ENERGY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP (EnROW) · ENERGY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP (EnROW)...

ENERGY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

WORKSHOP (EnROW)

A N I N T E R D I S C I P L I N A RY W O R K S H O P O N R E S E A R C H

D E V E L O P M E N T A N D E M P L OY M E N T O P P O RT U N I T I E S

Facilitator: Dr Tosin Somorin (Cranfield University, UK)

Funding for Energy Research

Funding for Energy Projects

NANO MEMBRANE TOILET

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

• Generating Ideas for Energy Research & Project

• Invited Presentations

• Funders & What they fund

• Building a Track Record

• Writing Grant Proposal

• Code of Practice for Research

GENERATING IDEAS FOR ENERGY

RESEARCH & PROJECTS

What are you curious about? What problem can you solve? What problem have you identified?

In groups, generate energy ideas (as many) using symbols/figures

Time: 15 mins. Feedback: 10 mins

ENERGY RESEARCH & PROJECTS

Renewable Energy

Geothermal

Hydro

Tidal & Wave

Biomass

Solar

Wind

Non-Renewable

Energy

Nuclear

Natural Gas

Oil

Coal

Hybrid

Solutions

Design Deployment Social Environment Economic Optimization

NEXUS


RESEARCH & PROJECT

How to generate good ideas

• Probe family & friends.

• Consider the things that bug/interest you

• Search literatures & databases

• Consider reverse thinking

• Examine old ideas--then build a better one

• Map out issues & propose solutions

• Take it to the streets

• Identified industry/local energy solutions —curiosity/awareness

“One of the most difficult aspects of the research/project grant process is generating an idea that is interesting and workable.”


RESEARCH & PROJECT

Top tips on creating innovative Ideas

• Search, read and learn as much as you can

• Keep a notebook of ideas

• Draw your ideas using symbols & figures

• Socialize outside your normal circles

• Break your cycle of established patterns or behaviour

• Don’t hoard ideas

• Consolidate ideas periodically

FUNDERS & WHAT THEY FUND

Invited Presentations

PROF. ADEOLA ADENIKINJUDIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR PETROLEUM ENERGY ECONOMICS AND LAW

Professor Adenikinju is a Professor of Economics at the

University of Ibadan. He has consulted for such

organizations as the European Union, United Nations,

the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company, NLNG, The

African Economic Research Consortium, OECD, UNIDO,

ECOWAS, UNECA, the World Bank, and the National

Data Bank, among others. He was one of the

Consultants that prepared the First Perspective Plan for

Nigeria. He is also involved in the United Nations Project

Link that makes economic projection for the Nigerian

Economy. He was a Visiting Scholar to the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1996 and 2005.

“How researchers can collaborate and leverage on funding and network

opportunities to develop renewable/sustainable energy solutions for Nigeria

DR WOLE ODETAYOMANAGING PARTNER AT LOFTYINC ALLIED PARTNERS LIMITED

Dr Wole Odetayo is a Managing Partner at LoftyIncAllied Partners Limited. He co-founded Nigeria’s foremost venture accelerator, Wennovation Hub in 2010; LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited and sits on the board of a number of companies including IdeasUnlimited. He briefly served as the pioneer Operations Manager for the Information Technology Developers Entrepreneurship Accelerator (iDEA Nigeria), a government facilitated and Accenture (Nigeria) supported incubator-accelerator. He is dedicated to helping early stage entrepreneurs develop their ideas into sustainable, innovative and bankable businesses.

“How researchers can collaborate and leverage on funding and network

opportunities to develop renewable/sustainable energy solutions for Nigeria

ENGR. EDETHEAD LCCI POWER GROUP

“Challenges innovators experience in developing

renewable and sustainable energy solutions and insights

on how to overcome them”

ENGR. AKINGBAGBOHUNCHAIR, NiMechE (LAGOS CHAPTER)

“Case Study of the NiMechE Innovation Challenge”

Funders & What they fund


Private Fund

Local SMEs

Multinationals

Venture Capitalists

Private Investors

Investment Banks

Crowd

funding

Public Fund

Nigerian Govt.

International Development

Agencies

Development

Bank

Professional Bodies

Govt. Agencies

Charities

FUNDERS


WHAT THEY FUND

PUBLIC FUND PRIVATE FUND

Large & Risky Projects

Economic

Development

Multidisciplinary

Impact

Societal

Engagement

Open/Flexible

Sector

OrientedFormal/

Informal

Specific &

Measurable

Research Oriented

Empowerment

Economically

Viable


Grants

Project Grant

Fellowship

Capital/

Equipment

Travel Grants

Training &

Devpt.

