How to Get EPSRC Funding

This document provides both background information and general advice on applying for (and getting!) EPSRC research grants. Much more information is available at the EPSRC WWW site, and we encourage you to look there as well.

Background

EPSRC is the largest of the seven Research Councils responsible for promoting and supporting basic, strategic and applied research for the UK. The EPSRC mission is:

  • To promote and support, by any means, high quality basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training in engineering and the physical sciences.
  • To advance knowledge and technology, and provide trained engineers and scientists, to meet the needs of users and beneficiaries thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom and the quality of life of its citizens.
  • To provide advice, disseminate knowledge, and promote public understanding in the fields of engineering and the physical sciences.

What does EPSRC fund?

Research grants are the principal mechanism used to fund research projects in universities and other organisations in support of the EPSRC's mission. Some 60% of EPSRC's annual budget is spent on research grants. A grant provides funds for a set period to enable a specific research project to be undertaken. The funding provided is intended to cover the direct costs of a project plus a contribution towards the indirect costs of the host organisation.

The EPSRC provides research grant support through a variety of mechanisms:

  • Responsive Mode/Conditional Mode/ Managed Mode
  • Overseas travel grants
  • Visiting Fellowships
  • Special Schemes

All research proposals go through a rigorous selection process based on peer review. The EPSRC operates a system of colleges of experts, whose members are trusted to perform peer review and who have been nominated by those active in research. The College system is particularly well suited to the peer review of multidisciplinary activities: Colleges do not "belong" to particular programmes, but are designed to give a breadth of expertise across the whole of the EPSRC remit. Colleges also provide the members for expert panels who advise on the relative priority of competing proposals and the evaluation of completed research - these panels can be assembled from a variety of Colleges to give the necessary mix of expertise.

EPSRC's Programme Areas

The EPSRC delivers its funding for engineering, the core scientific disciplines and generic technologies through eight programmes:

  • Engineering programmes
    • General Engineering
    • Engineering for Infrastructure, the Environment and Healthcare
    • Engineering for Manufacturing
  • Science programmes
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
    • Mathematics
  • Technology programmes
    • Information Technology and Computer Science
    • Materials

Clearly, we fall under Information technology and Computer Science. Each programme is managed by a Programme Manager responsible for maintaining and developing a portfolio of research and training within their particular area. Each programme also handles the research proposals and requests for access to UK and overseas facilities that fall within its remit. In addition, a Cross-Programmes Group is responsible for some activities that cut across individual programme areas, including fellowships, schemes that are in a pilot phase, large-scale facilities and high performance computing.

The rest of this document is concerned with how you should apply for research grants, which forms you need to fill in and what administrative procedures you need to go through. Most of the details are identical whichever programme area you are applying within. However, where there are differences, for example between Mathematics and IT and Computer Science, these will be identified.

When to Apply?

Most EPSRC programme areas now work predominantly with responsive mode proposals. Responsive mode simply means unsolicited research proposals which fall within the remit of EPSRC, where the research direction is determined by the proposer. Such proposals can be submitted at any time. The main criterion by which responsive mode proposals are judged is that of their engineering or scientific quality, as determined by peer review.

From time to time, EPSRC will provide research support through a managed programme. This is particularly the case where joint funding with third parties (eg other Research Councils, Government departments, or industry) is planned. Managed programmes are developed to support strategic research with specific research aims or a defined research agenda including multidisciplinary research. Details of managed programmes are announced either in the science and engineering press or notice is circulated to specific research communities. Each announcement will set out the research objectives for the managed programme, the terms of participation and the closing date for receipt of proposals.

Who can Apply?

Investigators should normally be permanent employees of an eligible organisation. An exception is made for holders of EPSRC fellowships. Fixed-term employees may be eligible, provided that the EPSRC can be satisfied that the host organisation is prepared to give the individual all the support normal for an investigator and that there is no conflict of interest between the investigator's obligations to the EPSRC and to any other organisation or employer. The term of employment of a fixed term employee or the period of an investigator's fellowship must be at least until the end of the grant. The salaries of investigators will not be funded through the grant. An individual cannot be eligible as an investigator and concurrently hold a staff post on an EPSRC research grant.

