EPSRC Collaborative Funding

There seems to be something in the air at the moment: following swiftly on from Henley's call to collaborate at Defra, and our announcement that the next Grants Factory workshop will focus on interdisciplinary and collaborative working, the EPSRC has just announced two calls for research at the boundary of their remit with the ESRC.

Promoting Cross-Disciplinary Research aims to fund a small number of cross-disciplinary projects around:

• Quantitative Aspects of Understanding Behaviours, which could include:
  

• new models of social systems
• understanding behaviours and engineering behavioural change.
• understanding vs. simulation in decision making
• Behaviour could include: social relations, social practices, social structures, organisational behaviour, economic behaviour and social institutions

• Innovation at the Bottom of the Pyramid, which could include:
  

• Novel technologies for developing countries or deprived social systems.
• Disruptive technologies for development
• Optimisation of cutting edge technology
• Technical solutions very different from traditional approaches

Up to £6m has been earmarked for this call and the closing date: 12 October 2010 (though you need to register your intention to submit by 10th September 2010).

Discipline-Hopping will be smaller awards, aimed at encouraging researchers to cross disciplinary boundaries. Up to £1 million has been earmarked for this targeted activity and, subject to the quality of the submissions received, it is anticipated that we will fund approximately 10 proposals. Deadline: 16 September 2010.