UK Multidisciplinary Centre for Neuromorphic Computing (Grant)
Apply for funding to establish a UK centre for neuromorphic computing. This will be a focal point to engage relevant disciplines, further research and demonstrate the potential of the technology to deliver NetZero solutions. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding.
- Opening date:
- Closing date:
Contents
Summary
Apply for funding to establish a UK centre for neuromorphic computing. This will be a focal point to engage relevant disciplines, further research and demonstrate the potential of the technology to deliver NetZero solutions for emerging technologies and applications across the full stack (e.g. AI, quantum computing, etc.).
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £5,600,000. We will fund £4,480,000 (80%) of the FEC.
We will fund one centre under this funding opportunity. The maximum duration is four years.
Eligibility
Before applying for funding, check the Eligibility of your organisation.
EPSRC standard eligibility rules apply. For full details, visit EPSRC’s eligibility page.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.
For full details, visit Eligibility as an individual.
Who is not eligible to apply
You may be a named as a project lead and project co-lead in no more than one application submitted to this funding opportunity.
International applicants
The UKRI-RCN Money Follows Cooperation Agreement does not apply to this funding opportunity. As such grants submitted to this funding opportunity cannot include a Norway-based international co-project lead.
Resubmissions
We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI or any other funder.
Find out more about EPSRC’s resubmissions policy.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
career breaks
support for people with caring responsibilities
flexible working
alternative working patterns
Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.
Objectives
Aim
The UK multidisciplinary centre for neuromorphic computing will identify and address fundamental research challenges in neuromorphic computing. We will fund one research centre to engage meaningfully across disciplines, internationally and with policy makers. The research centre will act as a focal point for the UK research community and build collaborations. It will identify future challenges and support research to address these challenges.
Scope
Neuromorphic computing is increasingly becoming a viable option for non von Neumann computing and as an option that satisfies the need to reduce the energy requirements for applications such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and cloud and distributed computing (via data centres).
Neuromorphic computing looks to imitate the human brain with its high density of neurons, low power consumption and most notably the parallel processing of the processor and memory of the machine.
The ubiquitous nature of computing and its increasing energy consumption, especially with AI networks, means that to achieve net zero a paradigm shift is required. This funding opportunity will fund one research centre to help address the fundamental challenges in neuromorphic computing to bring about real-life solutions.
The UK multidisciplinary centre for neuromorphic computing will bring together the various disciplines including but not limited to computer science, electrical engineering, algorithms, computational neuroscience, wet neuroscience, software engineering, material science and physics, together to engage and address research challenges in neuromorphic computing.
Objectives
We expect the research centre to address the following objectives:
Provide a focal point for neuromorphic computing research in the UK by:
demonstrating the capabilities and potential of neuromorphic computing in real world scenarios and in different sectors, including use cases
interfacing with technologies that could benefit from neuromorphic computing (such as AI, quantum computing, etc.)
Seed a UK research and innovation programme in neuromorphic computing by:
carrying out UK landscaping and road mapping to evaluate the current state and opportunities for the area, which will provide evidence of the benefits and potential of neuromorphic computing to inform stakeholders
engaging with existing investments across UKRI, linking current and future investments to add value
building a focussed research and innovation programme across the full stack to address core research challenges in neuromorphic computing
targeting the core research challenges that will advance the discipline and demonstrate its power
ensuring the programme of research is outcome focussed, with clear goals that can be delivered within the timeframe, moving the area forwards
Draw in all stakeholders by:
bringing together the research community, policy makers and industrial partners to address the research challenges
engaging across and bringing together neuromorphic computing, including (but not limited to) the multidisciplinary academic community of computer science, software engineering, semiconductors and hardware and neuroscience
working with existing investments in the landscape – create a unified sector voice and common language across the disciplines and across the stack to accelerate innovation
as appropriate, building international relationships to further the identified research challenges in neuromorphic computing research and innovation in the UK
The research centre is expected to consist of:
a virtual or physical research centre based around a single research organisation or multi-institution with an identified lead research organisation
an academic centre director with a proven track record of managing large investments and excellence within their discipline
a broad and diverse leadership team representing the span of the research remit proposed in the centre. It is expected this will be composed of diverse academics from different career stages with suitable track records and expertise
appropriate advisory and governance structures, including as a minimum, an independent advisory board which should meet at least annually and include key academic, industrial, relevant policy officials and other stakeholders. A UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) project officer will sit on this advisory board, who will be appointed by UKRI. Provision of the precise and full membership of such a board will not be required at point of application
The research centre should serve as an open platform, as part of a broader programme accessible to researchers participating in neuromorphic computing research. It will bring together the communities to form a critical mass to address the fundamental challenges found therein.
