CASE Studentship Open Competition

Introduction

The CASE Studentship Open Competition promotes collaboration between the research community and the end-users of research. It aims to achieve a benefit to both the end-user and to the student. This is a 'directed' scheme.

A CASE studentship is a PhD studentship during which the student enhances their training by spending between 3 and 18 months with the CASE partner in a workplace outside the academic environment.

NERC will hold its annual CASE Studentship Open Competition later in 2012, with a closing date of 9 October 2012 at 16:00. A Je-S application form will be available from 9 September.

Studentships will be awarded by NERC in the following six priority areas: there is no 'open' element to the call in 2012:

Water
Marine renewable energy
Food and agriculture
Environmental monitoring
Ecosystem services
Climate services

In addition, up to two studentships will be awarded by NERC on projects that will contribute to the delivery of the UK Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (UK IODP) research programme.

CASE partners for applications to 'priority areas' and 'UK IODP' may be business, public, or third sector.

Impact is one of the CASE scheme's main criteria. Applications must demonstrate the potential for societal or economic impact through collaboration with the CASE partner and the provision of high quality training in research skills. For more on impact see the RCUK website.

Applications focusing solely on the advancement of science and on academic impact are provided for by the algorithm studentships route.

CASE studentship projects must provide sound training in the research methods, and a stimulating intellectual challenge for the student. The work's impetus and initial requirement should originate from the CASE partner.

Both the research organisation and the CASE partner nominate supervisors responsible for overseeing the student's training.

Priority areas

Studentships will be awarded in the six priority areas listed below. The science must fall within NERC's remit and the CASE partner may be public, private or third sector user body whose primary role is not research. This is a change from some previous years, when partners for priority area applications have been limited to the private sector.

Water
Marine renewable energy
Food and agriculture
Environmental monitoring
Ecosystem services
Climate services

Please prefix the title of an application [WATER], [ENERGY], [AGRIFOOD], [ENVIRONMENT], [ECOSYSTEM] or [CLIMATE] as appropriate.

A priority areas guidance document is available under further information at the foot of this page.

Applications falling outside priority areas will not be considered this year.

UK Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (UK IODP) CASE studentships

Up to two studentships will be awarded by NERC on projects that will contribute to increasing the overall impact of the UK IODP research programme. Any proposed projects will be expected to build on existing research efforts within IODP, in particular, making use of past and/or newly-collected core samples. CASE partners for applications for UK IODP funded studentships may be from the business, public, or third sectors.

Eligibility and assessment criteria will be as for applications to the 'priority areas' CASE round, and UK IODP applications will be assessed by the same panel. Please prefix the title of an application [IODP].

Eligibility requirements

Applications should fall within the NERC science remit.

Individuals may make only one application to the scheme, whether it be in the role of supervisor or of co-supervisor. This applies to both the research partner and the CASE partner.

Eligible Research organisations:

Research Partners

HEIs and Research Council Institutes (RCIs) can only be research partners. RCIs may only apply as the research partner and must partner with an HEI in addition to the CASE partner.

CASE partners

The CASE partner must be an end-user i.e. an organisation whose primary role is not research, but rather to use the outputs of research in developing business, technology, regulation, policy, or social / environmental enterprise, within the public, private or third sector. The CASE partner (or the principal partner if there is more than one) must have a base in the UK.

The CASE partner must demonstrate that commercial, regulatory, policy-making or enterprise activities form a significant part of its remit and that the focus of the proposed studentship falls within the scope of these activities.

CASE partners should also provide evidence of the need for their buy-in and of the rationale for advancing their activities.

Independent Research Organisations (IROs) may act as the CASE partner if they can demonstrate the above.

List of Independent Research Organisations

NERC's moderating panels are very keen that CASE partners demonstrate their enthusiasm for applications they are involved in, so a supporting letter from the CASE partner (or from the senior partner if there is more than one) is required.

CASE partner support letter guidance is available under further information below.

Table 1. Eligibility of research organisations
Organisation	Involvement in studentship as
UK HEIs	research organisation partner
NERC research centres	research organisation partner
Independent research organisations	research organisation partner (with an HEI)
Research council institutes	research organisation partner (with an HEI)