Funding opportunity

Funding opportunity: Research for a digitally enabled circular economy and sustainable digital technologies

Opportunity status:
Closed
Funders:
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Funding type:
Grant
Total fund:
£12,000,000
Maximum award:
£1,800,000
Publication date:
16 May 2023
Opening date:
Closing date:

Last updated: 27 July 2023 - see all updates

Funding for collaborative research that contributes to the development of a digitally enabled circular economy and more sustainable digital technologies. This can include software, hardware and combined technologies.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.

You may only submit a full application if we have invited you to do so after success at the outline application stage.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £1.8 million. EPSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

Project duration can be up to 36 months.

Who can apply

The outline funding opportunity is subject to the EPSRC eligibility criteria from prior to 22 May 2023. If reviewing our eligibility criteria on our website, please ensure you are on the correct webpages, linked below.

Before applying for funding, check the following:

The full application stage of this funding opportunity is only open to invited applicants who were successful at the outline stage.

EPSRC has a no resubmissions policy. We will class unsuccessful full stage applications to this funding opportunity as a first submission under the EPSRC resubmissions policy. You will not be able to submit the application to other EPSRC funding opportunities.

We will count full applications previously submitted to other EPSRC funding opportunities as a resubmission and reject them.

Submissions to the outline stage of this funding opportunity will not count towards the EPSRC repeatedly unsuccessful applicants policy.

Applicant team requirements

The requirements are:

  • cross disciplinary collaboration and co-creation is required. Your application should demonstrate that the team combines different areas of expertise and experience as appropriate from across information communication technologies, materials science and engineering, and the circular economy. We also encourage representation of other areas of expertise from across and outside of EPSRC remits, as appropriate for the proposed project
  • any individual can only appear on two applications overall, and only on one application as principal investigator
  • individuals based in non-UK countries can be involved in the grant as visiting researchers, project partners, or members of advisory boards. However, they are not eligible to be investigators

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

  • career breaks
  • support for people with caring responsibilities
  • flexible working
  • alternative working patterns

Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.

What we're looking for

Scope

Digital technologies offer huge potential to accelerate efforts to increase environmental sustainability and achieve a more circular economy. However, digital technologies themselves have an environmental cost. Therefore, solutions to both improve the sustainability of digital technologies and to enable application of digital technologies to drive towards a more sustainable and circular future are needed.

This funding opportunity is intended to do just that by bringing together academics, industry and, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to collaboratively build solutions that deliver against UK net zero, environmental, and digital futures targets.

This EPSRC funding opportunity aims to fund up to eight collaborative research programmes that contribute to the development of a digitally enabled circular economy and more sustainable digital technologies.

Through this funding opportunity, we are looking to invest in two interlinked areas of research:

  • sustainable information communication technology (ICT), research addressing novel approaches to the development of more environmentally sustainable and circular digital and communication technologies
  • digitally enabled circular economy (CE), research developing digital solutions to enable a circular economy. Research in this strand may support a circular economy in any sector and is not limited to the digital sector

Proposed research may integrate the two areas into one research programme.

Grants given under this funding opportunity will form part of a broader investment to build connections and research capacity in this area. In addition to these research grants, a network funding opportunity will launch later in 2023. Networking across and beyond the funded projects, the network will drive further collaboration, relationship and capacity building at the interface of CE, ICT and materials.

Our expectation is that grants funded under this funding opportunity will collaborate with the network investment.

This strategic EPSRC investment will bring together UK world leading capabilities in ICT, materials science and engineering, and CE research. Harnessing the opportunity for collaborative research across these interfaces will deliver significant impact for the UK, supporting EPSRC’s engineering net zero and digital futures priority ambitions. Find details of this in our strategic delivery plan.

