Funding opportunity

Adventurous Manufacturing Round three

• Opportunity status: Closed
• Funders: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Funding type: Grant
• Total fund: £3,000,000
• Maximum award: £250,000
• Publication date: 4 July 2023
• Opening date: 28 June 2023 9:00am UK time
• Closing date: 6 September 2023 4:00pm UK time

Last updated: 25 July 2023 - see all updates

Apply for funding for exceptional and potentially transformative science and engineering research projects that contribute to our vision for manufacturing research.

A high degree of risk in these applications is expected and welcomed to encourage speculative ideas or new ways of thinking.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding. You can only submit one proposal as a principal investigator.

Your project can be up to £312,500 at 100% full economic cost. We will fund 80% of the full economic cost (£250,000).

Projects can be between 12 to 18 months in duration.

The full proposal stage of this opportunity may run on the UKRI Funding Service our new funding platform, rather than via Je-S. The exact full application requirements and assessment criteria may alter from what is currently published.

Who can apply

Standard EPSRC eligibility rules apply. Research grants are open to:

• UK higher education institutions
• research council institutes
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) approved independent research organisations
• eligible public sector research establishments
• eligible research and technology organisations
• NHS bodies with research capacity.

Check if your institution is eligible for funding.

You can apply if you are a resident in the UK and meet at least one of the conditions 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 us 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.

What we're looking for

Scope

We are looking to fund projects to investigate step-change manufacturing solutions, with the potential to transform the manufacturing system.

We are looking to fund feasibility projects:

• of up to 18 months duration
• aimed at high-risk discovery research to help deliver transformative manufacturing solutions that improve productivity, increase resource efficiency or minimise waste
• otherwise facilitate a transition to a sustainable manufacturing system

What we expect to see in proposals

This funding opportunity aims to fund excellent, transformative manufacturing research, which draws on emerging funding opportunities from across our remit.

We are looking to identify these emerging funding opportunities by investing in highly adventurous research for which new manufacturing knowledge is needed to lead to successful processes and products.

We want to reach academics working at the interface between underpinning science and manufacturing who want to move their work into the manufacturing domain, as well as academics already working in the full spectrum of manufacturing research (including, but not limited to; simulation, design, production, fabrication, systems and services).

We want the manufacturing research we support to help solve some of the most significant challenges and opportunities facing the UK today and in the future.

The expectation is that as the projects funded by this funding opportunity will be inherently high-risk in nature, some may be unsuccessful in demonstrating the feasibility of the manufacturing solutions they propose. Such an outcome is valuable in itself, as the resource committed to achieving this finding is constrained.

Those projects that are successful should have the potential to deliver significant impact towards a more productive and sustainable UK economy. To that end the inclusion of project partners is encouraged, although not a formal requirement. You are urged to consider what form industrial engagement could take, including building in plans to engage with a range of relevant manufacturing companies (SMEs included) throughout the proposed project.

It is expected that applicants to this funding opportunity will need to plan for further funding to move successful projects towards commercialisation. As such, while there are no discrete plans for associated ‘follow-on’ funding with this funding opportunity, you should consider seeking additional support through EPSRC and UKRI funding opportunities such as standard mode, as well as private company or other investments.

The case for support of any proposal submitted to this funding opportunity should, in addition to describing the project and the methodology, include the following headings, each of which should address the questions listed beneath:

Adventurous aspects of the proposal:

• what makes the proposed work adventurous and high risk in nature?

Benefits of the proposed work:

• please describe, justify and, where appropriate, quantify the benefits of the proposed research. Examples of benefits that could feasibly be delivered if the project is successful include, but are not limited to:
  • the potential increase in productivity (for example, within an industrial sector, at a factory level etc.)
  • improved value for money
  • other social and environmental benefits
• what additional research, development or both will be required following successful completion of the project to deliver a deployable technology or solution?

Research challenges

This funding opportunity is to support innovative, potentially transformative manufacturing research projects, seeking to explore ‘step-change’ ideas that translate emerging opportunities from across the engineering and physical sciences.

Proposed projects should:

• draw on advances in underlying science and technology
• focus on the design and development of new and existing manufacturing processes, systems, networks or both
• explicitly consider the pathway to manufacture, including production scale up and integration within the wider industrial system

The project must be within our remit with at least 50% of the proposed work falling within the manufacturing domain. Proposals that do not fall within our remit or are not sufficiently focused on the development of manufacturing technologies will be rejected.

