abroad to undertake
postdoctoral research in Estonia. Grants
are provided for one or two years, and are
worth up to 34,650 (26,800) per year
for experimental projects.
Web id: 191125
Email: oskar.otsus@etag.ee
Neurochemistry grant
The International Society for Neurochemistry's Committee for Aid and Education
in Neurochemistry invites applicants for
its career interruption re-entry grant. This
supports the return to an active research
career in the field of neurochemistry following significant career interruptions as
a result of childbirth, career responsibilities or major illness. The grant is generally
worth up to US$10,000 (7,000).
Web id: 1188791
Contact: Caroline Rae
Email: c.rae@unsw.edu.au
Pegasus fellowships
The Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (FWO), supported by the COFUND
programme within the Marie SkodowskaCurie Actions of Horizon 2020, invites
applications for the Pegasus Marie
Skodowska-Curie fellowships. These
encourage the international mobility of
researchers by attracting postdoctoral
researchers to the Flemish community, as
well as by offering postdoctoral researchers in the Flemish community the opportunity to carry out part of their research
abroad. Fellowships cover a PhD salary,
monthly allowance and travel expenses.
Web id: 1170499
Market research impact

The European Society for Opinion and
Market Research invites applications for
its research effectiveness award. This
rewards clients of research, in any market and in any field, who can prove the
payback of their research investment. The
award is worth 4,000 (3,100).
Web id: 1183090
Biomechanics award
The European Society of Biomechanics
invites applications for its mobility award
for young researchers. This supports collaborative research in a foreign country
as part of a PhD or early postdoctoral
research. Awards are worth up to 4,000
(3,100) each.
Web id: 1178897
Email: hanna.isaksson@solid.lth.se
Biomedical PhD awards

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds invites
applications for its PhD fellowships. These
enable junior scientists to pursue a PhD
project in basic biomedical science at
a leading laboratory in Europe. Fellowships are tenable for up to three years
and provide a monthly stipend of 1,550
(1,200).
Web id: 254062
Email: secretariat@bifonds.de
Translation studies prize

The European Society for Translation
Studies invites applications for its translation prize. This recognises a project in
translation studies, including research on
interpreting and localisation. The prize is
worth 2,000 (1,500).
Web id: 1171455
Email: isabelle.robert@uantwerpen.be
Historical humanities awards

The Gerda Henkel Foundation invites
proposals for the following calls:
research project grants.
Web id: 1166541
research scholarships, worth up to
64,800 (50,000) over 24 months.
Web id: 1166545
Email: info@gerda-henkel-stiftung.de
Reproductive health
The European Society of Contraception
and Reproductive Health invites applications for the following grants:
course grants. A total budget of
35,000 (27,000) is available for projects and courses. Web id: 1170016
project grants, worth up to 10,000
Email: info@escrh.eu
Regional anaesthesia
The European Society of Regional
Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy invites
applications for its educational grant.
This supports participation in a teaching programme at an approved training
institution in regional anaesthesia and
pain medicine in Europe. Grants are worth
up to 4,000 (3,100) each.
Web id: 1170467
Email: office@esraeurope.org
rest of world
Opportunities from funders outside of the
UK, Europe and the US.
Labour migration
The East Africa Research Fund and the
Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency invite applications
for their study on understanding intraregional labour migration in the East

