Funding for research studentships being offered to marine companies
Industrial CASE is a project that allows industry to drive the research project of their choice according to their business needs. It provides funding for PhD studentships where businesses take the lead in arranging projects with an academic partner of their choice.
All research students are based at a university, but must spend part of their time with the company. The company must provide a placement for a period of at least 3 months over the duration of the studentship. The company is required to ensure sufficient time is allocated during the placement to fulfill all aspects of the training being provided.
The company must make financial contributions to the training of the student:
- A contribution to the academic institution towards the cost of the project. The minimum top-up contribution is ~ £21,765 over the 3.5 years (i.e., equivalent to 1/3 of the EPSRC award of ~£65,294) to be paid directly to the university. Part of this contribution may be used towards increasing the student stipend.
- Expenses, such as the cost of travel and accommodation, incurred by the student as a direct result of attendance at the premises of the company.
Proposals may be submitted by companies with a UK research and/or manufacturing base. Applications from spinout companies wishing to collaborate with their originating university will not be considered: collaborations must be with a separate institution.
Projects must be within Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's (EPSRC) remit. See
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchFunding/Opportunities/ResponsiveMode/EPSRCRemit.htm
Proposals will be judged on their quality according to the assessment criteria. However, the aim is for the pool competition to create opportunities for SMEs, and for companies wishing to engage in new collaborations.
Around half of the available awards will be for SMEs, depending on the overall number and quality of applications. An SME is defined as a company with fewer than 250 employees, annual turnover not exceeding 50 million Euros or a balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million Euros and conforming to the criteria of independence (under 25% owned by any company not meeting the above criteria excepting venture capital companies or institutional investors who exercise no control).
If you want to take advantage of this offer you will need to be quick as the deadline for applications is 5th June 2009, however, there will be further calls for funding in the future. For more information email icasepool09@epsrc.ac.uk
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