We do not intend to fund projects that could be described as:

• incremental
• low-risk or unadventurous
• incompatible with deployment within an environmentally sustainable context.

Responsible innovation and environmental sustainability

All projects funded via this funding opportunity must:

• follow the principles and guidance contained within UKRI’s environmental sustainability strategy (PDF, 1.5MB), regarding the sustainability of the research methodologies used
• consider the responsible innovation and environmental sustainability aspects of the proposed research approaches, and the associated project outputs and outcomes

Applications are welcomed from:

• researchers working in the fundamental physical sciences who are looking to apply underpinning concepts to the development of scalable and sustainable manufacturing technologies
• established manufacturing researchers aiming to deliver transformative solutions.

When applying to this funding opportunity you should be excited about the project you submit and should actively embrace the opportunity to develop an ambitious, high-risk idea, with the potential to make a significant contribution to a productive, thriving and resilient UK manufacturing sector.

Funding Available

We have up to £3 million to fund a number of projects.

Your project can be up to £312,500 at 100% full economic cost. We will fund 80% of the full economic cost (£250,000).

Projects can be between 12 to 18 months in duration.

Equipment over £10,000 in value (incl. VAT) is not available through this funding opportunity. Smaller items of equipment (individually under £10,000) should be in the Directly Incurred – Other Costs heading.

EPSRC approach to equipment funding.

Responsible innovation

You are expected to work within the EPSRC framework for responsible innovation.

International collaboration

If you are planning to include international collaborators on your proposal you should visit Trusted Research for guidance on getting the most out of international collaboration while protecting intellectual property, sensitive research and personal information.

How to apply

You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.

You can find advice on completing your application in:

• the Je-S handbook
• Guidance for applicants – EPSRC – UKRI

We recommend you start your application early.

Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and guidance.

Submitting your application

Before starting an application, you will need to log in or create an account in Je-S.

When applying:

1. Select ‘documents’, then ‘new document’.
2. Select ‘call search’.
3. To find the funding opportunity, search for: ‘Adventurous Manufacturing Round 3 – Outline Proposals’

This will populate:

• council: ‘EPSRC’
• document type: ‘Outline Proposal’
• scheme: ‘Outline’

Once you have completed your application, make sure you ‘submit document’.

You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.

Important: The case for support needs to be anonymised – avoid revealing your identity and host organisation. Do not include academic publications or research track record, nor any other reference that may reveal identity. If it is deemed that your identity is revealed, we reserve the right to reject the proposal at this stage.

If successful at the outline stage, you will be invited to interview. If successful at interview you will be required to resubmit your original proposal application (with minor updates to any costings) to ‘full application stage’ in order for us to process the funding. There is no further peer review after interview. Details on how to do this will provided to successful candidates upon notification of interview outcome. It is possible that this will run on the UKRI Funding Service, our new funding platform, rather than through Je-S. The Funding Service has a digital form-based format. This means that the exact application requirements and assessment criteria may alter from what is currently published.

Deadline

We must receive your application by 6 September 2023 at 4:00pm.

You will not be able to apply after this time. Please leave enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date.

You should ensure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.

Attachments

Your application must also include the following attachments.

You should attach your documents as PDFs to avoid errors. They should be completed in single-spaced Arial 11 font or similar-sized sans serif typeface. We will not accept any other attachment types under this funding opportunity.

Read our advice on writing proposals for EPSRC funding.

You will follow a two-stage process and you are to submit an outline proposal. For outline proposals, the following attachments are mandatory:

