Co-creation Forum: Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Programme Prospering from the Energy Revoution

Transcription

1 Co-creation Forum: Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Programme Prospering from the Energy Revoution 31 January 01 February 2018 NEC Birmingham Expression of Interest for Participants in a twoday Co-creation Forum focused on ISCF Energy Revolution Leadership and Capability Network Summary Closing date for applications: 16:00 on Thursday 21 December 2017 As one of the streams of activity under the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge, the Research Councils are inviting Expression of Interest applications to take part in a two-day Co-creation Forum on 31 January and 01 February This challenge aims to prove by 2021 that local, investable, consumer-centric energy approaches can create prosperous clean energy communities across the UK. At this event, attendees will discuss the formation of an ISCF Energy Revolution Leadership and Capability Network, and following the event there will be a formal submission of proposals to assemble the Network. This Network is an expert network programme of activity to provide the whole systems enabling capability and national learning essential to drive the UK energy transition market opportunity. The closing date for applications to attend the Co-creation Forum is 16:00 on Thursday 21 December Background The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund aims to bring together the UK s world leading research with business to meet the major industrial and societal challenges of our time. It was created to provide funding and support to UK businesses and researchers, part of the government s 4.7 billion increase in research and development over the next four years. As part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund the UK government has committed a total of 102 million to March 2022 to make the UK a global centre for smart energy systems that deliver cleaner, cheaper energy for consumers and their communities through the Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge

2 Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge: Prove by 2021 that local, investable, consumer-centric energy approaches can create prosperous clean energy communities across the UK. The world is embarking on a revolution in how energy is supplied. Over the coming decades at least $2 trillion each year will be invested around the world in the transition to low carbon power, transport, heat and localised, digitallyconnected energy systems. The UK has world-leading energy and environmental researchers, businesses, policy, regulation and infrastructure. This gives us the opportunity to develop new consumer-led energy services and markets that are cheaper, cleaner, flexible, and more resilient to environmental and social change. The Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge will support industry, academia, public bodies, and local communities to develop a world-leading, Smart Energy Systems industry in the UK, worth billions of pounds by the early 2020s. It will pave the way for billions of pounds in follow-on institutional finance in the 2020s, help create tens of thousands of new high-value jobs associated with design, testing, manufacture, financing, installation and operation of new energy products and services in the wider low carbon energy economy. It will put consumers and their local communities at the heart of the energy system. The Challenge will deliver a Smart Energy Systems programme, comprising a series of local demonstrators across the UK. These demonstrators will create new, intelligent and highly investable solutions that make the best use of cheaper renewables, energy storage, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, low carbon heat, and digital infrastructure. Context and Purpose for the Co-creation Forum EPSRC, NERC, ESRC and STFC invite Expression of Interest (EoI) to join the Cocreation Forum to co-develop the Energy Revolution Leadership and Capability Network. The Energy Revolution Leadership and Capability Network is part of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge, and in parallel with other industry led demonstrator activities. The objective of the Network is to provide a national research platform to achieve rapid scale-up and deployment of the different approaches and learning from the demonstrator projects. See below key expected functions. The Co-creation Forum is designed to discuss approaches and propositions of the Network and build a consortium. It is expected that the Forum will: generate leadership facilitate the defining of work packages define associated skills/capabilities identify fast start actions The Forum will look at the interdependencies between resources, products and services, new enabling technologies, and digital capabilities and consider how these factors could lead to new energy systems in the UK, creating high value jobs for the future. The emphasis will be placed on working across disciplines to foster new collaborations and bring new thinking to the challenge

3 An Expression of Interest is sought for participants for the Co-creation Forum and for the Network leader(s). The participant selection panel will meet in early January and it is anticipated that between particpants will be invited to attend the event. It is expected that subsequent to the formation of this Network and strategic Network leadership, the Network will retain a significant portion of the Research Council funding to allocate to subsequent waves of funding in line with approval from the relevant governance structures. Expectations of the Network The Energy Revolution Leadership and Capability Network is an expert network programme of activity to provide the whole systems enabling capability and national learning essential to drive the UK energy transition market opportunity. The Network will coordinate and integrate, through targeted investment, existing UK world-class knowledge, research teams and facilities. The network will undertake the following: Enabling and informing demonstrator design including evaluation, best practice and knowledge exchange Network experts would act as guiding architects to: assist local convenors in demonstrator design, enable businesses to develop assessment process and evaluation criteria for impact. They would support the demonstrators by undertaking scenario modelling and real system analysis, as well as social engagement to understand current and emerging consumer needs and expectations, in order to inform demonstrator design and evaluation. The Network would provide overarching evaluation (with publication of data), and then accelerated commercialisation and sharing of best practices, from projects in the UK and internationally, and from infrastructure transitions outside the energy sector. This work would be informed by programmes of analysis for example of real energy systems, and modelling of market structures, multi-system and multi-vector infrastructures. National Finance, Market and Regulatory modelling - working with existing capabilities (e.g. UKERC, Ofgem) to help shape the market models and frameworks to be enabled by the integrative technology solutions that are available, as well as identify the barriers to creating those markets, and so steer subsequent demonstration. Work collaboratively with government and potential future private investors and consumers to collaboratively deliver economic and market reform options in the energy sector and understand how UK businesses can catalyse commercial opportunities internationally. National whole systems modelling, analysis and engagement research into proposed energy solutions that considers their long term, sustainable benefit and resilience taking account of economic, societal, consumer and environmental values (at local demonstrator system level, scale up and integrated national (system of system) level. To include synthesis of existing national and international data and modelling of market structures, multi-system and multi-vector infrastructures. National skills needs assessment and engagement with course providers

