Applications Open for Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness Programme

Applications Open for Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness Programme

Engineering X is a new international collaboration, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, to bring together some of the world’s leading problem solvers to address global challenges.

The Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness Programme is supporting the UK and global engineering community to learn from the current COVID-19 pandemic through global sharing of lessons on disruptive solutions and best practice approaches in the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery from pandemics.

This grant call is seeking innovative, engineering-centred research and/or innovation proposals which have the potential for significant impact in tackling the most urgent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while building global networks and communities that facilitate the rapid development and deployment of these solutions to areas in need.

There are two eligibility streams for this programme:

Stream 1 is funded under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and must be aimed to tackle challenges faced in countries on the DAC list.

Stream 2 will fund innovation projects in UK universities.

Support will be provided to all kinds of projects with the potential to significantly improve the engineering response to the pandemic. Some examples of activities that could be funded include:

Platforms to share lessons, technologies, and ways of working in the response to COVID-19 between communities of engineers and with other professional communities.

Building up knowledge-sharing infrastructure to ensure resources that can be used to fight the pandemic reach the right users.

Supporting communities to configure the engineering requirements for the response to COVID-19 in different contexts.

The piloting or testing of engineering solutions to the challenges of the pandemic or scaling of known solutions to increase their impact.

The following eligibility criteria apply:

Stream 1

An individual based at a university, research organisation or company in any developing country on the DAC list or in the UK may apply.

The proposed project must make an impact in any developing country or countries.

Collaborators on the project must be based in any developing country, or other countries where participation significantly enhances the project’s impact in a developing country.

Lead applicants must have an existing relationship with the Royal Academy of Engineering. Where no relationship exists, applicants with an endorsement from a national engineering academy that is a member of CAETS in a country eligible for UK aid funding (currently Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Serbia and South Africa) may also apply.

Stream 2

A researcher based at a university in the UK may apply.

The proposed project must make an impact in the UK or globally with lessons shared worldwide.

Collaborators on the project can be based in any country.

All lead applicants must have an existing relationship with the Royal Academy of Engineering, this may be as a current or previous grant award holder, collaborator, partner or member.

All teams must include at least one engineer.

Funding of up to £20,000 is available for projects up to 12 months.

Applications should be submitted by the deadline of 1 June 2020.

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.