Professional Documents
Culture Documents
com
Founded by William Cullerne Bown
14 October 2015
by Cristina Gallardo
cgnews@ResearchResearch.com
2 editorial
elsewhere
We have to proceed with these tax credit
changes because they are a very important
cultural signal. It is about creating a culture
where work is at the heart of our success.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt says cuts to
tax credits will encourage Britons to work
as hard as the Chinese and Americans. The
Guardian, 5/10/15.
It is Tory constituencies where the
proportion of young people going to university is already above 50 per cent. If
there are too many people going to university, Conservative areas are the culprits.
David Willetts, former Conservative universities and science minister, criticises the
stance of some of his partys colleagues who
seek to reduce the number of university students. Times Higher Education, 6/10/15.
Its like everything else from Jeremys
leadership campaign, it doesnt automatically become policy.
A member of the Labour shadow cabinet
comments on the fact that party leader
Jeremy Corbyns plan to scrap university
tuition fees might end up being shelved
without backing from Labour MPs. Financial
Times, 1/10/15.
If politicians do not fully understand or
appreciate what a jewel they have, they
risk throwing it away.
Andrew Hamilton, vice-chancellor of the
University of Oxford, speaks out, in his final
keynote speech before taking up the role
of president at New York University. Daily
Mirror, 6/10/15.
It couldnt have been a better choice in
terms of the lessons it offers Chinese
scientists.
Innovation studies specialist at Tsinghua
University in Beijing Xue Lan reacts to the
news that Chinese pharmacologist Youyou
Tu is one of the winners of this years medicine Nobel, despite never having won any
major awards in China. Nature, 5/10/15.
decade
Demos has been called
many things...But I can
honestly say this is the
first time weve been called
Stalinists.
James Wilsdon, who was then head of
science and innovation at the think tank
Demos, responds to a Research Fortnight
editorial that questioned the emerging
public engagement agenda.
Research Fortnight, 12 October 2005
whats going on 3
whats going on
Women in engineering: Time for quotas?
Naomi Climer, the Institution of Engineering and Technologys first woman president, says the
time is right for quotas to be enforced so that more women are hired by engineering employers.
Climer said that the proportion of women engineers in the UK has been less than one in 10the
lowest level in Europefor 30 years. She added that she was sceptical of quotas when she came
into the industry but now believes they should be tried.
Home secretary tightens screws on universities
University leaders are once more in the sights of home secretary Theresa May, who told the
Conservative Party conference that while she welcomes students coming to study in the UK, too
many of them stay in the UK after their visas run out. The vice-chancellors group Universities
UK pointed to Home Office research showing that levels of visa abuse in the sector are low. In
her speech May said, I dont care what the university lobbyists say: the rules must be enforced.
Defence spending to be investigated, again
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has launched an inquiry into strategic financial
management at the Ministry of Defence, which has the third largest departmental budget. The
inquiry, launched on 5 October, will also look at how the expected strategic defence and security
review could affect the departments finances. In 2010 the Public Accounts Committee found that
poor financial management had led to a 36 billion overspend over 10 years.
Research and union leaders clash over Scotland bill
Heads of Scotlands research institutions and union leaders have been giving evidence to the
Scottish Parliament on the proposed higher education governance bill. In a hearing on
6 October, the physicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh,
said that she was concerned about the implication that there is interference and suppression
of critical thought. In contrast, Mary Senior, Scotland official for the University and College
Union Scotland, said a lack of transparency in Scottish universities was a real problem.
Students urge Warwick to evict secret BP archive
Students are calling on their chancellor Richard Lambert to shut down a BP archive housing the
energy firms historical records based at the University of Warwick. The students say the archive
is believed to include valuable research into renewable energy and that parts of it are not
accessible to the public. Student group Fossil Free Warwick launched its campaign on 5 October.
Essex to recruit a CSA
The University of Essex has said that it will appoint
a chief scientific adviser to help it tackle societal
challenges and improve university-government
relations. Essex will become the second UK
institution to have a CSA, following the University
of Southampton. Vice-chancellor Anthony Forster
said that the university would welcome applications
from candidates with a strong interest in policy and a
background in disciplines such as quantitative social
science or big data.
C O RRECTIO N
4 news
news
by Lindsay McKenzie
lmnews@ResearchResearch.com
news 5
news
in brief
by Lindsay McKenzie
lmnews@ResearchResearch.com
6 news
i n t e r v i e w a l u n e v a n s
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Council. Ive often seen that a merger leads to upheaval, uncertainty for the staff, no particular cost savings in
back-office expenditure, and often it does not achieve its
aim, he says.
Once the uncertainty of the spending review is over,
Evans wants to focus on getting the academys fellows
more involved in providing evidence to policymakers.