Through our engineering net zero priority we aim to deliver systems approaches and solutions to:

  • use the Earth’s resources as efficiently as possible
  • eliminate pollution and contributions to landfill
  • help deliver a sustainable zero carbon future

Through our digital future’s priority, we aim to deliver digital software and hardware tools or solutions that:

  • enable a resilient, environmentally sustainable and secure by design digital future for the UK
  • enable positive economic impact for the UK

Opportunity objectives

The successful projects will address EPSRC’s strategic aims by delivering against the following objectives:

  • deliver world leading and impactful collaborative research, which is co-created across the circular economy, materials, and ICT communities
  • build capacity and foster relationships at the interface between the circular economy, materials, and ICT communities, increasing understanding and consideration of circularity and sustainability in the ICT and materials communities
  • support the development of new circular ICT products, technologies and business opportunities which have a reduced environmental footprint and more resilient supply chains
  • support the acceleration of the transition to a circular economy through the development of digitally enabled circular technologies, products and systems
  • embed consideration of a circular economy into the sustainable development of future materials
  • support the longer term uptake of circular economy and sustainability considerations and practices by industrial partners

What we expect to see in applications

This cross disciplinary funding opportunity will support programmes driving knowledge exchange and collaboration across ICT, materials science and CE communities to deliver a more sustainable, resilient and circular future.

The proposed research must demonstrably lie primarily within EPSRC’s remit. However, we welcome and encourage the involvement of researchers from other disciplines (including those from other UKRI councils). Programmes should be co-created and co-delivered with appropriately interdisciplinary collaborators who can provide further understanding of the contextual factors that influence the systems.

Programmes must:

  • address a timely research challenge focused on one, or both, highlighted areas of research: environmentally sustainable ICT or a digitally enabled circular economy
  • demonstrate a coherent strategic vision and bring together a collaborative and world leading academic team with relevant stakeholders to address it
  • drive added value as a core focus of the programme by demonstrating synergistic connectivity between disciplines
  • take a systems approach, considering the wider context in which the proposed research and research outcomes will sit, as well as the risks, costs and trade-offs associated with different materials, technologies, processes and approaches; use tools and approaches such as life cycle analysis and impact assessments where appropriate
  • include appropriate co-creation and collaboration with stakeholders such as industry, policy and the third sector to identify and develop a timely and strategically important research application
  • identify and embed clear, realistic and proportionate routes to enable environmental, economic and societal impact, as appropriate for the project, as well as translation pathways that will maximise demonstrable impact from the programme in the short, medium and longer term
  • develop the skills of the researchers and partners involved, embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as well as accessibility throughout the programme, and supporting development and training for all project staff. Their management plan should reflect the investigator teams’ approach to career progression planning for all grant staff including administrative, technical and academic
  • embed environmental sustainability throughout the programme, both in research outcomes and in programme operations
  • deliver its programme of work in a responsible fashion according to best practice in responsible research and innovation
  • proactively engage with the network, other investments made under the funding opportunity and the wider portfolio. Building in resource to appropriately engage and network with the wider grant cohort and associated network investment over the grant’s lifespan is expected

Novelty and excellence can be accomplished through bringing together expertise and addressing the areas in new ways as well as through furthering the state of the art.

Sustainable ICT

This area welcomes research addressing novel approaches to the development of more environmentally sustainable and circular digital and communication technologies.

Each application in this area must have a primary research challenge that is driven by the challenges of delivering more circular and environmentally sustainable digital and communication technologies, from a hardware or software perspective.

Environmental sustainability may include consideration of such broad areas as:

  • reducing carbon emissions
  • protecting and enhancing the natural environment and biodiversity
  • waste or pollution elimination
  • resource efficiency and circular economy

Environmental sustainability is complex and there are often conflicting drivers. Applications may consider any one or more of these areas as a core focus, but all are expected to consider the circularity of the proposed research output as part of the programme. We particularly encourage applications that consider tighter loops of circularity, retaining components, materials and resources at their highest value for as long as possible.

The proposed research under this area may include, but is not limited to, the development of:

  • software
  • hardware
  • hardware-software co-design
  • novel materials
  • tighter loops
  • modular and interoperable systems

The following articulates some key research challenges involved in delivering more environmentally sustainable and circular digital and communications technologies, one or more of which may be addressed by an application. It is not an exhaustive list and applications need not be restricted to these areas:

  • design of novel materials, components and products for circular ICT, including consideration of extending life, end of life, reuse, repair, disassembly and remanufacture
  • recovery of products and materials from in-use ICT components for reuse in novel ICT, so as to retain value in the system
  • research into more environmentally responsible ways to store, use or share data from a hardware and software perspective
  • concurrent design of hardware and software to enable more energy efficient ICT systems, including hardware and software codesign and AI/ML enabled software -hardware codesign
  • novel software, software engineering or improved existing software designed to reduce environmental impact, for example, in terms of the environmental impact of the software itself via reduced energy usage or similar

Digitally enabled circular economy

This area welcomes research addressing the development of digital and communication technologies to support the transition to a circular economy and the economic, social and environmental benefits it enables.

