Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Shaping Capabilities in ICT ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

Context Approach Specific approach for ICT Areas for action What happens next Contents

Strategic Plan goals

EPSRC’s plans March 2010 EPSRC Strategic Plan 2010 October 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review December 2010 EPSRC Delivery Plan July 2011 Our Portfolio published Engagement March 2012 Full Shaping Capability plans

Developing the shape of the portfolio Understanding the current portfolio The EPSRC have used their unique role as a national agency to build and develop the UK research landscape in engineering and physical sciences. They have mapped their current portfolio by research areas and used data on research grants to understand: The value of EPSRC support in a research area The number of people in a research area receiving EPSRC support How major research centres and grants (such as EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing, programme grants), EPSRC Fellows, and Centres for Doctoral Training fit in the portfolio Links between research areas, capability themes and challenge themes They are also building a picture of wider support in the form of knowledge maps which capture non-EPSRC investment through dialogue with major university partners

Developing the shape of the portfolio Identifying the future shape of the portfolio For each research area within the portfolio EPSRC will indicate the overall trend they would like to see, relative to other areas of the EPSRC portfolio. Grow = research area will be grown relative to other areas in the portfolio Maintain = research area will be maintained relative to other areas in the portfolio Reduce = research area will be reduced relative to other areas in the portfolio In addition an area maybe asked to focus on research that meets particular industry needs or that could play a key role in an important challenge area, such as energy. Any changes in the portfolio will take place gradually over time. The shape of the portfolio will be reviewed regularly and the scale of investment in different areas as it evolves.

Shaping Capability in ICT - Aims Ensure new research directions within the portfolio Foster greater collaboration and connection between ICT research communities and other disciplines Establish an active debate in the ICT communities on future directions and challenges Increase the level of ambition in those sponsored – reflected in a more ambitious portfolio Provide an ongoing perspective on the desired shape of the ICT capability and take action that achieves this

ICT Capability – Approach to Shaping Twin approach adopted over last year by the ICT Capability Theme Combining perception of individual research areas with awareness of cross-cutting ICT research priorities Both published alongside each other on the EPSRC website from the 20 th July Consideration of the merits of the specific research areas within an overall context – together with dependencies and interactions between areas Views developed on relative quality and importance of each research area and target specific actions towards each research area to shape the ICT landscape Publication of the new Fellowships Scheme will be on the 22 nd July and will reflect the ICT Capability’s shaping strategy

Cross-ICT Research Priorities Many-Core Architectures and Concurrency in Distributed and Embedded Systems Towards an Intelligent Information Infrastructure (TI³) Photonics for Future Systems New and emerging areas in ICT Working Together Note that explanations of these decisions are on the EPSRC website

ICT Research Areas The ICT theme has a firm position on 8 of the 31 research topics

Action Decisions – ICT Theme Leader – Liam Blackwell Research AreaAction Architecture and operating systemsMaintain CMOS device technologyReduce Digital signal processingGrow Non CMOS device technologyMaintain Optical devices and subsystemsMaintain Optoelectronic devices and circuitsMaintain Speech technologyReduce Verification and correctnessGrow Note that explanations of these decisions are on the EPSRC website

What this means for applicants Changes to the application process EPSRC view Peer Review as a key element in achieving the aims; therefore the current process will be adapted to incorporate the new criteria. From now onwards, applicants will be expected to consider their research in the context of international excellence and national importance. Before applying applicants need to consider their research proposal in relation to the portfolio and the relative scale of EPSRC’s investment in the research area(s) posed. From autumn onwards, applicants applying to EPSRC will need to include a section in their case for support on the importance of their research with respect to the EPSRC portfolio “Our Portfolio” section of the EPSRC website will describe the current portfolio and proposed action categories

Impact versus Importance. Importance can be thought of as “why the research should be supported” Impact will still be a required section This should address the question, what the applicant(s) will do to deliver impact

What this means for peer review Peer review of proposals From autumn onwards, reviewers will be asked to consider importance as well as excellence in their assessment. Peer review meetings will be asked to prioritise based on quality and importance as the primary criteria and also comment on strategic fit to the research areas in our portfolio. Changes to all forms, guidance and peer review processes will be in place from the autumn. The confirmed date that this will occur will be publicised on the EPSRC website in September.

What the ICT Theme will be doing next. Meetings at regional “hubs” with Heads of Department to communicate our shaping strategies and what this means for researchers Discussions with the community on how they can engage with EPSRC’s strategic priorities Working in partnership with the research community to firm up their position on remaining research areas