Forthcoming events

Call: The Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics Research Stimulus Fund 2019/20

Deadline: Monday 14 October 2019

The Zepler Institute Research Stimulus Fund is supported by HEFCE’s Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), awarded to the University to help foster collaborations with industry and other users of research.

£80,000 funding available for small-scale research projects which meet the following criteria:

• Have strong industrial relevance
• Lead to large-scale research grant applications which involve industry partners and use of the Zepler Institute Cleanroom Complex
• Preferably involve interdisciplinary collaborations with co-investigators based outside of the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (interdisciplinary collaborations will be strongly favoured)

Apply by Monday 14 October 2019. Terms and Conditions below.

Who can apply:

• The PI for the Stimulus Fund proposal may be based anywhere in the University, however,
• In cases where the PI on the Stimulus Fund proposal is based outside of the ZIPN, the applicant team (i.e. co-investigators) must include an RCUK eligible PI based in the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics
• Junior staff members are also encouraged to participate as Co-Investigators

How to apply:

Submit a one-page (no less than 11pt font and 2cm page margins) case for support, including:

• Project title
• Names and affiliations of all named investigators
• A short scientific case (figures and diagrams are permitted)
• Justification of the industrial relevance of the research, and/or details of any industry partners already engaged (letters of support are not required but may be included as appendices)
• A clear explanation of how the Stimulus Fund project will lead to future large-scale research grant applications with industrial collaborators
• A costed breakdown of resources (pre-approved by Faculty Finance)

Costings

Individual awards are expected to be in the region of £15-£20K, although applications for larger grants will be considered in exceptional circumstances.

All costings must be approved by the PI’s Faculty Finance Team, prior to submitting the proposal. The key FEPS Finance contact for the Fund is Jackie Cox j.cox@soton.ac.uk

Eligible costs

• Researcher time. Please note: does not attract overhead. Staff time for existing members of UoS academic staff or staff from other collaborating organisations is not an eligible cost.
• University facilities (e.g. cleanrooms)
• Equipment (up to £3k)
• Consumables
• Travel e.g. to a partner organisation

Submit your case for support, and any appendices (i.e. letters of support), in a single .pdf file to Ruth Churchill r.churchill@soton.ac.uk by Monday 14 October 2019.

Terms of the award

Awardees with be required to:

• Spend all allocated funds by 31 July 2020 - this is a hard deadline by which time goods must be invoiced and received.
• Produce a one page interim report by 1 March 2019, to include: a) a clear breakdown of the budget spent to date and projected future spending - projects that fail to show a clear plan for spending and evidence that the budget is being spent in a timely manner risk having funds withdrawn, b) an appendix comprising a four-page outline for a large-scale grant proposal,
• Produce a final report by 31 July 2020. Final report to include: a) an impact review of the project, covering i) the impact of the grant in enabling the research project, ii) scientific outputs of the research, publications, patents etc. and, iii) any grant applications submitted/planned supported by the funded research, b) a mature large-scale collaborative grant proposal, with a projected submission date.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the Fund please contact Ruth Churchill r.churchill@soton.ac.uk