This mission was much in evidence during his inaugural
lecture on 16 September when, speaking in a personal
capacity, he called for full devolution for Scotland as the
best way to keep the UKs nations together. Before joining the academy, Evans served as director of the Scotland
Office for three years. He says that home rule would allow
Scottish universities greater freedom, while still being
part of the UK research framework.
Asked if such strong views might cause divisions within the academy, Evans says that he welcomes debate.
The academy does not have an opinion on the Scottish
independence movement, but that does not mean it does
not have a voice and a responsibility to put the evidence
out there and let people make up their mind, he says. I
put forward my own view, based on evidence, and I cant
think of anything better than if someone else wants to
put forward their own slightly different view.
Evans agenda also includes increasing equality not
only in terms of gender, but in terms of age and location too. I want to make sure we attract the brightest,
youngest academics without lowering standards, and
that we dont favour the golden triangle of Cambridge,
Oxford and London, he says.
Looking to the future, Evans has two ambitions. On
the personal front he plans to complete his PhD thesis
on the changing role of the private office system in the
UK civil service over the last 50 years, perhaps writing a
book based on its conclusions. For the British Academy,
his ambition is to do more to communicate its value. We
have been too modest in the past about what weve done.
We should be more confident and proud of what we stand
for, he says. We have an enormous convening power in
the sense that we have this fellowship that can support
policy-making but the average person on the street does
not know it. We need to change that.
More to say? Email comment@ResearchResearch.com
funding opportunities
Research Fortnight
14 October 2015
deadlines
focus points
October
interdisciplinary
22 AHRC/ESRC
research grants 1185933
23
25
of So Paulo Research
26 BBSRC/State
Foundation joint call in advanced
biofuels 1182489
27
28
29
Funding search
Free text: 1234567 x
Search
30
31
8 funding opportunities
uk
highlights
New opportunities from UK-based funders.
Agricultural engineering
The Douglas Bomford Trust invites applications for its student award scheme.
This encourages students of agricultural engineering to achieve appropriate
qualifications and to go on to successful
careers in the industry. Awards are worth
up to 1,500 each over one year.
Web id: 1186980
Email: enquiries@dbt.org.uk
Deadline: 1 November 2015 [3]
JRF poverty
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation invites
proposals to carry out an evidence review
on psychological, social and cultural factors in decision making are linked with
certain aspects of poverty in the UK.
The budget is worth up to 40,000 over
six months.
Web id: 1187005
Email: phillipa.fairburn@jrf.org.uk
Deadline: 6 November 2015 [6]
BBSRC/NERC network
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, in partnership
with the Natural Environment Research
Council, invites proposals for a sustainable intensification community network.
This aims to fund a community-led network to encourage and facilitate highquality, systems-oriented research
relevant to the sustainable intensification of agriculture, with an emphasis on
multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and
transdisciplinary approaches. The budget
is worth up to 80,000 per year for up to
three years.
Web id: 1187038
Contact: Amanda Read
Email: sustainable.agriculture@bbsrc.
ac.uk
Deadline: 12 November 2015 [8]
BBSRC-Ireland funding
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Science
Foundation Ireland invite applications
for their joint research funding. This supports applications that cut across national
boundaries and involve international
collaborative teams led by researchers
from the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Web id: 1186965
Email: inca@bbsrc.ac.uk
Deadline: 13 January 2016 [16]
Primate conservation
The Primate Society of Great Britain's
conservation working party, on behalf
of the Born Free Foundation, invites
applications for a conservation grant.
This primarily supports a primate range
state national, working in the field on a
project involving endangered primates
or human and non-human primate conflict resolution. The award is worth up
to 1000.
Web id: 1187049
Contact: Caroline Harcourt
Email: cwp@psgb.org
Deadline: 28 February 2016 [17]
uk
other
Renewed opportunities from funders based
in the UK.
Parasitology fieldwork
The British Society for Parasitology invites
applications for its international training
and fieldwork award. This aims to give
parasitologists at an early stage in their
careers the opportunity to undertake
international fieldwork or to visit overseas institutions. The society provides
support of up to 1,500, which should
funding opportunities 9
NOT TO BE PHOTOCOPIED
Orthopaedics prize
The Royal Society of Medicine invites
abstracts for its orthopaedics president's
prize papers. These recognise original,
not previously published work in orthopaedics. Three prizes, worth between
200 and 600, are available.
Web id: 202575
Email: orthopaedics@rsm.ac.uk
Deadline: 28 October 2015 [23]
Finance fellowships
The Bank of England invites applications
for the Houblon-Norman and George fellowships. These promote research into,
and disseminate knowledge and understanding of, the working, interaction
and function of financial business institutions in Great Britain and elsewhere,
and the economic conditions affecting
them. The total amount distributed in
any one year rarely exceeds 120,000.