Africa Community. This aims to strengthen the evidence base on intra-regional
labour migration to understand what
opportunities and challenges this presents for both the countries of origin and
destination countries. The total budget is
worth up to 350,000 over 20 months.
Web id: 1188825
Email: ea.researchfund@ke.pwc.com
Fellowship in Japan
The Australian Federation of Graduate
Women, on behalf of the Japanese Association of University Women, invites applications for its international fellowships.
These enable master's, pre-doctoral or
dissertation level students and postdoctoral researchers of younger age to pursue
ongoing studies or research in Japan.
Fellowships are worth up to JPY1million
(6,200) each.
Web id: 1188751
Email: afgw.fellowships.officer@
gmail.com
German-Canadian studies
The University of Winnipeg invites applications for the German-Canadian studies
research grant. This supports the best
project proposal on any aspect of GermanCanadian studies. The grant is worth
CA$2,500 (1,300) and is non-renewable.
Web id: 1180720
Research fellowship
The University of Melbourne, in collaboration with the State Library of Victoria,
invites applications for the Redmond
Barry fellowship. This enables scholars
and writers to pursue research and works
of literature that utilise the collections
of the State Library of Victoria and the
University of Melbourne. The fellowship is
worth up to AU$20,000 (9,900).
Web id: 211342
Contact: Gail Schmidt
Email: fellows@slv.vic.gov.au
Agriculture fellowships
The Government of Western Australia's
Office of Science, under the Science and
Agribusiness Connect initiative, invites
applications for the Premier's agriculture and food fellowships. These enable
researchers to lead cutting edge R&D
using their data science and analytic
capabilities to capture the opportunities
offered by big data. Fellowships are worth
up to AU$1million (497,100) each over
four years. The total budget is AU$1.5m.
Web id: 1188873
Email: johanna.dowsett@dpc.wa.gov.au
Travel to Australia
The Australian Academy of Science invites
nominations for the Selby fellowship. This
enables distinguished scientists to visit
Australia for public lecture or seminar
tours, and to visit scientific centres. The
fellowship is worth up to AU$15,000
(7,500) and covers economy airfares
and living expenses assistance.
Web id: 203772
Email: awards@science.org.au
usa
nih
Opportunities from the National Institutes
of Health. Recurring NIH calls include the
next closing date only.
Assessing human placental development

and function using existing data (R01)
NIH ref: RFA- HD-17-004
Web id: 1188817
Assessing human placental development
and function using existing data (R21)
NIH ref: RFA- HD-17-005
Web id: 1188818
Mechanistic basis of diffuse white matter
disease in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia
NIH ref: RFA-NS-16-021
Web id: 1188739
Targets of low dose alcohol in the brain
(R01)
NIH ref: RFA-AA-16-008
Web id: 1188738
Targets of low dose alcohol in the brain
(R21)
NIH ref: RFA-AA-16-009
Web id: 1188741
International research ethics education and curriculum development award
(R25)
NIH ref: PAR-16-081
Web id: 1188457
Neural mechanisms of multidimensional
emotional and social representation
(R01)
NIH ref: RFA-MH-17-300
Web id: 1188637
Neural mechanisms of multidimensional
emotional and social representation
(R21)
NIH ref: RFA-MH-17-305
Web id: 1188635
Oocyte mitochondrial function in relation to fertility, ageing and mitochondrial diseases (R01)
NIH ref: PA-16-088
Web id: 1188601
Accelerating research on intervertebral
disc (R01)
NIH ref: PA-16-097
Web id: 1188859
Education and health (R01)
NIH ref: PAR-16-080
Web id: 1188411
Improvement of animal models for stemcell-based regenerative medicine (R01)
NIH ref: PAR-16-093
Web id: 1171854
Oocyte mitochondrial function in relation to fertility, ageing and mitochondrial diseases (R21)
NIH ref: PA-16-087
Web id: 1188598
18 funding news
usa
other
US funding opportunities available to UK
researchers.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society outside meeting support programme

