Funding

The Synthetic Biology ERA-NET (ERASynBio) is pleased to announce its 1st joint call for transnational research projects in Synthetic Biology. The call will be open until 26 August 2013 and represents a unique opportunity for Europe and the USA to build Synthetic Biology capacity through innovative transnational projects. Together, the 13 funding agencies involved in this call expect to support around 15,500,000 €of Synthetic Biology research, which can be described as a multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of life sciences, engineering and information technology. The 1st joint call will address broad research areas within Synthetic Biology, based on the following definition:“Synthetic Biology is the engineering of biology: the deliberate (re)design and construction of novel biological and biologically based parts, devices and systems to perform new functions for useful purposes, that draws on principles elucidated from biology and engineering.” The projects could originate from one or more of the following scientific (sub) fields: Metabolic engineering: Attaining new levels of complexity in modification of biosynthetic pathways for sustainable chemistry. Regulatory circuits: Inserting well-characterised, modular, artificial networks to provide new functions in cells and organisms. Orthogonal biosystems: Engineering cells to expand the genetic code to develop new information storage and processing capacity (xeno nucleic acids) and protein engineering. Bionanoscience: Developing molecular-scale motors and other components for cell-based machines or cell-free devices to perform complex new tasks. Minimal genomes: Identifying the smallest number of parts needed for life as a basis for engineering minimal cell factories for new functions. Protocells: Using programmable chemical design to produce (semi-)synthetic cells. In order to overcome fragmentation and to establish a true interdisciplinary research, proposals will be expected to demonstrate a biology-chemistry/or -informatics/ or-mathematics/ or-physics/ or-engineering interface. Each proposal must involve a minimum of three partners from at least three different European funding countries participating in the call (consortia involving US-partners must involve partners from a minimum of four countries). Moreover, applicants must carefully outline their main ethical, societal and regulatory implications and ensure that projects adhere to the principles of EGE opinion No. 25(http://ec.europa.eu/bepa/european-group-ethics/docs/opinion25_en.pdf) or the respective US guidelines for US partners(http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf13001/nsf13_1.pdf). Project duration will be between two and three years. This call is centrally coordinated by the ERASynBio Joint Call Office, which is led by Project Management Jülich (PtJ), Germany. The funding partners are opening the call simultaneously in their respective countries, but the ERASynBio Joint Call Office will act as the central contact point for all project coordinators.

Grants may be made to Fellows of the Society and Members of the Young Academy of Scotland for travel and subsistence connected with research or scholarship and are usually given for short visits not exceeding four weeks. It is expected that Fellows will make a substantial contribution to meetings and conferences that they attend, and will, whenever possible, also spend some time on research collaboration, or other associated work during their visit. Following the award of a Travel Grant no further application can be made until 24 months have elapsed from the date of the meeting at which the Committee made the award. With respect to successive applications for such support over a period of time, unless there are special circumstances, consistent failure to obtain external support could adversely affect the chance of a grant. The limit for travel within the United Kingdom is £300; for a visit to Europe, £500; elsewhere, £950. Fellows are normally expected to seek funds from other United Kingdom grant giving sources e.g. Royal Society, British Academy, British Council, Arts Council, or employing institutions. Fellows/Members are also encouraged to seek support from sources outwith the United Kingdom. In the event that the time of the proposed visit and the meetings of the Grants Committee and any other funding body concerned require simultaneous applications to be made, the RSE will make a provisional grant on the understanding that the Society will be reimbursed appropriately when the amount awarded from other sources has been decided. If a Fellow is ineligible for, or has failed to obtain, a grant from other sources, he/she may apply for the overall costs, subject to limits already stated, and to the two-year rule. As with all RSE grants, applications should be made at least four months in advance of the travel for which support is being sought. Retrospective applications will not be considered.

