EPSRC Fellowships: a new fellowship framework

1. ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL EPSRC Fellowships: a new fellowship framework

2. EPSRC slides (our emphasis)

3. Our three Strategic Plan goals Delivering Impact • Embedding impact throughout our portfolio by creating an environment in which it arises naturally, in whatever form, from the knowledge base; Shaping Capability • Ensuring we have the right people, with the right resource, in the right places to deliver the highest quality long-term research in areas where the UK leads internationally and where there is current or future national need; Developing Leaders • Nurturing the visionary leaders who set research agendas and inspirational team leaders who act as role models;

4. Developing Leaders • We will support and promote leadership role models who can inspire others and can integrate the efforts of their peers to deliver greater impact from our investment. In this delivery plan we will: • Increase focus on developing a cohort of both current and future leaders; • Identify and invest preferentially in current leaders; • Develop our future leaders; • Provide tailoredsupport for individuals with leadership potential across all career stages; • Provide an increased proportion of support to individuals not projects; • Ensure that early career researchers with the greatest potential are well-supported.

5. Who are the leaders? • Spectrum of leadership behaviours: • from the visionary thinker who can set and drive research agendas and • lead research communities • to the inspirational team leader who can nurture and build the cross-disciplinary • teams required to tackle the major global challenges we face • Leaders will need to demonstrate: • Research excellence and international standing • Setting the research agenda • Strategic vision • Profile and influence • Ability to lead and inspire • Excellent communication and engagement skills

6. EPSRC Fellowships: a new framework for Fellowships • Merge existing schemes, including Challenging Engineering • Focus on areas where growth is required and on developing leaders able to integrate their work into the wider research  landscape. • Not open in all areas, at all career stages at all times • Support to start in 2012 but through a faster, more streamlined and flexible process

7. The new framework: Principles • Linked to strategic priorities and shaping http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/fellows/Pages/default.aspx

8. The new framework: Principles • Linked to strategic priorities and shaping • Specify desired qualities, experience, achievements or attributes and provide flexible support. • Mechanisms to refocus our support on those who have the most potential • Partnership with universities and business to both identify candidates and enhance the research environment • Encouraging ambition, mobility and exposure to creative techniques • Development of leadership cohorts

9. The new framework: What will be different? • Allow for variations of career paths across the EPS disciplines: • No eligibility rules based on years of post-doc experience, instead have a person specification • Remove the pre/post-appointment distinction • Two fellowship rounds per year operated through an open call • More flexible on the amount of time a fellow dedicates to their fellowship, giving them the option of staying active within their department. • Suite of resource packages to facilitate linkage with the best, creativity, while allowing them to build a group. • applicants can apply for a package that best suits them • Exploring the option to ‘top-up’ a fellowship

10. Expectations (of host institution) • Universities take ownership for pre-selecting candidates against the specification • Accord fellows equivalent status to academic staff • Adequate office and lab space • A mentor where appropriate • Suitable career development procedures to support transitioning to next career stage

11. EPSRC Fellowships • EPSRC Fellowship is a new single scheme that can support three career stages (postdoctoral, early and established). • EPSRC’s Capability and Challenge Themes are going through an initial exercise of prioritising the areas and career stages in which fellowships will be offered.

12. Eligibility • A person specification will be used to describe the desired attributes for each career stage. • Applicants should evaluate their track record and assess which career stage you should apply against (if open to applications) and ensure they can demonstrate how each of the expected attributes is fulfilled.

13. Person Specification

14. What can you apply for? • EPSRC particularly wants to encourage applicants to request resources which will allow them to: • Build international research collaborations; • Move across disciplines and stimulate innovative approaches to collaborative research between and across disciplines; • Link with the best, either in an academic or industrial settling, for example by spending extended periods of time (up to 12 months) in alternative research environments which are recognised as centres of excellence or by inviting visiting researchers to come and visit. (by requesting T&S where appropriate for family and research team); • Maximise their creative potential; • Engage with the public/media.

15. Resources • The type of resources available is determined by the career stage under which you are applying • For early & established career possible extension to 8 years support

16. Application Process

17. Documentation • Cover letter • Case for Support (up to a maximum nine sides of A4) • Pathways to Impact (maximum two sides of A4) • Applicant’s CV (maximum two sides of A4) • Host Organisation Statement (maximum two sides of A4) • Work-plan (maximum one side of A4) • Justification of Resources (maximum two sides of A4) • List of Publications (no page limit) • Where applicable: • Statements of Support from any project partners (no page limit)