NERC NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL SOUTHAMPTON UK

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), with the Technology Strategy Board, are running a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition to develop technology-enabled solutions addressing long endurance marine unmanned surface vehicles. Strategic plans of both of these organisations call for new capabilities in marine robotics, for environmental research and for defence and security respectively. Recognizing their common interests, and the potential for dual-use technology to enable persistent presence in the marine environment, innovative solutions are sought from industry.

The competition will have two phases. Phase 1 is intended to show the technical feasibility of the proposed concept. The development contracts placed will be for a maximum of 3 months and £50,000 (inc. VAT) per project. Phase 2 contracts are intended to develop and evaluate prototypes or demonstrators from the more promising technologies in Phase 1, the anticipated Phase 2 funding will be about £800,000.

New and novel approaches to providing long endurance marine unmanned surface vehicles are sought. We encourage fresh lines of thought, ideas that bring technologies to bear from outside the marine sector, and ideas that exploit energy from the environment. The concept is for a vehicle to be able to transit out from a shore base to an operating site offshore, maintain a persistent presence either as a virtual surface buoy, maintaining position, or to undertake transects, before finishing with a transit back to shore for recovery. Recognising the critical importance of providing sufficient energy for propulsion, solutions that obtain energy from the environment are particularly welcome. Low carbon and low emission solutions are also encouraged, but there is no exclusion of any technological solution that could deliver cost-effective vehicles. Hybrid solutions utilising combinations of two or more technologies may well be appropriate.

Phase 2 competition winners (left) MOST AV Ltd of Chichester and (right) ASV Global Ltd of Portchester.

To mark its 50th anniversary, NERC is pleased to announce its inaugural Impact Awards.

The awards will recognise and reward NERC-funded researchers, as individuals or teams, whose work has had substantial impact on the economy and society. The awards will culminate in a prize-giving ceremony in London on 27 January 2015, showcasing the researchers, their work and the impact of the science that NERC funds.

THERE WILL BE FOUR AWARD CATEGORIES:

1. Economic Impact Award

Recognising research that has achieved exceptional economic benefit.

2. Societal Impact Award

Recognising research that has achieved exceptional social, cultural, public policy or service, health, environmental or quality of life benefits.

3. International Impact Award

Recognising research that has achieved exceptional economic and/or societal impact outside the UK.

4. Early Career Impact Award

Recognising an early career researcher who has achieved exceptional economic and/or societal impact within the UK or internationally.

A winner from one of the four categories will be selected to receive the Overall Impact Award, in recognition of the outstanding impact of their research.

The winner of each category will receive £10,000 and the runner-up £5,000, to further the impacts of their research. The Overall Impact Award winner will receive an additional £30,000.

ELIGIBILITY

You can apply for an award yourself, or nominate someone else. Applicants and nominees must meet the following criteria:

a. Were within an eligible research organisation at the time of NERC-funding.

b. The impactful research and/or knowledge exchange and translation activity has been, or is currently funded by NERC.

d. Early Career Impact Award: applicants must be a current NERC-funded PhD student or have no more than eight years of full-time work experience from the PhD certificate date to the closing date of the competition.

NOMINATE or APPLY

Applications will open Wednesday 25 June 2014. The closing date for applications is 16:00 Wednesday 10 September 2014.

You are advised to read the application guidelines carefully before submitting your online application.

Application guidelines (PDF)

The next generation of ocean-going robotic vehicles will be developed by two cutting-edge technology companies from the South Coast of England, working with the UK’s National Oceanography Centre.

ASV Ltd of Portchester and MOST (AV) Ltd of Chichester have won contracts under the Government-backed Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) to develop the vehicles – known generically as Long Endurance Marine Unmanned Surface Vehicles – that will carry out sustained marine research over long periods. The Technology Strategy Board and Natural Environment Research Council jointly fund the programme with supplementary funding of additional elements from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

The SBRI programme has moved into the second phase with ASV and MOST (AV) selected on merit from the five companies that won Phase 1 awards to manufacture working prototypes of their proposed vehicles. To demonstrate capability as part of the year-long programme, the vehicles will be extensively tested, both in Southampton Water and off Oban, home of the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) who make extensive use of autonomous vehicles in their research and who were represented in the selection process for the contracts.

