This roundup include Research Council, Innovate and EU funding, regional funding, NIBB Network funding and some miscellaneous funding opportunities, as well.
Research Council, Innovate and European Funding
Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (BBSRC NIBB) Phase II
Community meeting: 17.01.18.
Expression of interest deadline: 24.01.18 at 16:00
BBSRC, in association with EPSRC, has announced a call of up to £10 million to fund a second phase of Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (BBSRC NIBB). They intend to fund a number of Networks, of varying scales, focusing on a broad range of fundamental and strategic challenges and questions facing the IBBE area. Networks will operate for up to 5 years and are expected to become self-sustaining beyond this.
See: www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/filter/networks-in-industrial-biotechnology-bioenergy-phase2 .
INNOVATE: Open sector competition round 4
Innovate UK’s competition is open to the best business-led cutting-edge or disruptive ideas or concepts with a view to commercialisation. Total eligible project costs must be within the range £25,000 to £1,000,000. Projects may last between 6 and 36 months.
Deadline: 28th February 2018
KTN will be hosting briefing events for Innovate UK’s January 2018 sector competition for Health & Life Sciences and Emerging & enabling Technologies. Deadline: 28th March 2018.
Innovate UK is to invest up to £19 million to support innovation that offers significant changes in productivity and cutting-edge innovation. The competition has 2 strands, strand 1 is for health and life sciences projects and strand 2 is for emerging and enabling technologies projects. A further £12 million is available to fund Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).
All projects must involve at least one SME, working alone or in collaboration with other organisations. Projects with costs over £100,000 must be collaborative and include a funded partner. The competition will open on the 22nd January and you must apply before 28th March. Further details about the scope of the competition will be available shortly.
KTN will be hosting a series of briefing events for the competition throughout January and February. More information is available below regarding the strands and the briefing events.
Science Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Bridging for Innovators (B4I) is a programme to support UK industry in improving productivity . It started in 2017 and will end in March 2021.
ESRC: GCRF New models of sustainable development: Transitions towards sustainable and inclusive societies
See: www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/funding-opportunities/gcrf-new-models-of-sustainable-development/ .
NERC Large Grants call
Grants range between £1.2 million and £3.7m at 100 per cent full economic cost, with a duration of up to five years. Deadline 13th March 2018
See: www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/researchgrants/large/ .
Horizon 2020 Calls
Horizon 2020 is the EU’s €77 billion research and innovation funding scheme running from 2014 to 2020. BEIS has further clarified Horizon 2020 underwrite for UK participants.
- Blue Growth – aims at sustainably harvesting the potential of resources from seas, oceans and inland waters for different uses and across the range of marine and maritime industries.
Deadline: 13th February 2018
- Eurostars – Open to all projects in all technology areas and market fields, but projects must have a civilian purpose.
Deadline: 1st March 2018
- Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for sustainable and competitive agriculture, forestry, agri-food and bio-based sectors – SMEs can play a crucial role in developing resource-efficient and cost-effective solutions to secure sufficient supplies of safe, healthy and high quality food and other bio-based products. Various deadlines.
Regional Funding
Bristol Sustainable Energy Research Fund
There is a fund of £10K available to support researchers wishing to investigate or evaluate the relationship between people and energy. Research should produce insight that contributes to the development of a more sustainable, equitable and democratically accountable energy system in the South West of England. Unusually this is not limited to academic applicants provided there is a demonstrable publication history. Closing date: 31st January 2018. See: www.bserf.org.uk/guidance-for-applicants .
BDC ERDF Funding for bio-based innovation
The Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) has secured further ERDF funding to help Yorkshire businesses grow through bio-based innovations. The BDC is offering 120 pre-funded projects, value £1000, for eligible local businesses by 2018.
See: www.biorenewables.org/service/funded-support-for-regional-smes/ .
NIBB Network Funding
C1Net
Final BIV Call Closes 31st May 2018. See: www.c1net.co.uk/Funding.html .
FoodWasteNet
Final BIV call closes on 28th February 2018. There is still funding available for up to 7 projects (of up to £10,000). See: http://www.foodwastenet.org/ .
HVCfP
Final BIV round closes 16th January 2018. See: https://hvcfp.net/ .
PHYCONET Secondment funding
Deadline: 1st February 2018.
It is worth keeping track of various grants and awards available in the sector. For example, Bio-start is an annual competition designed to commercialise the engineering of biology. See: www.bio-start.uk/#competition .
Other Funding
L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women In Science Awards
The Fellowships are tenable at any UK or Irish university or research institute to support a 12-month period of early career research in any area of life, physical and computer sciences, engineering and mathematics. See: www.womeninscience.co.uk .
Deadline: 16th February 2018
Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowships
These enable early- and mid-career engineering academics to conduct a collaborative research project in an industrial environment. Fellowships are worth up to £30,000 each and are tenable for up to six months full-time or 12 months part-time. Deadline: 5th February 2018
Royal Academy of Engineering: Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships
These aim to strengthen the links between industry and academia by supporting academics in conducting use-inspired research that meets the needs of industrial partners.
Deadline: 6th March 2018
See: www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/support-for-research/research-chairs .
Defra Farm Productivity Grants
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has opened a £40 million grants scheme for investment in farm technology and equipment to boost farm productivity. Grants are available under the Countryside Productivity Scheme. See: www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-secretary-opens-40-million-fund-to-boost-farm-productivity .