Published on 9 June 2023
Extension of the UKRI Underwrite for Successful Horizon Europe Applications
The UKRI Underwrite has been further extended to cover successful Horizon Europe applications submitted to calls with a final submission deadline date on or before 30th September 2023. Previously, the guarantee funding covered calls with a final submission deadline date on or before 30th June 2023.
This underwrite will be needed in the event that a grant agreement cannot be signed with the European Commission or delegated party because the UK’s association has not been formalised in time, and therefore cannot receive funding.
EPSRC’s Responsive Mode and Fellowship opportunities
UKRI Funding Finder now has full details on how to apply for EPSRC’s Responsive Mode and Fellowship opportunities. Information related to EPSRC’s transition from Je-S to The Funding Service, including timelines for transition, closing dates for certain Opportunities on Je-S and an Equality Impact Assessment can be found on their website.
One of the changes in the new UKRI Funding Service is role names e.g. “project lead” is replacing the principal investigator title. Eligibility remains the same. Further guidance on eligibility, responsibilities and role costings is now available.
EPSRC will be holding an online information webinar for applicants / Dept staff on Wednesday 21st June 2023, 1-2pm, please register here.
Cambridge Africa ALBORADA Research Fund 2023
The Cambridge-Africa programme is pleased to announce that the call for proposals to the ALBORADA Research Fund is now open.
Applications are invited from pairs of researchers (post-doctoral level and above) from the University of Cambridge or an affiliated institution and sub-Saharan African institutions, across all disciplines, to initiate and/or strengthen research collaborations. For this round, we may be able to consider applications from North Africa.
The Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund competitively awards grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 for:
- research costs (such as reagents, fieldwork and equipment)
- research-related travel between Cambridge and Africa
- conducting research training activities in Africa (e.g. workshops/courses)
The deadline for submission is 4th September 2023.
More information on the scheme and the application process is now available. For any other queries, please email alboradafund@cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk
New three-year read and publish open access (OA) deal with Springer Nature
UK universities have agreed a new three-year open access deal with Springer Nature which provides unlimited open access publishing and access to paywalled journal articles in Springer and Palgrave titles, as well as access to Nature Research titles. It delivers a cost reduction on publishing in Nature Research titles with a sector-wide cap on the number of open access articles published.
Whilst this three-year deal meets the sector’s requirements to reduce costs and expedite full and immediate open access, UK Universities continues to work towards developing alternative academic-led solutions that advance fully accessible open research. More information is available on the Cambridge University Library website.
Benefits of cloud computing for research
One of the greatest benefits of cloud computing is that it gives researchers the opportunity to transform how to do certain tasks. It is particularly suited to short, time-limited tasks like research projects. Tools such as Google Cloud Products and Amazon Web Services (AWS) can provide a huge range of technical solutions, however it often requires extensive technical knowledge to set up. To help researchers navigate and understand what is available and how to use it, UIS have set up the following support channels -
- New Teams community site for researchers
A space to connect with other people and share ideas and experience. Receive UIS announcements, ask and answer general questions or seek advice. Join the UoC_Cloud Community
- New mailing list ucam-cloud-community@lists.cam.ac.uk
A communications channel for researchers at the University interested in staying in touch regarding all things related to Cloud. It is intended as part of a community, so whilst announcements will be made here, people can ask general questions, or advice. Join the Cloud Community mailing list
- Give feedback about the support you need for cloud services
UIS would like to plan more drop-in sessions, learning seminars and training to help you get the benefits of cloud services. Tell us what interests you and whether you have any special training needs. Quick feedback form
- Potential medical data pilot project
If you process medical data, there may be an opportunity to participate in a pilot project to help create cloud services that meet your needs. There might also be free credits available for cloud services. It’s early days yet, but if you would like to be kept informed, please register your initial interest. There’s a question about it in our quick feedback form.
Research Office Jobs
We have a number of job opportunities at the Research Office, further details can be found on our jobs page.
UKRI Perception Survey
UKRI has launched its first stakeholder perception survey to understand how it is perceived by its various communities. The survey aims to help UKRI address issues, tailor activities and measure progress as an organisation over the coming years.