• case for support (maximum 5 sides of A4 in size 11 font)
  • Important: This document needs to be anonymised – avoid revealing your identity and host organisation. Do not include academic publication or research track record, nor any other reference that may reveal identity. If it is deemed that your identity is revealed, we reserve the right to reject the proposal at this stage.
  • The case for support of any proposal submitted to this funding opportunity should, in addition to describing the project and the methodology, include the following key points:
    • what is the novel manufacturing research idea or manufacturing challenge being addressed? How would this research help to deliver the manufacturing challenge you are addressing?
    • what makes the proposed work adventurous and high risk in nature? Why is this research potentially transformative? (At least 50% must be within the Manufacturing and Circular Economy (MCE) theme’s remit.)
    • What will be the key achievement at the end of the project? How will risks be managed? What difference will this award make?
    • how is your proposed manufacturing technology or solution compatible within the context of a more circular, sustainable manufacturing system?
  • Diagrams can be included but must be readable.
  • Please note: If page limit is exceeded or does not conform to the format, we reserve the right to reject the proposal at this stage.
• justification of resources (JoR) (maximum 2 sides of A4 in size 11 font)
  • please note: This document will be assessed only at interview stage. It will be used to help make an informed judgement about whether the resources requested are appropriate for the research proposed
  • if appropriate, blank figures for costs can be provided at this stage
  • explain why the resources requested are required to undertake the research project
• proposal cover letter seen by our staff only (no page limit)
  • please note: This document is not seen by panel members
  • express any other information felt relevant to the application
  • if applicable, highlight any prior discussion had with EPSRC staff

Outline proposals must be submitted by individual eligible researchers. You can only submit one proposal as a principal investigator.

Ethical information

We will not fund a project if we believe that there are ethical concerns that have been overlooked or not appropriately accounted for. All relevant parts of the ‘ethical information’ section must be completed.

Guidance on completing ethical information on the Je-S form.

EPSRC guidance can be found under ‘additional information’.

Nominating Reviewers

As part of the application process, you will be invited to nominate up to three potential reviewers who you feel have the expertise to assess your proposal. Please ensure that any nominations meet the EPSRC Policy on conflicts of interest.

How we will assess your application

Assessment Process

In the event of this funding opportunity being substantially oversubscribed as to be unmanageable, we reserve the right to modify the assessment process.

Applications will be assessed via a two-stage process, the outline and the interview.

Stage 1 – Shortlisting of Outlines

Proposals received by the closing date will be assessed by an external panel. This stage is being performed anonymously to ensure the panel is focused on the research idea and cannot be influenced by other factors such as affiliation.

The panel will be looking for convincing evidence of how you might approach your chosen problem, and the level of creativity and pioneering foresight. Assessment of proposals will be based on how well the answers to the questions posed in the case for support align to the criteria identified in the Assessment criteria section below.

Any proposals not within remit will be rejected prior to the shortlisting panel meeting.

In the event of the funding opportunity being undersubscribed, we reserve the right to not hold a shortlisting panel and all applicants will be invited to interview.

In the event of this funding opportunity being substantially oversubscribed as to be unmanageable, we reserve the right to modify the assessment process.

Stage 2 – Interview

Please note the exact format of the interview process and the submitted documents may be subject to change due to the move to the UKRI Funding Service. We will communicate any changes via email to you directly as soon as possible.

If you are successful at Stage 1 you will be invited to interview and will receive further details on the process directly from us. From this stage, the funding opportunity will no longer be anonymous.

The interview panel will use the outline proposal as their initial source of reference, particularly with respect to any technical aspects of the proposed research, and will have access to the justification of resources submitted. The panel have leave to ask you for additional information and clarification, concentrating primarily on fit to the assessment criteria. The panel’s assessment will be based on the written documentation already submitted and the interview performance.

At this stage, the panel is looking for convincing evidence that you are an exceptionally creative investigator who can deliver the proposed research idea as well as examining the idea more deeply to check its potential to be transformative, adventurous and contribute to the vision of the Manufacturing and Circular Economy (MCE) theme.

The panel will rank proposals submitted against the assessment criteria and will be asked to make funding recommendations to us. It is anticipated interviews will take place in March 2024.

There will be no postal peer review of applications submitted against this funding opportunity.

Assessment Criteria

Stage 1 – Shortlisting of Outlines

Criteria to be assessed at outline stage are:

Research quality (Primary criterion)

• relevance to the UK manufacturing research base and potential to provide the UK with unique capability
• novelty, relationship to context, timeliness and relevance to identified stakeholders
• ambition, adventure and transformative aspects or potential outcomes
• suitability of proposed methodology and appropriateness of the approach to achieving impact

Importance (Secondary major criterion)

• Evidence of how the proposed research contributes to:
  • maintaining health of other research disciplines
  • addressing key UK societal challenges
  • current or future UK economic success or enables future development of key emerging industries, or bo
• meets national strategic needs by establishing or maintaining a unique world leading research activity (including niche capability areas)
• fits with and complements other UK research already funded in the area or related areas, including the relationship to the EPSRC portfolio, Research Area strategies and Delivery Plan.