When developed, the vehicles, which operate on the sea surface rather than at depth, will be invaluable platforms for gathering scientific data from the ocean over periods of several months. A wide range of sensors to take measurements beneath and above the ocean surface, together with satellite navigation tools, communications for command and control and for data transfer to shore, are all readily available. The vehicles will demonstrate several feasible technologies to provide the energy necessary for long deployment.

The selection process was overseen by a panel of scientific and technical experts, coordinated by the Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) facility based at the National Oceanography Centre. MARS provides autonomous and remotely operated vehicles to the UK’s marine science community on behalf of the Natural Environment Research Council.

Geraint West, Head of National Marine Facilities at NOC, of which MARS is a part, said: “Long Endurance Marine Unmanned Surface Vehicles will make a major contribution to the ability of scientists to take measurements from the ocean, which are currently grossly under-sampled in space and time. The process that selected MOST (AV) and ASV was very rigorous and we are confident that we have two excellent partners to take this exciting programme forward. I would like to offer both my congratulations.”

The SBRI programme is promoted by the Technology Strategy Board, the UK’s innovation agency. It is designed to use the power of government procurement to drive innovation and provides opportunities for companies to engage with the public sector to solve specific problems. Competitions for new technologies and ideas are run on specific topics and aim to engage a broad range of organisations. SBRI enables the public sector to engage with industry during the early stages of development, supporting projects through the stages of feasibility and prototyping.

Director of MOST (AV), David Maclean, said: “We are delighted to have won this SBRI competition and we look forward to working closely with both the NOC and Dstl staff to demonstrate a production prototype of our unique, Autonaut® wave powered vessel technology. The capability of marine robotic surface vessels to provide persistent surveillance of, and data gathering from, the oceans is advancing rapidly and the Autonaut will add a new dimension to this role.”

Dan Hook, Managing Director of ASV said: “We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with NERC, SBRI and Dstl on this exciting project. We have been developing unmanned surface vessels for over ten years and see huge potential for this new long endurance craft in gathering important scientific data and contributing to national security in a cost effective manner. We have developed the C-Enduro vessel to scavenge energy from its surroundings but also carry a micro-diesel generator for added assurance that it can navigate safely in any conditions. We are working with an excellent consortium including Cosworth, Cranfield University and Hyperdrive Ltd to bring cutting edge technology for energy generation, autonomy and safe navigation.”

Stephen Browning, Head of SBRI at the Technology Strategy Board, said: “The Technology Strategy Board is delighted with the success of this first SBRI competition within the Research Councils, overseen by the National Oceanography Centre. Robotics and Autonomous Systems form one of the Eight Great Technologies that the UK Government is focussing on. It is encouraging to see the quality of the innovative solutions resulting from the relationships between SMEs and NOC, developed through this SBRI competition to address future challenges.”

The competition open and close dates 17 September to 5 November 2012, were so incredibly tight, that only those in the local community had any chance of applying. Criticism was leveled at NERC on this issue. Hence, the term 'competition' is used in the broadest possible sense. Unless that is, there was a national advertising campaign that we are not aware of?

Collaboration with industry adds to the continued success of the National Oceanography Centre. By working with the Centre's scientists you will have access to:

* new ideas and emerging technologies from a wide range of oceanographic and geological disciplines

The Centre already has strong links with a variety of businesses including the themed research below, but we are actively developing links with a whole range of commercial sectors to ensure that our science is relevant to business needs.

NOC encourage partnerships between public sector and industry throughout the research cycle, from design through execution to exploitation. As well as commissioned research, you could join a collaborative research programme where we can leverage access to research funding.

Projects could range from the planning, design and execution of full ocean surveys through to providing expert scientific or technological advice during a few days consultancy. There a variety of ways for organisations to access our research outputs and to participate in collaborations with us, for details of the full range of mechanisms please see our Working with NOC page.

An Undergraduate, masters or PhD programme influenced by your company’s research requirement conducted at NOC under the supervision of an academic and the company.

Access funding to use our training and exchange opportunities

You could help to provide - and benefit from - an industrial training opportunity. The following schemes are available which NOC needs industrial partners for:

The CASE Studentship Open Competition promotes collaboration between the research community and the end-users of research.