A new initiative that provides funding and support to help deliver events to discuss, improve awareness and enable the sharing of best practice as to how knowledge exchange and commercialisation (KEC) can deliver benefits to the economy and society from the excellent research and capabilities funded by BBSRC. Background BBSRC has a responsibility to enable the optimal and successful application of the outcomes of the excellent research and capabilities it funds. It must ensure the widest benefit to society and the economy both within and beyond the UK. Such application may lead to direct financial impact through commercialisation or, more commonly, through the development of research outcomes to deliver wider benefit in a range of different areas of society and the economy. It is therefore essential to take into account all intellectual assets associated with research activity when taking forward research outcomes, in order to maximise their impact. Please see our Knowledge exchange and commercialisation policy (see downloads section) for more details. Possible seminar format and content A half day, with networking or debate Involve academic staff and academic-related colleagues in developing the programme and encouraging attendance Audience/speakers could include academic staff, university business development staff, knowledge exchange professionals, technology transfer specialists, patent attorneys, KTP advisors and representatives of life sciences businesses etc. Possible topics for discussion Research organisation mission and strategy in relation to impact on society and economy Research organisation strategy and policies with regards to intellectual assets management Practical and flexible approaches to achieve greater impact e.g. discussions relating to: Intellectual property rights in biological sciences (including when to patent, when to publish) Social Enterprise Open Innovation Spin Out / license / consultancy / collaborative R&D Practical approaches for working with business and other user organisations using case studies Support and funding mechanisms for KEC Alternative format and content is welcome. The sessions should be constructed in such a way that demonstrates the underlying principles of BBSRC KEC policy. Costs and eligibility We will contribute up to £2,000 in grants towards costs of external speakers, room booking, time spent in organising the event and other reasonable costs. The cost of lunch and refreshments is not eligible. This initiative is open to institutes strategically funded by BBSRC and HEIs. A BBSRC speaker may be available, free of charge, on request.

Application deadline: apply at any time Financial support available for follow-on funding will increase to £3M per year by 2010/11. Our new pathfinder scheme enables potential follow-on funding applicants to secure small amounts of funding to carry out preliminary commercial activities. These activities will help to: Develop a clearer understanding of the commercial potential of the outputs of a research grant Assist with the development of a full follow-on funding application Aim To provide funding for commercial activities such as: Commissioning expert advice from sector specialists on the best commercial development strategy for a business idea Completing a market assessment to determine likely potential, competition and opportunities IP searches – in particular freedom to operate (but not to support patent filing costs) Development of contacts with potential licensees or other interested parties – this can help to develop an understanding of needs and requirements Milestone 1 achievement – if the first milestone of the work is particularly risky and the success of the entire project depends upon this, funds can be sought to support this first milestone These activities will strengthen a future application for full follow-on funding and be useful in targeting the commercialisation of the work. Award size, duration and conditions Applications will be in the region of £7-10k (fEC) Maximum duration of 6 months Projects must start within 60 days from submission of an application You should discuss your application with your Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent. The purpose of the application should reflect a considered view of the essential first steps to establish whether the work has commercialisation potential prior to submitting a full follow-on funding application. In exceptional cases up to £20k can be requested for activities such as Milestone 1 achievement. This would need to be strongly justified by the TTO (or equivalent) statement of support and it should explain why they are unable to fund this work. Eligibility Open to eligible researchers in UK universities and Research Council institutes. Applications for follow-on funding pathfinder support must build on the outputs of recent or previous BBSRC-funded research activity.

The Company of Biologists' journals – Journal of Cell Science, Development, Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) and The Journal of Experimental Biology – offer fellowships of up to £2,500 or currency equivalent to graduate students and post-doctoral researchers wishing to make collaborative visits to other laboratories. These are designed to offset the cost of travel and other expenses. There is no restriction on nationality. Applicants should be working in the field of the journal to which they apply and intend to visit another laboratory. Each application will be judged on the excellence of the candidate, and the importance and innovative quality of the work to be done.

The Linnean Society invites applications to the Appleyard fund. Grants from this fund contribute towards the costs of research projects in the fields of botany or zoology. Fellows and associates of the society who are not in full-time employment as biologists may apply. Registered students are not eligible.   Up to £2,000 is available.  

The Linnean Society invites applications for the Anne Sleep award. Awards of £3,000 are made to assist one or more scholars to carry out biological research in the Middle or Far East, or similarly for scholars from the Middle or Far East to pursue their own biological research in the UK. Those selected for the awards should normally have recently obtained a PhD. Proposals showing evidence of collaboration with other individuals and organisations will be favoured.

These grants support scientific ecological research where there are limited alternative sources of funding. Small projects can be awarded up to £5,000 and early career ecologists can apply for funding up to £20,000.   Objectives We support projects where there is a clear ecological science focus to the work; any other aspects, i.e. sociology, economics, etc., must be clearly integrated into the ecology and scientific goals of the project. The grants are to support work of the highest international standard and applicants need to show how the work will advance ecological science.   The objectives of the grant are to provide funding: -for new and innovative ecological research -for pump priming projects -to help early career ecologists to establish an independent research career in ecology.   NB Only current BES members may apply.