Research centre first year activities
In the first year, the research centre will carry out the following activities:
Review the current state of neuromorphic computing
A review will be compiled describing the current state of neuromorphic computing research in the UK, both academic and industrial. It should detail the academic capacity and capability of neuromorphic computing in the UK. The review should detail the current investments in the area operating the UK funded by UKRI, Horizon2020/Horizon Europe, DSTL, ARIA etc. It should include details of where various aspects of neuromorphic computing currently sit in terms of their TRL. It should also describe the opportunities neuromorphic computing has for the UK and any economic implications this could have on the nation.
Develop a roadmap
A roadmap will be developed describing the challenges the research centre should pursue for the following three years. This should produce appropriate reports for the research community and funder, using appropriate activities to identify challenges and future pursuits for the UK. The roadmap should identify ‘real world’ challenges that can push the area forward and be realised in the following three-years of the grant.
Pursue international benchmarking
The centre will pursue international benchmarking of the UK’s neuromorphic computing research landscape. This will involve studying national policies, funding, strategies and approaches that impact R&D centres internationally. These activities should also include a consideration of the UK’s position internationally. Then benchmarking the UK against these producing case studies to inform future activities and potentially feed into the roadmap.
Assess capital infrastructure
The centre will start to assess the capital infrastructure currently available and draft the requirements needed for the future of neuromorphic computing. The future infrastructure needs will not be delivered by the research centre but may feed into other infrastructure bids to UKRI and/or DSIT for example.
As part of the first year activities, the research centre should also:
take into account strategic documents published by the potentially relevant organisations i.e. Government, learned societies, funded grants, EPSRC & eFutures Neuromorphic Report (efutures2.com) (PDF, 11MB).
agree with UKRI a governance structure, monitoring and evaluation framework, and terms of reference for the centre
begin delivering the centre’s research programme
The centre should carry out a two stage fundamental research programme as follows:
firstly, through a research programme as defined by the project lead in this application to address neuromorphic computing research challenges, as currently understood. This programme can run for the full duration of the centre
secondly, following the completion of the roadmap – where further research challenges have been identified, the flexible funding will be used to tackle the prioritised challenges. The research centre should use the flexible funds to support a multidisciplinary approach to address the fundamental research challenges over the subsequent three years of the grant
Activities for the duration of the research centre
Across the duration of the grant, the research centre should also:
be able to link with other investments funded in this area, including the current eFutures: Electronic systems technology for emerging challenges and Neumat Network: Neuromorphic Materials and Devices for Future AI Hardware (a network grant funded via standard mode)
work with any investments in neuromorphic computing initiated after this research centre has started
engage with a wide range of existing strategic investments, those who developed unsuccessful bids to this funding opportunity, and the broader research community, including to establish where this new investment can add the most value to the existing ecosystem
build effective relationships with a range of relevant policymakers, and draw on these for the design of the programme of activities
Studentships
We are not providing studentship funding through this funding opportunity. Consortia should consider how best to leverage DTP allocations.
Additional conditions
The centre funding will be subject to the following additional conditions, in addition to our standard terms. There may be additional conditions included.
Flexible funds
Notwithstanding standard grant condition RGC6 concerning the transfer of funds between headings, the sum £2,500,00 awarded under the heading of ‘flexible funds’ can be used to fund both directly incurred and directly allocated costs.
These funds must be reported on the final expenditure statement (FES) as directly incurred and a breakdown of the expenditure must be submitted along with the FES. Normal conditions apply to all other funds awarded on this grant.