Web id: 1169086
No deadline [209]
Department of State Request for PRM
humanitarian research concept notes
Web id: 1188416
Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research annual student
paper award
Web id: 153693
American Philosophical Association
Joseph B Gittler award
Web id: 212044
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation new
interventions for global health
Web id: 1182649
Electrochemical Society battery division
research award
Web id: 147124
Society for Pediatric Radiology Research
and Education Foundation seed grants
Web id: 208017
American Statistical Association Julius
Shiskin award for economic statistics
Web id: 187838
Organization for Autism Research
applied research grants
Web id: 1173006
Campbell Collaboration systematic
review grants
Web id: 1188663
Department of Defense bone marrow
failure idea development award
Web id: 1188319
Association for Computing Machinery/
Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers Computer Society EckertMauchly award
Web id: 251798
American Musicological Society Janet
Levy fund
Web id: 1172754
Consortium of Humanities Centers and
Institutes/Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly
Exchange summer institutes in Chinese
studies and global humanities
Web id: 1184242
Sigma Theta Tau International/Association of Nurses in Aids Care nursing grant
Web id: 211374
Sigma Theta Tau International/Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses
perioperative nursing grant
Web id: 211370
policy diary
March
1 PraxisUnico: Working Effectively
With Universities, London.
http://rsrch.co/1owf35u
10 WHEF: The Changing Shape of
Higher EducationAdmissions
and Next Steps for Widening
Participation Policy, London
http://rsrch.co/1BlQVaO
15 HEPI: Challenger Institutions
Useful Competition or Unhelpful Disruption? London.
http://rsrch.co/1SE8okJ
AMRC: Public Affairs Working
Group, London.
http://rsrch.co/1Qpyp27
NERC: Engaging with NERC, London. http://rsrch.co/1PJZHmz
22 HEPI: Challenger Institutions
Useful Competition or Unhelpful Disruption? London.
http://rsrch.co/1SE8okJ
AHRC: Changing the Future
Research Landscape?, Norwich.
To 23. http://rsrch.co/1Lwumj8
April
7 WHEF: Next Steps for Postgraduate Research: Funding, Student Experience and Transition
to Post-Doctoral Roles, London.
http://rsrch.co/1QZN0FO
12 WHEF: Improving Graduate
Employability, London.
http://rsrch.co/1QDrEia
14 WHEF: The Future of STEM
Subjects in HE, London.
http://rsrch.co/1HhJXXr
17 Royal Society: Future Directions
in STEMM for People with Disabilities, London.
http://rsrch.co/1TpILnC
18 WHEF: Implementing the Teaching Excellence Framework, London. http://rsrch.co/1ZRYgH2
21 CSaP: Behaviour and Health
Research Unit Annual Lecture
2016, Cambridge.
http://rsrch.co/1ParSMv
22 AHRC: The Politics of Academic
Publishing 1950-2016, London.
http://rsrch.co/1Oj41ov
27 Universities UK: Universities,
Communities and Business:
Collaborating to Drive Growth
and Power Innovation, London.
http://rsrch.co/1S9mUjU
AHRC: Leading for Impact,
London. To 28.
http://rsrch.co/1QNg2EC
28 WHEF: The Future of Enterprise
and Entrepreneurship in HE, London. http://rsrch.co/1ZaB6cM
Vitae, Leadership in Researcher
Development, Glasgow.
http://rsrch.co/1PVrcYe
May
4 Universities UK: Innovation
and Excellence in Teaching and
Learning, London.
http://rsrch.co/1J7lQEC
NERC unveils potential areas

for strategic research
The Natural Environment Research Council has identified
three areas where it may spend its next tranche of strategic
funding, which could be up to 20 million over six years.
These are: fundamental ecological research for sustainable
resource exploitation in the deep ocean; the role of
the Southern Ocean in the Earth system; and processes
associated with UK unconventional hydrocarbon extraction.
However, the council stressed that it does not expect to be
able to fund all of the strategic programme areas.
Scotland pledges 70m for circular economy
The Scottish government has announced plans to boost the
nations circular economy and create a centre of excellence
for manufacturing, to help Scotlands industries remain
sustainable and competitive. The government announced
70 million in funding to implement the plan, 30m of which
will come from the European Regional Development Fund.
82m Norwich food research hub named
Construction of the centre for food and health research at
Norwich Research Park, which has been named the Quadram
Institute, is due to begin this month. The facility, which brings
together researchers from the Institute of Food Research, the
University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is expected to open in 2018.
MRC awards 23m to innovative research
The Medical Research Council has named the winners of three
initiatives for accelerating the development of innovative
medical research at UK universities. The largest funding is
the Confidence in Concept scheme, which aims to help move
basic research into the clinic and has 11.6million to be
shared between 21 UK universities.
Analytical science needs its own strategy
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
has been told to raise the profile of analytical science in
the UK by improving collaborations with other funders and
developing a strategy for the field. The recommendations,
published on 16 February, also say the council should fund a
number of chairs of analytical scientists.
Review panel for Valuing Nature call revealed
The names of the 11-strong review panel for the cross-council
Valuing Nature programmes health and wellbeing call have
been announced. The group, which will meet on 26February,
will be led by Judith Smith, dean of the University of Salfords
school of environment and life sciences.
British Academy funds first anti-corruption projects
The first eight projects to be funded as part of the British
Academys 3.6-million global anti-corruption research
scheme have been announced. Run with the Department for
International Development, they aim to explore policies and
interventions in countries that have reduced corruption.
europe 19
europe
Huawei joins EIT in sustained push for

