Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Abbreviation | EPSRC |
---|---|
Predecessor | Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) |
Formation | 1994 |
Type | Non-departmental government body |
Purpose | Funding of science and engineering research |
Headquarters | Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1ET |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Executive Chair | Lynn Gladden |
Main organ | EPSRC Council |
Parent organisation |
|
Affiliations | TSB, UKSA |
Budget | £898 million (2015–2016)[1] |
Website | epsrc |
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is a British
History
EPSRC was created in 1994. At first part of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC),[citation needed] in 2018 it was one of nine organisations brought together to form UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).[2][3]
Its head office is in
Key people
Paul Golby, Chair of EngineeringUK, was appointed as the Chairman of the EPSRC from 1 April 2012 for four years. He succeeded Sir John Armitt.
From 2007 to March 2014, the chief executive and deputy chair of EPSRC was David Delpy, a medical physicist and formerly vice provost at University College London.[4]
He'd been succeeded in April 2014 by Philip Nelson, former University of Southampton pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise.[5] In April 2016 Professor Tom Rodden was appointed as the Deputy CEO of EPSRC, a new position created to work alongside Philip Nelson while he also acts as Chair of RCUK Strategic Executive. Rodden joins the EPSRC on secondment from the University of Nottingham where he is currently Professor of Computing and Co-Director of Horizon Digital Economy Research.
In October 2018 Nelson was succeeded by Lynn Gladden[6] in the new role of Executive Chair.[7]
Functions
In addition to funding academic research projects, the EPSRC also funds
The EPSRC also funds or joint-funds 'Innovation and Knowledge Centres'. These are university-based business incubators which support commercialisation of emerging technologies. Between 2007 and 2016, the EPSRC funded seven centres:[9]
- Cambridge Innovation and Knowledge Centre (CIKC): Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Photonics and Electronics – University of Cambridge
- Ultra Precision and Structured Surfaces (UPS2) – Cranfield University
- Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) -Queen's University Belfast
- Medical Technologies IKC – University of Leeds
- Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings (SPECIFIC) – Swansea University
- Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) – University of Cambridge
- Synthetic Biology Innovation and Commercialisation Industrial translation Engine (SynbiCITE) – Imperial College London
Since 2013, the ESPRC has funded i-Sense, an interdisciplinary research collaboration which develops early warning sensing systems for infectious diseases.[10]
In 2020, ESPRC received £22 million from UKRI to be used (alongside money from industry and the universities involved) to fund five "next stage digital economy" centres. Projects will be run by the universities of Bath, Newcastle, Northumbria, Nottingham, Surrey and Lancaster.[11]
RISE
In 2014 the ESPRC established its RISE awards – Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers. The awards recognise inspirational leaders of innovation as RISE Leaders; those who are fellows of the
- Jim Al-Khalili
- Sadie Creese
- Leroy Cronin
- Stephen Haake
- Jenny Nelson
- Jeremy O'Brien
- Rodrigo Quian Quiroga
- Kevin Shakesheff
References
- ^ Budget and finances, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, archived from the original on 29 August 2020, retrieved 29 August 2020
- ^ "Our councils". UKRI. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ "John Kingman to lead creation of new £6 billion research and innovation body". GOV.UK. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ New Chief Executive for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 30 May 2007, http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0705/07053002
- ^ "Professor Philip Nelson announced as next EPSRC CEO - EPSRC". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.4000454. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ "Professor Lynn Gladden selected as Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council". Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ^ New Centres for Doctoral Training – December 2008 Archived 2013-07-06 at archive.today, from EPSRC's site
- ^ "Innovation and knowledge centres – EPSRC website". www.epsrc.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "About us". i-sense.org.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ "UKRI to invest £29m to boost digital revolution and online safety". governmentcomputing.com. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ a b "RISE: Recognising inspiration". epsrc.ukri.org. EPSRC. Retrieved 5 October 2020.