August 2011

RESEARCH BULLETIN FOR AUGUST 2011
The previous edition of the Research Bulletin was published in June 2011; the next edition will be published in October 2011.

ARRIVALS

Mr Faysal Al-Khuleafi, a PhD student from the research group of Prof Sulaiman Al-Khattaf, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia, will be working with Dr James McGregor and Prof Lynn Gladden on Diffusion measurements of hydrocarbons in zeolites by PFG-NM.

Dr Lan Chen, a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow, will be working with Prof Nigel Slater on the Fabrication of Large Loading Capacity, Stimuli-Responsive and Release-Controlled Drug Delivery Devices.

Dr Edward Rayne has joined as a research associate, and he will be working with Prof Chris Lowe on Holographic Sensors.

Dr Sarah Broadbent has joined as a research associate, and she will be working with Dr Alan Tunnacliffe on the biology of bdelloid rotifers.

Andreea Huma and Shaleem Jacob, visiting PhD students, will be working with Prof Chris Lowe.

Robert Wilson, a visiting PhD student, will be working with Prof Lisa Hall.

Nora Baker, a visiting research student, will be working with Dr Sabine Bahn.

CALLS FOR PROPOSALS

EPSRC Fellowships
Deadline:  None; apply at any time

Applications for Fellowships at all levels are now open. There is a new framework that removes closing dates and eligibility requirements based on years of experience, and establishes a person specification against which applicants will be judged.  Further information is available on the fellowship pages.  You may also contact EPSRCfellowships.

Research Council Follow-on Fund 
Deadline:  16:00 on 25 August 2011

The Follow-on Fund helps researchers to bridge the 'funding gap' between traditional research grants and commercial funding. It will support early-stage activities essential to realising the commercial potential of EPSRC funded research. Proposals will demonstrate a strong commercial focus and not be predominantly concerned with overcoming technical obstacles or extending the original research. 

Applicants may request up to 12 months funding to further develop and strengthen the commercial potential of an identified business opportunity. The Fund will expect to support a complementary mix of technical and business development activities where these are seen as likely to greatly enhance the prospects of future commercial success.

This call is for applications to EPSRC only and is an opportunity for academics in UK research organisations to take forward ideas generated by EPSRC Research Grant funding. The outputs of research supported through Training Grants (such as studentships) are not eligible for Follow-on Fund support. Please refer to the Je-S help for details on preparing and submitting an application. EPSRC will only accept applications through the Joint electronic submission (Je-S) system.  For additional information, please visit the call webpage.

BBSRC: Strategic longer and larger grants (sLoLaS)
Intention to Submit DEADLINE: 4 pm on 1 September 2011
Full application DEADLINE: January 2012 responsive mode deadline (date TBA)

The sLoLa grants call is held annually.  Please note that the outline stage has been replaced with an Intention to Submit process. Funding typically supports research projects requiring longer timescales, extensive resources or multidisciplinary approaches.
 
Proposals are welcome in all areas of strategic relevance to BBSRC. For 2011, applications are particularly encouraged in the following specific areas within the overall Knowledge Based Bio-economy (KBBE) strategic theme:

  • Industrial biotechnology
  • Bioenergy
  • Synthetic biology for white biotechnology
  • Metagenomics for natural product discovery

It is anticipated that at least 50% of the available funding will be awarded to proposals falling in this theme. In addition, up to 15 studentships will be available as separate awards for successful sLoLaS in this theme.
 
Applicants to the KBBE strategic theme seeking to develop a doctoral training programme based around their sLoLa proposal will be invited to submit an additional 3 page proposal describing the PhD training programme that will be offered and giving details of indicative projects. Further guidance on the information to be provided in the doctoral training proposal will be provided to applicants at the time of inviting full proposals.
 
Standard eligibility rules apply as described in our grants guide. In addition:

  • For applications falling outside the KBBE strategic theme, applicants must have a track record of securing BBSRC funding as lead PI. This should be at least 3 competitively awarded BBSRC research grants over the past 10 years or an equivalent track record in an institute of BBSRC.
  • The BBSRC particularly encourages established researchers with the potential to apply their knowledge and skill to move into that area. Accordingly, the formal track record requirements described in the section above will not apply, but applicants should clearly explain why the previous experience of the team provides appropriate competence to conduct the proposed project
  • The principal applicants must commit at least 8 hours per week on the sLoLa project
  • No applicant must be lead PI on an existing LoLa or sLoLa (unless the grant is in its final year).

Proposals must be over £2M (fEC project value) and can be up to 5 years in duration.
 
In accordance with the RCUK letter, items costed between £10k and the OJEU threshold (£101k plus vat if applicable) will be considered for funding at 50% of the cost on the basis that the remainder is provided by the institution. 

Application Procedure:

  • Stage 1 - Intention to submit: applicants are required to complete an Intention to Submit form and forward it to the BBSRC by 4 pm on 1 September 2011.
  • Stage 2 - Full proposal: provided eligibility, remit and fit to the portfolio criteria are met, applicants who submit an Intention to Submit form may be invited to submit a full sLoLa proposal; they must be submitted through the Je-S System to the January 2012 responsive mode deadline (exact date TBA).

For additional information, please email BBSRC.lolagrants@bbsrc.ac.uk.

