RIS Active-Research and Innovation Services News

Please find below a list of Horizon 2020 Information Days and Brokerage events. These events are free but registration is essential and allocation is on a first-come first-served basis.

For more information contact Conny Jumel (k.jumel@kent.ac.uk).

H2020 Cloud Computing and Software Technologies
London [Inmarsat Conference Centre] 20 November 2015 10:00-17:00
Event will focus on ICT-6-2016: Cloud Computing and ICT-10-2016: Software Technologies.
http://tinyurl.com/UKInfoDay-CloudComp-SWTechs

H2020 Robotics and Autonomous Systems – Networking Event
London [Mary Ward House Conference and Exhibition Centre] 1 December 2015
H2020 ICT Topics:
> ICT-25-2016-2017: Advanced robot capabilities research and take-up
> ICT-26-2016: System abilities, development and pilot installations
The event will also feature topics from other thematic areas which involve RAS technologies in
some shape or form. Event’s URL can be found here

H2020 Big Data Topics 2016 – Brokerage Event

London [ICO Conference Centre] 8 December 2015 10:00-17:00 Big Data PPP Topics 2016:

• Cross-Sectorial and Cross-Lingual Data Integration and Experimentation

• Large Scale Pilot actions in sectors best benefiting from data-driven innovation

• Support, industrial skills, benchmarking and evaluation

• Privacy-preserving big data technologies

The event’s URL can be found here

FET Workshop 2015

London [BIS Conference Centre] 24 November 2015 10:00-16:00

Following last year’s FET Workshop, this 2015 follow-up will focus on the new FET WP 2016-2017 and corresponding funding opportunities.

Note that the number of places is limited so booking is essential for this event.

The event’s URL can be found here

Information and Stakeholders’ Day on Smart Wearables 

Brussels, 11 December 2015.

The purpose of the event is to provide participants with information on the forthcoming Horizon 2020 call on the Internet of Things. Future challenges and opportunities in the smart wearables sector will be discussed, and networking opportunities provided.

Participation is free of charge, but registration by 30 November 2015 mandatory.

Allocation will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Grants Factory

EPSRC Mock Panel

7^th December, 2–4 pm

Venue: tbc

 December’s Grants Factory session will provide an insight into how the EPSRC assesses applications.

• Firstly, UoK Senior Academics who are experienced EPSRC panellists, from across the Faculty will give an overview of the priorities and processes of the EPSRC, outlining how your proposal will be assessed;
• Secondly, there will be a ‘mock’ panel, at which you will assess, discuss and rank a number of real applications, and decide which should be funded. This session will be chaired and guided by the experienced panellists. This is invaluable to help understand the issues and difficulties faced by the EPSRC panels, which will, in turn, help you to focus and draft your application more effectively.

Given the nature of the mock panel exercise, places are strictly limited, and allocated on a first come, first served basis, although priority will be given to those currently working on an application and / or applying for their first EPSRC grant. If you have recently had an EPSRC application (First Grant, Responsive mode or a Targeted call), sent out for external review and subsequently rejected or funded and you would like your application to be used in the mock panel, please get in touch. Or if you have an EPSRC application in an advanced draft stage, this could also be used for the mock panel.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. The event is free, but do let Helen Leech (h.leech@kent.ac.uk) or Carolyn Barker (c.m.barker-47@kent.ac.uk) know if you would like to take part or if you have any questions.

The Quantitative Social Science (QSS) section of the Eastern ARC has £2000 of seed funding available to support staff in research activities that promote and enhance research collaboration in QSS across Eastern ARC institutions (University of Kent, Essex and East Anglia).  Details about the fund, the application process and the application form are attached. The deadline for applications, which should be sent to the Eastern ARC Officer Sarah Tetley <S.R.Tetley-8@kent.ac.uk> is Monday 30th November 2015.

Please direct any questions or enquiries to Hannah Swift <H.J.Swift@kent.ac.uk> or  Heejung Chung <H.Chung@kent.ac.uk>

In the past ECRs and postdocs have been able to attend Graduate School training courses, but priority has been given to postgraduate students. As such staff might not have been aware that these courses are available to them.

I’m currently arranging the programme of workshops and events for the ECR Network, and I thought it would be worth highlighting the excellent programme offered by GS which complements and broadens the training available to those at an early stage of their career. Do take the opportunity to look at their workshops, and sign up (via this link) for those that may be useful to your career or personal development.