Fellowships are tenable at the Bank of
England and last between one month
and one year.
Web id: 207896
Email: ma-hngfund@bankofengland.
co.uk
Deadline: 1 November 2015 [24]
Immunology travel
The British Society for Immunology
invites applications for its travel awards.
These enable members to attend scientific
meetings or visit laboratories for specific
short-term activities, such as collaborative research or to learn new techniques.
Awards are worth 500 for travel within
the UK, 700 for European travel and
1,000 for intercontinental travel.
Web id: 256395
Email: s.green@immunology.org
Deadline: 1 November 2015 [25]
Senior fellowships
The British Academy and the Leverhulme
Trust invite applications for their senior research fellowships. These enable
mid-career scholars to have one year's
research leave by providing funding to
cover the costs of replacement teaching.
Fellowships are provided on a non full
economic cost basis.
Web id: 1161251
Email: posts@britac.ac.uk
Deadline: 18 November 2015 [31]
10 funding opportunities
British Academy awards
The British Academy invites applications
for the following opportunities:
Neil R Ker memorial fund, with grants
worth up to 2,000 each. Web id: 182097
Stein-Arnold exploration fund, with
awards worth up to 2,500 each.
Web id: 182064
Email: grants@britac.ac.uk
Deadline: 2 December 2015 [39]
BBSRC awards
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council invites applications for the following opportunities:
State of So Paulo Research Foundation joint research funding.
Web id: 1159811
industrial partnership awards.
Web id: 251458
new investigator scheme.
Web id: 255092
responsive mode research grants.
Web id: 255097
stand-alone LINK programme.
Web id: 1186962
Deadline: 13 January 2016 [47]
The Design History Society invites applications for its research publication
grant. This assists researchers engaged
in design history with the publication of
their research in research-based outputs
such as peer reviewed journal articles or
books published by a university press or
museum institution. A total of 3,000 is
available annually. Grants are worth up
to 1,000 each.
Web id: 208229
Contact: Elli Michaela Young
Email: designhistorysociety@gmail.
com
Deadline: 15 January 2016 [48]
Entomology awards
The British Entomological and Natural
History Society invites applications for
the Maitland Emmet research fund and
grants. These support research on insects
and spiders with reference to the British
fauna. Grants are worth up to 500 each.
Funding covers travel costs.
18th-century studies
The University of Oxford's Bodleian
Libraries, in partnership with the British
Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies,
invites applications for its research fellowship. This enables a member of BSECS
to take a one-month residence in Oxford
for research in the special collections
of the Bodleian Libraries on any topic
related to the 18th century. The fellowship is worth up to 1,000.
Web id: 257164
Email: bookcentre@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Deadline: 17 January 2016 [53]
STFC awards
The Science and Technology Facilities
Council invites applications for its innovations partnership scheme. This aims
to transfer technology and expertise
developed through STFC funding to the
Physics awards
The Institute of Physics invites nominations for the following awards:
Born medal and prize, worth 3,000
(2,200).Web id: 160145
Bragg medal and prize, worth 1,000.
Web id: 1164750
early-career awards, worth 1,000
each. Web id: 160158
gold medal awards, worth 1,000
each. Web id: 160120
the Isaac Newton medal, worth
1,000. Web id: 174695
the Kelvin medal and prize, worth
1,000. Web id: 1164751
subject awards for distinguished
research achievements in a particular
field, worth 1,000 each. Web id: 174689
Occhialini medal and prize, worth
3,000. Web id: 1161144
Email: awards@iop.org
Deadline: 29 January 2016 [64]
Neuroscience awards
The Biochemical Society invites nominations for the Thudichum medal. This
honours scientists who have made outstanding contributions to neurochemistry
and related subjects. The award is worth
2,000.
Web id: 172592
Email: rowena.mitchell@biochemistry.
org
Deadline: 31 January 2016 [71]
Prehistoric archaeology
The Prehistoric Society invites applications for its research fund. This supports
research into prehistoric archaeology in
any part of the world. Grants are normally
worth between 100 and 1,000 each.
Web id: 198688
Email: prehistoric@ucl.ac.uk
Deadline: 31 January 2016 [74]
Medieval archaeology
The Society for Medieval Archaeology invites applications for its research
grants. Awards worth up to 1,000 are
available to members for research in
medieval archaeology and Viking studies,
for attendance at relevant conferences or
for study tours.
Web id: 1166699
Contact: Dawn Hadley
Email: d.m.hadley@sheffield.ac.uk
Deadline: 31 January 2016 [75]
jobs 11
Jobs
Policy, Management & Support plus Expert Committees
Highlights
Temporary Editorial Researchers
Funding Content (two posts)
20,000 pro rata
*Research
Closing date: 1pm, 16/10/2015
Details: For an application pack
and a short editorial test, please
send your CV and covering letter
to Yael Moscou. Interviews will
be held shortly after the closing
date. Please note that only
successful applicants will be
contacted.
