Arts and Humanities e-Science
Projects
EPSRC Perspective
Edinburgh, 6th May 2008
Cora O’Reilly
People and Interactivity, ICT programme
Portfolio manger
2001 RC UK E-Science £98M
ICT programme
EPSRC
JISC
2
£800,000
20%
BBSRC
£8M
0%
EPSRC £17M
MRC £8M
NERC £7M
ESRC £3M
AHRC ICT
programme1
2003, £3.8M
40%
PPARC £26M
60%
Core
e-Science
£15M
80%
Arts and Humanities e-Science Projects
7 inter-disciplinary novel research projects
HPC
£9M
100%
What the EPSRC ICT programme expects from the
Arts and Humanities e-Science programme.
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Provide an opportunity to build links between CS and Arts
Humanities communities.
Maximise the ICT’s exploitation
Embed e-Science as a normal way of researching
Allow CS community to identify new challenges
Proved a user – driven new way of thinking within the CS
community
Two way flow of ideas encouraging innovation
The Whole EPSRC Picture - commitment 2008-11
Living with environmental change
(£9M)
Global threats to security (£6M)
Ageing: life-long health and
wellbeing (£11M)
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THE NEW EPSRC ORGANISATIONAL
Mathematical
STRUCTURE
Sciences
RESEARCH
BASE
Process, Environment &
Sustainability
Materials, Mechanical &
Medical Engineering
Programmes
Cross-Disciplinary
Interfaces
Public Engagement
Physical Sciences
Research Infrastructure
& International
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Information
& Communications
Technology
3 strands of core e-science
activity ongoing via EPSRC
User Support (platform grants)
Including support for e-science
centres
Networking Support
Including support for All Hands
Meeting
Ongoing Facilities Support
Incl OMII and NGS
A work in progress….
Contacts HoP: Jane Nicholson
Portfolio Manager: Sarah Fulford
ICT Programme
Supports research into (amongst many other topics):
• how do humans interact with computers and novel design of computers for effective
use by humans (HCI)
• The development of novel software and hardware that allows humans interact with
computers (UIT)
• Novel image and vision computing, and its application
–Responsive Mode Funding
–Any value, any duration, apply any time
– Discipline Hopping
–Establish new collaborations
–Encourage multidisciplinary and user-driven focus
–Hop to or from ICT for 3 to 12 months
– Signposting Mechanism– perhaps in the future
Contacts: Head of programme- Peter Hedges;
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People and Interactivity- Cora O’Reilly,
Wendy Howie
Digital Economy
Aimed at providing capability in the early adoption of information technologies by
businesses, government and society and focuses on the transformational effect that
these technologies can have.
The Digital Economy is an inherently multidisciplinary programme covering aspects
of engineering, computer science and mathematics along with economics, the arts and
social sciences. Creative Industries has been identified as a key sector.
Currently concentrating on large scale investments
– Doctoral Training Centre
– Multidisciplinary Research Centres
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Back-up
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Core e-Science programme
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The e-Science Core Programme has developed a strategy with 3
strands:
User Support
Including support
for e-science
centres
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Networking
Support
Facilities
Support
Including support
for All Hands
Meeting
Including support
for OMII and
NGS
Core e-Science programme
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User Support:
In August 2007 EPSRC issued a call for platform grants for e-Science
centres.
In March 2008 EPSRC announced 4 platform grants worth almost £4m
(Ed/Glas, Ox/Reading/Soton, Belfast, White Rose Grid).
Intended to provide flexible, underpinning funding to centres to allow
them to take a strategic view of the research programme and help to
embed then within their institutions.
Core e-Science programme
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Networking Support
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In August 2007 EPSRC issued a call for networking activities in eScience
In March 2008 EPSRC announced funding of almost £1m to support:
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o All Hands Meeting 2008-2010
o Engineering Task Force
o The NeSC Information Network
o Digital Repositories in Research
Infrastructures
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Core e-Science programme
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Facilities Support:
In 2008 the e-Science Core Programme will develop plans for the
future support of facilities such as OMII Open Middleware Infrastructure
Institute and the NGS (National Grid Service).