University of Bristol Bridging the Gaps Cross-Disciplinary Feasibility Account

A dynamic, flexible approach will be taken to managing a fund for cross-disciplinary feasibility projects in areas that have emerged from the interactions that took under the Bristol University's EPSRC Bridging the Gaps award. Five initial ideas are : Integrated Uncertainty in Environmental Modelling; Fracture in Engineering and Geology; Pure Mathematics and Algorithms; Complex Networks and Optimal Search Strategies; Pattern Analysis and Global News Mining. The grant will be run like a mini-research council, seeking to fund short-term, high risk feasibility studies within the remit of the call. Given the short time available, the first 5 studies (outlined above) will be funded immediately for 6 months. Two further calls will then seek fresh proposals or continuation funding for existing studies. The BTG committee will be continued, but its membership widened to six academics to cover the wider remit of the feasibility account. It will report to the University Research Committee. Lessons learned from BTG suggest 20% of project management support will be required, and 20% of administrative support to manage the resources, to engage with researchers and to maintain publicity and dissemination via the exisiting BTG website. The situation of the project manager within Research and Enterprise Development will maximise opportunities to seek follow-on support.

The dynamic, flexible nature of the way this grant will be run makes it hard to be specific about particular impacts of the work. The fact that we are specifically encouraging feasibility studies that engage with collaborators outside the traditionally EPSRC-funded areas will increase the likelihood of impact. The proposed work plan with 5 research areas funded immediately from the start is a testimonial of the effectiveness of the management plan. Competition for the available resources will drive the results forward and will engage the various users. When results are particularly encouraging, we might choose to engage the policy-makers, the public sector, or the wider public through training materials or software when appropriate. Part of the role of the project manager will be to engage with the investigators of each of the funded projects and to liaise with other colleagues with the University Research and Enterprise Development Office (RED) to maximise these opportunities. In terms of the 5 initially funded studies potential impacts are as follows: Fracture in Engineering and Geology: Impacts in aerospace,mechanical, civil and marine engineering as well as in seismology will be sought by inviting industry representatives to the proposed workshops. Pattern Analysis and Global News Mining. A final workshop at the end of the feasibility study will initially seek to engage with further social scientists about the possibilities of these tools. Regular contact will be maintained with RED to keep in mind at every stage of the research all the various mechanisms available for commercialisation. Integrated Uncertainty in Environmental Modelling: In the area of flood risk modelling the University has led the national NERC-funded consortium in this area. Further opportunities for international dissemination are likely to come about through Prof Steve Sparks' Marie Curie large grant. Pure Mathematics and Algorithms: Applications of algorithms that enable energy efficient computation (so-called Green-IT) will be sought through industrial connections, for example with HP labs. Complex Networks and Optimal Search Stratgies: As well having better prediction on how and where an animal would move would have profound consequences for government agencies involved in preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases and could be used in taking conservation biology decisions by public sector agencies.