date: Sun Nov 25 18:17:38 2001
from: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Re: Faraday - idea(s)
to: "Elaine Jones" <E.L.Jones@uea.ac.uk>

   Elaine,
   I had a few thoughts about this.
   Of the two, the coastal focus is the most likely to work - I didn't raise the RT1 idea last
   Friday - we really are too new and raw as a team to get some core ideas together on this.
   The coastal idea might well hit the NERC interests, whether BBSRC would play I doubt, and
   EPSRC now seem to have no money left.  Chris Baker is the contact name at NERC it seems -
   might be worth a call to him to see if there is any inside NERC 'intelligence' about this -
   they might be desperate for a good bid in one of their NERC areas for example.
   If we were to do this then a UEA/Soton axis is essential I feel, as also is the active
   interest of Watkinson and maybe Kerry Turner (he has a lost of coastal experience).  We
   would also need to draw upon Simon Gerrard's E.Anglian (offshore?) contacts as well.  What
   I don't quite see if what commercial spin-offs we could offer and therefore why
   industry/business should put effort and money in.  Are we talking modelling tools, decision
   support, new visualisation methods?  Maybe.
   Pulling this off , even an outline, by 11 Jan. is very hard, given we have our own internal
   process going on (11 Dec.) and also the ESRC and EPSRC calls out right now too.  It might
   just be worth floating a skeleton idea around Andrew, Kerry and Simon to see whether any of
   them bite.  If so, we could follow up with a meeting after I return.
   Presumably it is clearly enough different from ERMAS and the BMT Faraday bid?
   Mike
   At 15:35 15/11/01 +0000, you wrote:

     Should you discuss this as an opportunity with Jonathan/Rachel ref. IF/IAM with software
     co's (SME's in 'Cambridge Valley'?) - perhaps together with another Cambridge Dept. ?
     (IT?) aimed at NERC as the lead council via their e-science interest (since you said we
     missed that) together with DTI (or with SE if we can find some partners in Scotland)
     Each Faraday Partnership will receive funds from one or more research council(s)
     together with support from DTI and/or the Scottish Executive.   <?xml:namespace prefix =
     o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
     The Research Council sponsor(s) will provide up to 1M to each Faraday Partnership on a
     pump-priming basis.  NERC have up to 750k left to support one or several F's.
     The totality of this support is intended to enable Faraday Partnerships to:
           develop and build on strong and effective networks between academic research and
     business, especially SMEs; assist industry in defining research needs; commission
     research; act as a broker in the exploitation and dissemination of research results
     through demonstration of best practice and movement of people in technology awareness,
     technology licensing and demonstration of best practice;
           carry out  research, developed in collaboration with industry, primarily in the
     form of collaborative research projects;
           support the development in business of relevant research-based technologies,
     leading to new products and processes and support a programme of relevant post-graduate
     education and training .
      DTI/SE will provide additional grant funding of up to 1.2M over 3 years to each
     Faraday Partnership but with the possibility of a further 2 years support if recommended
     after an interim evaluation.  DTI funding may be used, inter alia, as a contribution
     towards the costs of supporting:
     *  core infrastructure management, the employment of  technology translators ,
     *  the setting up of industry clubs ;
     * the wider dissemination of the knowledge generated by the Partnership, especially
       through activities that link into the national, regional and local business support
       structure and;
     *  the management and supervision of Faraday Associates (postgraduate students working
       within the Partnership).

     I would imagine that  Faraday Associates (postgraduate students working within the
     Partnership), from high tech.IT would be of significant added value to the IM Theme.

     OR - (and I think I prefer this) could it be considered via UEA - TynHQ as lead or
     (UEA/SO/C TynHQ/TynSouth lead?) and around the RT4 coastal simulator aspiration** (do we
     have a flourishing IT Dept.? I vaguely recall someone mentioning that they have a lot of
     ind.contact) - with a few partners (like Ian Townsend ABP Research - whom we met at the
     Science Museum - perhaps he could involve some contacts), Anglian Water, and others I
     would think of -  and this time aimed at a joint bid to NERC / BBSRC ?

     perhaps supported also by the 'Cathederal' ! (and other interested parties RSPB, BTO,EA
     EN, CA, FWAG, EEDA, Go-East et al.). And involve the Risk Centre (ref. NERC's Env.Risk &
     Hazard Mgt. interest) in some way & WeatherQuest ? maybe together with Kerry Turner's
     Humber interests.

     Could also include offshore eng. /coastal defences modelling (and thus a few  via
     EPSRC) and impacts/risks on offshore infrastructure etc. - potential offshore partner
     and what about fishing ind. - breeding/fishing ground changes ?  and it may be a good
     opportunity to include some new non-Tyndall academics.

     would also fit with NERC seasonal forecasting of extreme events - see below

     In this case the project would feed from/to the IM Theme - (another sale point)
     **It is quite hard (for me) to see how the results of RT4 can meet the requirements in
     the R.Strat. on 167,000

     Criteria for assessment will include:
             whether additional exploitation and communication within the area would be of
     significant value to the UK economy and; (the coastal zone must quality for that)
             whether there is a high quality research and development programme proposed,
     including the quality of the research excellence of the proposed academic partners and;
     (OK)
             whether the areas of science and technology are as yet uncovered by the
     existing Faraday Partnerships.  (OK)

     NERC:  NERC wishes to encourage interdisciplinary activity in areas relevant to
     Foresight priorities, in particular:
     * Environmental Risk and Hazard Management
     * Seasonal Forecasting of Extreme Events
     * Exploiting Biological and Genetic Diversity
     * Water Quality and Supply

      This priority list is not intended to preclude bids based on other topics.
      Existing scientific groups already in receipt of long term NERC funding (e.g. NERC
     research centres) may bid, in open competition, for the DTI component of Faraday
     Partnerships but must demonstrate added value in their approach to business.
     BBSRC:  Bids are welcome in any science area within the BBSRC remit where a Partnership
     would satisfy the criteria for assessment (Annex B) and, in particular, where the
     Partnership will provide an environment where research of high quality may be pursued
     relevant to the needs of the industrial partners.  Examples of science areas of interest
     to BBSRC can be found at: [1]www.bbsrc.ac.uk .
     Existing scientific groups already in receipt of long term BBSRC funding (e.g. BBSRC
     sponsored Institutes) may bid, in open competition, for the DTI component of Faraday
     Partnerships but must demonstrate added value in their approach to business



     If you think this is all nonsense, that's fine - it's off the top of my head.  Let me
     know if it's worth thinking more on.

     Elaine

