About the Exeter Science Exchange
The Exeter Science Exchange is a three-year project (October 2010 to September 2013) supported by the EPSRC’s Bridging the Gaps programme. The project has four strands, which will run through the project. Its objectives are:
- To create a physical environment to promote exchange of new ideas and stimulate joint working.
- To bring on-line a 24/7 virtual environment to promote exchange of ideas and stimulate joint working.
- To design and implement specific activities to support inter-disciplinary communication (Strand 1).
- To design and implement specific activities to develop the links between innovation, entrepreneurship, and inter-disciplinary research (Strand 2).
- To design and implement specific activities to sponsor joint research on the interface between science, technology and policy (Strand 3).
- To design and develop a range of functional and financial measures to foster new multi-disciplinary collaboration (Strand 4).
The project is directed by representatives drawn from across all six of the University's academic Colleges. Find out more about people involved in the Exeter Science Exchange.
Strand 1 – Communication
Lead: Jonathan Barry
The use of different terminology and research methodologies between fields is a barrier to cross-disciplinary working. We aim to increase communication and understanding between disciplines by providing information and activities to spark new research interests. We plan to create a web database for researchers to identify potential partners and collaborators in other disciplines, and will also engage with postgraduate students through initiatives like the Effective Researcher Development Programme. We will work with Egenis and build on the approaches of the Exeter Interdisciplinary Institute.
Strand 2 – Innovation
Lead: John Bessant
Innovation (the effective application of ideas) requires diverse technical knowledge strands to be combined with an end-user or market perspective. This area of the project will focus on how we can translate our academic knowledge into products, processes and services with widespread economic and social impact. Interaction with experts and practitioners in innovation management and presentation of case studies, for example at innovation workshops, will help to increase researchers’ understanding of the key considerations in effective entrepreneurship and innovation management. Researchers will be supported in developing Innovation Action Plans and considering ethical and societal implications of their research.
Strand 3 – Policy
Lead: Regenia Gagnier
We will bring academics and policy makers together to explore how research and policy mutually influence each other and to promote research providing solutions to real-world problems. By working with policy makers’ requirements, we can experiment with new associations between academics and policy makers in an innovative way.
Strand 4 – Development
Lead: Peter Ashwin
We will allocate funds to support new cross-disciplinary collaborations, for example:
- Bridging buy-out funds: to release staff from teaching and administrative duties to concentrate on developing a collaborative idea into a full research project.
- Feasibility funds: to pump-prime initial studies and build collaborative consortia.
- Academic research visitor programme: to invite key academics to Exeter for a short period of time as international fellows, to provide a broader perspective on ideas being developed.
- Workshop funds: to support cross-disciplinary workshops or retreats.
- Travel funds: to support any of the above or other relevant activity.
Themes
The Exeter Science Exchange will provide mechanisms for ideas trading that are open to all researchers. We aim to bring those working in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences into contact with researchers in as many other disciplines as possible. Themes will change throughout the project, but the initial focus of events will be on:
