Open Calls

British Academy Global Professorships

The British Academy have launched their Global Professorships scheme for 2023. The scheme offers funding for four years to support an academic based outside of the UK at the time of application to undertake high-risk, curiosity-driven research in the humanities and social sciences to be hosted in a UK research institution. The scheme offers up to £900,000 to support this endeavour. Further details about the scheme can be found on the British Academy webpages.

The College is permitted to submit up to four applications to the scheme, Departments are invited to submit 1 application each to the internal process to determine candidates to be submitted to The British Academy. Two-page outlines should be sent by the Head of Department or their delegate to researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk by 12pm on Friday 1 September 2023. Costings are not required at this stage.

For further detail contact Dr Mark Bambury

---

Leverhulme International Professorships

The Leverhulme Trust have announced the final round of the Leverhulme International Professorships, this provides and opportunity for universities to recruit excellent research leaders of any nationality, currently working outside the UK, in order to fill strategically important positions in this country. Grants are for a period of five years. Institutions are permitted to submit one bid.

Applications should include the following:

• A two page statement setting out how the appointment meets the strategic objectives of the institution and its significance more generally in the UK context;
• A one page statement from the professorial candidate setting out how the appointment is important and interesting to them and how they expect the post will contribute to their career development and that of their team, brief details of key staff and their planned contribution should also be included;
• A two page CV for the candidate;
• Applications should also include email confirmation of approval for the recruitment by the relevant Faculty Dean.

For further detail contact Dr Mark Bambury

---

Turing AI World-Leading Researcher Fellowships: round three

EPSRC have advertised the Turing AI World-Leading Researcher Fellowships: round three – UKRI. This is a a full outline call for which the College is limited to three submissions.

Candidates wishing to be put forward by College are asked to submit their four-page outline and a 200 word statement of support from their Head of Department to researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk by Thursday 10 August 2023 at 1600.

Candidates who are considering being put forward are kindly requested to send an email to researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk by Monday 17 July 2023, this is not mandatory but will help to understand demand.

For further detail contact Dr Mark Bambury

---

EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowships

EPSRC has announced the release of this year’s EPSRC Postdoctoral Prize Fellowships 2023 scheme.

EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship call guidance

Applicants should complete the Qualtrics survey (link in the guidance) by 15 August 2023 at 12pm, further details can be found in the call guidance. Only candidates selected by the Department should complete the Qualtrics form, other applications not approved by a Department will not be considered.

For further detail contact Dr Mark Bambury

---

Network Plus opportunities

A number of “Network Plus” funding opportunities are currently open – Research Organisations can only act as the lead on one submission to each of the below calls. The Funding Strategy team will therefore be running a combined demand management process across these opportunities. Details of this process are below, as is key information about these calls that should be understood before considering leading a proposal. Note that, additionally, individuals can be Project Lead on an application to only one of the below funding opportunities. 

• Resilient UK coastal communities and seas Network Plus (funders ESRC, AHRC, NERC, UKRI, Defra)
• Dementia Network Plus (funders ESRC, NIHR, Alzheimer’s Society)
• Polarities and Regions Network Plus (funders ESRC, AHRC, EPSRC, NERC)
• Behavioural Science for Security and Defence Network Plus (funders ESRC, UKRI)
• Modelling UK supply chains as complex systems for resilience (funders BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, AHRC, NERC, Innovate UK, STFC)
• Policy Talent Accelerator (funder ESRC)

Internal management process

1. 26 July, 4pm - Expressions of intent should be submitted to researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk. This is not mandatory but will help us assess demand and interest more widely.

• Applicant Name and Department
• Funding opportunity of interest and whether this is as lead or a collaborator
• Brief overview of proposal (max 200 words)

   2. 4 September, 4pm – Submit reduced length proposals where Imperial is lead to researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk for review and selection by the September Research Advisory Group (RAG) if more than 1 proposal is submitted to any opportunity

• State funding opportunity of interest, Project Lead name and department
• Team composition list and summary of proposed work – max 1 page
• Vision and approach – max 4 pages (use call guidance for content)
• Use and management of flexible fund – max 1 page (use call guidance for content)

3. 12 October, 4pm – UKRI deadline for selected proposals

Key call background

A Network Plus is a strategic investment that brings together new or disparate communities from across the research and development system and identifies, prioritises and develops emerging research and knowledge exchange challenges. It provides leadership across disciplines and sectors, continues to expand its connections and relationships throughout the duration of its funding, and tailors its activities to the needs in its area. A Network Plus is expected to establish and maintain appropriate links with relevant activities and research users to achieve its aims of increasing collaborative working across disciplines and sectors, and connecting the research and innovation landscape.

The Network’s core team will build sustained engagement and collaboration on emerging research and knowledge exchange areas, engage research users and run training and capacity building activities for core staff and those in the wider network and beyond. The Network’s core team should therefore have suitable capability and capacity to undertake activities such as:

• workshops
• events
• communications
• undertake projects (which could be research, scoping, knowledge exchange, evidence synthesis, capacity building, methods development, or other relevant activity)
• produce key outputs
• secondments
• horizon scanning

As part of running the Network Plus the team will be expected to use part of the grant funding to develop and run opportunities for small projects and other activities. These opportunities are an important way of bringing individuals and organisations into the network and growing connections. Activities can take place at any point during the grant, but their timing should be considered and justified. The Network’s core team members should not be supported by this flexible fund.

---

Recurring calls

AXA Chair and Fellowship

For further detail contact Dr Louise Sherlock

There are two opportunities per year to put someone forward for an AXA Chair or Fellowship position (note Fellowship calls are for specific research areas). Imperial is only permitted to submit one candidate per round to each call, and the process is managed centrally. More information about these opportunities can be found on the AXA Chair position webpage or the Fellowships webpage

AXA Chair

The Chair scheme is primarily to attract an individual to the College and Departments should initially approach researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk stating the individual that they wish to attract and the strategic benefit to the College of pursuing an application. If the Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) is convinced of the strategic need, and the College has not met its application limit, the department will be informed of the next steps to continue the process.

AXA Fellowship

Interested candidates' Departments should initially approach researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk stating the individual that they wish to put forward/attract, why AXA is the best route to support them, and the strategic benefit to the College of pursuing an application. If the Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) is convinced AXA is an apropriate fit for the candidate, and the College has not met its application limit, the department will be informed of the next steps to continue the process.

---

NERC 'Pushing the Frontiers of Environmental Science Research' rounds (July and January closing dates)

For further detail contact Dr Louise Sherlock

In 2015, NERC introduced a Demand Management quota system, whereby institutions whose 6-round success rate for the former Standard Grants (response mode, including New Investigator grants) fell below 20% received a cap on the number of proposals they could submit for that financial year's rounds. Imperial is currently subject to this demand management quota, which is being applied to the new Pushing the Frontiers scheme. To manage the cap and increase the quality of proposals being submitted to avoid future restriction, an internal review group has been established to aid in the support (and selection where required) of bids. For more information view the NERC Demand Management webpage.

For further details of how to submit your proposal to the internal NERC Proposals Review Group and the key dates for the next upcoming round under Demand Management measures, please visit our dedicated NERC Internal Demand Management page.

---

EPSRC Strategic Equipment

For further detail please contact Mark Bambury.

EPSRC strongly encourages a strategic approach to the submission of business cases and therefore the College has agreed the following internal selection process, in an effort to manage the timing of bids for maximal success and to provide an opportunity for Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), to offer institutional approval to bids.

Round 3:

• Noon Tuesday 6 June 2023 – Candidates to submit their business case to researchoffice.fundingstrategy@imperial.ac.uk (attn. Mark Bambury)
• End of June 2023 –Decisions announced as soon as possible
• No EPSRC deadline for outline submissions (EPSRC advise that applicants should target submission by Late-August to meet anticipated Outline Panel date)
• Tbc by EPSRC (Anticipated to be September 2023) -  EPSRC Outline Panel date
• Tbc by EPSRC – EPSRC deadline for full applications
• Tbc by EPSRC – EPSRC Interview Panel date (provisional)

Additional information can be found on the EPSRC Strategic Equipment process webpage

Below are the calls that have been pre-announced and are expected to need management. A process for these calls will be announced as soon as possible.