A CASE studentship is a PhD studentship during which the student enhances their training by spending between 3 and 18 months with the CASE partner in a workplace outside the academic environment.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) is a UK-wide programme enabling businesses to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance.

A KTP achieves this through the forming of a Partnership between your business and an academic institution (such as university, further education college or research and technology organisation), enabling you to access skills and expertise to help your business develop.

The Industry Fellowship scheme promotes the exchange of knowledge between academia and industry by establishing personal and corporate links between the two sectors. This should act as a foundation for long-term collaboration and development.

Part time Knowledge Exchange Fellowships are available in any area of policy, business or third sector with the aim of boosting the impact of any type of NERC funded science.

Research Council and European Commission Research Grants

We encourage partnerships between public sector research and industry throughout the entire research lifecycle, from design through execution to exploitation. Joining a project as a Project Partner, Steering Committee member or providing a letter of support can help ensure the science we undertake is focussed to be relevant to your interests.

Industry research funding

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is the national innovation agency whose goal is to accelerate UK economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation. TSB brings organisations together from the business and research communities to focus on opportunities, and investing in the development of new technology-based products and services for future markets.

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is a UK-based public-private partnership formed from global industries and the UK Government. It operates at large-scale and is tasked with developing and demonstrating engineering and technology that will help the UK meet its legally binding 2050 carbon reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.

COMMERCIALIZATION

The Centre also has a strong record of transferring technologies to companies, through collaborative projects and licensing opportunities, to bring innovative products to the market place.

Profile Image	Title	Given Name	Family Name	Affiliation	Location	Division	Group
.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	Prof.	Eric	Achterberg	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Mr	Shir	Akbari	SOES	Southampton	OES	PALAEO
	Dr	Yevgeny	Aksenov	NERC	Southampton	DST	MSM
	Mr	David	Aldridge	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Ms	Louise	Allen	NERC	Southampton	BSS	STS
	Dr	Claudia	Alt	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Mr	Muhaimin	Amiruddin	SOES	Southampton	OES	COASTAL
	Prof	Carl	Amos	SOES	Southampton	OES	COASTAL
	Dr	Laurent	Amoudry	NERC	Liverpool	DST	MPOC
	Dr	Karen	Amoudry	NERC	Liverpool	DST	MPOC
	Dr	Eleni	Anagnostou	SOES	Southampton	OES	GEOCHEM
	Dr	Tom	Anderson	NERC	Southampton	DST	MSM
	Mr	Vincent	Andrews	NERC	Southampton	BSS	IT
	Dr	Alfred	Aquilina	SOES	Southampton	OES	GEOCHEM
	Mrs	Eleanor	Ashton	NERC	Liverpool	BSS	FACILITIES
	Mrs	Ailia	Ashworth	NERC	Southampton	BSS	IT
	Miss	Amelia	Astley	SOES	Southampton	OES	COASTAL
	Dr	Sheldon	Bacon	NERC	Southampton	DST	MPOC
	Ms	Frauke	Bagusche	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Dr	Ian	Bailey	SOES	Southampton	OES	PALAEO
	Dr	Maria	Baker	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Mr	Hugh	Baldwin		Southampton	BSS	NOL
	Dr	Chris	Balfour	NERC	Liverpool	DST	OTE
	Dr	Chris	Banks	NERC	Southampton	DST	MPOC
	Miss	Michelle	Barnett	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Mrs	Kay	Batten	NERC	Southampton	NMFSS-	NMFSS
	Dr	Alex	Beaton	NERC	Southampton	DST	OTE
	Dr	Claudie	Beaulieu	SOES	Southampton	OES	PHYSICS
	Mr	Christopher	Beer	SOES	Southampton	OES	PALAEO
	Miss	Anna	Belcher		Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Dr	Paul	Bell	NERC	Liverpool	DST	MPOC
	Mr	Colin	Bell	NERC	Liverpool	BSS	RCA
	Dr	David	Berry	NERC	Southampton	DST	MPOC
	Dr	Angus	Best	NERC	Southampton	DST	MG
	Ms	Charlotte	Best	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Ms	Catherine	Beswick	NERC	Southampton	BSS	CPE
	Dr	Brian	Bett	NERC	Southampton	DST	OBE
	Dr	Tom	Bibby	SOES	Southampton	OES	SOBE
	Dr	David	Billett	NERC	Southampton	DST	OBE
	Mr	Jack	Billinge	SOES	Southampton	OES	GEOCHEM
	Miss	Jane	Black	NERC	Liverpool	BSS	IT
	Mr	Michael	Blackett	SOES	Southampton	OES	COASTAL
	Dr	Adam	Blaker	NERC	Southampton	DST	MSM
	Mr	Jeff	Blundell	SOES	Southampton	OES	PHYSICS
	Mr	Graham	Blythe	SOES	Southampton	OES	TECH
	Dr	Steve	Bohaty	SOES	Southampton	OES	PALAEO
	Dr	Clive	Boulter	SOES	Southampton	OES	GEOCHEM
	Dr	Mark	Bourne	SOES	Southampton	OES	PALAEO
	Dr	Simon	Boxall	SOES	Southampton	OES	COASTAL

