EPSRC Fellowships Call
2011/12
Matt Davis and Andrew Clark
BEAMS School Research Facilitators
Agenda
• Introduction to changes
• Muki Haklay, CEGE (Challenging Engineering)
• Martijn Zwijnenburg, Chemistry (CAF)
• Andrew Fisher, P&A
• 5 Key Messages
• Application numbers
• First steps
• Our support
1. Be a (Developing) Leader
• “Developing Leaders award” (not “fellowship”)
• Need to demonstrate leadership (potential) and
clear long-term vision
• Highly competitive - for outstanding researchers
only!
• Mentoring from existing EPSRC leaders
• Partnering with the best
2. Get the right package
• ...for you and EPSRC
• Use flexibility on offer
• <5/3 years?
• <100% (teaching, consulting, admin)
• Research team
• (International) visits, partnering, time in
industry, multi-disc collaboration...
• Traditional model might be appropriate (but
in minority of cases)
3. Be “important”
• Case: Fit to EPSRC strategy
• “Importance” criterion in panels and review
forms:
Please comment on the extent to which the proposal demonstrates how the
research would underpin or contribute to:
- Societal challenges (including EPSRC Challenge Themes)
- Other research areas
- The success of the UK economy
- Emerging industry
• Start with:
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ourportfolio/Pages/defa
ult.aspx
4. Apply at the right time
• “Expect” priorities valid for one year
• September or March
• Have clear idea why now
• Consider fit to specification and address in
Case
5. Get (Dep./Fac./College) support
• Emphasis on strong host buy-in and support
• Mentoring
• Infrastructure
• Studentships
• Strong Host Institution Letter of Support
Include details of
• The process that the institution has used to identify the candidate
• Why the candidate has been chosen
• Strong expectation from EPSRC to fully
support fewer applicants
Application numbers (our estimate!)
EPSRC budget (first 2 rounds) = £45M
70 fellows (first 2 rounds)
35 fellows across 7 Programmes (first round)
5 fellows/Programme (first round)
UCL target = 10% (7 total)
Target 35 applications (20% success rate)
• UCL-wide limit to 5 applications/Programme
• Sign-off from HoD and Dean
• Let us know asap!
matthew.davis@ucl.ac.uk
First steps
• Check the topic area (if in doubt ask EPSRC)
• Re-read the call document
• Make early contact with your HoD
• Pitch your initial idea to colleagues
• Talk to us...
Our support
• One-to-one support (email, phone, regular
catch-ups)
• Commenting on drafts
• Support with paperwork (e.g. Pathways to
Impact, JoR)
• Institutional Letters of Support
• Weekly drop-in sessions (TBA)
• Workshops/seminars:
• Mock panel
• Pathways to Impact
• Grant proposal 101
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research/beams
funding/
http://twitter.com/#!/UCL_BEAMS_SRF
matthew.davis@ucl.ac.uk