2nd Internal PETRAS Strategic Fund Call for Demonstrator Project Proposals: CALL NOW CLOSED

Issue date: 2 February 2018

Version number: v2.0 (issued on 1 March 2018)

Closing date (revised): 10:00 GMT on 21 March 2018

Download this funding call as a PDF here.

Summary

PETRAS invites outline proposals from its academic members for collaborative demonstrator projects in the Cyber Security of the Internet of Things (IoT) research to be undertaken jointly with User Partners [1].

The PETRAS Hub brings together a large community with twelve UK academic institutions and over 110 User Partners from various industrial sectors, government agencies, and NGOs, providing a collaborative platform to undertake impactful world class research and knowledge development in the IoT security domain.

This call provides an opportunity for the Hub to produce and deliver impactful demonstrator projects in collaboration with the user community, which would combine and showcase the Hub’s projects and their outputs into concrete experimental and demonstration platforms.

Background

Currently, more than 40 PETRAS projects explore a range of issues in the Cyber Security of IoT research domain in collaboration with technical and social science experts and stakeholders, and flexible wider engagement with centres of excellence in the UK. These projects are grouped into ‘constellations’ of core technologies and application, and have been and will continue to feed into five core thematic ‘challenge streams’ of research: Privacy and Trust; Safety and Security; Adoption and Acceptability; Standards, Governance, and Policy; and Harnessing Economic Value. Outputs from the projects and thematic streams have been and will continue to provide new solutions to pervasive IoT issues, with many generalisable to problems in other sectors.

As the research landscape moves, the Hub has devised a flexible fund (just over £2M) to expand its portfolio of projects to address gaps identified in collaboration with User Partners and to extend current projects where appropriate. Two strategic fund (SF) calls for projects had been planned to be issued during the funded lifetime of PETRAS. The first PETRAS SF call focused on selection and awarding of funds to new projects and extension of existing projects, which resulted in funding 15 new projects and broadening the scope of research to better cover threats and opportunities that have emerged since PETRAS was started such as Denial of Service attacks and Blockchain technologies.

As part of PETRAS’s commitments under the ComPaTrIoTs call issued by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Hub will deliver at least four consolidated demonstrator projects that will bring together the outputs of several projects into a concrete experimental and demonstration platform. Hence, the 2^nd SF call (aka PETRAS Demonstrators Co-creation Competition) will focus on funding 6-month consolidation projects (demonstrator projects) that will maximise the Hub’s impact. The Hub allocated a total of £323,664 funds for the 2^nd PETRAS SF call. The PETRAS Impact Champions are liaising with the User Partners other Hub stakeholders to secure additional funds.

PETRAS has a KPI to create at least four demonstrations that take the research it has produced and evidence its purpose and value in a real-world environment. To achieve this, it will require a detailed process that aligns PETRAS projects with the needs of its User Partners so that it can deliver concepts that are of mutual and recognisable value to both parties and ultimately to its stakeholders.

Hence, PETRAS will aim to create at least four demonstrators of significance which must:

• Deliver real co-produced cross-sectoral, impactful, and timely technical and socioeconomic benefit;
• Sample the ‘application space’ for IoT and for each demonstrator to integrate the learning and resources from several projects and/or streams.

More details can be in the PETRAS Demonstrators White Paper prepared by the PETRAS Impact Team.

Download this White Paper as a PDF here.

Funding

Total PETRAS EPSRC funding available for the 2^nd SF call is £323,664. The funding model for projects are summarised below:

Duration: 6 months.

Applicants: Each project should involve: two or more academic partners, and at least one, ideally two or more, User Partner(s) from industry or public sector with strong background in the Hub’s research programme. Proposals must be co-created with the User Partner(s) and convincing of the depth of the partner commitment. Whilst matched funding is not required, it is highly recommended as the User Partner contributions will be fundamental for the successful delivery of demonstrator projects. Projects must be led by an investigator from one of PETRAS’ existing nine academic partner institutions, who is eligible to hold an EPSRC grant. He/she would be responsible for the development and delivery the project, and for reporting on the outcomes and budget.

Award: It is planned to fund four to six 6-month projects as part of the 2^nd SF call. All applicants should cost their projects using the same process as they would cost an EPSRC grant. It must be recognised that an application to this call requires a commitment to provide the remaining 20% of fEC from their own resources. All costs should be inclusive of VAT and/or any other applicable tax. A guide of fEC and the EPSRC’s position on its payment is available at:

https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/howtoapply/fundingguide/ and http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/funding/grantstcs/

Eligible costs: Costs under a new project may include staff time for postdoctoral research associates (PDRA), associated indirect costs, travel and subsistence, and consumables and equipment for the project, all subject to EPSRC rules and requirements. In line with the current projects, it is expected that investigator time will form part of the partner institutions’ contribution to PETRAS and will not be funded separately under this call. Details on how to access funding will be provided to those applicants that have received awards. Awardees will be expected to manage the accounts as per normal EPSRC rules.

