Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences (including mathematics, physics, chemistry, artificial intelligence and computer science), mainly to universities in the United Kingdom. The head office is in Swindon, Wiltshire in the same building (Polaris House) that houses the AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, Natural Environment Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, TSB, Research Councils UK and the UK Space Agency.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
AbbreviationEPSRC
PredecessorScience and Engineering Research Council (SERC)
Formation1994
TypeNon-departmental government body
PurposeFunding of science and engineering research
HeadquartersPolaris House,
North Star Avenue,
Swindon,
SN2 1ET
Region served
United Kingdom
Executive Chair
Lynn Gladden
Main organ
EPSRC Council
Parent organization
AffiliationsRCUK, AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, STFC, TSB, UKSA
Budget
£815 million (2008-2009)[1]
Websiteepsrc.ukri.org

History

EPSRC was created in 1994. It was formerly a part of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC).

Structure

Paul Golby, Chair of EngineeringUK, was appointed as the Chairman of the EPSRC from 1 April 2012 for four years. He succeeded Sir John Armitt.

From 2007 to March 2014, the chief executive and deputy chair of EPSRC was David Delpy FREng FRS, a medical physicist and formerly vice provost at University College London.[2]

He was succeeded in April 2014 by Philip Nelson, former University of Southampton pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise.[3] In April 2016 Professor Tom Rodden was appointed as the Deputy CEO of EPSRC, a new position created to work alongside Philip Nelson while he also acts as Chair of RCUK Strategic Executive. Rodden joins the EPSRC on secondment from the University of Nottingham where he is currently Professor of Computing and Co-Director of Horizon Digital Economy Research.

In October 2018 Nelson was succeeded by Lynn Gladden CBE FRS FRSC FInstP FREng[4] in the new role of Executive Chair.[5]

Functions

In addition to funding academic research projects, the EPSRC also funds Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs). These deliver four-year doctoral training programmes to cohorts of PhD students and EngD research engineers studying within UK universities, and are funded to target specific areas of research for which there is recognised need. In 2008, the EPSRC announced funding for 44 new CDTs spanning its entire remit.[6]

The EPSRC also funds or joint-funds 'Innovation and Knowledge Centres'. Innovation and Knowledge Centres are university based business incubators established in order to support commercialisation of emerging technologies. Between 2007 and 2016, the EPSRC has funded 7 Innovation and Knowledge Centres:[7]

References
  1. Budget and finances, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, archived from the original on 19 June 2013, retrieved 26 April 2013
  2. New Chief Executive for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 30 May 2007, http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0705/07053002
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Anon (2017). "Gladden, Prof. Lynn Faith". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.4000454. (subscription or UK public library membership required) (subscription required)
  5. "Professor Lynn Gladden selected as Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council". Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  6. New Centres for Doctoral Training - December 2008 Archived 2013-07-06 at Archive.today, from EPSRC's site
  7. "Innovation and knowledge centres - EPSRC website". www.epsrc.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2016.

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