European R&D expansion
The Chinese telecommunications and services company
Huawei has joined the digital branch of the European
Institute of Innovation and Technology, making it the
first Asian member of the 149 organisations involved.
Huawei launched its European Research Institute in
Leuven, Belgium, in May 2015, to oversee the companys
activities in Europe. On 4 February, the institute became
an affiliate partner of the Knowledge and Innovation
Community EIT Digital, in a move intended to expand its
foothold in European R&D.
We want to connect to the whole network of ICT
companies and academics here in Europe, says vicepresident of Huaweis European institute, Walter Weigel.
The EITs focus on linking academia and business makes it
an ideal partner for Huawei, Weigel said. Were not after
a Nobel prizewe want to create products and services.
The institute oversees 1,400researchers working
across 18sites on topics such as big data, computer storage, the Internet of Things and 5G telecommunications,
including at the University of Surreys 5G Innovation
europe
in brief
Smits admits Horizon 2020

evaluations need work
Robert-Jan Smits, director-general of research at the European
Commission, has said that Horizon 2020 faces enormous challenges in controlling the quality of the
evaluators who assess applications. Speaking in Brussels
on 16February, Smits said that the process was robust but
it was a problem that anyone could register as an expert.
However, any change should not involve a return to the
former system of hand-picking experts, Smits said, as this
would undermine the improved openness of Horizon 2020.
Ombudsman slams EU chemical controls
The European Ombudsman has launched an own-initiative
inquiry into delays in the European Unions regulation of
chemicals. On 17 February, Emily OReilly announced that
she would look into the handling of tests of 216chemicals over concern about damage to human health and the
environment. Decisions on the chemicals have been pending since 2011, which OReilly said was not satisfactory.
Arctic plan calls for global outlook
A report from the third International Conference on Arctic
Research Planning has said that formal programmes should
be established to provide longer-term opportunities in
Arctic research for early-career researchers and indigenous
people. Researchers from the humanities, as well as those
from countries outside the region, should be encouraged
to participate more in Arctic research, the report said.
by Amanda Stringfellow
asnews@ResearchResearch.com
Centre and the University of Manchesters National

Graphene Institute, both in the UK. It is also a member
of the European 5G Public-Private Partnership.
Jost Wbbeke, head of economy and innovation at the
Mercator Institute for China Studies, said that the company is one of a growing number of Chinese companies to
set up R&D facilities in Europe. Huaweis biggest domestic rival, ZTE, has founded several centres in Europe, and
companies from other industries such as machinery manufacturing are intensifying their R&D in Europe.
With about 1.43 trillion yuan (150 billion) dedicated
to R&D a year2.1per cent of GDPChina now outperforms the EU in R&D intensity. But China is increasing
investment in Europe to increase the opportunities for its
companies to access European academics and policymakers, said Wei Shen, director of the Confucius Institute at
Lancaster University. Wbbeke said that it also helped
companies to adapt technologies to the European market.
EU presidency targets antimicrobial resistance
The Dutch government is using its European Union presidency to persuade health and agriculture ministers to work
more closely together to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
A conference of ministers on 9and 10February organised by the Dutch presidency was followed by a European
Food Safety Authority announcement that antimicrobial
resistance is on the rise and a warning that multiple-drugresistant Salmonella is spreading in Europe.
Medicines agency sets up Zika task force
The European Medicines Agency has established a task
force for responding to the Zika epidemic. Experts in infectious diseases will give scientific and regulatory advice on
R&D for vaccines and treatments. The agency is encouraging drug developers to get in touch if they have any
promising relevant projects. The task force was established
after the World Health Organization declared the Zika outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
U-Multirank deemed far from perfect
The university ranking system U-Multirank must improve
if it is to attract more participants, the 38-member Coimbra
group of European universities has said. The system, which
received seed funding from the European Union, is based
on unverifiable data provided by the institutions, using
imprecise definitions, Coimbra said in a report. University
rectors attitudes to league tables were described as confused, with rectors wary of simplistic ranking systems and
yet anxious to improve their standing with them.
20 view
v i e w f r o m t h e t o p a d a m t i c k e l l
Where next for open access and

