EPSRC Call: Design the Future

September 2, 2014

EPSRC would like to invite applicants to participate in a funding initiative to explore the potential for “Design the Future”. This call aims to encourage adventurous research addressing future design challenges, researching the effect of new science and engineering on the designers and the design process, leading to the development of future products and processes.
“Design the Future” aims to support research to include and explore:

• How engineering design can accelerate the adoption of new materials, new processes and new technologies
• How engineering design can be more creative, more effective and allow for new design paradigms
• How engineering design is conducted within organisational and manufacturing contexts
• How engineering designers engage with users and other stakeholders.

There will be up to £3 million available for this call to fund a number of small, feasibility-style projects (up to £300,000 and 18-months duration) that help develop innovative, exciting ideas in Engineering Design.
Given the speculative nature of the opportunity, the peer review process will consist of two separate interview stages; the first stage being a ‘concept audition’ and the second stage resembling a big-pitch style panel interview. Applicants should register their intent to participate in the first stage by completing the registration form by 16:00 on 29 October 2014.
Please note that applicants are limited to one audition per person. Further applications will be rejected.
Please note that there are a limited number of spaces for each of these auditions. Whilst we will attempt to enable all potential applicants to attend the audition day and location of choice, if demand is significant we may need to refer to the applicant’s reserve choice or operate on a first-come, first served basis.
For further information and to apply, visit the EPSRC web page.