Seed Fund

FUND TYPES


Research Agencies

Regional Funders/Agencies

Innovation Funders


• Leverhulme: All subjects with some exceptions e.g. medical research

• Royal Society: Post-docs in the sciences/engineering

• British Academy: Humanities and social sciences

• Royal Academy of Engineering: Engineering research

• Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851: Sciences and engineering

Many other charities and organisations with specific areas of focus e.g.

• Lloyds Register Foundation (Risk)

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (World Inequalities)

• Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (A group of 18 grant making trusts.

Of particular relevance are: Gatsby (plant science, public policy);

Ashden Trust (Climate change; sustainable development)

• Your professional body/society

GROUP ACTIVITY: FINDING FUNDS

How do you go about finding funds/funders

for your specific project

Use stick notes/white paper


SECTION II

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

• Generating Ideas for Energy Research & Project

• Funders & What they fund

• Grant Writing

• Building a Track Record

• Code of Practice for Research

Grant Writing

GRANT WRITING

Ideas Generation:

USP

Funders & What

they fund?

What makes a

winning proposal

Insights to the

review processSuccess rates

& factors

Have an

Idea!

Identify a

Funder

Prepare a

Proposal

Review

ProcessProposal

Outcome

Project

Delivery

Code of Conduct

& Research Ethics

PROCESS

GRANT WRITING

• A proposal is a statement or planning document of intent,

which show how a project would be executed.

• It is a request for financial assistance to implement a

sequence of activity or a project.

• The general purpose of any proposal is to persuade a

potential donor to support, provide, purchase or fund a project

• There is no universal accepted format for proposal writing and

well written presentations vary in style.

• The format for the proposal must fit the donor’s requirement

and evaluation criteria.

GRANT WRITING

• Concept note/paper

• Full Proposal

• Research Proposal

• Expression of Interest

• Letter of Intent

• Business Proposal/Plan

• Feasibility Study

TYPES OF PROPOSAL

GRANT WRITING

CONCEPT NOTE

• A concept note is a summary of a proposal containing a brief description of

the idea of the project and the objectives to be pursued.

• For the funding agency: is to help applicants develop more competitive

proposals and to save time by eliminating proposals that are not likely to be

funded.

• For the applicant: is to capture the interest of the funding agency and

demonstrate that the idea they are proposing is worthy of further

consideration.

• Most donor agencies request a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 5 pages.

GRANT WRITING

• Title

• Executive Summary

• Background

• Problem Statement

• Aim/Objectives

• Scope/Innovation Approach

• Team Profile

• Research Impact Statement

• Costing & Project Delivery

KEY ELEMENTS OF A GRANT PROPOSAL

GROUP ACTIVITY: GENERATING IDEAS

Draft a Mini Proposal/Concept note

Use bullet points


Problem Statementa clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed

GRANT/WRITING/

RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL

• The nature of the problem

• How did you come by the problem?

• What is currently being done about the problem?

• Any socio-economic costs associated? Any beneficiaries of the project?

✓ conduct and document (formal and informal) assessment of the

problem/program to be implemented in the target or service area —hard

evidence that is factual and directly related to the problem

✓ data that may be collected include: historical, geographic, quantitative, factual,

statistical, and philosophical information

✓ student or faculty project to conduct a needs assessment

Research/Project Aims & Objectives

a clear, concise, relevant and to the point statement of what you want to

address/achieve/develop/assess etc.

• What do you want to do?

• How do you want to do it?

GRANT/WRITING/


✓ It is important to ensure that your aim(s) align with the mission of your funding entity.

✓ Describe how your project addresses the critical need, & clearly state the proposed solution.

✓ Within 2-4 sentences, you should describe the experimental approach and how each aim will

help answer your main goal

Research/Project Aims & Objectives

GRANT/WRITING/


The ENERPOO project aims to develop a novel toilet that will require no external

connections to a sewer, water supply or energy source. The toilet will utilise a unique

rotating mechanism, low glass transition temperature hollow-fibre membranes and a

micro-combustor to treat human faeces and convert the solid residues to ash, heat and

clean water. The clean water will be accessible at the household level in washing or

irrigation applications. The residual energy will be sufficient to power a mobile phone.

