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Funding Calls

This call will support innovative, cross-disciplinary research addressing the harms caused by noise and building the capacity of the network to develop (1) mission-led proposals in a second funding call, and (2) larger collaborative bids for other forms of funding. We are seeking projects that test new and imaginative ideas, gather missing evidence and/or carry out feasibility studies laying the ground for larger collaborative bids. These could bring together academia, industry, government and third sector organisations to focus on noise related research relevant to the priorities, themes and challenges identified in the Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report.

In this first call, we will fund up to six awards of 3 to 6 months in duration, with a maximum budget of £40k per successful project. Eligible costs are determined by UKRI criteria and may include Project Lead and Co-Lead time, travel and consumables and mobility funds. Regarding eligibility, each bidding team must include at least one member who is early in their career, and the lead must be from a UKRI eligible institution. We encourage applications from early career people and from a diverse range of disciplines and sectors

A word copy of the application form may be found here (docx). Please note there are minor changes to the form posted on 4th November.

Changes 2025-11-12: Added a section for Data Management Plans and removed the need to identify conflict with the Noise Network Team as this will be managed by the EB

Proposals should be submitted via the network project website (the form will be available shortly) The call deadline is the 12th December 2025

Details of the call and process may be found here (docx).

The template award letter may be found here (docx). We make this available so that the post award contract signing stage can be streamlined. The terms are non-negotiable.

If you have any questions, please contact us via our Noise Network mailbox: noise@surrey.ac.uk.

We may be using CMT to help us manage the review process for the funding calls, below is their required text for this service.

The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.

The Noise Network Plus (NN+) is an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded network.

Our first funding call will support small-scale research relevant to the priorities, themes and challenges identified in the Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report: https://www.ukri.org/publications/tomorrows-engineering-research-challenges/ We are seeking projects that test new and imaginative ideas, gather missing evidence and/or carry out feasibility studies, laying the ground for larger collaborative bids. These projects should bring together people from across sectors and a range of disciplines and career stages to address the harms caused by noise. The maximum award is £40k for a three to six-month project (£40k Full Economic Cost, with awards at 80% of this i.e. £32k)

Application Summary

Part 1 is unscored and is used by our project manager to assess eligibility.

Part 2: vision and approach (2 pages) plus Gantt chart and/or references (1 page)

Part 2: applicant and team capability to deliver (400 words)

Part 2: sustainability (300 words)

Part 2: programme leadership and management (400 words)

Part 2: data management plan (400 words)

Part 1

Why is the Noise Network Plus the most suitable funder for your proposed pilot project? *
NN+ will not fund research for which funding is available from other sources or which is a direct continuation of an existing research project. Have you considered another funding agency? Have you been told that your idea would unlikely be funded through a usual research funding route? (max 500 characters)
Lead Applicant Name *
Lead Institution *
Email *
Telephone No *
Address *
Proposed Project Title *
Proposed Start Date
The project must start within 3 months of the award letter date.
Duration *
Project proposal duration must be no longer than 6 months.  
Project Team
Please list all team members including non‑academic partner(s) and indicate which member(s) of the academic team are early career researchers. At least one must be early in their career.
Contact details – Further Applicant(s) (if applicable)
I can confirm that the lead applicant has filled in the EDI form (link in the description below): *

Please find link to form https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=kyaQa3QQqkCeIdiURqLrtZzC484hcGhIk1NAIErcSNNUQzhYV1RQREZLOElQMUVMWjdCVjBYWVQyTC4u

Part 2

Repeat questions in section 2 to facilitate blind assessment. Only Part 2 will be issued to the first assessment reviewers. Please do not reference personal details.

Expected Start Date *
Duration (3 to max. 6 months) *
Proposed Project Title *
Please indicate the Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) technological challenges, high level priorities and cross-cutting themes  to which this proposal most applies
High level priorities
Cross-cutting themes
1. Brief project summary for lay audience (max. 250 words, not assessed by reviewers) *
Briefly explain the topic addressed by the project, its relevance to the TERC challenges, priorities and themes, and its importance and impact.

2. Provide a 2-page vision and approach document. Also provide a project plan including milestones and timelines in the form of a Gantt chart or similar and/or references (on an additional half to one-page A4). We require standard EPSRC formatting, font and margins (a standard font, font size 11 or larger and page margins of at least 2 cm in all directions).

