eFuturesXD - crossing the boundaries

2010年10月举行的EPSRC研讨会（ICT研究——下一个十年）认识到ICT社区塑造未来能力的必要性。为了在未来几年帮助电子行业实现这一目标，eFuturesXD将提供奖励，支持英国电子领域的学者发起跨学科边界的合作研究。这是一种高风险、高回报的研究。适度的奖励可以立即取得进展，这将是筛选众多选择和推广最佳想法的有效方式。结果将是一系列短期研究，其中将包括不同程度的希望。这将有助于电子行业了解信息通信技术研究的方向。通过在申请后一个月内对奖励请求作出回应，这个跨学科账户将为在全球舞台上竞争提供必要的灵活性。将提供四种奖励：旅游奖励（低于5000英镑）；会议奖（低于1万英镑）；设施奖（< 2万英镑）；员工奖励（低于5万英镑）。这些奖项将提供机会，迅速确定新计划的范围，并为更长期、更大规模的研究项目组建最好的团队。现有的电子社区网络eFutures将以其已建立的基础设施和技术专长网络为基础，促进跨学科账户的发展。这也是为eFutures网络增加价值的一种方式。该跨学科帐户将通过社区会议和电子期货网页进行宣传。获得低于1.5万英镑奖金的条件是在社区活动中进行演讲。通过将跨学科账户与eFutures联系起来，利用该网络与学术和商业部门的联系，将有可能帮助建立最佳联盟，开展更长期、更大规模的研究项目。申请过程包括填写一份在线表格，内容包括摘要、目标、学术合作伙伴、所需资金和战略一致性。两名专家将进行快速评估：一名来自电子学，另一名来自其他相关学科。评审小组将每月举行一次，然后将决定通知申请人。由学术、商业和公共部门代表组成的电子期货指导小组将审查英国未来可能领先的战略重要领域的奖励分配和平衡。通过衡量获得奖励的机构的后续资助情况，可以看出项目是否成功。它还将通过查看整个信息通信技术组合来判断。成功的例子包括电子领域的研究主题更加连贯，电子与信息通信技术其他领域的联系明显加强。为评估奖励的成效，本署会在每项奖励完成后最少6个月进行跟进检查。

An EPSRC workshop (ICT research - the next decade) held in October 2010 recognised the need for ICT communities to shape future capability. In order to help achieve this goal in the electronics community over the coming years, eFuturesXD will offer awards to support UK academics in electronics as they initiate collaborative research across their discipline boundary. This tends to be research of a high risk, high return kind. Modest awards allowing immediate progress will be an efficient way to sift numerous options and to promote the best ideas. The outcome will be a collection of short studies, which will include varying levels of promise. This will help inform the electronics community where ICT research should be heading. By offering a response to award requests within one month of applying, this cross-disciplinary account will give the agility necessary to compete on the global stage. Four kinds of award will be offered: travel award (< £5k); meeting award (< £10k); facility award (< £20k); and staff award (< £50k). These awards will offer the opportunity to scope new initiatives rapidly and to assemble the best team for longer larger research programmes. The cross -disciplinary account will be facilitated by the existing electronics community network eFutures, building on its established infrastructure and network of technical expertise. It will also be a way of adding value to the eFutures network. The cross-disciplinary account will be publicised through community meetings and the eFutures web pages. A condition of obtaining an award < £15k will be to give presentations at community events. By linking the cross-disciplinary account to eFutures it will be possible to help build the best consortia for longer larger research programmes using the network's links to the academic and commercial sectors. The application process will involve completing an on-line form which will cover summary, objectives, academic partners, funding requested and strategic alignment. Rapid assessments will be made by two experts: one from electronics and one from the other relevant discipline. A review panel will be held monthly when decisions will be made and then communicated to applicants. The eFutures steering group, comprising academic, commercial and public sector representatives, will review the distribution and balance of awards across strategically important areas where the UK may take a future lead. Success will be seen by measuring the follow-on funding by those obtaining awards. It will also be judged by looking at the overall ICT portfolio. Examples of success include a more coherent range of research topics within electronics and a visibly stronger engagement between electronics and the rest of ICT. To assess the effectiveness of awards a follow-up check will be made at least 6 months after each award is complete.