how to keep up the good work
The UK has long been a world-leading research power
with a well-rounded, high-quality and highly productive research ecosystem. However, in 2011 perceptions
that public investment in research wasnt being matched
by open access to research publications prompted David
Willetts, then minister for universities and science, to
commission a review of the policy options around openaccess publishing, led by the sociologist Janet Finch.
Following the publication of the Finch review in 2012,
the research councils and the funding councils introduced
mandates for publicly funded research outputs to be
made freely available to the public. There have been many
associated developments and in the last two years I have
chaired a national group, Universities UKs Open Access
Coordination Group, involving many of the leading players. Our aim is to ensure that the UK continues to make
progress enhancing open access to the countrys research.
Last year, Willettss successor Jo Johnson asked for
my advice on whether the UKs approach to open access
needed to change. His interest was timely. Policies from
before and after the Finch review have had time to bed
in, and our ability to monitor progress has improved.
As my report, published on 11 February, illustrates,
the UK has come a long way towards open access since
the Finch review, and there is still impressive momentum. In 2012, 18per cent of journal articles authored
by UK researchers were open access, against a world
average of 19per cent. By 2014, the UK was ahead of the
world average, at 27per cent compared with 23per cent.
My report is in this spirit: the UK is delivering on open
access and is providing clear leadership in Europe and
beyond. Johnsons response to the report shows that
this message has been heard: he has expressed strong
confidence in the partnership approach that we have
adopted and in our collective ability to deliver. He has
also, however, sent some messages of his own.
Firstand this is importantwe have been set another target. The aim is for the UK to publish almost all of
our scientific output via open access
by 2020. This provides a welcome focus
but it will take effort to achieve. When
considered in light of the Dutch governments target to make all Dutch scientific
publications open by 2024, Johnsons
goal is perhaps another reminder that
the UK remains at the forefront of the
global move to open access.
Johnson recognises that there are significant financial and policy differences
The UK has
come a long
way and
there is still
impressive
momentum.
among those involved in open access, and that constructive dialogue has maintained balance and cohesion.
Although this isnt always popular with advocates for one
or other solution, the UKs research ecosystem is delicate.
The UK is, for example, home to a disproportionate
number of leading learned societiessomething that
helps to underwrite our research prowess. As many
of their activities are sustained through publication
income, we should beware an open-access regime that
would undermine them.
That said, it is clear that the next few years are going
to be financially challenging. The ministerial steer is
to maintain the Finch reviews preference for open
access funded by author paymentsthis, after all, is
both immediate and without restrictions on re-use. In
straitened times, however, there is recognition that
institutional and subject-based repositories, as well
as the walk-in service at public libraries supported by
commercial publishers, are also important gateways to
publicly funded research.
One unresolved issue from the Finch review was the
concern that the UK would end up bearing a disproportionate share of the costs of an open-access world. In the
coming years we will need to make sure that initiatives to
offset article processing charges against subscriptions,
such as those pioneered by the Royal Society of Chemistry
and the Institute of Physics, defray some of these costs.
The minister also encourages greater flexibility,
harmony and simplicity when it comes to funder policies, implicitly encouraging the research and funding
councils to work together. Similarly, the complexity and
diversity of publisher policies is an issue; a guide to good
practice to clarify service-level expectations between
publishers and researchers would be a welcome start.
Open access will remain on the governments radar.
Our group will, with partners, continue to monitor
developments and we will report to the minister again in
2017. By the summer, the UK Open Research Forum will
also produce an action plan for developing a national
infrastructure roadmap for open research data. This is a
busy agenda to fulfil in a potentially challenging timeframe, but I am confident that through collaboration
and the dedicated work of many, the UK will continue
to lead the world in providing open access to research.
Adam Tickell is provost and vice-principal of the University
of Birmingham and chairman of the Universities UK Open
Access Coordination Group.
view 21
m a d d a l a i n e a n s e l l v i e w f r o m t h e t o p
Dont make Innovate UK a poor