There are many different definitions of a circular economy. At its heart, UKRI considers it to be about:

  • producing less
  • keeping the products, materials, and resources we do use and produce in circulation at their highest value for as long as possible
  • recovering resources after use

Applications in this theme will have a core vision and primary research challenge driven directly by the challenges of delivering a circular economy and the economic, social and environmental benefits it enables. We will accept applications in any sector or sectors or considering any resource flow or flows. Applications solely focused on the development of ICT which could be used in the CE but where enabling a CE is not a core focus and vision are not eligible.

Applications could include:

  • use or application of:
    • data
    • digital tools
    • models
  • technologies such as:
    • software
    • simulation
    • artificial intelligence
    • machine or deep learning
    • sensors or other hardware

to develop new technologies, products, processes, tools and materials required to realise the environmental, economic and social benefits of a circular economy.

The following articulates some of the key digital challenges to achieving a circular economy, one or more of which may be addressed by an application. It is by no means an exhaustive list and applications need not be restricted to these areas:

  • design of new digital tools to support more efficient recycling technologies including more effective separation and sorting of mixed waste streams
  • development of digital product passport technology for tracking components through life
  • new digital software, tools, technologies, models or application of data to enable:
    • effective and appropriate life cycle analysis across the innovation lifecycle
    • more efficient material flow analysis to identify waste that would go unaccounted for in conventional economic monitoring systems
    • better and more efficient decision-making at the end of first life

We particularly encourage applications that consider tighter loops of circularity, retaining components, materials and resources at their highest value for as long as possible.

Digital technologies are not without an environmental cost. All applications should consider any environmental trade-offs of the proposed approach, as well as the circularity of any proposed technology or system as part of the programme.

Systems approach

You must place your research in the context of the wider system (technological, economic, social, cultural, and environmental) in which the proposed research outputs would sit. These aspects should inform and influence the research direction of the proposed programme throughout its lifetime.

You are not asked to research the entire system or necessarily carry out systems engineering but should:

  • define the system or systems they are developing
  • consider the systems that their system will sit within and interact with, and the feedback loops this may generate. These may be upstream or downstream of your system and at similar or different scales
  • consider the wider social, legal, regulatory, economic and environmental context

You should consider questions such as:

  • how does your research influence or impact other parts of the system you are developing?
  • how could other systems influence or impact your system, technology or process?
  • what further research might be needed for your technology or process to have the desired impact in a current or future system? Your programme may not necessarily deliver this further research, but it should look to identify it and consider the implications of it

A shift to a more circular economy provides an opportunity for the UK to achieve more sustainable and clean economic growth and prosperity. However, implementing it within the current UK system may not always be the most appropriate approach.

Programmes will need to take a systems approach to enable consideration of the trade-offs, risks and mitigations associated with different approaches using tools and approaches such as life cycle analysis and impact assessments where appropriate.

User engagement

We encourage you to engage with research users in the conception and implementation of the proposed projects to maximise research impact where appropriate. These can include:

  • industrial partners
  • policymakers
  • research institutes
  • third sector organisations

Environmental sustainability

UKRI’s environmental sustainability strategy lays out our ambition to actively lead environmental sustainability across our sectors. 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.

In alignment with this, UKRI is tackling the challenge of environmental sustainability through our ‘building a green future’ strategic theme. This aims to develop whole-systems solutions to improve the health of our environment and deliver net zero, securing prosperity across the whole of the UK.

Environmental sustainability is a broad term but may include consideration of such broad areas as:

  • reducing carbon emissions
  • protecting and enhancing the natural environment and biodiversity
  • waste or pollution elimination
  • resource efficiency and a circular economy

EPSRC (on behalf of UKRI) expects programmes to embed careful consideration of environmental sustainability at all stages of the research and innovation process and throughout the lifetime of the grant.

Programmes should ensure that environmental impact and mitigation of the proposed research approaches and programme operations, as well as the associated project outputs and outcomes, is considered. Programmes must also seek opportunities to influence others and leave a legacy of environmental sustainability within the broader operations of their academic and industry partners.