Community network expectations
This grant is awarded on the understanding that, the project will undertake a wider networking role with the research and user community outside its membership. This may involve coordination of activities such as meetings, workshops or seminars on behalf of UKRI. A dedicated website must be set up within six months of the start of the grant and regularly maintained to provide a resource for engagement with the wider community.
This grant is expected to further develop engagement with neuromorphic computing including its academic and user (for example policy, business) membership throughout the period of funding in order to maximise its impact on a wide range of disciplines. As part of the grant, the research centre must identify ambitious ‘real-world’ challenges, which require a multidisciplinary approach and will form an agenda for future research in the area.
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
As an assembly point for the neuromorphic computing research community, the research centre will be expected to champion and embed EDI in all their activities throughout the lifetime of the investment. 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 EPSRC’s published expectations for EDI. The research centre should ensure that they request appropriate resources to champion and embed their EDI approach effectively.
Duration
The duration of this award is four years.
Projects may start from 1 April 2025.
Funding available
The FEC of your project can be up to £5,600,000.
EPSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
What we will fund
Directly allocated costs
Project lead and co-leads’ salaries
These should be requested under the directly allocated cost heading.
The project lead and co-leads can request funds to cover their salary costs for the time spent on setting up and leading the network.
Directly incurred costs
Travel and subsistence
Travel and subsistence enabling members of the research centre to meet to exchange ideas and expertise. This may include:
travel within the UK
visits by or to experts internationally
Where possible, collaborators should meet their own travel costs.
Professional enabling staff
A sufficient level of administrative support should be requested to ensure the co-ordination, management, and smooth running of the research centre.
You are expected to employ a dedicated grant manager as a core member of the team, with relevant experience and costed at the appropriate grade. Other non-academic staff can include engagement experts, communications, and impact staff.
Reasonable costs for monitoring and dissemination of the research centre’s output can also be included.
Organisation of activities
Funding can be requested for:
activities to carry out review, roadmapping and international benchmarking for the area
activities to identify and disseminate key research challenges in the area
activities to generate new research challenges in the area
activities to connect users, industry and other stakeholders with the research base
communication costs such as website and marketing
costs to support networking, events and communication in association with Neumat Network: Neuromorphic Materials and Devices for Future AI Hardware
other projects as appropriate for the research centre
flexible funds as described
You are encouraged to think creatively about the range of activities that could support the delivery of the research centre goals. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your proposed activities with us ahead of submission.
Research
Funds can be requested to deliver the research centre’s research programme, which may include the following:
staff costs
equipment (up to £400,000 per item)
other items required to carry out the project
costs related to impact
travel and subsistence
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.
Flexible funding
Up to £2,500,000 (80%) can be requested as part of the total resources requested by the project. Flexible funding should be allocated to address the challenges of neuromorphic computing identified by the research centre in the first year by the roadmap and within the remit of UKRI.
The expectation is that these grants will address fundamental research challenges that have real world application. The grants funded via this fund must deliver tangible results within the duration of the research centre. These grants could lead to applications for further support from appropriate funding bodies.
Flexible funds can be allocated to researchers at any organisation currently eligible for UKRI funding, including staff involved in this application. In your application please outline how you will ensure the processes for the allocation of the flexible funds are fair and transparent within the framework of the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.
Please note that any grants commissioned by the research centre using the flexible funds will be restricted to UKRI 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 (including carrying out trusted research checks where appropriate). We would expect some examples of the types of grants in the application, but the research challenges are expected to be defined by the research centre and should be co-created and collaborative in nature.
The funded grants should be expected to engage with the wider programme of activity and report their progress and outcomes to the research centre. These outcomes should be reported as part of the wider research centre programme reporting.
Flexible funds may not be used for studentships or the kind of student costs that would be funded through a training grant.
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. The cost of these grants should be reported as Directly Incurred by the centre but can be used as Directly Allocated and Directly Incurred by the grant recipient. Flexible funds are funded at 80% FEC by UKRI.
