Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

1. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1ET Tel (01793) 444000http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ e-mail: infoline@epsrc.ac.ukHelpline (01793) 444100

2. Rosie Beales University Interface ManagerScotland and North East England Tel: 01793 444159 e-mail: rosie.beales@epsrc.ac.uk EPSRCPolaris HouseNorth Star AvenueSwindon SN2 1ET

3. EPSRC MISSION • To promote & support high-quality basic, strategic & applied research & related postgraduate training in engineering & the physical sciences. • To advance knowledge & technology & provide trained engineers & scientists to meet the needs of users, thereby contributing to the quality of life & economic competitiveness of the UK. • To provide advice, disseminate knowledge & promote public understanding in the fields of engineering & the physical sciences.

4. Research Councils DTI Office of Science and Technology EPSRC BBSRC ESRC MRC NERC PPARC CCLRC

5. Planned expenditure 2002/3 Fellowships1.7% Public Awareness0.4% Operations 3.6% Research Grants 76.7% Training 17.5% £498 million

6. Research Proposals • Responsive Mode (no closing dates) • Includes First Grants, Overseas Travel Grants, Visiting Researchers… • Research direction decided by applicant • Main criterion is quality • Calls for Proposals • For research in a particular subject area • Proposal must meet certain criteria to be considered against the call • Assessment criteria will be given

7. Peer Review Process Proposer Peer Group Proposal College Associate Programme Manager Referees One from proposer Two from College Feedback Comments to Applicant Reject NO YES Review Panel Chairman Rank Order Financial Allocations Programme Manager Council Reject Accept

8. Proposals include… • Proposal form (available from www.epsrc.ac.uk) • Case for support (up to 9 pages in total) • Previous research track record (2 sides A4) • Description of proposed research & context (6 sides A4) • Diagrammatic Workplan (1 side of A4) • Annexes can include • Letters of support • Equipment quotes • 2 page CVs for Visiting Researchers & named staff posts

9. Headings for funding • Staff • Travel and subsistence • Consumables • Exceptional items • Equipment • Large Capital • PCTF • Indirect costs

10. STAFF • Payroll costs for research, technical and support staff who will work directly on the project • Project students • Unnamed research assistants awarded at spine point 6 unless an overriding case is made and accepted • Salaries of investigators • Standard percentages for technical and/or administrative support • All must be fully justified

11. TRAVEL & SUBSISTENCE • Conferences should, as far as possible be individually identified and attendance justified • Identify the purpose and destination for each journey and justify • Use most economic and suitable means for each journey • Subsistence rates should be those applicable within the host organisation • Up to £1500 may be sought to pay tuition/registration fees for an RA to attend a relevant short course

12. CONSUMABLES • Should be specified and justified in the case for support • Enter a description of each type or group of consumables and its cost on the form • They may include: Page charges, fieldwork fees, survey costs, software licences, equipment items costing less than £3000, equipment maintenance, access charges, consultancy fees • May provide for the purchase and maintenance of animals used in research

13. EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS • Equipment energy costs which exceed £1000 pa and are separately metered • Equipment insurance specifically related to the project which exceeds £1000 pa • Equipment procurement where other-than-normal tendering costs exceed £2500 pa • Telephone, Fax and special postal costs specific to the project which exceed £1000 pa and are separately metered • Specialist cartography, photography and printing charges which will exceed £2500 over the full grant period • Tuition Fees for Project Students

14. EQUIPMENT • Equipment dedicated to the project costing between £3,000 and £99,999 • Computers • Laboratory/workshop equipment • Major equipment spares and software • Installation costs • Must be justified in the case for support • Quotes required for items over £25,000

15. LARGE CAPITAL • Single items £100,000 and over • Three written quotations are required

16. Public Communication Training Funds • £500 available to academics applying for research grants • Ring fenced for training in presentation to the general public, & media training. • Information on where to seek training is available from our web site

17. INDIRECT COSTS • These should be calculated as 46% of the total staff cost • This addition is intended to meet the indirect central and departmental administrative and service costs • These include financial and personnel services, staff facilities, Public relations, recruitment costs, staff development and training, as well as Departmental clerical, technical and computing support

18. Inadmissible costs • Salaries for investigators • Buildings and premises costs • Recruitment/Advertising, Financial/Personnel costs • Hospitality and Public Relations • General office consumables such as photocopying or typing • Utilities costs, unless explicitly identified under exceptional items (and separately metered) • Basic laboratory consumables, Books journals etc • General computer consumables eg disks and cartridges • Central and distributed computing • Other costs not specifically related to or justified for the project

19. RC Funding; current position FULL ECONOMIC COSTS Direct costs Indirect costs eligible staff costs (e.g. Research Assistants, support staff) Research council contribution to indirect costs = 46% of eligible direct staff costs The institution must find the rest from other sources. other eligible costs (e.g. equipment) ineligible costs (e.g. salary of the Principal Investigator) Eligible – RC will pay these costs Shaded area – what RC will fund

20. FULL ECONOMIC COSTS Direct costs Indirect costs Research Council pays 60-70% of full costs The institution must find the rest from other sources. RC funding; proposed model

21. Consider Audience • Referees • Comments sought from referees - as expert reviewers • Asked to provide detailed comments • EPSRC provides prompts to clarify criteria and help structure comments • Prioritisation Panel • Will include researchers from broader subject area • or, Managed Programme Panel

22. Referee Prompts • Research Quality • Methodology • Adventure in Research • Research impact • Collaboration – Academic & Non-Academic • Dissemination • Planning and project management • Justification for resources

23. What does a responsive mode panel do? Generate list of research proposals, in priority order for funding Based on: • Assessment of the referees • Applicants response to referees • Any technical assessment

24. Panel Assessment Criteria Primary criteria = overall quality of proposal Other factors taken into account, where relevant, are: • Level of adventure • Multi-disciplinarity • Involvement of new/young academics • Impact/collaboration

25. Panel Guidance on Resources • If the need for resources is not clear from the proposal, it should be reflected in the place in the rank ordered list • Changes should not be made to the resources requested. Ask for the level of resources you need & justify them

26. Good Proposals… • Are about excellent research • Are clear about the ideas & work plan (what will be done when & how the parts relate) • Justify resources • Cite all key publications

27. You might also consider… • What it would be like to referee the proposal • Having experienced colleagues “review” your proposal • Looking at successful proposals may help you with structure • Whether panel members will want to read your proposal (are the title and abstract well written)

28. Feedback before panel • You have an opportunity to respond to referee comments • Response to referees is a key input to the process • Read referee comments carefully and provide a balanced response

29. In summary… • Why do you want to do this research? You need to convince your peers its worth doing… • Bear in mind the assessment criteria and audiences (referee and panel prompts) • Read guidance notes for completion of the form (see www.epsrc.ac.uk)