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The industrialised world continues to produce and consume unsustainable levels of resources. Extending the life of existing structures, products, components and materials, as well as prioritising approaches which maximise use, much more effectively reduces environmental impacts and increases the sustainability of the product supply systems.
To deliver a more resilient and regenerative economy, we need to consider new and innovative approaches, as well as revisit or refine current approaches and methodologies (or both) to be able to move towards a sustainable circular economy in a positive way.
This is a joint funding opportunity between Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It aims to fund three NetworkPlus investments to build collaboration and knowledge exchange across research and stakeholder communities within three specific challenge areas, namely built environment, data and metrics, and textiles. The Plus aspect of the networks is a strong component of the fund and is explained in more detail within the Flexible fund and Expectations of a NetworkPlus sections.
This will:
The networks will lead to step changes in circular solutions which maximise value and are currently under-explored, such as retrofit, repurpose, refurbish, repair, and synthesise these solutions together with others such as reuse. We have defined these terms for this funding opportunity. Please see the Additional information section for more information.
Two NetworkPlus investments will be aligned with two of the UK government circular economy (CE) priority sectors (built environment, and textiles). The third will be a cross-cutting network focused on data and metrics, providing early-stage support for development and testing of metrics, indicators and data frameworks to enable and evaluate circular economy progress.
Each Network is expected to imaginatively deliver a ‘Plus’ element comprising of three streams, namely seed-corn funding, demonstrators/feasibility studies, and research to innovation or translational research, delivered through management of a flexible fund.
We expect the Networks to drive progress, support high quality collaborative research and establish themselves as leaders in these areas. Networks should do this by implementing a collaborative and interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach (or both). They must bring together diverse communities spanning academia, industry, policy, and others with expertise in related areas, such as behavioural science, innovation and circular business models, from across the UK. The inclusion of industrial partners is mandatory and a crucial aspect of the network.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to form and establish long-lasting partnerships in local governance/with individuals in policy, and with third sector community groups.
We expect you to embrace good practices of team research and value creation. Specifically, that you value a range of contributions from across the research and innovation community ensuring all necessary disciplines, skills, levels of experience and career pathways are brought together to address specific research opportunities.
Collectively and longer term, this will lead to the development of a circular economy in the textiles and built environment sectors and bring together research and innovation communities.
The funding should be used to develop capacity, capability and collaboration systematically to support initiatives within the challenge area themes. Through the flexible funds associated with the NetworkPlus there should be a focus on gaps in research to innovation or translational research in underexplored topic areas.
Within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has played a significant role in promoting circular economy research, for example the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) programme, the recent EPSRC-Defra funding opportunities focused on advanced recycling, and circular economy critical mass programmes.
An opportunity focused on the circular solutions that maximise value and extend life of structures, products, components and materials, will directly deliver against EPSRC priorities and the UK government’s long term environment targets. For example, net zero and eliminating avoidable waste by 2050, and the upcoming circular economy strategy to deliver whole systems solutions to reduce resource use and pollution and deliver a sustainable low carbon future.
To date, most research enhancing circularity within our linear system has been focused solely on recycling of materials and products. Despite being a good first step, these measures can be resource-intensive. They risk locking the UK into unsustainable patterns of overproduction, excessive consumption and resource scarcity, causing negative environmental, social, and economic consequences.
The networks and flexible funding opportunities should focus on circular solutions which maximise value and extend life, such as repair and system redesign. It is understood that research can, and is encouraged to, reach many areas across the entire value chain from extraction to before the end of life. This will collectively deliver a more resilient and regenerative economy.
Within the networks, we expect proactive engagement with identified stakeholders to promote better understanding of circular economy.
Successful applications should demonstrate pathways for lasting legacy beyond the duration of the award through partnerships and engagement strategies.
The government is committed to reducing the negative impact of resources, reducing waste, and improving social outcomes by transitioning towards a circular economy. To support the government in achieving this goal, a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts from across government, industry, academia and civil society was convened to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The strategy will initially focus on six sectors: agri-food, built environment, chemicals and plastics, electrical and electronic equipment, textiles, and transport.
By aligning with priority sectors and adopting circularity measures that go beyond recycling, the UK can transition from a linear economy to a circular one that aims to support economic growth, deliver green jobs, promote efficient and productive use of resources, minimise negative environmental impacts and accelerate to net zero.
This funding opportunity has three challenge areas. Two areas align directly with identified priority sectors (textiles and built environment), and one spans across all sectors identified by Defra and focuses on the cross-cutting challenge of data and metrics.