Duration

The duration of this award is up to three years.

Funding available

The full economic cost of your project can be up to £1.8 million.

EPSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

What we will not fund

We will not fund research if:

  • the majority of the research is outside of EPSRC remit; we will reject applications deemed to have a majority remit within another UKRI council: EPSRC reserves the right to make such remit decisions without reference to peer review
  • the majority of the research programme fits to a singular discipline, with other disciplines being secondary, ‘add on’, or not integral to the research project
  • in the digitally enabled circular economy area,k work is focused on the development of ICT that has the potential to be used in the CE, but where enabling a CE is not a core focus and vision

We will not permit substantial changes to the application’s aims, vision or core focus between the outline and full stages without our prior permission.

Equipment funding

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

For more information on equipment funding, read EPSRC’s approach to equipment funding.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

International collaboration

If your application includes international applicants, project partners or collaborators, visit Trusted Research for more information on effective international collaboration.

Upcoming network opportunity

We will establish a network to support the creation of a new research community at the CE, materials science and engineering, and ICT research interfaces, and to bring together the projects funded through this funding opportunity. The network will support communities working along the same or similar research themes, but will have a stronger focus on community, skills and impact.

The network funding opportunity is scheduled to open in August 2023. Applicants to this research opportunity will also be eligible to apply for the network grant. We expect that projects funded under this funding opportunity will collaborate with the network investment. Applications should build in resource to appropriately engage with the associated network investment and the wider grant cohort over the grant’s lifespan.

How to apply

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service

We are running the funding opportunity on the new UKRI Funding Service. You cannot apply for this opportunity on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

If you do not already have an account with the UKRI Funding Service, you will be able to create one by selecting the ‘start application’ button at the start of this page. Creating an account is a two-minute process requiring you to verify your email address and set a password.

Watch our research office webinars about the new UKRI Funding Service.

Submitting your application

Applications should be prepared and submitted by the lead research organisation but should be co-created with input from all investigators, and project partners, and should represent the proposed work of the entire consortia.

To apply:

  • select the ‘start application’ button at the start of this page
  • this will open the ‘sign in’ page of UKRI’s Funding Service. If you do not already have an account, you’ll be able to create one. This is a two-minute process requiring you to verify your email address and set a password
  • start answering the questions detailed in this section of ‘how to apply’. You can save your work and come back to it later. You can also work ‘offline’, copying and pasting into the text boxes provided for your answers
  • once complete, use the service to send your application to your research office for review. They’ll check it and return it to you if it needs editing
  • once happy, your research office will submit it to UKRI for assessment. Only they can do this

As citations can be integral to a case for support, you should balance their inclusion and the benefit they provide against the inclusion of other parts of your answer to each question. Bear in mind that citations, associated reference lists or bibliographies, or both, contribute to, and are included in, the word count of the relevant section.

Deadline

EPSRC must receive your application by 4:00pm on 24 August 2023.

You will not be able to apply after this time.

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

General text on processing personal data

EPSRC as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your funding service account and the registration of your funding applications.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

General text on outcomes publication

EPSRC as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity.

If your application is successful, some personal information will be published via the UKRI Gateway to Research.

UKRI Funding Service: section guidance

Summary

In plain English, provide a summary that can be sent to potential reviewers to determine if your proposal is within their field of expertise.

This summary may be made publicly available on external facing websites, so please ensure it can be understood by a variety of readers, for example:

  • opinion-formers
  • policymakers
  • the general public
  • the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary

Succinctly describe your proposed work in terms of:

  • its context
  • the challenge the project addresses and how it will be applied to this
  • its aims and objectives
  • its potential applications and benefits

Word count: 550

Applicants

List the key members of your team and assign them roles, for example:

  • principal investigator
  • business partner
  • co-investigator
  • researcher
  • technician

You should only list one individual as principal investigator.

You may not change the principal investigator between the outline and full stage without EPSRC’s prior approval.