Address the following questions:

  • What are the main objectives and deliverables and how do they lead to a future large-scale bid (UKRI or other funders)?
  • How does it address an important noise-related challenge aligned with TERC?
  • How does it involve interdisciplinarity, inclusivity and diversity, with applicants from a range of career stages including early career, in collaboration with industry/other organisations (how does it build team and expertise)?
  • Identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be. How will the proposed project benefit you and your team in terms of the potential for collaboration and bridge building between different communities, disciplines and sectors?
  • Summarise the proposed research and its context, programme and methodology. Please include an overview of the aims, impact and innovation.

For the Vision, explain how your proposed work:

  • Aligns strategically to the funding opportunity aims and scope and the TERC technological challenges, high level priorities and cross-cutting themes;
  • Is of excellent scientific value, quality, novelty and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s);
  • Has the potential to advance current understanding, generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area and benefit communities, and to lead to a follow on bid;
  • Is timely given current trends, context and needs.

For the Approach, explain how you have designed your work so that it:

  • Will deliver against the expectations outlined in the funding opportunity;
  • Is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives (justify your requests for resources);
  • Is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed within the short timeframe;
  • Explains how you will identify follow on opportunities for future research;
  • Builds/strengthens links with your project partner(s) and other stakeholders, supporting long-term collaboration. How will the results of this project be used to develop competitive full‑scale proposals to initiate research areas that are new to the UK or strategically important?
Vision Upload *
Drag and drop media files to upload or
Maximum file size: 5 MB Please Upload a PDF or XLS File
0/3

For questions 3 to 5 you may refer to relevant information in the vision and approach document.

3. Applicant and team capability to deliver (max. 400 words) *

Do not name individuals. Outline the expertise of your project team and its capability to develop your idea into competitive full‑scale proposals without reference to personal data. This section should include the role of any early career members of the team and how they will benefit from the research.

This will help the reviewers to assess the capability of the investigator(s) to develop the idea into competitive full-scale proposals without having access to names/universities. This is to ensure blind assessment of the proposal. 

4. Sustainability (max. 300 words) *

Please explain how your proposed study will contribute to sustainability and specifically to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).
This may be through the potential outcomes and impact and/or through the way the research is conducted.

5. Programme leadership and management including ethics, EDI, RRI (max. 400 words) *

Please explain how your project and your team will support Equality Diversity and Inclusion and Responsible Research and Innovation. Your plans should be consistent with UKRI policy on EDI (https://www.ukri.org/publications/ukris-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy/ukris-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-research-and-innovation-by-everyone-for-everyone/) and EPSRC policy on RRI (https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/epsrc/our-policies-and-standards/framework-for-responsible-innovation/).

6. Data management plan (max 400 words) *

Please explain how data will be managed over the lifetime of the project and, where appropriate, preserved for future re-use in line with EPSRC’s research data policy (https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/epsrc/our-policies-and-standards/policy-framework-on-research-data/) STFC’s guide to data management plans provides a good high level summary of what should be considered: (https://www.ukri.org/councils/stfc/guidance-for-applicants/what-to-include-in-your-proposal/data-management-plan/)

Confirm that your data management plan meets UKRI and EPSRC requirements. *

Financial breakdown (not assessed by reviewers)

It is recommended that this part of the application is filled in by your finance team.

CategoryDetails100% (FEC) (£)NN+ Contribution @ 80% FEC (£)

Staff

Travel and Subsistence

Other Directly Incurred

Investigators (Directly Allocated)

Estate Costs

Other Directly Allocated

Indirect Costs

Subtotal

£
0.00
£
0.00

Second Academic Partner

CategoryDetails100% (FEC) (£)NN+ Contribution @ 80% FEC (£)

Staff

Travel and Subsistence

Other Directly Incurred

Investigators (Directly Allocated)

Estate Costs

Other Directly Allocated

Indirect Costs

Subtotal

£
0.00
£
0.00
Contribution from Further Applicant(s)
Including any in-kind or cash contributions from project partners.
Grand Total (Sub‑total A + Sub‑total B) – 100% FEC (£):
£
0.00
Grand Total – NN+ Contribution @ 80% FEC (£):
£
0.00