Examining UK-China Creative Industries Research and Innovation

Deadline: 7-Oct-21

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and Innovate UK have launch the Examining UK-China creative industries research and innovation.

You must be from one of the following:

• eligible higher education institution
• independent research organisation
• research council institute in the UK.

You must collaborate with at least one research organisation in China and engage with industry in the UK and China.

Your research will:

• inform UKRI’s future investments in working with China
• support the research and innovation community in future UK-China collaborations.

Funding Information

• The full economic cost of your project can be up to £100,000. They will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

UKRI is looking for

Applicants should identify the one theme to which their proposal principally responds, though proposals might cut across more than one of these themes or introduce new areas of inquiry relating to research, development and innovation in the creative industries.

Creative industries: audiences and consumer culture

• Audience insights: For example, responding to questions such as:
  • how do consumption, platforms and content formats differ in the two countries? How might these differences create barriers to, and opportunities for, future research, development and innovation collaboration?
  • what are the key emerging trends in this area and what do these suggest for future models of collaboration?
• Localisation of culture: For example:
  • how is culture localised for the UK and China across the creative industries?
  • how can audiences, stories, histories, and form of content be adjusted for the other market?

• Market intelligence and ‘horizon scanning’ for the creative industries in UK and China: For example:
• what are the key market forces and industry dynamics shaping the evolution of the creative industries in the UK and China?
• what are the key points of difference and intersection between the two markets, and what needs to be done to create conditions that are conducive to future collaboration?
• what are the key policy trends shaping research, development and innovation in the creative industries in the UK and China? How might the opportunities these create be maximised and how might the barriers these create be overcome?
• Creative industries research, development and innovation landscape mapping For example:
• what are the existing UK-China research, development and innovation capacities, centres or clusters and how do they operate?
• what are the sectoral developments in creative industries research, development and innovation and what are the impacts of these developments for researchers and research funders?
• how does research and business culture in the creative industries differ between the two countries, and how can research, development and innovation collaborations navigate this?

• Intellectual property (IP) and copyright: For example:
  • how does co-authoring operate across the two jurisdictions, and what is best practice for protection and enforcement?
  • how should creators register, protect and enforce IP and copyright in both countries?
  • what are the legal processes and entities required for this purpose?
• Navigating cyber security laws and data sharing: For example, how do creative industries researchers and businesses legally collect, analyse and share user and audience data across borders? The creative industries should be central to all proposals, however applicants may also wish to consider how the creative industries in the UK and China intersect with and inform other sectors of industry, such as:
  • net-zero
  • health
  • smart cities
  • the digital economy
  • technology development
  • tourism
  • nightlife.
• Reflecting AHRC, EPSRC and Innovate UK’s collaboration on the wider UK-China collaboration in the creative industries programme, interdisciplinary activity is strongly encouraged, both within the arts and humanities and, more widely, through the integration of:
  • social sciences and science
  • technology
  • engineering
  • mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications must be submitted by an eligible higher education institution, independent research organisation or research council institute in the UK. They must involve collaboration with at least one research organisation in China.
• All applications must also include engagement with industry organisations in the UK and China.
• Applications to this call must be made by a principal investigator who is contracted to a UK university or independent research organisation (IRO) and is eligible to receive AHRC funding.

For more information, visit https://beta.ukri.org/opportunity/examining-uk-china-creative-industries-research-and-innovation/