Section: Vision and Capability

Question: what are you hoping to achieve with and how will you deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

For the Vision, explain how your proposed work:

  • is aligned to the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity and the strategic priorities of EPSRC
  • has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
  • is timely given current trends, context and needs
  • impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment

For Capability, explain how the proposed team:

  • has the breadth, the requisite balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work.
  • has considered how they will collaborate and co-create across the proposed research project

For this to be assessed, you should upload an outline document to evidence their vision and capability. Create a document in a word processing application. The document must have single line spacing, margins of at least 2cm and be typed using Arial 11pt, or another ‘sans serif’ font with an equivalent size to Arial 11pt. Is must consist of no more than two sides of A4 paper

Word count: 10

Section: outline costs

Question: what are the expected costs of the proposed work?

Provide the approximate total values in GBP (£) for the expected directly incurred, directly allocated, indirect costs and exceptions.

View the guidance on the costs you can apply for.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Outline stage

You should record costs on the outline application form as accurately as possible. We do not expect any quotations at this stage, but the overall cost of applications submitted in the full application stage should be within 10% of the cost proposed at this stage.

Peer review

We will invite a panel of experts to review your outline application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity. The expert panel will determine a rank, which will be used to determine which submissions to take forward to full stage applications.

At outline stage, the panels and EPSRC may take into account the portfolio and subject matter diversity of applications received when deciding which applicants to invite to submit full applications.

Timescale

We aim to complete the assessment process for the outlines within four months of receiving your application.

Outline assessment criteria

Section: Vision and Capability

Have the applicants demonstrated how the work they are proposing:

  • demonstrates a coherent strategic vison and the potential for this to deliver demonstrable impact to the UK delivering against either, or both research challenge areas described in the scope:
    • novel approaches to the development of more environmentally sustainable and circular digital and communication technologies
    • developing digital solutions to enable a circular economy
  • demonstrates a collaborative and cross-disciplinary team that combines different areas of expertise and experience as appropriate from across information communication technologies, materials science and engineering, and the circular economy, incorporating expertise across and outside of EPSRC remit where appropriate
  • has taken an appropriately cross-disciplinary and co-created approach working with relevant stakeholders across and beyond the academic landscape to identify and develop a timely and strategically important research proposal
  • demonstrates an appropriate systems approach, considering the wider context in which the proposed research and research outcomes will sit, as well as the associated risks, costs and trade-offs
Section: Costs
  • demonstrated that outline costs fit within the indicated funding bracket

Full application stage

Full applications should not differ significantly from the outline stage. EPSRC reserves the right to reject, without reference to peer review, any applications where this advice has not been followed.

Panel

Following postal peer review, principal investigators will be requested to complete the principal investigator response. We will then invite peers to collectively review your application against the criteria and rank it alongside other applications after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.

EPSRC will make the final funding decision. Funding decisions will be taken across the whole portfolio at the point of funding, to ensure a balanced portfolio, which delivers against the comprehensive aims of the funding opportunity.

Feedback

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application should the panel request feedback to be passed on.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment (DORA) and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Full application assessment criteria

Section: Vision and Approach

Have the applicants demonstrated that they have designed their approach so that it:

  • fits the vision of this funding opportunity, and the programme requirements
  • has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
  • is timely given current trends, context and needs
  • is effective and appropriate to achieve their objectives
  • is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
  • if applicable, uses a clear and transparent methodology
  • if applicable, summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed
  • will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
  • describes how their, and if applicable their team’s, research environment (in terms of the place, its location and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the proposed work
Section: Applicant and team capability to deliver

Have the applicants provided evidence of how they, and if relevant their team, have:

  • the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
  • the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
  • the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and their approach to develop others
  • a relevant and considered management plan to develop an inclusive team that values diversity of thought and experience. The plan should consider:
    • recruitment strategies
    • career development and progression for all grant staff, including technical and administrative
  • appropriate project partner support, co-creation and engagement for the proposed project
Section: Resources and cost justification

Have the applicants demonstrated how the resources they anticipate needing for their proposed work:

  • are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
  • represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
  • maximise potential outcomes and impacts
Section: Environmental sustainability

Have the applicants identified:

  • the key environmental and sustainability implications of their research
  • how they will minimise the potential environmental impacts of the project, both in terms of the delivery of the research itself, and the broader, longer-term impacts of the research outputs and novel technologies developed
Section: Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Have the applicants identified and evaluated the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations, and how they will be managed.

Contact details

Get help with your application

For help on costings and writing your application, contact your research office. Allow enough time for your organisation’s submission process.

Ask about this funding opportunity

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
We aim to respond to emails within two working days.