The Reinvent the Toilet Challenge aims to create a toilet that:

•Removes germs from human waste and recovers valuable resources such as

energy, clean water, and nutrients.

•Operates “off the grid” without connections to water, sewer, or electrical lines.

•Costs less than US$.05 cents per user per day.

•Promotes sustainable and financially profitable sanitation services and

businesses that operate in poor, urban settings.

•Is a truly aspirational next-generation product that everyone will want to use—

in developed as well as developing nations.

Scope/Innovation Approach/Team

1. How you are going to accomplish the goals and objectives previously described?

2. What technologies will you use?

3. Specify how many meetings you plan to organise.

4. Draw a timeline to keep you on track and indicate progress points

5. How much is this going to cost?

6. About Your Company/Personnel/Team/Consortium

GRANT/WRITING/


Problem Statement: Energy from Poo (EnerPOO)

GRANT/WRITING/


Poor sanitation is a major impediment to sustainable development. Nearly, 40% of

the world’s population do not have access to sanitation and over 1 billion people

defecate in the open. In developing countries, more than 90% of the faeces

generated are disposed into the open without treatment; thereby, polluting the

watercourses and rivers. Even in communities with modern sanitary systems,

wastewater often leak into the environment, due to improper usage and maintenance

of septic systems; thereby, putting the groundwater at risk of contamination,

especially in areas with high water table. Poor sanitation is projected to increase, due

to rapid urbanization and overburdening of already stressed waste treatment

systems; hence, there is a need to develop sustainable sanitary systems with minimal

cost-, resource- and energy-requirements.

BUDGET

• Budget: A professional and transparent approach to budget planning

will help convince investors, development banks and national or

international donors to make financial resources available.

• The sponsoring agencies will use the budget details to determine

whether the proposal is economically feasible and realistic.

• Many sponsors, especially government agencies and international

organizations, provide either a form or a format for the budget. It is

therefore imperative to follow the donor’s instructions explicitly.

People |Travel Costs | Vehicles | Equipment | Consumables/Supplies | Sub-contracts

BUDGET

Direct costs are all eligible costs which can be attributed directly to the project.

• Personnel costs: They should reflect the total remuneration, including

salaries, health insurance.

• Travel and subsistence allowances: First determine what travel expenses

the granting agency will allow, and then itemize the cost of each trip, e.g.,

round-trip airfare, lodging and meals, taxis, visa, etc.

• Vehicles: Usually this cost is ncluded in the travel and subsistence item.

• Durable equipment: any item which will retain its usefulness beyond the

grant period is considered capital equipment.

• Consumables and supplies: stationery, duplicating supplies,

typing/computing supplies, and software.

People |Travel Costs | Vehicles | Equipment | Consumables/Supplies | Sub-contracts

BUDGET

Indirect costs are all those eligible costs which cannot be identified by the

beneficiary. costs of operating and maintaining buildings (electricity/gas/water

bills), grounds and equipment, depreciation, general and departmental

administrative salaries and expenses and library costs.

Overheads and Facilities & Administrative Costs,

Rules for determining the overhead in a funding program is usually given by

the donor, so be sure to find out what percentage, if any, the funding source

will allow for indirect costs.

BUDGET

• It is important that the budget is realistic.

• Determine what would be an appropriate amount to request.

• The numbers should be specific.

• Your planning should allow for contingencies.

• Some donors require that some part of the cost of a project be

borne by the applicant institution.

PROJECT DELIVERY

Using Gantt charts: it allows both project managers and participants

to track team progress, highlighting both big wins and major failures.

PROJECT DELIVERY

Research Impact: So what? Who cares?—specific statement of benefits that demonstrates the potential or actual

impact of the proposed research activity

• Innovative and creative approaches to engaging beneficiaries.

• A credible implementation plan

• Appropriate milestones and deliverables associated with the potential impact.

• Impacts may be short-term, medium-term or longer-term.

• An impact could include quotes from those who have benefited.

• Not all impacts are quantitative; some are improvements in quality of life or a

change in attitudes or aspirations. For example, an increased awareness of

protecting environmental quality might be an impact.

• Any collaborators/contributors.

GRANT/WRITING/



Draft a Mini Research Impact Statement

Use bullet points


1. What is the activity’s potential impact on the development of science, technology and industry

Nigeria and Nigeria’s economy and competitiveness?

