UK: Grants for Digital Solutions to reduce Energy Demand and Carbon Production

Deadline: 7-Oct-21

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)is offering Grants for Digital solutions to reduce energy demand and carbon production.

Funding Information

• Total fund: £400,000
• They plan to award approximately eight proposals from this opportunity.
• Grants must start on 1 December 2021.
• It is expected that proposals will be:
  • up to 12 months in duration
  • up to £62,500 full economic cost – they will fund at 80% (£50,000) of this.
• Equipment over £10,000 in value (including VAT) is not available through this call. Smaller items of equipment (individually under £10,000) should be in the ‘directly incurred – other costs’ heading.

Eligible Projects

Your project could focus on:

• sustainable digital technologies
• business model innovations
• digital-enabled analysis of embodied emissions.

Scope

• This is an opportunity for funding novel short-term research studies in fundamental EPS research which focus on the interface of digital technologies and decarbonisation.
• Funding is available for feasibility studies that explore how digital technology can be used to support the reduction in energy demand and carbon production on the journey to net zero.
• Your project must address one of the following research themes:
  • development or application (or both development and application) of sustainable digital technologies to manage supply and demand
  • business model innovations to support the digitalisation of energy
  • digital-enabled analysis of embodied emissions along whole value chains and embedded in product solutions.
• For these research themes, applicants should consider the different actors, including (but not limited to) industry and communities which are energy poor. Proposals can be submitted that focus on either:
  • specific sectors, industries or both
  • the development of cross-cutting capabilities.
• While they understand research in this area can be interdisciplinary, the majority of the project must be in the remit of EPSRC.

Eligibility Criteria

• Standard EPSRC eligibility rules apply.
• Research grants are open to:
  • UK higher education institutions
  • research council institutes
  • UKRI-approved independent research organisations
  • eligible public sector research establishments
  • NHS bodies with research capacity.
• You can only be an investigator on one proposal submitted to this opportunity (as either principal or co-investigator).
• You can apply if you are resident in the UK and meet at least one of the eligibility criteria below: are employed at the submitting research organisation at a level equivalent to lecturer or above
  • hold a fixed-term contract that extends beyond the duration of the proposed project, and the host research organisation is prepared to give you all the support normal for a permanent employee
  • hold an EPSRC, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages
  • hold fellowships under other schemes (please contact EPSRC to check eligibility, which is considered on a case-by-case basis).
• Holders of postdoctoral level fellowships are not eligible to apply for an EPSRC grant.

For more information, visit https://beta.ukri.org/opportunity/digital-solutions-to-reduce-energy-demand-and-carbon-production/