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The KTN for Industrial Mathematics, acting as an agent of EPSRC, receives an annual allocation of Industrial CASE awards to support postgraduate researchers working on new industrial-academic collaborations in mathematics.
The four awards that were available in 2010 have now been allocated to projects; the award decisions were informed by advice from the KTN's Scientific Committee and Industrial Advisory Board.
In general we look for projects that combine a significant mathematical research challenge with the prospect of commercial impact. EPSRC distributes CASE awards via various routes: the common aims and administrative arrangements are outlined here.
Procedure
Companies and university departments wishing to propose a CASE project through the Industrial Mathematics KTN are invited in the first instance to contact Melvin Brown. They should then prepare, using the form designed for the purpose, a proposal containing a brief outline of the project and a description of the associated industrial outcomes, which is returned electronically to Melvin. In all cases, views will then be sought from the KTN's Scientific Committee and Industrial Advisory Board. It is possible that we will seek further clarification of what is being proposed and its likely impact. Decisions will be taken in light of all the evidence available.
Once approval of a project has been confirmed, the studentship may be advertised on our vacancies page and through the normal channels. A standard EPSRC Industrial CASE sign-up form should be completed by the partners and returned to EPSRC, using a voucher reference number supplied by the KTN. The form will be processed by EPSRC, who will add the value of the award to the host university's Collaborative Training Account.
Finance
EPSRC contributes £66,838 to the project (correct in January 2010). The minimum level of financial contribution by the collaborating company in a CASE project is currently one-third of this amount, so £22,279 over three and a half years, but it is often increased to cover, for example, computing equipment and conference travel. A large portion of the company's contribution is used to enhance the stipend received by the research student.
For all CASE awards from the KTN, an additional £2,000 per annum from the collaborating company is required to contribute towards the cost of connecting the project to wider resources of the KTN.
The Industrial Mathematics KTN's role
The Industrial Mathematics KTN assigns to each CASE project a Technology Translator, whose will
- participate in one of the project meetings per year for the duration of the project;
- ensure the project runs smoothly throughout its duration, by providing guidance on any collaboration issues that arise during the project;
- disseminate the results of the project through the KTN website; and
- provide connectivity where appropriate with other relevant KTN projects and activities, for example through facilitated workshops.
In addition, all project participants (student, industrial and academic supervisors) will be invited to the annual Alan Tayler Day, which is a networking event where established KTN research projects are showcased and new research students are introduced to the work of the KTN. The day of poster and oral presentations culminates in the annual Alan Tayler Lecture.
Further information and Application Form
Each CASE award established with the KTN has its own project webpage on this site, and will be added to the list of CASE projects already established by the KTN.For information, a pdf version of the Application Form is available. To apply for an Industrial CASE, please request a WORD version of the Application Form from Melvin Brown, to be completed and returned to him. We have created this form to assist in developing project proposals and ensuring that all the relevant questions are being addressed.