Email: yael.moscou@
researchresearch.com
Editorial Researcher Funding
Content (two posts, one with
Dutch and one with Swedish
language skills) 20,000 pro
rata
*Research
Closing date: 1pm, 16/10/2015
Details: For an application pack
and a short editorial test, please
send your CV and covering letter
to Yael Moscou. Interviews will
be held shortly after the closing
date. Please note that only
successful applicants will be
contacted.
Email: yael.moscou@
researchresearch.com
Experienced Researchers
Programme ARD 2020
Cosmetosciences (2 posts) NS
LE STUDIUM Loire Valley
Institute for Advanced Studies
Closing date: 31/10/2015
Contact: For scientific and
technical questions please
contact Dr Aurlien Montagu Scientific Relations Manager
Email: aurelien.montagu@
lestudium-ias.fr
Tel: +33238211486
Training Manager
NS
International and Scientific
Affairs Department,
Centre for Genomic Regulation
Closing date: 02/11/2015
Details: Applications must
include a presentation letter
addressed to Dr Michela Bertero,
a full CV and two contacts for
further references, and be
submitted online at:
http://recruitment.crg.eu
For more details and the complete
list of jobs, please visit:
www.researchresearch.com/jobs
14 October 2015
12 jobs
POLICY MANAGEMENT &
SUPPORT VACANCIES
Research Administrator
31,342-37,394
Faculty of Science, Deanery,
Open University
Closing date: 19/10/2015
Email: science-recruitment@
open.ac.uk
NIHR School for Public Health
Research Manager (0.5 fte)
41,430-48,873 pro rata (inc
LW)
Research Department of
Clinical, Educational and Health
Psychology,
University College London
Closing date: 20/10/2015
Contact: Sharinjeet Dhiman
Email: s.dhiman@ucl.ac.uk
Technology Transfer Associate
26,537-30,738
Innovation and Enterprise,
University of Kent
Closing date: 21/10/2015
Email: jobs@kent.ac.uk
Commercialisation Manager
40,847-45,954
Enterprise Services,
University of the West of Scotland
Closing date: 22/10/2015
Email: jobs@uws.ac.uk
Research Administrator
29,800-33,860
Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, School of Public
Health, Imperial College London
Closing date: 12am, 25/10/2015
Contact: Dr Elizabeth Hayes
Email: e.hayes@imperial.ac.uk
Enterprise Officer (Funding)
32,600-37,768
Innovation and Enterprise,
University of Kent
Closing date: 25/10/2015
Email: jobs@kent.ac.uk
Tel: 01227 823033
Research Integrity and
Governance Manager
36,309-45,954
Research and Innovation
Services,
University of Southampton
Closing date: 27/10/2015
Email: recruitment@
southampton.ac.uk
Research and Integrity Officer
(Policy and Ethics)
28,695-35,256
Research and Innovation
Services,
University of Southampton
Closing date: 27/10/2015
Email: recruitment@
southampton.ac.uk
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8am Playbook
A highly readable weekday briefing on the day ahead in higher education, plus a review of
the morning papers.
Hot Topics
In-depth coverage of major events from the moment the news breaks with updates as
more information becomes available. Includes a briefing suitable for internal circulation
plus a round-up of reactions and analysis from our team of experienced academics and
observers.
News
Succinct and timely analysis of political developments and market shifts in higher
education to keep you on top of current and emerging trends.
Parliamentary Monitor
Daily updates of all relevant parliamentary activity in the national and devolved
administrations.
Policy Watch
Concise coverage of major events, briefing documents and other policy outputs with
analysis of their implications for universities.
*HE Grid
An online event listing and planning tool to coordinate your universitys representation at
key higher education gatherings.
funding opportunities 15
Colour bursaries
The Society of Dyers and Colourists invites
applications for its bursaries. These support students wishing to develop their
knowledge related to colour education
through either academic or professional
study. Bursaries are worth up to 500 each.
Web id: 1174163
Email: edu@sdc.org.uk
Deadline: 31 January 2016 [77]
Geomorphology awards
The British Society for Geomorphology invites applications for its research
grants. These support scientific activities
and research related to geomorphology.
Grants are worth up to 1,000 each.
Web id: 207743
Email: bsg@geomorphology.org.uk
Deadline: 1 February 2016 [79]
Wellcome engagement
The Wellcome Trust invites expressions of
interest for its international engagement
awards. These support innovative public
or community engagement projects that
explore biomedical research or health in
Africa and Asia. Each award is worth up to
30,000 for up to three years.
Web id: 211201
Email: pegrants@wellcome.ac.uk
Deadline: 19 February 2016 [81]
Leukaemia grants
The Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund invites
applications for its research support
awards. Awards cover capital funding,
equipment and clinical care.
Web id: 212835
Email: info@kklf.org.uk
Deadline: 28 February 2016 [82]
Primate conservation
The Primate Society of Great Britain's
conservation working party invites applications for its conservation grants. These
Conservation fellowship
The Clothworkers' Foundation invites
applications for its conservation research
fellowship. This enables a senior conservator to pursue a research project
sabbatical for two years with the support from their organisation, whilst their
post is back-filled by a recently qualified
conservator. The fellowship is worth up
to 80,000.
Web id: 1158084
Email: foundation@clothworkers.co.uk
Deadline: 4 March 2016 [84]
Hellenic/Aegean studies
The British School at Athens invites applications for the Vronwy Hankey memorial
fund for Aegean studies. This helps with
expenses relating to research in the prehistory of the Aegean and its connections
with the east Mediterranean. Grants are
worth up to 1,000 each.
Web id: 201543
Contact: Tania Gerousi
Email: school.administrator@bsa.ac.uk
Deadline: 1 April 2016 [90]
Plant pathology
The British Society for Plant Pathology
invites applications for its MSc project
bursary fund. This enables MSc students
who are unable to find other sources of
funding to complete the research element
of their course. Bursaries are worth 200
per week for up to 17 weeks and 500 in
total for consumables.
Web id: 1171891
Email: education@bspp.org.uk
Deadline: 1 April 2016 [91]
Respiratory medicine
The British Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology invites applications
for its research and scholarship grants.
These support research and scholarship
projects that contribute to the advancement of oral pathology. Grants are worth
up to 1,000 each.
Web id: 205261
Email: max.robinson@ncl.ac.uk
Deadline: 21 March 2016 [86]
Anthropology awards
Paediatric endocrinology
The European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology invites abstracts for its travel
grants. These enable junior delegates,
such as fellows in training, postdoctoral
and PhD students, to participate in the
society's annual congress. Grants are
worth up to 500 each.
Web id: 1171946
Deadline: 11 April 2016 [93]
Oral/maxillofacial pathology
Postgraduate grants
The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust
invites applications for its postgraduate grants. These support individuals
pursuing postgraduate degrees in any
subject, as well as courses in medicine
or veterinary sciences taken as a second
degree. Grants are worth between 400
Geology bursaries
The Geological Society invites applications for its distinguished geologists
memorial trust bursaries. These assist
geologists in the early years of their
career, particularly those in industry, with
professional development. Each bursary
is worth up to 2,000 which may be used
to cover travel costs or to gain personal
experience.
Web id: 1170921
Email: chartership@geolsoc.org.uk
Deadline: 30 April 2016 [96]
African history
The Royal Historical Society invites applications for the Martin Lynn scholarship.
This supports a postgraduate historian
pursuing research on African history. The
scholarship is worth up to 1,000.
Web id: 205708
Contact: Melanie Ransom
Email: m.ransom@royalhistsoc.org
Deadline: 13 June 2016 [99]
History of science
The British Society for the History of Science invites applications for its master's
degree bursaries. These support students
undertaking master's courses in the history of science, technology or medicine.
Four bursaries, each worth 4,000, are
available.
Web id: 1171881
Deadline: 30 June 2016 [100]
Underwater technology
The Society for Underwater Technology
invites applications for its educational
support fund. This supports high calibre
postgraduate students who are either
starting or continuing a degree related
to one area of marine science, underwater technology or offshore engineering.
Awards are worth up to 4,000 for a full
academic year.
16 funding opportunities
Web id: 1179742
Email: cheryl.ince@sut.org
Deadline: 30 June 2016 [101]
Physiotherapy bursary
Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological
Physiotherapy invites applications for
the Margie Polden memorial bursary. This
enables a physiotherapy student with an
interest in the field of women's health,
obstetrics and gynaecology to attend
the association's annual conference. The
bursary funds conference fees and accommodation, but does not cover travel costs.
Web id: 148304
Email: ruthhawkes@uk-consultants.
co.uk
Deadline: 1 July 2016 [102]
Leukaemia research
Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and
the Academy of Medical Sciences invite
applications for their clinician scientist award. This enables PhD-qualified
haematologists in training to combine
postdoctoral research with specialist
training. The award provides up to four
years support at specialty registrar grade.
Web id: 193087
Contact: Emil Kazounis
Email: ekazounis@beatingbloodcancers.
org.uk
Deadline: 1 August 2016 [104]
Paediatric awards
The European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
invites applications for the following
awards:
the Charlotte Anderson travel award,
worth 3,000 (2,200). Web id: 1169273
paediatric nutrition research award
for young investigators, worth 30,000.