Eligibility and Demonstrator Project Requirements

Successful applicants must demonstrate they meet the following requirements:

1. Projects must be led by a PETRAS academic partner, who must be eligible to hold an EPSRC grant and will be responsible to undertake the delivery of the project work and required reporting requirements. For information on the eligibility of organisations and individuals to receive EPSRC funding, see the EPSRC Funding Guide: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/howtoapply/fundingguide/.
2. Projects must serve as demonstrators to address intellectually inspiring and user-led challenges in the Cyber Security of IoT, and bring together at least two or more constellation projects and their outputs in collaboration with User Partners.
3. Substantial support from User Partners must be demonstrable (including the details of leveraging and additional funding), as well as collaboration and engagement with innovative businesses including SMEs.
4. Projects must integrate the outcomes from several PETRAS funded constellation projects and/or stream activities.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit their completed outline proposal forms by 10.00 GMT on 21 March 2018 to h.uzuner [at] imperial.ac.uk. Please write: “2^nd PETRAS SF Call Project application” in the email subject header.

The applicants who do not have their demonstrator proposal ideas listed in the Demonstrators White Paper mentioned above, please inform the PETRAS Programme Manager via email (h.uzuner [at] imperial.ac.uk) by 5 March 2018 of your plans for submitting an outline proposal.

The electronic application submission must be in a single document in word format. Applicants must ensure their outline proposal conforms to the format and the page limits specified in Appendix 1 of this call and they use the word document template provided to prepare their applications.

Download the application form as a Word document here.

Proposals that do not fulfil the format requirements, or are submitted after the deadline, will not be considered. This includes proposals that are over length or submitted as multiple documents. Outline proposals must include indicative costs, and should represent the 100% fEC of completing the project, but applicants should recognise that they will receive only 80% fEC in accordance with normal EPSRC practices (see section on Funding).

Table 1 – 2^nd SF Call schedule and deadlines

Review and Selection of Applications

Applications received by the submission deadline will be invited to a 2-day residential Co-creation Competition event planned to be held on 16^th -17^th April 2018. This event will follow a modified EPSRC sandpit approach to select and award funds to successful proposals as the demonstrator projects.

During the Co-creation Competition, applications will be reviewed on an individual basis by a selection panel against the selection criteria detailed below. The 2^nd SF Selection Panel will be formed of academics and User Partners from the Hub’s member institutions and stakeholders. For the review and selection decision timelines, please refer to Table 1 above.

The applicants’ outline proposal forms, which meet the conditions of the call, will be shared with the Selection Panel before the Co-Creation event for their information only. The Panel members will be instructed not to make any assessments prior to the event based on the outline proposals. The Co-creation event’s first day will provide an opportunity for the applicants to refine their outline proposals and submit a revised version by end of the day (agenda of the day to be confirmed later).

The applicants will be required to present their plans for the demonstrator(s) to the Co-creation Competition Selection Panel at this 2-day event (PowerPoint presentation and poster to cover the outline proposal contents). The feedback to be received from the Panel at the event will offer a final opportunity to refine the outline proposals and involve further partners. The Panel will then select and give approval in principle to the successful demonstrators at the end of the event. A detailed proposal (format and content to be provided to the applicants) with actual costs will then be presented by the applicants for final approval by the PETRAS Management Team within a week of the Co-creation Competition event.

Selection Criteria for PETRAS Demonstrators

PETRAS strives to achieve a balance across the PETRAS portfolio and including its thematic streams in order to address key gaps and User Partner priorities. Applications will be assessed by the 2^nd SF Call Selection Panel against the following criteria, and will be selected to be complementary and to maximise coverage of PETRAS outcomes:

• Alignment with PETRAS, UK and International agendas –
  • How the demonstrator will provide a tangible example of ‘knowledge in use’ in synthesising outcomes from the PETRAS programme (projects and/or streams) and be a significant expression of PETRAS’ value to its array of stakeholders. A baseline of research excellence must underpin all project and stream inputs;
  • Demonstrating synergy with current UK programmes of activity in the sector and alignment with future innovation planned to meet national needs and strategy;
  • Incorporating the wider international agenda into demonstrator activities and taking note of significant demonstrators around the world.
• Demonstrator Scale-Up and Legacy Potential – The potential for the demonstrator to expand its scope and adoption, and to have a legacy beyond PETRAS;
• User Partner Engagement – How the demonstrators engage with and include PETRAS partners (industry, academic, government and third sector), demonstrating the value of collaboration and co-creation to showcase outcomes that are of mutual benefit and address both needs and key gaps within the wider IoT ecosystem;
• Telling the Demonstrator Story – How the Demonstrators will explain the impact of their work across multiple platforms including stakeholders, target audiences and the general public. This must include the vertical and horizontal alignment and integration of the demonstrator within the IoT ecosystem. What is it? Where does it sit? What is its value?
• Use and Provision of Data and Information – How the demonstrators will generate, develop and share data and information across the PETRAS programme. How this data and information will be made available providently and securely, to the sector and beyond, demonstrating the value of PETRAS to generate further opportunities and engagement with the wider IoT community.

