This is a pre-announcement, and the information may change.

Aim

Through this funding opportunity, we aim to enable the metamaterials community in delivering impact, though the design and development of 3D metamaterials at the nanoscale. The proposed programme of work should support and underpin technologies and systems that address critical national and global approaches to environmental sustainability.

For this funding opportunity, we define ‘3D nano-scaled metamaterials’ as materials with an engineered three dimensional (3D), submicron-structure that imparts properties markedly different from the properties of the bulk constituents.

Scope

This is a preannouncement for funding to create a research hub focused on developing 3D Nanoscale Metamaterials for a Sustainable Future. The hub should cover fundamental materials discovery through to routes to translation and manufacturing, with aims to deliver a step change in our understanding of how to design and build this class of materials from end to end.

It is expected that consideration is taken as to how the materials developed enable technologies and systems that address national and global environmental sustainability challenges.

The hub will feature high quality, multidisciplinary research and strong engagement with end users. The hub will take a national leadership role in the field and in particular, will embed approaches to systems thinking and materials circularity within research streams.

The hub will actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion, and should clearly address needs for industrial engagement and requirements of trusted research.

Stakeholder engagement should be commensurate with development of 3D metamaterials from end-to-end. Including where appropriate, manufacturing and industry stakeholders, translational end users from industry and academia, relevant non-specialist end users, as well as relevant specialists and experts from outside of EPSRC remit.

A 3D Nanoscale Metamaterials Hub for a Sustainable Future will deliver a programme of innovative research in the engineering and physical sciences, related to the challenges in designing, developing, innovating, and translating 3D nano-scaled metamaterials. The primary focus of the investment will be on the development and progression of 3D metamaterials science and engineering, complementing and refreshing our existing portfolio in the metamaterials space.

While it is expected that the bulk of the hub’s focus will be on the design, development, and scaling of 3D-metamaterials, secondary impacts are expected through the exploitation of translational opportunities that originate from the hub’s work in end-to-end design, including aspects of manufacture and scale-up. This would include collaborating or innovating in the broader areas of nano-scaled materials or metamaterials scale-up and manufacturing.

What is a hub?

Hubs are expected to deliver:

• high quality, multidisciplinary research
• a strong ethos of skills development for staff
• efficient management of hub operations
• a clear path to realising impact

The hub (or centre) will be a leader within the landscape, driving forward the national metamaterials research agenda in their area and connecting with other players in the community, including users, policymakers, and other public investments (for example Catapults, other hubs and EPSRC investments).

All investments should be structured to best support delivery of the proposed programme of work, accounting for expertise, collaboration, management, and infrastructure.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

As leaders in the community, hubs will be expected to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all their activities throughout the lifetime of the hub. If funded, this will include identifying the specific EDI challenges and barriers in their own environment and developing a strategy to address these, with reference to our published expectations for EDI.

Hubs must ensure that they request appropriate resources to develop and deliver their EDI strategy effectively. This must include at least one costed staff post with responsibility for EDI (the hub EDI Lead). The EDI lead should not be the only hub staff member interested in delivering excellent equality, diversity and inclusion within the hub, such considerations should be embedded within the ethos of all its activities.

We do not specify any particular full-time equivalent (FTE), salary level or career stage for this post. Hubs may decide what is most appropriate for their programme, while giving due consideration to flexible working.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where you can find additional support.

Duration

The duration of this award is a minimum of 36 months, and a maximum of 60.

Funding available

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £12.1875 million.

EPSRC will fund 80% of the FEC (£9.75 million). £12.1875 million is the 100% FEC figure

What we will fund

Equipment (up to £400,000 per item)

Quotes for equipment do not need to be included in your application, but please retain quotes for equipment costing more than £138,000 as we may ask for these at post-panel stage before releasing funds.

Learn about EPSRC’s approach to equipment funding.

Flexible funds

Flexible funding can be requested to support delivery of the Hub. These funds must be distributed externally to the grant. There are no specific rules on what flexible funds may be used on, some examples of use are: secondments, feasibility studies, small ‘working with industry’ projects, outreach and engagement, research culture projects.

Flexible funds can be allocated to researchers at any organisation currently eligible for EPSRC funding. You will need to think carefully about how any budget for external distribution will be commissioned, and how you will ensure processes for the allocation of funds are fair and transparent.

Please note that any activities commissioned using the flexible funds will be restricted to our current research organisation eligibility but will not be bound by standard EPSRC investigator eligibility criterion. It is the project lead’s responsibility to ensure ongoing governance to ensure correct usage and accountability of the funds.

We would expect some examples of the types of projects at the application stage, but as research challenges are expected to evolve throughout the hub lifetime it is not expected that opportunities are set. Ideas for flexible funding approaches should be co-created and collaborative in nature.

The sum awarded under the heading of ‘flexible funds’ can include both directly incurred and directly allocated expenditure. These funds must be reported on the final expenditure statement (FES) as awarded on the offer letter and a breakdown of the expenditure must be submitted along with the FES. Flexible funds are funded at 80% FEC by us.

What we will not fund

Proposals where the majority of novelty is aligned to other areas or types of metamaterials such as:

• metasurfaces
• 4D metamaterials
• metafluids
• 2D metamaterials
• nanoscale materials that would not be classed as ‘metamaterials’

Proposals must demonstrably lie primarily within the remit of EPSRC and must be within the scope of this funding opportunity. Any proposals that we deem out of remit or scope may be rejected without reference to review.

Studentships

Studentships are outside the remit of this funding opportunity.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system. We will publish full details on how to apply when the funding opportunity opens.

The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service
• how research offices use the Funding Service
• how reviewers use the Funding Service

Assessment process

We will publish full details on the assessment process and assessment criteria when the funding opportunity opens in August 2024.

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

Important note: The Helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the Helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact materials@epsrc.ukri.org

However, please note we will not be able to provide additional information about the scope of this funding opportunity in advance of its publication.

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490

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See further information on submitting an application.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email materials@epsrc.ukri.org

Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
• declaration of interest
• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section