How can we help you?
Get in touch to join and to find the contacts you need for furthering your work
Contact Us
Directed Assembly Network © 2010-2020 & Beyond
AN EPSRC FUNDED GRAND CHALLENGE NETWORK SINCE 2010
Phase 3 of the Directed Assembly EPSRC Grand Challenge Network: From Discovery to Translation
BackIt was a great pleasure to be joined by 70 Network members at The Royal Society to celebrate and showcase the success of the Network over the last 6 years, and to outline its future.
Inspirational presentations on Day 1 were given by Paul Raithby (Bath), Tim Easun (Cardiff), Kim Jelfs (Imperial), Gareth Lloyd (Heriot-Watt), Valeska Ting (Bristol) and Siddharth Patwardhan (Sheffield). We heard how the Network has bolstered the careers of many of our members and how £50 Million of major grants and fellowships are now directly linked to and/or are supported by the Network’s activities and awards.
Harris Makatsoris (Cranfield) kicked off day 2, followed by talks from Bob Docherty (Pfizer) and Chick Wilson (Bath). Future plans for the Network were outlined, along with insights into the future from both an industry and academic perspective.
The talks stimulated discussions that will help to drive and shape the future strategy of the Network. A panel session provided a forum for community-led discussions to capture ideas and spark debate. Panel members: Niek Buurma (Cardiff), Tim Easun (Cardiff), Julian Rose (Cranfield), Bob Docherty (Pfizer) and Jenny Woods (Diamond Light Source).
We are very proud to announce that the Directed Assembly Network Roadmap to Innovation, 2017 Edition, has now been launched!
The familiar 5 scientific Themes continue, and will now encompass not only Directed Assembly, but Directed Disassembly and Translation and Scale-up.
Outline of 2017-2020:
- We will run two workshop meetings per year corresponding to the Challenge Streams, resulting in two per stream in the duration of the grant.
- We will also run two sandpits, one for Directed Assembly and one for Directed Disassembly with an emphasis on formulation and scale-up.
- In this phase of the Network we will fund two proof of concept projects to be undertaken by Network members to explore assembly and disassembly focusing on possible translation routes into strategic application. These pump-priming awards will be highly competitive and are expected to lead on to full grant applications.
- We will also run three DREAMS meetings and three Industrial Consortium meetings: one of each per year. At least one DREAMS meeting and one workshop will be held jointly with the other Networks to enable greater interaction and facilitate the establishment of new collaborations, to further broaden our Network base and foster research consortia.
Sustainability is a key focus from the outset of phase 3. As such, we will endeavour to establish a framework by which to collaborate and co-fund further meetings, awards and activities.
In 2016 the EPSRC awarded the Network funding for phase 3 2017-2020. All 5 of the reviewers gave our application the highest rating, 6/6, alongside very supportive comments that recognise the value that the Network has delivered to the community over the past 6 years.
Phase 1: 2010-2012
Phase 2: 2012-2016
2017 ‘Roadmap to Innovation’ launched at the Royal Society, December 2016
Network awards are intended for actively-involved Network members to enhance collaborative activities that have arisen through their Network membership.
Pump-priming are larger sums of money which may be used, for example, to provide support for staff time to work on short proof of concept projects.
Typical award ranges between £5,000 to £15,000
Travel awards enable network members to visit each other to share ideas, learn new techniques or work on short projects together.
Up to £1,000
Seedcorn awards For the purchase of materials and equipment that will enable embedding of techniques learned from a collaborative partner into the home department.
Up to £1,000
Guidance
Download guidelines for applicants, finance teams and awardees (pdf)
Evaluation Report
Download the Evaluation Report Form (docx)
The Directed Assembly Network awarded over £325,000 in pump-priming, travel and seedcorn awards between 2012-2016.
View and download (spreadsheet)
Over £50M of major grants and fellowships are directly linked to, and/or are supported by the Directed Assembly Network activities and awards.
View and download (spreadsheet)
Funding Rounds 2012-2016
31 May 2016 (final round)
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
29 February 2016
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
30 November 2015
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
31 August 2015
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
31 May 2015
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
28 February 2015
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
30 November 2014
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
31 August 2014
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
31 May 2014
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
28 February 2014
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
30 November 2013
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
31 August 2013
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
31 May 2013
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
28 February 2013
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
30 November 2012
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Pump-priming
31 August 2012
Travel grants
Seed-corn awards
Dr Valeska Ting
Lecturer
University of Bristol
Member since 2012
“Network funding has led to a strong ongoing collaboration”
Dr Paul Beales
Lecturer
University of Leeds
Member since 2012
“The data and track record we gained from the pump-priming project was instrumental in us securing an EPSRC grant”
Anon. Reviewer for a successful application submitted to the EPSRC
“...the strength of the proposal is reflected in the fact it has already been reviewed and deemed suitable for pump-priming funds from the EPSRC Directed Assembly Network”
Phase 2 of the Directed Assembly EPSRC Grand Challenge Network
Phases 1, 2, 3 and beyond
Phase 1 (2010-2012):
The EPSRC Directed Assembly Grand Challenge Network set out to build a multi-disciplinary community across the UK to tackle the Grand Challenges head on.
EPSRC grant: EP/H035052/1, £145,014
Phase 2 (2012-2016):
The Network hosted over 45 meetings and awarded more than £325,000 of Network awards helping to foster 80+ new collaborations. This led to over £50M of major grants and fellowships that are directly linked to, and/or are supported by the Network.
EPSRC grant: EP/K014382/1, £686,049
Phase 3 (2017-2019):
Through continuous engagement and evolution, the Network has now broadened its reach to include Directed Disassembly and adds a key focus point: translation and scale-up.
EPSRC grant: EP/P007279/1, £254,037
Beyond (2020+):
The Network Management Team are working together with the community and industry, to devise a strategy and framework for the Network to evolve and continue beyond 2020.
Phase 3 Network Awards
To maximise community impact and to benefit the most number of members, in this phase the limited EPSRC funding has been allocated to continue to allow us to host several meetings per year.
Due to the level of funding available we are unable to offer travel and seedcorn awards.
We are able to offer two £15,000 pump-priming awards between 2017-2019, directly off the back of two Sandpit meetings.