Conditions

1. The grants will be awarded according to the standard fEC model, covering 80% of eligible costs.
2. The terms of the Research Hub Collaboration Agreement dated 29 February 2016 will apply to any successful applicant.
3. The grant funds may not be used for capital expenditure, i.e. no single items of equipment above the £10k threshold are permitted.
4. The projects will start no later than 1^st July 2018 and must end by 28^th February 2019. The end of the grant is non-negotiable and the grant cannot be used to pay for the activities beyond the end date of the grant – 28^th February 2019.
5. Any member of staff (PDRAs) that you may want to employ on a project funded from 2^nd SF call needs to be available to start before or on 1^st July 2018. No extensions or delays to the start date for any reason including delays in recruitment will be accommodated. The grant must end and funds must be spent by 28^th February 2019.
6. PETRAS strongly recommends applicants to include User Partners in their proposals. Applications involving User Partners should make the role of the User Partner explicitly stated, and no terms may be entered into with User Partners which conflict with the terms of the Research Hub Collaboration Agreement. PETRAS shall have the right to require contracts engaged in with User Partners to ensure compliance. Joint or partial funding of projects is permitted where the role of the other funder is clearly stated and the other funding terms do not conflict with the EPSRC funding requirements and the Research Hub Collaboration Agreement.
7. The applicant must provide the PETRAS Programme Manager with a brief announcement (approx. 300 words) of the funded research within one month after the start of the project. This announcement must be agreed with PETRAS and suitable for publication on the PETRAS website.
8. Comply with all PETRAS quality assurance and reporting processes and requirements and also provide PETRAS with a final report at latest, one month after the end of the project. The final report will include mention of any papers or reports in preparation, and any plans for follow-up research funding. A financial statement will also be required within 30 days of project completion.
9. Any publication resulting from the project must acknowledge EPSRC funding via PETRAS. The recommended text to be used is as follows: “This work has been funded by the UK EPSRC as part of the PETRAS IoT Research Hub – Cybersecurity of the Internet of Things grant no: … .” The grant numbers to be used for each academic partner are as follows: UCL: EP/N02334X/1, Imperial: EP/N023242/1, Warwick: EP/N02298X/1, Lancaster: EP/N023234/1, Oxford: EP/N023013/1, Cardiff: EP/N022785/1, Surrey: EP/N023358/1, Edinburgh: EP/N02317X/1, Southampton: EP/N022912/1.

Quality assurance and reporting

Details on PETRAS reporting requirements will be provided to those applicants that have received awards. Awardees will be expected to comply with all PETRAS quality assurance and reporting processes and requirements. In addition to the project deliverables proposed by the applicants, all projects will also be required to provide the following reports:

• Quarterly activity (update) reporting through Researchfish Centre Functionality, and financial update statements.
• Final project report – Some of the sections (subject to revision from time to time by PETRAS) include: executive summary, project description, details of outcomes and achievements, impact, and future plans. the final report will include also include any papers or reports in preparation as a result of the project work, and any plans for follow-up research funding. A final financial statement will also be required within 30 days of the project completion.
• Impact database entries – Update PETRAS’s online Impact Database (through Researchfish Centre) on a frequent basis, which will capture project work, dissemination activities, outcomes, and impact.

EPSRC frameworks on Responsible Innovation, Societal Implications and Ethical Issues 

It is recognised that some areas of the Digital Economy have the potential to raise societal, ethical, philosophical, legal and regulatory issues and risks. Consideration of these issues is essential to ensure that the research carried out is considered within a societal context and that any such issues that are raised are fully explored as the research develops. For further information on responsible innovation and ethical requirements, applicants are referred to the following guidance documents:

https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/research/framework/ and http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/guidance-for-applicants/research-ethics/

Further Information

For the 2^nd PETRAS SF call related enquiries please contact the following:

General enquiries: Dr Halil Uzuner (PETRAS Programme Manager), email: h.uzuner [at] imperial.ac.uk, tel: 0207 594 0982

Demonstrators and User Partner enquiries: Graça Carvalho (PETRAS Impact Champion), email: graca.carvalho [at] ucl.ac.uk, tel: 0203 108 7386, and Dr Alisdair Ritchie (PETRAS Impact Champion), email: a.ritchie [at] warwick.ac.uk tel: 0746 902 0719

Appendix 1 – Response format

All proposals under this call must be completed using the requirements outlined in this Appendix and the outline proposal template document provided below. PETRAS reserves the right to reject any submission that does not conform to these requirements.

The outline proposal template is available for download here.

Applications must use the word template provided (see above) to prepare their applications. The template format, font sizes, margins etc. must not be modified. The use of diagrams, tables, and other graphics that aid comprehension is encouraged.

All sections of the outline proposal form are mandatory, and applications must not exceed the maximum length of each section, where specified. Applicants should include the section with the entry ‘Null’ if they do not believe it is relevant to their submission.

[1] In the context of the PETRAS Hub, User Partners are all the organisations that have issued Letters of Support during the proposal phase of the Hub or that have confirmed their willingness to collaborate with the project in writing since the project begin in March 2016. Please refer to https://www.petrashub.org/partners/ for more information.