The network challenge areas have been chosen based on analysis of past and current funding opportunities provided by UKRI and Defra to identify research areas which are underrepresented and warrant further exploration. Your application should have a primary focus on one of the proposed challenge areas. Please identify which challenge area you are applying for in your application.
For the purpose of this NetworkPlus funding opportunity, we are defining textiles as encompassing the entire value chain including:
We would like to see example outcomes such as:
The construction sector, together with skills development in circularity are a particular focus for built environment.
We define built environment as the spaces and structures that shape daily life including our homes, infrastructure, and public areas that support communities and businesses, as well as the products and materials of which they are composed.
More specifically, the built environment encompasses the following:
We would like to see example outcomes such as:
The network should coordinate data sharing to advance the development and application of robust data, indicators, and frameworks to enable, measure, and accelerate the circular economy. We are particularly interested in:
Projects should aim to generate robust, scalable, and policy-relevant evidence to support circular economy transitions. Interdisciplinary approaches and engagement with real-world data contexts are strongly encouraged.
We encourage you to consider the following with the vision for your proposed NetworkPlus:
Projects, including those funded by flexible funding, must demonstrably lie primarily within EPSRC’s remit, that is, over 50% EPSRC remit. However, involvement of researchers from other disciplines, including those from other UKRI councils, and embedding an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach (or both) is welcome and encouraged. Please see the Disciplinary approach and What we will fund sections for more information.
Before applying you should read the background section for this opportunity. Consider the broader context in which your proposed research outcomes sit, including relevant sectors, supply chains, and circular solutions that maximise value.
The NetworkPlus is expected to build and support a community of academic and non-academic stakeholders, support collaboration, networking, horizon-scanning, and identify key research challenges. In the generation of new ideas, it should help the community to navigate government strategies and inform the development of future strategy in circular economy.
Workstreams should be co-created appropriately with interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary collaborators, or both. You should also co-create with external stakeholders within spaces beyond academia who can provide further understanding of the contextual factors that influence the systems at appropriate disciplinary interfaces.
The NetworkPlus team should have a plan to evaluate and monitor its work including milestones and key performance indicators. They should also have a plan to develop and report case studies annually via submission of an annual report (see additional grant conditions) as it progresses. We also expect networks to report progress every six months to the Advisory Board and provide information on request to UKRI and Defra.
We expect the network to carry out continuous learning, be agile in activities, develop key performance indicators and adapt according to feedback. Annual reports will be used by UKRI and Defra to highlight outcomes and impact from the network, and will be used in informing our thinking about future research, innovation, and evidence for policy making.
The NetworkPlus must engage widely and be inclusive, including:
The NetworkPlus must identify and address challenges and opportunities, including:
The NetworkPlus must support UKRI’s research strategy and government strategy, including:
The NetworkPlus must engage with different places in the UK including:
The NetworkPlus must also incorporate open data sharing agreements to allow greater transparency and collaboration. It should also develop and run small funding opportunities to allocate funding relevant to the aims and expectations of the network via a flexible fund. Please see Flexible fund section for more details.
Please note, the above list is not exhaustive.
A successful NetworkPlus will specifically address EPSRC and Defra strategic aims through:
We encourage you to engage with research users in the conception and implementation of the network to maximise impact where appropriate. These can include:
Community building and dissemination of work to wider society through stakeholder engagement is strongly encouraged.
Applicants must place their NetworkPlus in the context of the wider system (technological, economic, social, cultural, and environmental) within which the proposed research outputs would sit. These aspects should inform and influence the direction of the proposed network throughout its lifetime. An embedded and informed systems approach enables consideration of the trade-offs, risks and mitigations associated with different approaches. Upskilling the wider community on systems thinking and expertise should be a considered part of the NetworkPlus proposal.
A whole systems approach enables the development of solutions and innovations that are more impactful, while minimising and mitigating unintended consequences. It is a discovery process combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to understanding and managing technological systems alongside broader economic, environmental, social, political and behavioural considerations, taking into account complex interactions.
A shift to a more circular economy provides an opportunity for the UK to achieve more sustainable and clean economic growth and prosperity. However, implementing it within the current UK system may not always be the most appropriate approach.
You should consider questions such as:
For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the Additional information section.