Web id: 1169280
Email: espghan@associationhq.com
Deadline: 31 December 2016 [105]
Chemistry awards
The Royal Society of Chemistry invites
nominations for the following awards:
applied inorganic chemistry award,
worth 2,000. Web id: 255905
bioinorganic chemistry award, worth
2,000. Web id: 255914
environment, sustainability and ener-
Pharmacology awards
The British Pharmacological Society
invites nominations for the Wellcome
gold medal. This is awarded for contributions to pharmacology, based mainly
on research achievements. The award is
worth 2,000.
Web id: 159898
Email: pt@bps.ac.uk
Deadline: 15 March 2017 [114.1]
EU pesticide exposure
Fellowships in Poland
The European Food Safety Authority invites tenders for the provision of a
review of the published exposure data on
pesticides for residents and bystanders,
and for environmental risk assessment.
The tenderer will collect all published
data in the last 25 years on resident and
bystander exposure to pesticides, daily
air concentrations of substances based
on vapour pressure, drift values from
spray, seed and granular applications and
dislodgeable foliar residue. The budget
is worth 250,000 (184,100) over 12
months.
Web id: 1187003
Email: efsaprocurement@efsa.europa.eu
Deadline: 3 November 2015 [116]
EU reshoring
The European Foundation for the
Improvement of Living and Working
Conditions invites tenders for the establishment of an European reshoring monitor. The monitor will capture structured
information on individual reshoring cases
and provide regular reporting on the
phenomenon of reshoring in the EU,
on the kinds of activities involved, the
reasons for the reshoring of the production in question and the employment
consequences of reshoring decisions.
The contract is worth 130,000 (95,700)
over 36 months.
Web id: 1187020
Contact: Lidia Jankowska
Email: osutenders@eurofound.europa.
eu
Deadline: 5 November 2015 [117]
EU rotary wings
Biosciences seminars
europe
highlights
Hypertension research
The European Society of Hypertension
invites proposals for its Servier research
grants. These are awarded for the best
research proposal in the field of hypertension and related diseases with a focus
on end-organ damage, surrogate markers and bio-markers. The grant is worth
30,000 (22,100).
Web id: 1186567
Contact: Giuseppe Mancia
Deadline: 31 January 2017 [124]
europe
other
Renewed opportunities from European
funders, excluding funders based in the UK
Humboldt awards
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation invites nominations for its research
awards. These enable scientists and scholars from all disciplines and countries,
with internationally recognised academic
qualifications, to conduct an original
research project in close collaboration
with an appropriate colleague in Germany. Each award is worth up to 60,000
(44,200), with additional funding for
costs such as language courses or travel.
Web id: 184274
Email: info@avh.de
No deadline [125]
funding opportunities 17
Collaborative travel
The Karolinska Institutet and Mayo Clinic
invites applications for their collaborative
travel awards. These provide support for
transportation and designated housing
at the host site for the proposed period
of collaborative interaction. The award
budget will be determined based on the
proposed travel duration and considering
available institutional housing options
and airfare.
Web id: 1187059
Email: fonder@ki.se
Deadline: 1 November 2015 [128]
Danish fellowships
The Lundbeck Foundation invites applications for its fellowships. These enable
young researchers to establish or develop
their own research groups within biomedicine. Fellowships are worth DKK10
million (986,800) each over five years.
Web id: 1170144
Contact: Ulla Jakobsen
Email: application@lundbeckfonden.
com
Deadline: 14 December 2015 [130]
Allergy fellowships
The European Academy of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology invites applications
for its research fellowships. These support
Cardiology mentorship
The European Society of Cardiology
invites applications for its postdoctoral
mentorship award. This enables mentees to have dedicated time with their
selected mentor, meet new colleagues
and be exposed to a different learning
environment. One award worth 2,000
is available.
Web id: 261120
Email: councils@escardio.org
Deadline: 4 January 2016 [132.1]
Organismal biology
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
and the Max Planck Society invite nominations for the Max Planck research awards.
These recognise excellent scientists and
scholars who are expected to continue
producing academic achievements in international collaboration. The 2016 award
will be conferred in the field of organismal
biology, with a particular focus on sensing the environment. Awards are worth
750,000 (552,200) each.
Web id: 203105
Email: mpf@avh.de
Deadline: 15 January 2016 [133]
Atherosclerosis awards
The European Atherosclerosis Society
invites nominations for its young investigator awards for outstanding publications. These recognise distinction shown
by publications that contribute to the
advancement of knowledge in the field
of atherosclerosis and linked metabolic
disturbances. One prize is awarded for
clinical research and one prize is awarded
for basic research. Each recipient will
receive 2,000 (1,500) and be invited to
make a short presentation at the annual
EAS conference.