relation of the research councils
The World Economic Forum ranks the UK fourth in the
world for collaboration between business and universities. We also rank second in the Global Innovation
Index. Even so, as the Treasurys productivity plan
released last July remarked, there is still further to go in
commercialising discoveries made in research.
In particular, our small and medium-sized businesses
have a poor record of introducing product or process
innovations. This matters, not only because 99per cent
of UK businesses are small, but also because it is among
these firms that we will find the scale-up companies
those that grow their employees or turnover by about
20per cent a yearthat the entrepreneur Sherry Coutu
has argued are crucial to economic growth.
This view is supported by the innovation funder Nestas
2009 report The Vital 6PerCent, which quoted research
showing that the top 6per cent of the fastest growing
businesses accounted for half of the jobs created by existing businesses between 2002 and 2008.
What to do? Ann Dowlings review of university-business collaboration suggested that one problem was the
compexity of UK support for research and innovation. This
is a particular issue for small firms, which may lack the
resources to track down the most appropriate scheme. The
Dowling review was followed in November 2015 by Paul
Nurses review, which suggested that integrating Innovate
UK with the research councils under the proposed umbrella body Research UK would make things simpler.
Ministers, including business secretary Sajid Javid and
chief secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands, have indicated that they think Nurses idea has merit. Nevertheless,
the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has
put the proposal out for consultation and said that if we
have anything to say, we should say it now.
So, here goes: the worry is that the innovation problem is being seen through a research lens. It is no
accident that the recommendation to integrate Innovate
UK into Research UK appeared in a review of the research
councils. This risks undervaluing the distinct innovation
activity that is not just about commercialising research.
Of course, translating research is important. The
research councils, universities and other research institutions already put a lot of effort into technology transfer,
but clearly need to do more to reach out to small businesses. Equally, the creation of hi-tech, high-value spinout
companies makes a huge contribution to UK growth.
Maddalaine Ansell is chief executive of the University
Alliance of business-focused universities.
But this is not the only form of innovation support

that businesses value; nor is it the form that Innovate
UK is primarily set up to deliver. At the moment only
about 8per cent of Innovate UKs funding goes directly
to university spinout companies and only 15per cent
supports the development of activity from the research
base. The rest goes to business.
Innovate UK is a business-facing organisation. It
works with businesses to understand their needs and
help them find support. Some of these needs are not
about research at all. In fact, none of Coutus recommendations for supporting scale-up companies refer to
research. She focuses on support for identifying and
developing talent.
Lack of leadership and management skills has also
been identified as a barrier to innovation by small businesses. It is therefore essential that, as overall budgets
fall, a growing share of the remaining government support goes to knowledge-exchange activity and to giving
people the skills to innovate and be entrepreneurial.
This might be through Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships, which have survived multiple overhauls
of the innovation system because they can be used flexibly. Or it might be through staff exchange programmes
between universities and businesses.
Some might argue that Innovate UK could do all this
from within Research UK. They are probably right, if
and its a big ifcertain protections are put in place.
Innovate UK has a different client base from the research
councils; the businesses that come to Innovate UK might
not automatically see Research UK as the go-to place for
business consultancy and innovation support.
It is therefore important that Innovate UK keeps a distinct brandpossibly under the umbrella of Research
and Innovation UK, rather than Research UK. Backoffice functions should only be merged with Research
UK if this would not affect the delivery of Innovate UKs
service to business.
Similarly, the governance of Research UK
must not allow the research councilsgreater in number and richer in resourcesto
overpower Innovate UK. Research must not
have seven votes to innovations one, and
Innovate UK must not be reduced to a
technology-transfer office for the research
councils. There are many roads to innovationlets keep them all open.
Something to add? Email comment@
ResearchResearch.com
Some of
businesses
needs are
not about
research at
all.
22 view
v i e w f r o m t h e t o p d a v i d w a l k e r
Nurse review recommends

harnessing a mythical beast
For a physicist or a biologist, an economist or a historian, identity is marked by belonging to a discipline.
We are, to a considerable extent, what our peers think
we are. Often this disciplinary being is reinforced by
membership of a learned society or, for the very grand,
fellowship of a national academy.
Some researchers extract an additional sense of identity from where they work, in a particular laboratory or
department. Someprobably a minorityidentify with
the university that employs them, whether one of the
Russell Group elite or a thrusting aspirant.
Many of us are lucky enough to have strong non-vocational reference points, through partner, family, place,
hobby or team. But how far down the list must we go to
find scientists and scholars identifying themselves with
the research community? This thing issues no membership cards, convenes no meetings, sends out no bulletins
and maintains no website.
Yet some peopleespecially Paul Nursebelieve profoundly that it exists and must now play a pivotal role
in research governance. The Nurse review mentioned
this fabulous beast some 29times and prescribed in
considerable detail its future role in making his recommendations work. For example, under Nurses plan
the research community will interact more with the
research councils as they come together under the proposed umbrella body of Research UK. It will discuss with
this body the strategy for the UKs research endeavour.
Its wisdom will be harnessed.
Theres more. The research community has a duty
of care towards the research councils, and they to the
community. It is to be encouraged to contribute more
to the councils work. It will have a new interface, its
strategic thinking will be strengthened and through
greater engagement with senior policymakers it will
demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of
the research landscape in government.
Nurse is betting a lot on the research
communitys self-awareness and capacity
for activism. But does it even exist?
Working in his own sphere of cell biology, Nurse would be careful about ascribing
causes. He would make observations and
attempt measurements. Away from the
bench, different rules seem to apply.
If Nurse had asked, social scientists
would have told him that community is a
difficult conceptone they have struggled
with since at least the 19th century, when
Defining a
community,
let alone
ascribing
powers of
agency to it, is
treacherous.
the sociologist Ferdinand Tnnies sought to distinguish