What we will not fund
We are not looking to fund a neuromorphic computing research centre that addresses solely
artificial intelligence hardware
quantum computing
a single type of non von Neumann architecture or unconventional computing
Although the research centre is expected to work in a multidisciplinary manner, the research being delivered should primarily sit in the engineering and physical sciences remit.
The research centre should not replicate activities already covered by other investments such as eFutures, Neumat Network: Neuromorphic Materials and Devices for Future AI Hardware, Human Brain Project.
The research centre is encouraged to interact and collaborate with industry, however, it should be noted this is a research centre grant with a research programme addressing fundamental research. Therefore, the research centre should not pursue commercialisation or research beyond TRL 4.
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.
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. Further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.
Dates
Assessment process
Expert review panel assessment
We will invite experts to review your application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity.
You will not be able to nominate reviewers for applications on the new UKRI Funding Service. Research councils will continue to select expert reviewers.
We are monitoring the requirement for applicant-nominated reviewers as we review policies and processes as part of the continued development of the Funding Service.
Following the assessment by the expert reviewers, you will be given the right to reply following our standard procedure. This will be followed by panel where the same expert reviewers will assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications
Timescale
We aim to complete the assessment process by March 2025.
Principles of assessment
We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.
Find out about the UKRI Principles of Assessment and Decision Making.
Assessment areas
The assessment areas we will assess your application against are:
vision and approach
governance
applicant and team ability to deliver
ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
resources and cost justification
flexible fund
fit to funding opportunity
Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.
How to apply
Click here to start application on the UKRI Funding Service: https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP711/apply/1168
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.
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.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
Confirm you are the project lead.
Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.orgPlease allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this Opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You should:
use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
insert each new image onto a new line
provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
ensure files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the new Funding Service
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. Applicants should use their discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019)
You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.
Deadline
EPSRC must receive your application by 4.00pm UK time on 5 November 2024.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected. If an application is withdrawn prior to peer review or office rejected due to substantive errors in the application, it cannot be resubmitted to the funding opportunity.
Personal data
Processing personal data
EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
Publication of outcomes
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
opinion-formers
policymakers
the public
the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
context
the challenge the project addresses
aims and objectives
potential applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
project lead (PL)
project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
specialist
grant manager
professional enabling staff
research and innovation associate
technician
visiting researcher
Only list one individual as project lead.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Application questions
Vision and Approach
Create a document that includes your responses to all criteria. The document should not be more than 9 sides of A4, single spaced in paper in 11-point Arial (or equivalent sans serif font) with margins of at least 2cm. You may include images, graphs, tables. References may be included but should not exceed one page of your document. You can have an additional page for a diagrammatic workplan.
For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Vision and Approach’.
Save this document as a single PDF file, no bigger than 8MB. Unless specifically requested, do not include any sensitive data within the attachment.
If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
What are you hoping to achieve with and how will you deliver your proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
For the Vision, explain how your proposed work:
is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
has the potential to advance current understanding, generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area
is timely given current trends, context and needs
impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment
will embed EDI considerations into, and how these will guide your aims, as well as other activities such as stakeholder engagement, events and networking.
Within the Vision section we also expect you to:
identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be
For the Approach, explain how you have designed your work so that it:
is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed
if applicable, uses a clearly written and transparent methodology
if applicable, summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed
will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place, and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work
will build EDI considerations into the formation, operation and governance of the hub, including how these will be operationalised
Within the Approach section we also expect you to:
demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work
provide a project plan including milestones and timelines in the form of a Gantt chart or similar (additional one-page A4)
References may be included within this section.
Governance
Word limit: 750
How will you manage the award to successfully deliver its objectives?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how the proposed award will be managed, demonstrating that it:
will be effectively governed, including details about advisory structures
will be effectively and inclusively managed, demonstrated by a clear management plan
has clear leadership team roles and responsibilities
will manage and encourage partnerships with non-HEI organisations across government, industry and civil society
has plans for monitoring your progress as well as self-evaluation throughout the lifetime of your award
Will put in place appropriate governance and administration to deliver the range of devolved funding opportunities
demonstrate that all relevant disciplines are represented in the governance
Within this section you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You must:
use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
insert each new image onto a new line
provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
Files must be: in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Be smaller than 5MB
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Word limit: 1,650
Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:
the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others
contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
The word count for this section is 1,650 words, 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.
Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you, and if relevant your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.
Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed below. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:
contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
contributions to the wider research and innovation community
contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit
Additions: Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).
You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new Funding Service.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
Word limit: 500
What are the ethical and RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
the relevant ethical or responsible research and innovation considerations
how you will manage these considerations
If you are collecting or using data you should identify:
any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing and storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further re-use of data)
formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with
Additional sub-questions (to be answered only if appropriate) relating to research involving:
animals
conducting research with animals overseas
human participants
research involving human tissues or biological samples
genetically modified organisms
Resources and cost justification
Word limit: 1,000
What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:
project staff
significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
any equipment that will cost more than £10,000
any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
all facilities and infrastructure costs
all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’
International collaboration costs
Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:
are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
maximise potential outcomes and impacts
Project partners
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities.
Add the following project partner details:
the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
the project partner contact name and email address
the type of contribution (direct or in-direct) and its monetary value
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Project partners: letters (or emails) of support
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project Partner section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter N/A. Each letter or email you provide should:
confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
describe any additional value that they bring to the project
the page limit is 2 sides A4 per partner
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the contributions template.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations.
Facilities
Word limit: 250
Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you will need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.
For each requested facility you will need to provide the:
name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 35KB)
proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
confirmation you have their agreement where required
Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above. If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Flexible fund
Word limit: 1,000
How will you use and manage the flexible fund?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how you will use and manage the flexible fund so that it:
supports your objectives
distributes funding appropriately across a diverse range of activities
where appropriate, distributes funding through robust, transparent competitive processes
builds capacity in key fields and career stages
ensures appropriate processes for monitoring, reporting and governance of funded activities
describe the method you will use to select the challenges that have been identified in the roadmap
Fit to funding opportunity
Word limit: 1,000
How does your proposal fit to the objectives to the funding opportunity?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain how your proposed centre fits the call so that it will:
act as and deliver a clear focal point for UK capability in neuromorphic computing research
drive progress in neuromorphic computing research by bringing together communities spanning academia, industry, policy, and others
build collaboration and knowledge exchange across research and stakeholder communities across the UK
establish leadership of diverse, inclusive interdisciplinary research communities in neuromorphic computing across the UK
deliver a neuromorphic computing review and roadmap co-created by the research and stakeholder communities. This should identify key research and innovation opportunities, and the pathways needed to deliver significant impact, as well as key risks
describe the process that will be used and how the community will be drawn in to identify the challenges
identify areas for future collaboration
complement existing research and build capability and networking
forge new connections between relevant communities, and new and existing projects, to accelerate knowledge transfer and the realisation of near and longer-term impacts
through the research programme deliver greater community capacity and capability in neuromorphic computing research, with consideration of new methods, tools and approaches, and the training and skills required to support neuromorphic computing research in the long term
Your organisation’s support
Word limit: 750
Provide details of support from your research organisation.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisation detailing why the proposed work is needed. This should include details of any matched funding that will be provided to support the activity and any additional support that might add value to the work.
The committee will be looking for a strong statement of commitment from your research organisation.
We recognise that in some instances, this information may be provided by the research office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.
You must also include the following details:
a significant person’s name and their position, from the TTO or research office, or both
office address or web link
Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.
Data management and sharing
Word limit: 500
How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Supporting information
Additional disability and accessibility adjustments
UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process if required.
Webinar for potential applicants
We will hold a webinar on 2 October 2024. This will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.
Research disruption due to COVID-19
We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:
breaks and delays
disruptive working patterns and conditions
the loss of ongoing work
role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic
Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.
Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.
Supporting documents
Equality impact assessment (PDF, 281KB)
Related content
Contact details
Get help with your application
If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page
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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: ICT.Theme@epsrc.ukri.org
Please include ‘Neuromorphic Computing’ in the email header.
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Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490
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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
conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
the application is an invited resubmission
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