Research Fellowships to Japan
Deadline 15 September 2011

The Canon Foundation in Europe grants up to 15 Research Fellowships annually to highly qualified European and Japanese researchers.

Candidates should hold a doctorate or at least a Master’s degree. They are eligible during the ten-year period following the successful completion of their Ph.D or MA degree. Extensions to the ten-year rule are possible in principle in case of exceptional circumstances, which should be explained in the application, and supporting documents are required. Non-nationals have to have a permanent citizenship in either Europe or Japan.
The European Fellowship holders pursue a period of research in Japan whereas the Japanese Fellows do their research at host institutions in Europe. The Fellowships are awarded for periods of a minimum three months and maximum of one year. Applications for Research Fellowships in all fields of research are welcome.  The deadline for the year 2012 is 15 September 2011.

The aim of the Foundation is to contribute to international understanding, in particular between Europe and Japan.  We invite you to our website for the latest version of the digital bulletin.

Royal Society: University Research Fellowship
Deadline:  15 September 2011

This scheme is for outstanding scientists in the UK at an early to mid-stage of their career with the potential to become leaders in their field.  The scheme provides the opportunity to build an independent research career.  Those appointed are expected to be strong candidates for permanent posts in universities at the end of their fellowships.
Approximately 40 fellowships are awarded annually.  The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.
 
The applicant must:

  • have a PhD or equivalent research experience (applicants who have just submitted their PhD will not be considered)
  • be at an early to mid-stage of their career (between 3 to 8 years of research experience since their PhD) at the time of submission
  • not hold a permanent post in a university or not-for-profit organisation in the European Economic Area (EEA: the European Union (including the UK) plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein)
  • be a citizen of the EEA or a be a Swiss citizen (or have a relevant connection to the EEA or Switzerland)

The scheme covers the applicant’s salary costs, estates costs and indirect costs.  The Royal Society will meet 80% of these costs; research expenses (up to £13,000 for the first year and up to £11,000 annually thereafter) will also be provided.  The basic salary requested should be at a level commensurate with the applicant’s skills, responsibilities, expertise and experience, up to a maximum of £37,555. Initially, funding is provided for five years. It may then be followed by an extension of three years or, in exceptional circumstances, up to a maximum of 10 years.
 
Applications must be submitted via the Royal Society electronic submission system e-GAP.

For further information, please visit the Scheme Web Page, download the Scheme Notes or Terms and Conditions, or contact the Grants Team, tel 02074512539.

BBSRC:   Responsive Mode Grant
Deadlines:  4 October 2011 and 11 January 2012

Responsive Mode Grants are awarded in response to unsolicited research proposals in any area relevant to BBSRC’s mission. As a general principle, BBSRC allocates as much research grant funding as possible in responsive mode.
 
Candidates can apply for a variety of investigator-led research activities through responsive mode. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Research projects, including technology development projects
  • Equipment or use of existing facilities
  • New facilities or infrastructure provision
  • Research networks and coordination
  • Summer schools

Funding is available for up to 5 years. This includes short duration activities such as small pilot projects or proof of concept studies, which are often less than 2 years in duration.

For further information, please see the eligibility details, the Applying for Funding Section, the Grants Guide, or the Research Grants Terms and Conditions.  Applications must be submitted via Je-S.
 
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Akroyd, J., Smith, A.J., Shirley, R., McGlashen, L.R., and M. Kraft.  "A Coupled CFD-Population Balance Approach for Nanoparticle Synthesis in Turbulent Reacting Flows."  Chemical Engineering Science 66(17):  3792-3805.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2011.05.006 

Burgess, F., Lloyd, P.D.W., Fennell, P.S., and A.N. Hayhurst.  "Combustion of Polymer Pellets in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed."  Combustion and Flame 158(8):  1638-1645. 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2010.12.027 

El-Sayed, M.M.H., and H.A. Chase.  "Trends in Whey Protein Fractionation." Biotechnology Letters 33(8):  1501-1511.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10529-011-0594-8 

Koutroukides, T. A., P. C. Guest, F. M. Leweke, D. M. D. Bailey, H. Rahmoune, S. Bahn and D. Martins-de-Souza. "Characterization of the Human Serum Depletome by Label-Free Shotgun Proteomics."  Journal of Separation Science 34(13): 1621-1626.    http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jssc.201100060

Kuo, W-H. K., and H.A. Chase.  "Exploiting the Interactions Between Poly-Histidine Fusion Tags and Immobilized Metal Ions."  Biotechnology Letters 33(6):  1075-1084.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10529-011-0554-3 

Lynch, A. L. and N. K. H. Slater.  "Influence of Intracellular Trehalose Concentration and Pre-Freeze Cell Volume on the Cryosurvival of Rapidly Frozen Human Erythrocytes." Cryobiology 63(1): 26-31.   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cryobiol.2011.04.005

Mahbubani, K.  "BAR-Gaining Power."  The Chemical Engineer July 2011:  28-30.

Peralta, J.M., Chew, Y.M.J., and D.I. Wilson.  "An Analytical Method for Selecting the Optimal Nozzel External Geometry for Fluid Dynamic Gauging."  Chemical Engineering Science 66(16):  3579-3591.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2011.04.020