What does EPSRC want?

When you submit a proposal to EPSRC, they want:

  • a Case for Support containing the description of what you want to do, why you want to do it, how it fits in with other work and how you'll go about it, and,
  • an EPS(RP) Application Form detailing the costs, etc.

The creative work comes in producing the case for support; filling in the application form is fairly mechanical after that.

How do you write a Case for Support?

There are many sections that are specified by EPSRC. The best thing to do is to look at the EPSRC WWW site, in particular the ``How to Apply for Funding'' section, and get hold of someone else's (successful) Case for Support.

Here are some successful case for support documents recently submitted by members of staff from computer science:

Here are two templates for case for support documents:

Basically, a Case for Support should be presented in two parts:

  1. Previous research track record (maximum two sides of A4)
    EPSRC want evidence that you are competent to carry out the research. Point to previous projects, collaborations, etc.
  2. Description of the proposed research and its context (Maximum six sides of A4). Diagrammatic Workplan (maximum one side of A4).

The Case for Support must be clear, concise and uncluttered with technical jargon. The page limits should not be overcome by photo-reduction or by the use of small typefaces as this can render the proposal illegible when copied. Font size 10 is the minimum font which is acceptable. A Case for Support exceeding the above page limits or not adhering to the specified format will not be considered.

Some further advice:

  1. Have a clear idea of what you want to do, and make sure that your proposal is focused.
  2. Be contemporary. Make sure you are asking to do something that the world is interested in.
  3. Have a proper workplan.
    A classic failure of proposals is to have a workplan that is too short - a single paragraph describing what you want to do for three years is not enough.
  4. You need to convince the reviewers that while you can do the work, it is not trivial. Projects that involve simply writing large programs are not usually regarded highly - you need to have clear research content.
  5. EPSRC have a fairly tight structure for what you should put in your Case for Support --- read about this and follow it closely.
  6. Look at the successful Case for Support documents above.

How do you fill in the EPS(RP) form?

The simplest way is to use the software that EPSRC provide for generating these forms, available at:

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/EPSRCWEB/EPSRP/eps_erp.htm

Part 1 of the EPS(RP/ERP) form will be used, together with the Case for Support, in the expert assessment of the research proposal. Part 2, which asks for details of referees and for personal information relating to investigators, will not be used in the assessment of research proposals. It may, however, be captured on a computer database and used for management purposes.