it from society.
Defining a community, let alone ascribing powers of
agency to it, is treacherous. But the word has a warm,
cosy glow. It suggests people liking and doing things for
one another, recognising shared values and interests.
The research community isnt one, and not just
because the sciences are internally dividedlet alone
the divides between the natural sciences and the social
sciences and humanities. Community implies voice and
a means of coming together to talk and agree.
Nurse says that he would like the research councils and,
eventually, Research UK to reach out to the community.
But it has no presence, outwith the obvious suspects of the
Royal Society, British Academy, the other national academies and learned societiesand even these tend to be
sectional or elitist. As for higher education, many professors say the university community is oxymoronic.
Nurse hints that the research councils themselves
represent community interest, just as government
departments act as the custodians of sectional interests
such as farming or business. But this is a suggestion
fraught with ambiguities. The Cabinet Office is clamping
down on the lobbying of MPs and ministers by any body
in receipt of public money. What will this do to Nurses
call for engagement with policymakers and the research
councils efforts to make a case for their communities?
Each research council deals with only part of the research
in its disciplinethis doesnt just take place in universities.
Even in universities, researchers are sometimes dismissive
of their research council, pointing to philanthropic and
business support and, of course, to funding directly from
the higher education funding councils.
Nurse talks of engagement, but relations between the
research councils and practising researchers are often distant. In the social sciences, as elsewhere, only a minority
commit to labyrinthine research council procedures and
panels. Some council chiefs are peripatetic, often out and
about talking to those on the front line; others occasionally visit a vice-chancellor and leave it at that.
Researchers are, in principle, a formidable body, a
cornerstone of civilisation and highly important in economic advance. But as it stands they are a body without
much corporeal existence and, despite Nurses belief,
they are far from being a community.
David Walker is head of policy at the Academy of Social
Sciences. He writes in a personal capacity.
view 23
m a r i e b r e e n - s m y t h v i e w f r o m t h e t o p
When you face the music,

