Innovation, Research and Development

The National Space Technology Programmes Pathfinder project call aims to develop the capability of the UK space sector by providing seed funding for early stage innovative ideas. Project proposals are sought for space technology research and development projects in areas including: early Technology Readiness Level (TRL) innovation; technology proof of concept; small technology developments; establishing new industrial research collaborations;...

The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) has launched the Community University Partnership Initiative (CUPI). Funded by Power to Change and the Arts and Humanities Research Council, CUPI supports community organisations (including community businesses, charities, social enterprises, and voluntary organisations) and university researchers to create trusting and useful research collaborations which benefit all the partners...

Nesta has launched the Fall Armyworm Tech Prize to help farmers in sub-Saharan Africa combat the invasive, crop-eating pest, fall armyworm. The fall armyworm is an extremely invasive pest species that eats the crops that farmers depend on. It attacks more than 80 plant species, including maize, which more than 200 million people across sub-Saharan Africa depend upon. Since appearing on the African continent in 2016, it has already caused more...

The Scottish Funding Council has announced that the next deadline for applications under its Follow on Innovation Voucher Scheme is the 4th May 2018. The awards are specifically intended to encourage existing partnerships that have previously collaborated and jointly received funding. This can include the Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher awards scheme or any other funded activity. Businesses in partnership with Higher Education Ins...

Researchers and Conservationists with projects focusing on endangered species, who are working and established in either the UK, UK overseas territories or any country NOT classified by the World Bank as high-income, can now apply for a grant of between £3,000 and £10,000 per annum for up to two years. Funding is available from the People's Trust for Endangered Species for work that seeks to: find the critical scientific evidence that will f...

Commercial and not-for-profit organisations and individuals with creative, innovative ideas about how to deliver people-centred health research can apply for grants of £25,000 to £3 million for work lasting up to three years in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia and Pacific. Applications for work which promotes diversity and inclusion and engages people and communities who are affected by social and e...

Innovate UK has announced that it will run a second phase of its Women in Innovation awards. The programme, which will launch later this year, will consist of a funding competition and support package to encourage more female-led innovation. Alongside this, Innovate UK will start running quarterly innovation accelerator workshops to help get more women innovating in business nationwide. In the first phase which ran in September 2016, grants of...

Businesses also have the opportunity to apply for a share of a further £10 million for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). KTPs allow businesses to benefit from a partnership with an academic institution and a recent graduate with relevant expertise to work on a specific innovation project. The competition opens on 1 March 2018 and the deadline for applications is 9 May 2018.

Alcohol Research UK is offering grants of up £3,000 towards the organisation of conferences or events that support the establishment of research networks seeking to develop new themes in alcohol research. The network or conference must be relevant to, or further the aims of, Alcohol Research UK's programme of work. There is no deadline for Network Development awards, however, applications should be made at the planning stage of the event or n...

Small to medium sized businesses working with at least one partner can apply for a share of £8million to develop digital technologies that help to maintain or improve health care while reducing costs in a number of priority areas for the NHS. Projects ranging in size between £300,000 and £1 million and lasting up to 30 months could attract up to 70% of their project costs. The competition, which is run by Innovate UK opens on the 15 Februar...

A new research funding stream has been launched with the aim of closing the science attainment and progression gap between disadvantaged pupils aged 5 – 16 and their more affluent peers. Researchers, school teachers, experts in formal learning or those working in an education setting within a charity, social enterprise or local authority, are invited to submit proposals for practical school interventions. Supported approaches will focus on...

Through a new partnership between the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and Innovate UK, businesses can compete for a share of up to £15 million to develop simulation technologies that help to speed up adoption of standards and regulations for the use of driverless vehicles. The competition is for collaborative research and development (R&D) projects. As the first stage of CCAV's approach to enhancing the UK's testing ecosys...

The Transform Foundation provides grants for charities to develop an effective social media and web presence with the aim of developing future funding streams. The Foundation has two funding programmes - a Facebook Grant programme (which provides £5,000 of funding to spend on Facebook advertising, with potential scale-up funding of up to £10,000) and a Website Grant Programme (which provides a funding package of up to £18,000 to cover the...

The European Commission is inviting European innovators to come up with solutions based on self-powered and wireless smart sensing technologies, designed for real-time monitoring of water resources. The € 2 million Zero Power Water Monitoring Horizon Prize will be awarded through the EU's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Applications are welcomed from innovators, SMEs and non-profit organisations acting alone or...