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Schemes for Engineers in Research and Development
EPSRC 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?
4pm Wednesday 28 October 2009.
3. How many Fellowship
awards are available in the next round?
It is anticipated that around 10 Fellowships will be
awarded.
Please note that this year an
limit to the number of applications has been applied
and only two applications in total will be accepted
from most Host Organisations. Please see the
‘Application Limits’ link on the right for further
information.
4. In which areas must the
proposed research lie?
Fellowships can be held in any engineering
discipline within the remit of EPSRC. If you are
unsure whether your research is engineering then
please check with 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 our 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
are typically received for this scheme?
This year we are limiting the number of applications
from most of the Host Organisations to two only.
Please check with your intended Host Organisation
that they are willing for you to submit an
application as there will probably be internal
selection procedures. Please see the ‘Application
Limits’ link on the right for further information.
We expect to receive
approximately 75 applications this year.
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
Post-Doctoral research experience at the closing
date of the application round. There are no age
limits 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 within the UK. In the case of
candidates from outside of the EU, the host
university will be responsible for securing the
necessary work permits. The assessment process will
assume that you have already obtained the required
permits.
9. Will you help me find a
Host Organisation in the UK so that I can apply for
a Fellowship?
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make
contact with a Host Organisation and gain acceptance
from the relevant Head of Department, prior to
applying to the scheme. A listing of UK universities
can be found at
www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/ac/. It is highly
recommended that all potential applicants contact
their intended Host Organisation as soon as possible
due to a limit on the number of applications that is
permitted.
10. Can RAEng/EPSRC
Fellowships be held at an industrial organisation?
Fellowships cannot be held at industrial
organisations. Research may be carried out with
industry, providing it 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 held in an engineering Department or
Institute with substantial engineering activity.
12. What does the
Fellowship provide for?
The RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowships are designed to
support successful candidates for a five-year period
(or pro-rata for part-time equivalent).
Applicants should liaise with
their Research Support Office of their intended Host
Organisation for advice on the allowable costs that
are 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 for further information.
13. When will I hear the
outcome of the peer review process?
The approximate timescale is:
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Oct 2009 |
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Proposal submitted to EPSRC |
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Remit confirmed
By RAEng and EPSRC |
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Proposal Reviewed
1 nominated by applicant
1 from EPSRC College
1 RAEng Fellow |
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Referees' Comments
Sufficiently Supportive? |
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Unsupportive reviewers' assessment Not
selected for Panel review - applicant
informed |
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Supportive reviewers' assessment
Opportunity for applicants to respond to
reviewers’ comments regarding factual
accuracy; responses are included in the
papers for the Sift Panel |
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Sift Panel
Shortlist of applicants are selected to be
interviewed |
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Not selected for interview -
applicant informed |
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Interviews
Final selection of applicants |
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Not successful at interview
- applicant informed |
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Fellowships awarded |
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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 RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellow?
The Research Fellow must be employed solely by the
Host Organisation during the period of the
Fellowship. The Host Organisation must accept all
the normal responsibilities of an employer, and
ensure that adequate facilities are made available
for the research programme. The applicant may
already hold a permanent position at the Host
Organisation at the time of application.
16. When
can the Fellowship commence?
All Fellowships awarded
in 2010 must start no earlier than 1 April 2010 and
no later than 31 March 2011.
17. Can a RAEng/EPSRC
Research Fellow move during the course of the
Fellowship?
A degree of mobility during the
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 Host Organisation within
the UK would need to be discussed with the existing
and proposed Host Organisation. If the new Host
Organisation agrees to host the Fellowship, RAEng
and EPSRC will normally be agreeable to a transfer.
In such cases the original Fellowship would be
closed and a new Fellowship issued for the balance
of the funding period. Such a transfer would rarely
be approved within the first or last year of the
Fellowship.
18. Can the Fellowship be interrupted?
RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellows may interrupt their
Fellowship not more than twice to spend time on
activities unsupported by EPSRC or RAEng but
directly related to their Fellowship. Such periods
of abeyance must not exceed two years in total.
Prior agreement must be sought from RAEng. It is
unlikely that agreement will be given for a break
during the final year of Fellowship. Where periods
of abeyance are agreed, the Fellowship will be
extended by a period of time equal to the length of
the break.
19. Can RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellows
pursue other work during the course of their
Fellowship?
RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellows are
expected to devote their whole working time to
research related to their Fellowship. Up to four
hours a week may be spent on teaching and
demonstrating.
20. Can RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellows
apply for EPSRC Research Grants, including First
Grant?
RAEng/EPSRC 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.
RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellows are not allowed to
apply for standard EPSRC grants during the
Fellowship.
21. Can Fellowships be held part-time?
In certain circumstances Fellowships may be held
part-time, no less than 50%. Requests for the
Fellowship to be held part-time can be made 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 Organisation, RAEng/EPSRC
Research Fellows are entitled to maternity or
paternity leave under the employing Organisations
guidelines. The Fellowship will be suspended for the
duration of the leave period and the Fellowship time
extended by a period of time equal to the length of
the leave.
23. Can the Research Fellowship be
extended?
Extensions to 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
RAEng.
25. How will RAEng monitor my progress?
The
Host Organisation will establish a Steering Group
comprising the Head of Department, the Incumbent,
RAEng Mentor and RAEng Scheme Manager and 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.
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 criterion may either be rejected or 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 submitted by the closing date. We can not add
these after your application once it 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.
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