2. Are there potential international beneficiaries, collaborations with international industry or

partner organisations? Letters of support may be included where appropriate.

3. How will industry collaborators enable increased impact? What supports are they offering?

Have routes to commercialisation been considered?

4. What is the activity’s potential impact on the education and training of students, the career

development of research team members and the infrastructure for further research and

education, e.g. facilities and instrumentation?

5. What is the activity’s potential impact on society and the quality of life of citizens?

6. Are there potential beneficiaries within the private sector, public sector, third sector or any

others (e.g. professional or practitioner groups, charities or patient groups)?

7. How will the potential impacts from your research best be realised?

8. How do you propose the impact from your project could be measured?

RESEARCH IMPACT

Science Foundation Ireland 2013

1. Good knowledge of the relevant beneficiaries of the proposed research

2. Clear description of how the applicant intends to reach and engage with the

beneficiaries of the research, including clear deliverables and milestones

3. Genuine inclusion of appropriate collaborators in the research programme, especially in

the application area of the research if interdisciplinary in nature.

4. Involvement of beneficiaries and end users from the outset taking this input into the

design of the research programme. Industry collaborators may not be a requirement

but where appropriate is encouraged.

5. Brief description of track record and relevant accomplishments for knowledge

exchange and impact-generating activities in the context of the proposed research

project

6. Good knowledge of national priorities and activities in the relevant areas

7. Applicant demonstrates clear commitment to maximising the impact of their research

RESEARCH IMPACT


1. Statement is vague, lacks specificity and clear deliverables

2. Activities are not project specific, but are routine activities for academic research positions

3. Lack of inclusion of appropriate collaborators in the research programme, especially in the

application area of the research, if interdisciplinary in nature.

4. Vague, non-committal letters of support

5. Too much focus on track record rather than what will be done as part of the proposed project

6. Lack of knowledge of beneficiaries and appropriate mechanisms for realising the potential impacts

7. Too focused on outputs for their own sake rather than their contribution to impact generation

8. Unrealistic expectations (not to be confused with setting ambitious goals)

RESEARCH IMPACT


Code of Practice for

Research

Research Publication

Data Management

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR RESEARCH

RESEARCH PUBLICATION: AUTHORSHIP

• Author of a paper only if that person made a direct and substantial

intellectual contribution to the design of the research, the interpretation of

the data, or the drafting of the paper

• Ensure work is new and original research

• Obtain copyright permission if figures/tables need to be reproduced; any

work that is duplicated


RESEARCH PUBLICATION

Misconduct: Fabrication, Falsification, or Plagiarism (others or oneself) in

proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.

• Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them.

• Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or

changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately

represented in the research record.

• Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results,

or words without giving appropriate credit.

• Misrepresentation of research findings - use of selective or fraudulent data

to support a hypothesis or claim

• Data manipulation: Researchers who manipulate their data in ways that

deceive others


DATA MANAGEMENT

• It is your fundamental obligation to create and maintain an accurate,

• accessible, and permanent record of data.

• Record sufficient detail for others to check and replicate the work.

• You may be required to enter data into bound notebooks with sequentially

numbered pages using permanent ink, using a computer application with

secure data entry fields, identifying when and where work was done, and

retaining data for specified lengths of time.

• Every scientific result may be scrutinized even after publication.


Robert Ryan

This investigation confirmed that Dr Ryan seriously breached normal scientific practice in

several scientific publications before and after he joined the University, including

misrepresentation of clinical data and the duplication and misrepresentation of images in

12 different publications. An appeal has been heard, which upheld a decision of serious

research misconduct.

Building a Track Record

BUILDING A TRACK RECORD

A track record describes your career in terms of:

The work you have conducted

The outputs you have created

Your achievements to date (the impact you have had)

Any recognition of your status as an expert in your field


Research

Publications

Grants &

Funds

Active Membership of

Professional Societies

Industrial

Clients

Scientific

Committees

Patents/Research

Impact

Prizes/Award &

Recognition

Scientific

Skills

Paper

Review

Engagement/

Mentoring

Supervision

& Teaching

Project

Experience

Research

Visits

Collaboration &

Network


Research Track Record

Profile

Publications* —h index, i10-index, citations, RG score

Book Chapters/Books, Patents

Grants/Clients/Past Projects/Partners/Network

Engagement/Research Impact/Recognition/Award

Google Citation


Draw a Personal Development Plan

ENERGY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP (EnROW) · ENERGY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP (EnROW)...

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