EPSRC: Build research communities with the UK financial services sector

16/09/2021

09/11/2021

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, invites applications for its build research communities with the UK financial services sector call. This supports the development of a high quality network called NetworkPlus that will underpin new academic and business partnerships within the financial services sector. NetworkPlus aims to create an easier and more agile entry point to financial services sector businesses to engage with world leading UK academic researchers. The anticipated outcomes include the creation of more and better partnerships within academia and between academia and the financial services sector, increased trust and levels of collaboration, and more investment and engagement between businesses in this sector and academia. Grants are worth up to £2.5 million. EPSRC will fund 80 per cent of the full economic cost. Funding may be used to cover investigators’ salaries, travel and subsistence and administrative support.

The network is expected to: •involve collaboration with project partners from the user-focused financial services sector; •identify and address data-centric, quantitative, technological and real-world research challenges; •help form new research communities; •fund feasibility studies and network building activities.

Applications are open to researchers from UK HEIs, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations, eligible public sector research establishments and NHS bodies with a research capacity. Applicants must be resident in the UK and hold a fixed-term contract at their institution that extends beyond the duration of the proposed project, be employed at a level equivalent to lecturer or above, hold an EPSRC, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages, or hold fellowships under other schemes. Holders of postdoctoral level fellowships are not eligible to apply.