- impactQM will fund 20-40 collaborative projects/workplacements a year, of length 1-12 months, with external partners. The aim is to increase the impact of our research and our researchers through work with partners, supplementing traditional routes to impact through IP exploitation with work in defence, policy/communication, digital media/creativity, and NHS/health links.
- impact QM will fund Scholarships for PhD students which will take the form of short courses, master classes and funding for a personal development plan. The aim of the personal development plan will be to set up a 1-6 month work placement for the PhD student. It will be used to work with the student's supervisor to investigate options for working with external partners, to develop the students career or to build industry links for the research group. The workplacement will be funded at normal EPSRC PhD student rates, and can be taken during the PhD period or at the end, depending on the partner and the student's work programme, The first full call for scholarships will go out in late August 2009, with applications due at the end of September 2009. Current PhD students at any stage in their PhD can apply, by agreement with their supervisor. There will be additional calls in September 2010 and 2011.
- impact QM will fund Scholarships for postdocs. These will work like the scholarships for PhD students, except that the timing of the placement will need to fit with the postdoc's current contract of employment. The full call for scholarships will go out in late August 2009, with applications due at the end of September 2009. Any postdoc can apply, by agreement with their supervisor/PI.
- impactQM will also have an open rolling call for collaborative projects, recognising that the importance of this funding for QM is that it gives access to funds quickly for external partners.
- The training element mentioned above will include Masterclasses from leading people in industry, and short courses including entrepreneurship, and science policy and communication. Much of this will be open to all staff.
The project will contribute to the following, of major importance to Queen Mary and the Science and Engineering sector in particular:
- improving the graduate student experience, and hence recruitment of graduate students
- enhanced career development and employability for graduate students, postdocs, and early career staff
- increased focus on impact of research and working with research users, in line with research council and HEFCE priorities, and the demands of the REF
- strengthening relationships with key stakeholders: industrial and other users of research
- collaborative research with external bodies with the potential for exploitation of our research
