Celebrating our success

Dr Jon Hunt, Deputy Director of RDSO

A successful year for the University so far• Over £32.5M awarded via 233 grants• Biggest funder still EPSRC (£17M) • EU commission £4.6M (compared to £3.8M for whole of last year)

• UK industry currently at £1.8M (exc. £2.7M from WW)

(compared to £4M for whole of last year)

• 12 awards above £500k, 4 above £1M (RD&C, e.g. Raithby, WW, ESRC...)

Research volume

QR~£17M + ext fund ~£27M = Research £44M income pa

University of Bath income 2012: £196M

QR

Threats

Pressures leading to reduction in overall research funding:• Post-REF:

o QR income reduction, maybe up to 25% (£4M)o External income need to maintain or grow

• Increased focus on critical mass investments• CSR 2015 will question Research Council budgets• Charities have less funding due to recession• Alliances between universities, e.g. N8, M5 and

SES5

Strengths

• Good reputation: funders• Excellent outputs recognised by HEFCE• Pockets of critical mass• Strongly collaborative culture• Strategic partner with EPSRC (our major

funder)

Weaknesses

• Unbalanced portfolio • Capacity: Burn out• Pockets of experience with European funding• Very little funding from other Research

Councils• Limited business investments• Pathways to impact not taken seriously

Opportunities

• Funders still open for business– Research Councils and TSB– Europe: ERC, Marie Curie, Collaborative R&D,

InterReg (inter-regional network grants)– Charities– Industry

• How do we widen the pool of grant holders?• How to strengthen relationships with industry?

What’s my plan?• ADRs: priorities e.g. centres & institutes • Get into Europe

– ERC– InterReg (inter-regional networking grants)– Marie Curie fellowships– Lobbying for priority areas (in H2020)

• Treat pathways to impact plan as value chains to build relations to secure future business income

• Network with other HEIs to access non-EPSRC funds• ECR program (currently H&SS)• Support for ‘calls for proposals’ and institutional bids

Our help

We’re here to help (Research Development):• Dr Caroline Ang• Dr Gareth Buchanan• Dr Susie Douglas• Dr Alison Evans• Dr Jon Hunt• Sarah Jones