We strongly encourage you to take an inter or transdisciplinary approach. Interdisciplinary research could also be considered transdisciplinary if it involves non-academic stakeholders. Multidisciplinary research is not within the scope of this opportunity. Please see the Additional information section for more details on how we are defining these approaches for this funding opportunity.
UKRI’s environmental sustainability strategy lays out our ambition to actively lead environmental sustainability across our sectors. This includes a vision to ensure that all major investment and funding decisions we make are directly informed by environmental sustainability, recognising environmental benefits as well as potential for environmental harm.
In alignment with this, UKRI is tackling the challenge of environmental sustainability through our ‘building a green future’ strategic theme. This aims to develop whole-systems solutions to improve the health of our environment and deliver net zero, securing prosperity across the whole of the UK.
Environmental sustainability is a broad term but may include consideration of such broad areas as:
EPSRC expects programmes to embed careful consideration of environmental sustainability at all stages of the research and innovation process and throughout the lifetime of the grant.
Projects should ensure that environmental impact and mitigation of the proposed research approaches and operations, as well as the associated outputs and outcomes, are considered. Projects must also seek opportunities to influence others and leave a legacy of environmental sustainability within the broader landscape.
Appropriately skilled individuals may be costed to conduct and analyse horizon scanning activities to meet the aims and objectives of the NetworkPlus.
These should be requested under the directly allocated cost heading.
The project lead and co-leads can request funds to cover their salary costs for the time spent on setting up and leading the NetworkPlus.
Funding requested under the directly incurred cost heading may include the following.
Travel and subsistence enabling members of the NetworkPlus to meet to exchange ideas and expertise may include:
Where possible collaborators should meet their own travel costs.
Staff may be costed to carry out the activities of the NetworkPlus, including engagement, and horizon scanning activities to meet the aims and objectives of the NetworkPlus.
A sufficient level of administrative support should be requested to ensure the coordination, management, and smooth running of the NetworkPlus.
You are expected to employ a dedicated grant manager as a core member of the team, with relevant experience and costed at the appropriate grade. It is expected that the career development of professional enabling research staff is also centred in their network activity work portfolios.
Reasonable costs for monitoring and dissemination of the network’s output can also be included.
Prospective applicants to this funding opportunity should ensure:
It is expected that flexible funds will be made available at points during the lifetime of the NetworkPlus. The need for these activities is identified by the NetworkPlus and agreed with UKRI and Defra. The NetworkPlus team should be prepared to work with UKRI and government stakeholders to identify and pursue these opportunities.
The sum awarded under the heading of ‘flexible funds’ can include both directly incurred and directly allocated expenditure. Flexible funding is to fund targeted place-based demonstrators/feasibility studies (academic or addressing government or industry challenges), seed-corn funding (high-risk projects, collaborative projects), and research to innovation or translational research.
Any flexible funding will be expected to be awarded as part of an open competition to the community. Those involved in the NetworkPlus team cannot apply for flexible funding.
Projects funded by the flexible fund should have the following characteristics:
Demonstrators for this funding opportunity refers to the research and development stage instead of pilot scale innovation. They are intended to support feasibility studies that test early-stage ideas/research outputs in place-based real-world settings, that is the next stages in the impact pipeline.
The aim is to generate practical insights and evidence that can inform future scaling or investment. Some examples could be small scale trial of low carbon building materials in a retrofit project, or deployment of a new data collection tool at a workplace or other setting.
This flexible fund should be included in the application costings. You should specify the total size of the fund according to the balance of activity that the leadership team propose to undertake directly versus to disseminate via the fund.
Flexible funds can be allocated to researchers at any organisation currently eligible for EPSRC funding. You will need to have a robust and auditable process in place about how any budget for external distribution will be commissioned, and how you will ensure processes for the allocation of funds are fair and transparent.
Please note that any activities commissioned by the NetworkPlus using the flexible funds will be restricted to EPSRC current research organisation eligibility but will not be bound by standard EPSRC project lead eligibility criterion. It is the project lead’s responsibility to ensure ongoing governance to ensure correct usage and accountability of the funds. These funds must be reported on the final expenditure statement (FES) as awarded on the offer letter and a breakdown of the expenditure must be submitted along with the FES. Projects funded via the flexible fund should also be awarded at 80% FEC to ensure that there is no net cost to the host organisation.
Funding can be requested for:
You are encouraged to think creatively about the range of activities that could support the delivery of the NetworkPlus goals. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your proposed activities with us ahead of submission.