Elements that must be filled in on the EPS(ERP/RP) form include

  • Investigators.
    For any project, there will be a principal investigator, who is the person who will actually have overall responsibility for the grant. In addition, there may be co-investigators, who will also participate. Agree in advance - and make sure that everyone is happy with the agreement - who will be principal and co-investigators. Don't choose too many investigators.
  • Title of Research Project
  • Programme Area
    Usually this will be "information technology and computer science"
  • Financial resources required
    A summary of costs, which are itemised later in the document. If you use EPSRC's electronic form generator, then this will be generated automatically.
  • Summary of staff effort
    Depending on the project, you want either postgraduate or postdoctoral RA's. The more expensive the person, the harder you have to work to make a case for this.
  • Facilities total --- the total cost of the use of EPSRC-funded facilities
    Mostly not relevant for us -- this is for when you want to borrow a central EPSRC resource, such as a particle accelerator or supercomputer!
  • Proposed start date
    Don't be overoptimistic - unless you have someone ready to take the post, then bear in mind it will take months to advertise and find the right person. Pick a date at least 9 months in the future.
  • Objectives
    A bullet list of your main objectives - should should be able to pull this from your case for support.
  • Summary of Research
    A one-paragraph executive summary of what you want to do. Again, you should be able to pull this from your case for support.
  • Beneficiaries of Research
    Usually the hardest bit! If your project has obvious, tangible beneficiaries (e.g., in the medical informatics domain), then emphasise this. Otherwise, you have to identify the research communities that will benefit. If the research crosses boundaries between different areas (e.g., agents and algorithmics), then this is worth drawing attention to.
  • Staff details
    Usually this is simply the RA that will work on the project. You need to get up-to-date costings for staff from Thelma Williams; there are issues such as superannuation etc that Thelma will be able to explain!
  • Consumables details
    For a 3-year, 1 RA project project, the following is reasonable:
    • network infrastructure and services - £3500
    • software and hardware maintenance - £2000
    • fax and photocopying - £500
  • Travel details
    Itemise the number of conferences, etc that you wish to attend, and how much they will cost, per annum. Don't be overambitious! Between £3000 and £4000 per year is moderate. Asking for too much travel money is an easy way to have the project rejected!
  • Exceptional items --- including fees for project --studentships
    Will depend on the project.
  • Equipment
    On a one-RA, 3 year project, asking for a desktop computer, reasonable printer, and a laptop for presentations is reasonable. A total of £4000-£5000 in total is typical for a 1 RA 3 year project.
  • Facilities and Services
    As above, and central EPSRC facilities you wish to use (e.g., supercomputers for large scale simulations).
  • Collaboration --- for example where collaborators are funding part of the research
    Self explanatory.
  • Declaration --- signed by all investigators, by the head of department (or equivalent) and the administrative authority of the host organisation.
  • Suggested Referees
    Make sure these are people who (a) know about the application, (b) can be trusted to be positive (N.B. apparently, it is often the reviewers that the applicant themselves nominate who provide the most negative reviews! So, make sure they like your work), and (c) are fairly well known in the field (this last item isn't essential, but will probably help your chances).

This looks a lot, but usually the only difficult parts are staff details (i.e., who you want to employ and how much they will cost), travel details (i.e. where you want to go and how much it will cost), and collaboration (i.e., if you have collaborators, what are they going to provide?).

How to Apply

Assume you have written your case for support, and have completed your EPS(RP) document. What next?

  1. Double check everything. Get feedback from colleagues.
  2. Ensure that you have your EPS(RP) signed by the relevant investigators, the head of Department, and by the Universities research grant office.
  3. Make lots of copies of everything.
  4. Send originals together with however many copies EPSRC require (ususally about 6 - check current EPSRC details) to the appropriate address (by recorded delivery).
  5. After a week or so you should receive a letter from EPSRC confirming receipt of your application. If not, contact them.

The Decision Process

Peer review is used as the method of assessment for grant proposals to ensure that projects which are funded are of high technical merit, and are relevant, timely and cost effective.

The EPSRC has established a system of colleges of experts, nominated by those active in the research field concerned, to provide a broadly based community from which to obtain peer review advice.

Each proposal is sent to at least three referees for assessment, including one nominated by the proposer; the others are usually taken from the college for the programme area concerned. International referees may be used. Referees complete a standard assessment form for ease of interpretation. Those proposals on which at least two of the referees are not strongly supportive are rejected, and the proposer notified. The proposals passing the first stage will then be grouped together and considered by a panel of reviewers selected from the college.

In the second stage the review panel ranks the set of proposals according to their quality. N.B., these panels usually meet every few months, but only when enough refereed proposals have been received.

The decision on which proposals will be funded is taken by the Programme Manager (or Associate Programme Manager), in consultation with the panel chairman, based on the panel ranking and the available funds.

All proposers are notified of the outcome in writing; those who are unsuccessful will normally be given an indication of the reasons for the decision not to award a grant. The EPSRC's aim is to notify all proposers within six months of submission of their proposal. Normally, EPSRC would expect a period of six months to elapse before a revised proposal can be submitted, unless earlier resubmission is specifically invited.

Where a grant has been agreed, there is usually some informal contact between programme staff and the proposer before a grant letter is issued, to discuss details and arrangements for starting the research. At this time the proposer should identify a realistic start date, taking into account the period required for the appointment of staff. Formal notification of the award of a grant may sometimes be delayed where there is more than one funding partner or detailed management arrangements have to be agreed.

Please report any problems to the email address at the bottom of the page.