Living Systems Institute

LSI Seed-Corn Funding

LSI Seed-Corn Funding

We want to make the Living Systems Institute the best place to develop interdisciplinary research at the interfaces of maths, physics, biological and biomedical sciences.  One of the ways we do this is developing seed-corn funding schemes to drive exciting ideas and projects, often leading into larger grant funding.

LSI's internal awards are run through the Catalyst Fund and Initiative Awards.

Information about LSI Initiative Awards 2023-24 

As part of LSI's continuing support of interdisciplinarity amongst its researchers, we have set up the LSI Initiative Awards to support LSI postdocs to independently develop collaborations within the Institute to share and exchange skills and to generate new research findings.

We normally run tow rounds of applications for up to £5000 of funding to support LSI postdocs from two or more different research groups (including LSI affiliate groups) to undertake a research project/idea of 3-6 months.

DEADLINE: 5pm on Friday 14th June 2024.

SUBMISSION: Email completed applications to m.j.amesbury@exeter.ac.uk

Applications should:

  • Be between LSI postdocs from two or more different research groups (including LSI affiliate groups). In exceptional situations the research team may include a PhD student or a non-Professorial PI based in LSI, but must be led by an LSI postdoc. For proposals that include PhD students or PIs, please contact LSI Director Austin Smith in advance to discuss suitability.
  • Be new research conceived by the applicants that is demonstrably different or a significant extension from ongoing postdoc research projects.
  • Form a collaboration that combines disciplines, technologies, and/or systems.
  • Include one or more elements of upskilling and professional development (e.g. new experimental, computational or data analysis skills).
  • Identify specific research and training outcomes with a plan for taking those outcomes forwards beyond the duration of the grant (e.g. manuscript, external funding application, further training to embed new skills, conference presentation, job application).
  • Have the support of the responsible PIs for undertaking the planned research in the group(s) and within your working hours.

Applications will be reviewed by the LSI Strategy Group against the stated criteria and short-listed applications will be invited to present their proposal to a Dragon’s Den-style panel in July 2025 from which final Award decisions will be made. Projects should commence within 3 months of Award date.