4 Central systems testing infrastructure integration and opening up of existing facilities, together with new infrastructure to de-risk technologies and ready them for integration and scale-up deployment on real networks. It would provide technical and commercial guidance to identify and overcome system-level issues and barriers to market creation. Eligibility Applicants to the Forum are not restricted. It is expected that the subsequent submission of the application for the network will be academic led (i.e. RCUK eligible instituions) but the broader network will include expertise across the wider landscape (i.e. beyond eligible insitutions). It is expected that the Network will align and, in order to avoid duplication, work with any other existing Research Council and Innovate UK investments of relevance, for example UKERC, CESI, EPRG, ADVENT, WholeSEM, OFGEM, and Energy Systems Catapult. Location and Date The date for the Co-creation Forum is Wednesday 31 January Thursday 01 February 2018, at NEC Birmingham. An application will be taken to indicate participant availability for these dates and their commitment to attend if short-listed. Please be advised attendance for both days is mandatory. The environment will encourage free and open-minded thinking, vital for the purposes of this event. Full details of the venue, how to get there, and the accommodation arrangements will be sent to participants following a decision on the successful applicants. It should be noted that all accommodation, refreshments, breakfast, lunch and dinner costs will be met by the Research Councils. However, all travel expenses and incidental costs incurred while at the event must be met by the participant. Where participation in the event would involve additional care requirements, our expectation is that your employer is approached in the first instance to meet these costs. If your employer is unable to cover these additional costs then our guidelines on the support available to researchers with caring responsibilities are at Applying to Participate in the Co-creation Forum Expression of Interest applications are invited from individuals who feel that they can contribute to the Co-creation Forum. Approximately participants will be selected to take part in the Forum. In order to participate, the person applying must be available to attend for the full two day duration of the event. Applicants should complete an Expression of Interest via the online form which is at the bottom of the call page ( below the link to this document. Your answers to these questions will be used to assess your application and convince a panel that you have the suitable skills and attitude to participate in this event. No further documentation will be accepted

5 The deadline for applications is 16:00, Thursday 21 December Applications should be submitted electronically. Please note that late submissions will not be considered. Applicants will be informed of their selection for the Forum in mid-january Assessing Applications to Attend Applications to attend will be assessed by a selection panel consisting of external mentors, looking to ensure a mix of disciplines and experience. Their assessment will be based on the following criteria: 1. An original and challenging energy systems agenda. 2. An internationally excellent track record of support from the Research Council and/or industry. 3. Relevant leadership experience. 4. Commitment to, and experience of, delivering research impact. 5. Commitment to whole systems, interdisciplinary research. 6. Allocation of sufficient time to the work of the ISCF Energy Revolution Leadership and Capability Network to provide effective theme/challenge leadership and contribute to the Network s strategy and management. It is therefore important to give evidence of your fulfilment of these criteria in your application. Please ensure you fully complete the EoI survey form, as this is the only information on which potential attendees will be selected. The panel will take into account the balance of institutions and diversity of attendees when making a final decision. Please note that because of the large number of applications expected, we will not be able to give individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants. Post Co-creation Forum Proposal Assessment Following the Co-creation Forum, the identified leader(s) will be invited to write full proposals for their intended activities created at the Forum. The deadline for the submission of these proposals will be towards the end of April Proposals will be submitted via the Research Councils Joint Electronic Submission System (JeS). Further guidance on this part of the process will be available at the Forum. Final funding decision will be made in early June 2018, so the Network can start in early July Please note that attendance at the Co-creation Forum does not guarantee subsequent Research Council funding. The full team of applicants for the Network are not restricted to the attendees of the Co-creation Forum but it is expected that the core team and the leader of the Network will come out of the Forum

6 Key Dates EOI launched: Late November 2017 EOI close: 16:00, Thursday 21 December 2017 Participant Selection panel: Early January 2018 Co-creation Forum: 31 January 01 February 2018 Network Call launched: Start of April 2018 Funding Application Deadline: Late May 2018 Funding Announcement: Expected August 2018 Equal Opportunities EPSRC are committed to a policy of equal opportunities for our applicants for funding. No eligible applicant should receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of disability, sex or gender re-assignment, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, or contractual and work roles. If anybody has any concerns regarding our equal opportunities policies or any other aspect of the application process then please contact us to voice these issues. We constantly strive for absolute equality within our organisation, and we make every attempt to make events available to as many people as possible. To help us achieve our aim of equality and fair treatment, an equal opportunities monitoring form is supplied at the end of the online EoI. This form is optional however; it will help us to monitor the effectiveness of our policy. The form will be removed from your application and the information you have provided will be used for statistical monitoring purposes only. Contacts For further information, advice or queries regarding the application procedure please contact: Mamiko Ohno Senior Portfolio Manager Energy / mamiko.ohno@epsrc.ac.uk - 6 -