Project partners are expected to provide contributions to the delivery of the project and should not therefore be seeking to claim funds from UKRI (this includes businesses). However, where there are specific circumstances where project partners do require funding for minor costs such as travel and subsistence, this will usually be paid at 80% FEC. These costs should be outlined and fully justified in the proposal and will be subject to panel review.
Where the project needs work to be undertaken that is more significant and includes costs other than travel and subsistence, then the project partner may also need to be included as a subcontractor. Any subcontracting costs must be fully justified and will be subject to peer review, as well as the procurement rules of the host organisation. See more information about project partners letter of support.
Funds cannot be requested to support the NetworkPlus to carry out research-related activities. These should be sought through the normal mechanisms (for example, EPSRC responsive mode funding) or commissioned via open competition using the aforementioned flexible funds.
Please ensure that your NetworkPlus does not:
Equipment over £25,000 is not available through this funding opportunity. We will not be funding laboratory or research equipment for this funding opportunity.
Personal computers are not eligible.
However, equipment to facilitate communication, networking and events can be requested below £25,000.
The NetworkPlus funding awarded to those successful at the full stage will be subject to the additional conditions below around the following themes. Please note, grant holders may be subject to additional conditions. The full conditions will be outlined in any successful offer letter at full stage.
In addition to the core research programme, the project will be expected to undertake a wider networking role with the research and user community outside its membership. This may involve coordination of activities such as meetings, workshops or seminars on behalf of EPSRC. A dedicated website must be set up within six months of the start of the grant and regularly maintained to provide a resource for engagement with the wider community.
You must develop and execute a strategy for engaging with potential users of the research funded in the project. This strategy should be reviewed and updated regularly as part of the formal management and reporting process agreed for this grant.
You are expected to prepare a full equality, diversity and inclusion plan for the duration of this grant to demonstrate best practice in equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the lifetime of this funding award. This must be recorded through the grant reporting process.
We will nominate a member of EPSRC staff (project officer) who will be your primary point of contact. The project officer will ensure that the project is being run in accordance with the terms and conditions and in line with financial due diligence. The project officer should have access to all documentation of governance and reporting bodies, in so far as it relates to the administration and application of the grant. As funding administrators, all UKRI staff have agreed to maintain the confidentiality required by all parties involved in EPSRC-funded research.
This grant must establish and run an independent advisory board, or equivalent body, to oversee the running of the project and provide advice on the strategic direction and activities of the project. The terms of reference and membership of this group (at least 50% independent membership and an independent chair) should be agreed with EPSRC. The EPSRC project officer will also be expected to attend and participate in advisory board and other appropriate meetings for the duration of the grant.
We will nominate a member of Defra staff to be involved in your advisory board. They should have access to all documentation of governance and reporting bodies, in so far as it relates to the administration and application of the grant. Defra staff have agreed to maintain the confidentiality required by all parties involved in EPSRC-funded research.
It is expected the first advisory board meeting will be held within four months of the start date of the project and there will be two meetings a year with contact outside of the meeting when appropriate.
The sum awarded under the heading of ‘flexible funds’ can include both directly incurred and directly allocated expenditure. These funds must be reported on the final expenditure statement (FES) as awarded on the offer letter and a breakdown of the expenditure must be submitted along with the FES. If a breakdown of this expenditure is not received the FES will be returned. Standard grant conditions apply to all other funds awarded on this grant. An audit trail of the approval is required for Funding Assurance and the National Audit Office.
You must make reference to EPSRC, UKRI, and Defra funding and include the UKRI and Defra logos and relevant branding on all online or printed materials (including press releases, posters, exhibition materials and other publications) related to activities funded a successful grant.
You are responsible for providing annual progress reports against non-financial performance metrics. A detailed list of performance metrics and instructions for reporting will be agreed with the grant holder and advisory board upon commencement of a successful grant.
You should have established an appropriate management structure with clear lines of responsibility and authority to oversee the day-to-day running of the project. This should be in place within six months of the start date of the grant. The terms of reference and management structure, including the Director, co-Director and any other senior staff involved must be approved by EPSRC and Defra in advance. As must any changes to this structure. The Project Officer will be EPSRC’s main contact with the project and must receive all meeting minutes of the management committees. EPSRC and Defra reserve the right to attend any meetings.
Adequate resourcing to support an appropriate management structure, as specified in the funding opportunity documentation, should be costed within the grant. This includes employing a grant manager on the grant.
We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, the Technician Commitment and recommendations outlined within the UKRI Action Plan People and Teams.
UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.
As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.