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

  • Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
  • Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

Additional info

Background

For more information on EPSRC’s understanding of the remit of the three topics in this strategic funding opportunity, visit the following EPSRC webpages:

Funding opportunity background

Information and communication technologies (ICT) underpin almost everything used in modern society. They will continue to shape future economic growth and prosperity and will play a vital role in tackling societal challenges from climate change to healthcare.

ICT is currently built on an unsustainable ‘take-make-dispose’ linear economy. This results in ever increasing amounts of e-waste and misuse of critical raw materials that are essential for many ICT technologies.

The world’s consumption of raw materials is set to nearly double by 2060 due to global economic and living standards factor increases. This impacts the environment two-fold; firstly, via greenhouse gas emissions and secondly, via depleted natural capital. Moreover, energy usage and associated greenhouse gas emissions from ICT technologies are set to double by 2030.

There is therefore, an urgent need to consider a more sustainable approach. Consideration of a circular economy must be embedded across the ICT research and innovation landscape if we are to achieve net zero carbon emission targets, reduce energy usage and e-waste, and ensure resource security. A circular economy keeps resources in use for as long as possible to extract maximum value from them while in use and recovers products and materials after use.

The recent manufacturing and the circular economy engagement activities have reinforced the need to embed designing for circularity and sustainability across the EPS landscape including ICT. This also necessitates the integration of relevant advanced materials expertise as the properties needed for delivering complex ICT devices and systems will need to embed designing for circularity.

In addition, digital tools and ICT research and technologies can also accelerate the transition to a circular economy across the research landscape. The circular economy community engagement workshops in March 2022 identified the ICT and materials communities as key stakeholders in delivering a future CE. Similarly, the February 2023 manufacturing and the circular economy engagement activities identified a number of digital and data challenges as priorities. ICT research and technologies can be leveraged to accelerate and enhance the transition to a circular economy in other sectors.

New materials science discoveries will be required to both address the fundamental needs of more sustainable digital systems and for the creation of specialised hardware for digital systems for promoting circular economy. These materials will need the input and insight of expertise from circular economists for these digital approaches to fundamental materials science.

A new interdisciplinary community in this area will also help push forward underlying priorities of chemistry and materials sustainability and digital chemistry. It will build on the proposed work in this area that is addressed through standard mode and continues to underpin the success of the physical science and mathematical powerhouse in contributing to the broader aims of both EPSRC and the UK.

Related UKRI and EPSRC investments

The activity is complementary to other UKRI and EPSRC-funded projects including:

  • Made Smarter Innovation challenge, which supports the transformation of UK manufacturing by pioneering the development and integration of new and existing industrial digital technologies, including artificial intelligence
  • National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) programme, which focuses on a speciality material flow, delivering research, innovation and the evidence base to move the UK towards a resilient UK circular economy.
  • eFutures network, which fosters collaboration across the electronics community within the UK. There has been a recent refocusing of the network to utilising electronics for sustainability and net zero. They have organised several seminars and workshops with this focus, including but not limited to the following:
    • ICT for a Circular Economy
    • Sustainable Materials and Nanodevices
    • Making Electronics Sustainable
    • Electronics for Sustainable Societies conference

This also brings together three of the seven technology families of strength and opportunity highlighted in the UK Innovation Strategy:

  • advanced materials and manufacturing – developing novel materials to elicit new properties and vastly improved performance (including increasing circularity) while incorporating safety and sustainability into material design.
  • AI, digital and advanced computing – leveraging AI and data to enable better decision making on whole circular economic systems, balancing trade-offs associated with different approaches and material sources
  • electronics, photonics and quantum – creating novel circular ICT hardware and embedded software that allows products and processes to sense and measure, communicate, be powered have intelligence, be controlled and automated.

EPSRC has published its equality, diversity and inclusion expectations, with associated resources, to help and support the community in delivering excellent and inclusive research in an excellent, inclusive and accessible research community.

Webinar for potential applicants

We will hold a webinar on 6 June 2023 between 10:00am and 11:30am. This will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

If you missed the webinar on 6 June 2023, you can watch a recording via Zoom.
Passcode: 8@g7*XeP

Supporting documents

Equality impact assessment (PDF, 222KB)

Updates

  • 27 July 2023
    Webinar recording added under 'Additional info' section

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services.