|
Schemes for Engineers in Research and Development
Research Fellowships: Frequently asked questions
In the case of
uncertainty, the Rules and Conditions of the
Award are to take precedence.
1.What are the aims of
the RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowships?
The Fellowships are aimed at
enabling outstanding researchers from all branches
of engineering to establish an independent research
career.
2.When is the closing
date for applying for a RAEng/EPSRC Research
Fellowship?
Tuesday 28th October 2008
3. How many Fellowship
awards are available in the next round?
It is anticipated that
around 10 awards will be made.
4. In which areas must
the proposed research lie?
Research Fellowships can be held in any
engineering discipline but must fall primarily within the remit
of EPSRC.. If you are unsure whether your research is engineering
then please check with the RAEng. If you are unsure whether your
research falls within the remit of EPSRC then please contact EPSRC
5. Where can I get
copies of the application form and guidance
notes?
Guidance notes can be
downloaded from The Royal Academy of Engineering
website
www.raeng.org.uk/research. Applications must be
submitted using the Research Councils’ Joint
electronic Submission (Je-S) system (https://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk/).
6. How many
applications, on average are received for
the scheme?
This year for the first time
we are limiting the number of applications each
university can submit to a maximum of 5. Please
check with your host university that they are
willing for you to submit, as there may well be
internal selection procedures.
We expect to receive
in the region of 90 applications.
7. Are there
age/experience limits for the Fellowship?
Applicants should be about to
complete their PhD or have up to, but not more than,
three (3) years postdoctoral research experience at
the closing date of the application round. There are
no age limits for the Fellowships, but applicants
should have a substantial academic career ahead of
them.
8. Are there
nationality or other eligibility
requirements?
There are no nationality
restrictions, but posts must be held in UK
universities. In the case of candidates from outside
of the EU, the university will be responsible for
securing the necessary work permits.
9. Will you help me find a
host university in the UK so that I can apply for a
Fellowship?
It is the responsibility
of the applicant to make contact with a host
university and gain acceptance from the relevant
head of department, prior to applying to the scheme.
A listing of UK universities can be found on www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/ac/.
10. Can RAEng/EPSRC
Fellowships be held at an industrial organisation?
Fellowships cannot be held
at an industrial organisation, although research can
be carried out with industry providing the research
is relevant to the core programme of the Fellowship.
11. I am a member of a
multi-disciplinary research group; can I apply?
Applications are
encouraged from members of multi-disciplinary
research groups, provided that the research
undertaken can be readily classified as engineering
by an engineering institution (such as the Institute
of Mechanical Engineers), and the Fellowship is to
be held in an engineering department or an institute
with a substantial engineering activity.
12. What does the award
provide for?
The RAEng/EPSRC Research
Fellowships are designed to support successful
candidates for a 5-year period (or pro-rata for
part-time equivalent).
Applicants should liaise with
their Research Support Office of their intended host
university for advice on the allowable costs
required on the application form. Please inform your
Research Support Office that this scheme does not
follow all the standard EPSRC funding rules, for
example indexation must be included in the schedule
of costs.
Please also see the Guidance
Notes/Call for Proposals for further information.
13. When will I hear the
outcome of the peer review process?
The Research Fellowships
follow the following (approximate) timescale:
 |
|
|
Oct 2008 |
|
Proposal submitted to EPSRC |
|
|
|
The Royal Academy of Engineering
and EPSRC confirm remit |
|
|
|
Proposal Reviewed
1 nominated by
candidate
1 from EPSRC College
1 Fellow of
the Royal Academy of Engineering |
|
| Feb 2009 |
|
Referees' Comments
Sufficiently Supportive? |
|
|
|
Unsupportive reviewers' assessment - not
selected for panel review - candidate
informed |
|
|
Supportive reviewers' assessment -
Feedback for Comment
Opportunity for
candidates to respond to reviewers’ comments
regarding factual accuracy; candidates’
responses included papers for sift panel |
|
| |
|
Sift Panel
Select a shortlist of candidates to be interviewed |
|
|
|
|
|
Not selected for interview -
candidate informed |
|
|
|
|
Interviews
Final selection of candidates |
|
|
|
|
Not
successful at interview
- candidate informed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Award Fellowship |
|
|
14. What is the duration of
the Fellowship?
The duration of a Fellowship
is 60 months full time (pro-rata for part-time
awards).