Web id: 188335
Email: office@eas-society.org
Deadline: 1 February 2016 [134]
Diabetes research
The European Foundation for the Study
of Diabetes and Novo Nordisk invite
applications for their diabetes research
in Europe programme. This supports initiatives in all areas of diabetes research,
to rapidly diffuse acquired knowledge
and to facilitate its application. Grants
are worth up to 100,000 (73,600) for
basic research and up to 400,000 for
clinical research.
Web id: 1157979
Email: foundation@easd.org
Deadline: 1 February 2016 [135]
Computing fellowships
The European Research Consortium for
Informatics and Mathematics invites
applications for the Alain Bensoussan fellowship programme. This enables earlycareer scientists to conduct research at
leading European centres outside their
own country. Fellowships last for 12
months and provide a monthly allowance worth up to 3,550 (2,600) and
travel expenses. Fellows must spend at
least one week visiting another ERCIM
member institute.
Web id: 254572
Email: fp-info@ercim.eu
Deadline: 30 April 2016 [143]
rest of world
Opportunities from funders outside of the
UK, Europe and the US.
US studies fellowships
The United States Studies Centre at the
University of Sydney invites applications for its visiting scholar fellowships.
These enable academics to take leave
from their home institutions in order
to spend time at the centre in Sydney.
Fellowships include a stipend worth
up to AU$35,200 (16,500) each, as
well as an office, access to the university library, assistance in travelling to
Australia, and finding housing. Each
fellowship is tenable for a duration of
two to 12 months.
Web id: 1172161
Email: ussc.applications@sydney.edu.au
Deadline: 30 November 2015 [144]
UN studies awards
The Academic Council on the United
Nations System invites applications for
its dissertation fellowship award. This
recognises student ACUNS members who
are writing graduate-level dissertations
on topics related to the UN system. The
award is worth US$1,500 (980) and
winners may receive an extra US$650
to register for and travel to the ACUNS
annual meeting.
Web id: 194748
Email: admin@acuns.org
Deadline: 14/01/2016 [145]
usa
nih
Opportunities from the National Institutes
of Health. Recurring NIH calls include the
next closing date only.
18 funding news
usa
other
US funding opportunities available to UK
researchers.
policy diary
December
2 Universities UK: Equality and
Diversity in HE, London.
http://rsrch.co/1LtpB9b
9 WHEF: Scientific Infrastructure
in the UK Investment Criteria,
Partnerships and Policy,
London.
http://rsrch.co/1IoDx6b
Praxis Unico: Fundamentals of
Software Commercialisation,
Loughborough. To 11.
http://rsrch.co/1OpPJXR
Universities UK: Enhancing the
Student Experience, London.
http://rsrch.co/1QA4PJj
12 EPSRC: Council Meeting, London. To 13.
ttp://rsrch.co/1GuHPY9
January
14 WSPF: Developing Regional
Powerhouses in England
Infrastructure, Economic Development and Skills, London.
http://rsrch.co/1GsFn6N
20 Universities UK: Strategic Fundraising for HE Leaders, London.
http://rsrch.co/1UQLuUY
26 AMRC: Essential Research Management, London.
http://rsrch.co/1gcWHls
Universities UK: Innovation
in Teaching and Learning,
London.
http://rsrch.co/1J7lQEC
February
23 AMRC: Developing New Funding
Schemes, London.
http://rsrch.co/1UQIjMW
Universities UK: Developing
Your Access Agreement 201718, London.
http://rsrch.co/1FHV3hR
25 WBF: The Future for Biometric
Data and Technology in the UK,
London.
http://rsrch.co/1LeFGzQ
WHEF: Extending the Global
Reach of UK Universities
Policy Priorities, London
http://rsrch.co/1MOMiX9
March
1 WHEF: The Future for the Catapult Network, London
http://rsrch.co/1LhAUG8
EPSRC: Council Meeting,
London. To 2.
http://rsrch.co/1G7t0IJ
Universities UK: International
Higher Education Forum 2016,
London.
http://rsrch.co/1iIZc0b
10 WHEF: The Changing Shape of
Higher Education Admissions
and Next Steps for Policy on
Widening Participation, London
http://rsrch.co/1BlQVaO
europe 19
europe
europe
in brief
by Laura Greenhalgh
lgnews@ResearchResearch.com
20 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
Ministers
at BIS see
a chance to
save cash
and abolish
quangos, a
cherished Tory
objective.
view 21
More effective is
to allow market
forces to work and
then reinvest in
the home country,
harnessing the
goodwill of
emigrants.
22 analysis
analysis
Nudge unit boss David Halpern might be the Cameron governments most influential
researcher. He spoke with John Whitfield about bridging academia and policy.
The walk from Charing Cross station to David Halperns
office retraces his journey through government. First,
theres Admiralty Arch on Trafalgar Square, where as
a member of Tony Blairs strategy unit Halpern sought
to inject behavioural thinking into policy, only to be
sidelined when a paper on reducing obesity led to newspaper headlines about a coming fat tax.