Fit to opportunity scope (secondary major)

The suitability of the proposal for this funding opportunity, making reference to:

the alignment of the proposal to the funding opportunity objectives

Stage 2 – Interview

At interview stage, the following assessment criteria will be assessed in addition to those above:

Applicant and partnerships (Secondary criterion)

• Ability to deliver proposed project.
  • appropriateness of the track record of the applicant(s)
  • balance of skills of project team, including collaborators

Resources and management (Secondary criterion)

• the effectiveness of the proposed planning and management arrangements
• any equipment requested, or the viability of the arrangements described to access equipment needed for this project, and particularly on any university or third-party contribution
• the appropriateness and justification of the requested resources
  • include any requested for activities to either increase impact for public engagement or to support responsible innovation.

Feedback

Brief feedback may be given to applications at the Stage 1 Outline as directed by the panel.

The interview panel will offer feedback to you if you are not successful at the Stage 2 interview.

Guidance for reviewers

EPSRC peer review process and guidance for reviewers.

Standard calls (Je-S only guidance)

Contact details

Get help with developing your proposal

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

Ask about this funding opportunity

Katie Walker – Portfolio manager – Manufacturing and the Circular Economy

Email: katie.walker@epsrc.ukri.org

Mark Tarplee – Senior Portfolio Manager – Manufacturing and the Circular Economy

Email: mark.tarplee@epsrc.ukri.org

Manufacturing and the Circular Economy inbox

Email: manufacturingandce@epsrc.ukri.org

Get help with applying through Je-S

Email

jeshelp@je-s.ukri.org

Telephone

01793 444164

Opening times

Je-S helpdesk opening times

Additional info

Background

This is the third round of the Adventurous Manufacturing funding opportunity, having successfully funded research projects across two previous rounds. The Manufacturing and the Circular Economy theme is keen to build on the success of the first rounds by expanding its portfolio of Adventurous Manufacturing grants.

The Manufacturing and the Circular Economy theme’s vision is for a sustainable, resilient, thriving and productive UK wide manufacturing sector and a truly circular economy. The manufacturing sector makes a major contribution to the UK economy; a sector that is continuously shaped by global issues, pioneering technology, changing consumer habits, trends, and other factors. Looking to the future, UK industry needs to continue to innovate, particularly in high-value and specialist manufacturing, in order to support UK productivity and prosperity.

A productive, sustainable UK of the future will require new and innovative products, which cannot be manufactured using current processes and technologies. Failure to innovate new manufacturing technologies and evolve existing ones will be a fatal barrier to the adoption of key technologies and the realisation of key societal goals. We aim to drive innovative and disruptive manufacturing research which will deliver novel approaches and evolve existing ones to be more economic, resource efficient and lower emission.

The UK manufacturing sector is diverse, with activities in aerospace, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive, electronics, biotechnology and food and drink. The sector needs be innovative to compete on a global scale, including meeting UK net zero targets and addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We aim to support this innovation through the research we fund. UKRI’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy lays out our ambition to actively lead environmental sustainability across our sector. This includes a vision to ensure that all major investment and funding decisions we make are directly informed by environmental sustainability – recognising environmental benefits as well as potential for environmental harm.

With this funding opportunity we are looking to identify emerging opportunities, by investing in highly adventurous research for which new manufacturing knowledge is needed to lead to successful processes and products. We want to reach academics working at the interface between underpinning science and manufacturing who want to move their work into the manufacturing domain, as well as academics already working in the full spectrum of manufacturing research (including simulation, design, production, fabrication, systems and services).

Grant Additional Conditions

Grants are awarded under the standard UKRI grant terms and conditions.

Responsible innovation

We are fully committed to develop and promote responsible innovation. Research has the ability to not only produce understanding, knowledge and value, but also unintended consequences, questions, ethical dilemmas and, at times, unexpected social transformations.

We recognise that we have a duty of care to promote approaches to responsible innovation that will initiate ongoing reflection about the potential ethical and societal implications of the research that we sponsor and to encourage our research community to do likewise.

Supporting documents

Equality impact assessment (PDF, 220KB)

Updates

• 25 July 2023
  Stage two interview date updated in 'How we will assess your application' section.