15. What is the employment
status of a Research Fellow?
The Research Fellow must be
employed solely by the host organisation during the
period of the Fellowship. The organisation must
accept all the normal responsibilities of an
employer, and ensure that adequate facilities are
made available for the research proposed. The
applicant may already hold a permanent position at
the Host Institution at the time of application.
16. When can the Research Fellowship
commence?
All Fellowships awarded in
2009 must start no earlier than 1st April 2009 and
no later than 31st March 2010.
17. Can a Research
Fellow move during the course of the award?
A degree of mobility during
the course of a Research Fellowship may be
beneficial. This would include plans to engage in
collaborative research at centres of excellence
overseas. Any proposal to transfer the Fellowship to
a different organisation within the UK would need to
be discussed with the existing and proposed host
organisations. If the new organisation agrees to
host the Fellowship, The Royal Academy of
Engineering and EPSRC will normally be agreeable to
a transfer. In such cases the original award would
be closed and a new award issued for the balance of
the funding period.
18. Can the Research
Fellowship be interrupted?
Research Fellows may be
allowed to interrupt their award not more than twice
during the period of their Fellowship to spend time
on activities unsupported by EPSRC but directly
related to their Fellowship. Such periods of
abeyance must not exceed 2 years in total. Prior
agreement must be sought from The Royal Academy of
Engineering. It is unlikely that agreement will be
given for a break during the final year of award.
Where periods of abeyance are agreed, the award will
be extended by a period of time equal to the length
of the break.
19. Can Research
Fellows pursue other work during the course of their
fellowship?
Research Fellows are expected
to devote their whole working time to research. Up
to four hours a week may, however, be spent on
teaching and demonstrating.
20. Can RAEng/EPSRC
Research Fellows Apply for EPSRC Research Grants,
including First Grant?
Research Fellows are allowed
to apply for the first grant scheme in the final
year of their fellowship with a start date after the
fellowship ends. For further information please see
the EPSRC website
www.epsrc.ac.uk. In order to apply for the First
Grant scheme, this has to be your first EPSRC grant
as a principal investigator. Research Fellows are
not allowed to apply for standard EPSRC grants
during the fellowship.
21. Can awards be held
part-time?
In certain circumstances
Research Fellowships can be held part-time.
Candidates may request that the award be held
part-time (at no less than 50% of time) at the time
of application. Alternatively, it can be converted
to part-time or back to full-time during the course
of the Fellowship.
22. Can I take
maternity or paternity leave during my fellowship?
As employees of the host
institution, Research Fellows are entitled to
maternity or paternity leave under the employing
institution’s guidelines. The Fellowship will be
suspended for the duration of the leave period.
23. Can the Research
Fellowship be extended?
Extensions to Research
Fellowships beyond 60 months are not permitted (see
also 21 and 22 above)
24. Will I be provided with
a mentor?
A mentor will be provided
(whilst this remains practicable) to offer advice
and facilitate industrial links as the research
progresses. The mentor will be a Fellow of The Royal
Academy of Engineering.
25. How will The Academy
monitor my progress?
The University will establish
a Steering Group comprising the University Head of
Department, the Incumbent, The Academy Mentor and
The Academy Scheme Manager which will meet formally
on an annual basis to review the progress made by
the Incumbent. Prior to this meeting the Incumbent
will submit a formal progress report which will be
reviewed at the meeting.
In addition, all Research
Fellows will be invited to attend The Academy’s
Annual Research Forum and the EPSRC Research
Fellowship Seminar.
26. I’m having problems
using JeS, who should I talk to about this?
You need to contact your
Research Office as they can help you to use JeS.
Alternatively you can contact the JeS helpdesk
(phone number on the JeS webpage).
27. How can I tell if my letters of support are relevant to my application?
Letters of Support are not
required, and will not be permitted unless from an
Industrial Collaborator who is contributing to the
proposal (in cash or in kind). Proposals
including any letters of support that do not meet
this criteria may either be rejected or may be
returned to the applicant for amendment before
the application is passed on for peer review.
28. The company that is
providing me with a letter of support can not
provide me with one until after the deadline. Can I
submit this afterwards?
No, letters of support need to
be included at the time of submission. We can not
add these after your application has been submitted.
Proposals that include a collaborator (who is
contributing to the grant) but do not have a letter
of support will be rejected.
|