Administration of research grants, fellowships and training grants

The UK Shared Business Services (UKSBS) - formerly the RCUK Shared Services Centre (SSC) - is responsible for the processing of grants (research grants, fellowships and training grants) on NERC's behalf.

Je-S registration, submitting applications and maintenance requests

Questions relating to peer reviewing and peer review meetings (panels, boards, etc)

Questions on maintenance and updates to existing awards

Enquiries related to individual studentships funded on NERC grants should be sent to stag@nerc.ac.uk, not UKSBS.

NERC funding awards policy

For advice on NERC funding awards policy, or to make a complaint concerning research grants, training awards, fellowships and peer review, please send your query in an email to the following NERC teams:

Studentships

Fellowships

Research grants

Assessment process

Enquiries about NERC's assessment processes and peer review should be sent to college@nerc.ac.uk.

NERC science area contacts

Atmospheric science - Head of discipline:

Caroline Culshaw 01793 418025 ccul@nerc.ac.uk

Earth science - Head of discipline:

Dr Chris Franklin 01793 411708 cfr@nerc.ac.uk

Earth observation Head of discipline:

Bill Eason 01793 411961 wre@nerc.ac.uk

Freshwater science Head of discipline:

Ruth Kelman 01793 411558 rkel@nerc.ac.uk

Marine science - Head of discipline:

Dr Mike Webb 01793 411520 mweb@nerc.ac.uk

Polar science - Head of discipline:

Science-based archaeology - Science programme officer:

Technologies & infrastructure - Head of discipline:

Bill Eason 01793 411961 wre@nerc.ac.uk

Terrestrial science - Head of discipline:

Simon Kerley 01793 411797 simker@nerc.ac.uk

By cutting the cost of oceanographic survey and speeding up data collection, we will learn more about the oceans, for which the Bluefish ZCC platform could be the ideal robotic ocean workhorse. Based on a stable SWASH hull this design is under development by British engineers. This robot ship uses no diesel fuel to monitor the oceans autonomously at relatively high speeds 24/7 and 365 days a year - only possible with the revolutionary energy harvesting system. The modular hullform is adaptable for automatic release and recovery of AUVs, ROVs or towed arrays, alternating between drone and fully autonomous modes. This vessel could pay for itself in fuel saved every ten years.

BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING - A Bluefish ZCC can be manned or unmanned. It is a scientific work station. Depending on specification, this incredibly versatile design can be put to most uses, even collecting and transporting live samples, with a modified ROV dock - used as a capture and holding tank for marine life, instead of housing a dedicated submersible.

This ship uses no diesel fuel in the quest to monitor the oceans at relatively high cruising speeds of between 7-10 knots, 24/7 and 365 days a year. What makes all of this possible is the revolutionary energy harvesting system that provides a power to weight ratio of more than 3kW per ton, with up to 7kW per ton being attainable using more exotic materials. That gives oceanographers the power to do more.

OIL SPILLS - Dedicated versions of the Bluefish ZCC platform could be deployed as oil clean-up robots, to cope with disasters like the Deepwater Horizon.

PLASTIC OCEANS - Adapted ZCCs operating in SeaNet fashion, could form a fleet to clean up the oceans of harmful waste that is estimated to be some 269,000 tons in size across an area roughly the size of Texas.