This year’s programme includes:

• Measuring research impact;
• Visual and multimedia resources for the arts and humanities;
• Data and privacy;
• Skills for navigating research ethics and integrity;
• Intellectual property in the research context;
• Managing your research project;
• Fundamentals of statistics;
• Presentation skills;
• Using the media to publicise your research;
• Visual communication of social science research;
• How to create an exciting podcast;
• Academia and social media;
• Engaging the public with your research;
• Conference and event organising;
• Academic entrepreneurship;
• Career planning in the Sciences/Social Sciences/Humanities;
• Managing academic relationships;
• Managing your time effectively;
• Managing self-confidence and handling criticism effectively;
• Leading myself, leading others;
• Building and developing effective teams;
• Negotiation;
• Coaching;
• Publishing rights and wrongs: an introduction to copyright and open access.

More details of the ECR Network sessions will be available shortly.

The University’s second annual Research Prize competition is open for nominations. The Prizes recognise exceptional achievements in research and are open to all research active staff and doctoral students at Kent.

The following prizes will be offered annually:

• Three University Prizes (worth £1,000 each)
  • University Research Prize
  • University Early Career Research Prize
  • University Postgraduate Research Prize

• Nine Faculty Prizes (worth £500 each)

• Faculty Research Prize (one to be awarded per Faculty)
• Faculty Early Career Research Prize (one to be awarded per Faculty)
• Faculty Postgraduate Research Prize (one to be awarded per Faculty) 

Note that the insert in this term’s newsletter contained a typo on the award amounts; the above figures are correct. The financial prize will take the form of a transfer to the winner’s School budget, and can be used for travel and subsistence in relation to research, including conference fees, books, consumables, survey costs, or any cost that can be shown to relate to their research.

For more information and the nomination form, go to: http://www.kent.ac.uk/researchservices/prizes.html

For details of last year’s winners, go to: http://www.kent.ac.uk/research/prizes/

Pascal Dissard from the European Research Council Executive Agency will visit the university on the 25^th of September. The meeting will take place in Keynes Lecture Theatre 2, starting at 9:45. The presentation on ERC schemes, statistics and future plans will be followed by a question and answer / discussion session and 1:1 sessions for potential applicants.

Contact Conny Jumel (k.jumel@kent.ac.uk) if you would like to attend and whether you would like to book a 1:1 session.

With ever more time pressures preventing academics from applying for grants, it is increasingly essential for researchers to be savvy about their approach to funding.

The landscape is changing, Research Councils are working together more than ever before, Innovate UK is thriving and funding with the emerging powers, such as China and Brazil is booming.

Finding your funding niche and developing a long-term plan to access, larger, collaborative and more sustainable funding gives researchers the edge.

We are delighted to invite Dr Becky Steliaros, who with 12 years’ experience of working as a programme manager and head of impact for EPSRC, is now a top research consultant for many of the UK’s major Universities, EPSRC and RCUK. She is currently leading EPSRC reviews into High-performance computing, REF Impact Case studies and advising University Science Departments on how to grow and win research funding. She will be delivering three talks, open to all Science researchers with the final session particularly appropriate for academics/groups who wish to be competitive for longer and larger research funding in the next 5 years.  There will be ample opportunity for individuals/groups to meet with Becky in the afternoon to discuss their funding plans and direction.

6 May 2015
Grimond Lecture Theatre 3
Agenda

• 11.45 – 12.30  The external funding landscape and your role in it
  • The Impact agenda: How do I make it work for me?
  • Exploring innovative ways to increase the chances of/accelerate impact?
  • EPSRC’s evolving strategy
•  12.30 – 13.00  Increasing your own success rate
  • Tips and Techniques: What do reviewers and panel members really look for?
• 13.00 – 13.45  Lunch (Alpha Foyer, Grimond)
• 13.45 – 14.45  Positioning yourself for larger, collaborative grants in the next 5 years (Programme, Fellowship, Doctoral Training Centre)
  • Being more strategic – a range of tools to help you think about your research career and how to better position yourself for success.

Participants will come away with a more in-depth understanding of the funding landscape, a range of new ideas for different ways of thinking about their research portfolio and a better understanding of steps that they could take in order to increase their chances of success.

Please let me know if you are interested in attending this event so I can organise the catering for lunch.

Additionally if you are interested in booking a 1:1 slot with Becky, please contact me ASAP.  She will be available from 14.45 – 17.00.  She is happy to advise on major funding applications and/or strategic direction.

This year’s visit by UKRO, the UK Research Office, will take place on the 12th May in Grimond Lecture Theatre 3. UKRO’s mission is to promote effective UK engagement in EU research, innovation and higher education activities by providing information about funding opportunities and EU research policy development.

There will be two presentations: Horizon 2020 – the first year and How to influence future work programmes,  and there will also be an opportunity to discuss any specific questions with the advisor in 1:1 sessions (to be booked in advance).

The full programme will be circulated in due course.

This year’s UKRO visit coincides with the University of Kent’s annual Europe Day celebrations at the Canterbury Campus.  A range of activities are planned including a European Opportunities Fair, European food, Treasure Hunt, Photo Competition, Petanque tournament, language learning and more.