Moving down Whitehall, one passes Downing
Street, where Halpern spent four years in the Cabinet
Office running the Behavioural Insights Team, a.k.a.
the Nudge Unit. The units formation attracted a fair
amount of ridicule but its interventions were successful enough that Halpern was made national adviser to
the What Works centres, which aim to bring evidence to
public servants. He is now arguably the most influential
researcher of David Camerons premiership.
Last year, the BIT was spun out as Behavioural
Insights Ltd, a social purpose company owned jointly by
its employees, government and the innovation charity
Nesta. It is housed in an office block on Greycoat Street,
10 minutes further on across Parliament Square.
The task of a social purpose company, it transpires,
is to put itself out of business. That would be wonderful, says Halpern, when I ask whether the spread of
behavioural expertise could mean increasing competition. HM Revenue and Customs, he notes, now has a
behavioural team bigger than the original BIT. Were
not trying to build some giant business empire. If we
could live in a world where 70,000 civil servants deeply understand human behaviouroh my God, I would
love to have that problem.
To hasten that end Halpern has just published a
book, Inside the Nudge Unit. Its an introduction to the ideas behind the use of
David Halpern
behavioural science in government and a
manifesto for an experimental, evidence2013-present National
adviser, What Works
based approach to policymaking. While
centres
there have been a number of books from
2010-present Chief
American practitioners of nudge theory
executive, Behavioural
including White House advisers Richard
Insights Team
Thaler and Cass Sunsteinthis is the first
2008-2010 Director,
account of its use in the UK.
Institute for
Government
Its also a history of Halperns time
2001-2007 Chief anaworking inside the machine, albeit, one
lyst, Prime Ministers
suspects, a PG-rated one. We continue
Strategy Unit
to work with many bits of government,
1996-2001 Lecturer,
so you have to be a bit discreet, Halpern
University of
says. He writes, for example, that the BIT
Cambridge
*
*
*
*
*
found itself up against Parliament; 70,000 civil servants across the UK; five million public servants; and of
course the media and public, but he declines to name
any individuals.
In fact, what the books biographical elements most
resemble is the story of a successful start-up. This might
be partly a bid to surf the cultural energy of the tech
industrys creation myths, in which a small team of
geeks disrupts a vast but sluggish incumbent. But it also
surely reflects the reality of getting research applied to
policy. Halperns recipe for influence, while including
intellectual rigour, also makes clear that networking,
marketing, and the location of your office are all crucial.
Thats a lot to ask of an individual academic who
thinks her work might be relevant to policy. Whats
needed, says Halpern are bridge institutionslike the
BIT, the What Works network, and the national academiesthat can bring policy and research together. The
Greycoat Street sign-in book reveals the BITs links to
both worlds, showing visits in recent days with people
from the Cabinet Office, Home Office and the University
of California, Berkeley. We are weak on these bridge
institutions in the UK, Halpern says. The academic
and the policy worlds are too far apart. Its unrealistic to
think people are going to bump into each other.
In seeing himself as a conduit rather than an oracle,
Halpern positions himself differently to those government advisers whose job it is to wrestle with complex
and technical questions so that politicians and civil
servants dont have to. For one thing, he hardly uses
the word advice. The only time the concept crops up in
our conversation is when he mentions the BITs own
academic advisory panel.
The aim instead is to design experiments and present
their findings in a way that puts the user in control, as
with the Educational Endowment Foundations toolkit,
which summarises educational research findings for
classroom staff. This might involve simplification, in the
form of mnemonics or star ratings, but not prescription.
Another feature of the BIT is that, while its office was
at the centre of government, its work happened downstream, at the level of policy implementation rather
than design. An economist might advise on the optimal
rate of income tax; the nudge unit tweaked letters to
Inside the Nudge Unit: How small changes can make a
big difference is published by WH Allen (20).
view 23
24 interesting if true
interesting if true
Neanderthal justice In a science budget press conference on 29 September, Royal Society president Paul
Nurse said ministers would have to be Neanderthals
to make deeper cuts after five years of flat cash for
research. Asked if perhaps he wasnt being fair to the
Neanderthals, Nurse replied: Obviously not, because
Neanderthals would have not caused so much damage!
Bored teenager More evidence of Sajid Javids questionable commitment to higher education and research comes
from the opening to this years Conservative Party conference on 5 October. A beaming skills minister Nick Boles
interviewed Josh, an articulate apprentice with defence
technology firm QinetiQ. So why did you decide to do
an apprenticeship, the minister inquired. Because, said
Josh, the alternative was a degree in theoretical astrophysics, and after three years of study, I wouldnt be
overly interested in theoretical astrophysics anymore.
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