Applicants should ensure they are aware of and comply with any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.
You should prepare and submit your proposal using the research councils’ Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system.
When adding a new proposal, you should go to documents, select ‘new document’, then select:
- council: EPSRC
- document type: outline proposal
- scheme: outline
And, on the project details page, you should select the ‘sustainable manufacturing’ call.
After completing the application:
- you must ‘submit document’ which will send your application to your host organisation’s administration
- your host organisation’s administration is required to complete the submission process – applicants should allow sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process between submitting your proposal to them and the call closing date.
EPSRC must receive your application by 16:00 on 20 April 2021.
As well as the Je-S application form, the following documents must be submitted.
Documents for outline stage
Case for support (outline stage)
Mandatory, four pages maximum
The four page case for support should include the following information (please structure it using the headings given):
Heading one: research vision
What is your vision of the sustainable manufacturing addressed by your project, and how does your proposed research contribute to this vision?
Heading two: research challenge
Identify the overall aims of the programme and the challenges to be addressed.
Explain why the proposed research is novel, timely and innovative.
Explain how the proposed research fits the call.
Heading three: project team
Briefly explain who will be involved in the grant and what expertise they will contribute.
Heading four: proposed programme
Describe the programme of research that will be carried out through the grant, showing how the work packages relate to each other. A small diagram may be useful at this point.
Outline the methodology to be used in the research and justify this choice.
Proposal cover letter (outline stage)
Mandatory, no page limit
Applicants must indicate in their cover letter which of the three challenges of this call they consider their proposal is addressing.
The cover letter can also be used to highlight any important information to EPSRC. This attachment type is not seen by reviewers or panel members.
Documents for full proposals stage
Workplan
Mandatory, one page
Should be illustrated with a simple diagrammatic work plan, such as a programme evaluation and review technique (PERT) or Gantt chart.
Case for support (full proposal stage)
Mandatory, eight pages maximum
Comprising up to two A4 sides for a track record, and six A4 sides describing proposed research and its context.
Justification for resources
Mandatory, two pages maximum
CVs
For named and visiting researchers, and researcher co-investigators only.
Two pages maximum for each CV.
Project partner letters of support
Must be included from all named project partners. Must be on headed paper, and be signed and dated within six months of the proposal submission date.
No page limit.
Letters of support
In exceptional circumstances a maximum of three letters can be submitted.
No page limit.
Equipment quotes
For equipment above £25,000.
No page limit.
Equipment business case
Required for any items or combined assets with a value above £138,000.
Two pages maximum for each business case.
Technical assessment
No page limit.
Host organisation letter of support
Two pages maximum.
User engagement strategy (type: additional document)
Mandatory, two pages maximum
Successful applicants will be required to develop and execute a strategy for engaging with potential users of the research funded in the project (resources for this activity can be requested but must be justified in the application).
An initial version of this strategy should be submitted as a two-page document as part of the full proposal stage.
This strategy should be reviewed and updated regularly as part of the formal management of the grant.
The strategy should cover:
- how and when potential users have been or will be identified
- what form the engagement will take
- what steps will be taken to ensure that outputs of the research are made available to potential users.
Suitable metrics for determining the success of the strategy in delivering value to users.
This requirement has been included in this call to reflect the importance of engaging with manufacturing industries as part of realising the benefits of the fundamental research the MtF theme support.
Documents additional guidance
You should attach your documents as PDFs to avoid errors. They must be completed in single-spaced Arial 11 font or similar-sized sans serif typeface.
Your outline proposal should consist only of the application form, a four page case for support, and a cover letter. Other documents such as annexes, a work plan or letters of support will not be accepted at outline stage.
Costs on the outline stage application form should be recorded as accurately as possible within reason. We do not expect any quotations at this stage, but the overall cost of applications submitted in the full proposals stage should be within 10% of the cost proposed at outline stage.
At the outline stage, proposals will be assessed against their fit to the scope of the call. Therefore, you should be sure to justify how your project would contribute to increased sustainability of manufacturing technologies or processes.
We strongly advise applicants to refer to the assessment criteria when writing a proposal.
EPSRC will not fund a project if it believes that there are ethical concerns that have been overlooked or not appropriately accounted for. All relevant parts of the ethical information section must be completed.
Find out more about guidance on completing the Je-S form.
EPSRC guidance can be found under additional information.
