Funder Decision Making & Governance
Research funders have various committees which help them decide their strategy and processes. They regularly refresh these committees and provide opportunities for members of the academic community to join.
Cambridge has a number of academics who sit on various funder committees: see a list of ones we are aware of.
EPSRC
The EPSRC Council is the primary advisory body for the EPSRC. It consists of an executive chair and 12 ordinary members, with one member designated as the senior independent member (SIM). The council provides strategic advice and ensures the effective operation of the EPSRC. While the council itself is not directly involved in funding decisions, it sets the overall strategic direction that influences funding priorities
Strategic Advisory Teams (SATs)
The EPSRC is divided into several themes, each with its own leadership and Strategic Advisory Teams (SATs). These SATs are composed of experts from relevant fields and provide advice on research and training strategies within their respective themes. They help in identifying key areas for funding and ensure that the EPSRC's strategies are aligned with the needs of the research community.
Recruitment for SATs is held every two years. The next round will open in mid-2025.
Peer Review and Panels
EPSRC uses peer review to evaluate grant applications. This process involves panels of experts who assess the scientific merit and potential impact of the proposed research. These panels are typically composed of academics and industry experts who are familiar with the specific areas of research being evaluated. The peer review process is crucial in ensuring that funding is allocated to high-quality research projects.
To maintain the transparency of EPSRC’s peer review process in line with the UKRI Principles of Assessment and Decision Making, EPSRC has a Panel Outcome Tableau tool to share information on EPSRC Panel and Panel outcomes for Opportunities that have been run on the UKRI Funding Service: EPSRC Funding Application Outcomes (Tableau Public).
Names of panel members are usually published after the panel decisions have been made.
NERC
Information on how NERC is governed, including the bodies that you may apply to join: How NERC is governed.
NERC determines its strategic research funding opportunities via its science committee, which uses ideas from the community on where strategic research should be targeted.
STFC
The science boards are the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) principal scientific advisory committees, providing advice across all of STFC’s research and innovation activities. They report directly to the STFC Council.
See the STFC website for more information on STFC’s Science Boards and the Advisory Committee that report into these boards.