sometimes you can dance a little
In June 2015, I wrote for Research Fortnight about
the restructuring of the University of Surreys politics
department [RF 10/6/15, p23]. Despite a media campaign by our doughty students, some, including myself,
were made redundant. All departures were voluntary in
the same manner that one voluntarily undergoes surgery to remove a diseased limb.
Before I left, I found alternative institutions for my
doctoral students who would be left without supervision; I dont know whether they took these up. Of the
original academic staff, six remain; three doctoral students who have since graduated now work as teaching
fellows, and there is an additional teaching fellow.
Effectively, then, four professors have been replaced
by four teaching fellows. At the time of writing, the
departments website still lists me as academic director
of one research centre, along with a fellow disappeared
professor as the director of another.
I had relocated to work in Surrey, so after the redundancy, I sold my home. What I didnt say in my original
piece was that redundancy coincided with the death
of my mother. One loss seemed to follow another, my
health suffered and I was not able to work for a period.
Last June, I wrote that my soul shrivelled at the
prospect of working for another UK higher education
institution with the same managerialist business focus.
Another colleague who felt the same way has left academic life altogether.
A t that time , I was grievingfor the loss of great
colleagues and students, for my lovely home and the
friends I had made, and of course for my mother and all
that entailed. It felt like the end of my life as a scholar,
even though I had writing commissions and speaking
engagements were still coming in. I was too busy clearing and selling houses to look for jobs, even if I had had
the heart to do so.
So when, unsolicited, a university in my old stomping
ground of Massachusetts emailed to ask if I was free to
come for a year to teach, it seemed like a small miracle.
Here, I have rediscovered what I came into higher
education to do. I teach an international cohort of graduate students, all of whom want to change the world.
I work with respectful colleagues who are all actively
Marie Breen-Smyth is a professor in the department of
conflict resolution, human security and global
governance in the McCormack Graduate School, University
of Massachusetts, US.
involved in both scholarship and practice in the global south. They have heard of the Research Excellence
Framework, and are worried that something similar
might be introduced here in the United States. They do
worry about rankings, but they are much busier with
teaching and research.
I have no management responsibilities beyond administering my courses, no REF dry runs, no monitoring, no
meetings with colleagues about their performance, no
staff weeping in my room because they have been put on
capability or performance management.
Instead, I am writing a textbook and trialling it in one
of my classes, and I have two research assistants. I am
supporting Muslim students in considering responses to
Islamophobia, and I am fulfilling speaking engagements
in other parts of the country.
After a month or so, the head of department asked if I
would stay another year. I think I will.
I am lucky that my work is international in nature and
that moving around the world has been a feature of my
career. The US is my second homeI have links stretching back decades and as many friends and family here
as in the UK. I am also fortunate that I am not striving to make my name, that my ambitions are limited to
improving my work and writing and passing on what I
have learned.
For younger folk with none of these advantages, it is
much more challenging. Several younger colleagues,
one a professor, have left academia altogether; all report
the return of health and happiness.
In the past, I too left an intolerable situation at a
university. At that point I set up a research institute
as a not-for-profit organisation, before being invited
back to academic life by a better department. I have
learned that universities are not the only place one can
be a scholar. Sometimes it is better to go
than stay; your security lies in doing the
best work that you can, not in keeping a
job in an organisation where your work is
not respected.
None of this solves the problem of what
is happening in higher education in the
UK, but at least it saves the health, sanity
and sometimes the lives of those damaged
by the audit culture. And there can be life
after academia in the UK.
Something to add? Email comment@
ResearchResearch.com
Universities
are not the
only place to
be a scholar;
sometimes it
is better to
go than stay.
24 interesting if true
interesting if true
Hidden HEFCE If you were browsing the Higher Education
Funding Council for Englands board papers last week
(and why not?), youd be forgiven for thinking that the
body seems to be particularly transparent, especially if
you peeked at November 2015 and saw the draft Research
Excellence Framework consultation documents that
were discussed at the meeting. However, we have it on
good authority that these papers werent published until
11February, just minutes before the very same documents landed in our inbox, released under an FOI request.
Baking waves Last week, the news that scientists had
found evidence of gravitational waves was broken not
by a major news outlet, but by a cake. Just 16 minutes
before the official announcement was due to be made,
Erin Lee Ryan, a researcher at NASAs Goddard Space
Flight Center, tweeted a picture of a celebratory cake,
decorated with a beautifully iced Heres to the first
direct detection of gravitational waves!. Ryan told The
Washington Post that it was hard not to share the exciting results of your peers. Or news of free food.
Leading from the rear The Royal Society recently hosted
an event to discuss a set of reports published as part of
the Churchill 2015 21st Century Statesmanship Global
Leaders Programme, marking the 50th anniversary of the
death of Winston Churchill. It was with some surprise,

then, that your correspondent clocked the man near the
exit alternating between checking his phone or dozing
(waking for the applause). He was none other than the
British Bulldogs grandson, Nicholas Soames.
Resistant fellows Sadly these yellow pages dont have
space for all of our interviewees anecdotes, but we had
to make space for this one. Apparently, when Matthew
Taylor started as head of the RSA (see Interview, page 6)
he was keen to make an impression and said the society
should have members, not fellowssaying that fellows
could be seen as sexist. Taylor told your correspondent
that, on leaving the meetingand feeling proud of the
impression hed madehe was stopped in the corridor
by a colleague, who said: Its great to have you here, we
welcome your ideas. But do you really think people are
going to want the letters MRSA after their name?
Community breakdown Our sub-editors were gleeful to
find in their inbox for this weeks Research Fortnight
a detailed articulation of the reason that community
takes pride of place on our list of banned words (see
View, page 22). They are now petitioning for a series of
such articles to cover the rest of the list, which includes
sector, current and stakeholder.
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