The outermost part of the atmosphere of the Sun, the corona, is a unique natural plasma environment where a manifold of extreme and nonlinear phenomena with time scales from a fraction of a second to several years are open to a direct study. Some of these processes, for example coronal mass ejections (CME) and solar flares, are directly linked with the dynamics of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves and oscillations in various coronal plasma non-uniformities. The mechanisms for both the initiation of flares and eruptions by waves and excitation of waves by such impulsive mass and energy releases are considered. This provides us with an important tool for a remote diagnostics of the coronal plasma and physical processes operating there, also known as coronal seismology. In the talk, I will discuss two of such tools which are oscillations of solar quiescent prominences often preceding CME, and quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) observed in solar flares. The finite-amplitude transverse oscillations of prominences, dense and cool magnetic flux ropes situated in a hot and more rarefied plasma of the solar corona, are modelled through the interaction of the prominence electric current with those in the background plasma. A metastable equilibrium of the prominence and a nonlinear coupling between its horizontal and vertical motions are demonstrated. QPP, repetitive bursts of electromagnetic emission in solar flares, are usually interpreted either in terms of MHD oscillations triggering or modulating the energy releases, or as self-oscillatory regimes of the energy releases. I will discuss mechanisms for generation and damping of QPP by magnetoacoustic waves, based on the effects of their dispersion, potential nonlinearity, and an effective energy exchange between the plasma and the wave. 

The Science and Technology Facilities Council invites applications for its public engagement legacy awards. These enable STFC grant-funded public engagement programmes to continue to grow and evolve over time based on learning and evaluation. Proposals should be linked to the original grant and must focus around the remit of the STFC science programme or clearly align to the science and technology work of STFC’s national and international laboratories and facilities. Support may also be used for a continuation of activities that are dedicated to developing community networks or capacity building in public engagement.

The principal applicant must be eligible to apply on behalf of the organisation, which must be based in the UK. The applicant or their organisation must have held a previous STFC public engagement spark, nucleus, small or large award, which must have ended fewer than three years before the current award. Applicants may apply for a legacy award for a previous award that is still active at the time of application. In these instances, the proposed award cannot have a start date any earlier than the current end date of the original award. Applications must include a researcher in an STFC-funded area of science or technology and applicants must demonstrate both the success of their original engagement programme, and evidence that success via good-quality evaluation. The target audience must be primarily UK residents. Up to two legacy awards from a single original grant may be supported.

Funding covers 50 per cent of the full economic cost, worth up to £50,000, for first-time awardees, and up to 25 per cent of the full economic cost, worth up to £25,000, for second-time awardees. Funding lasts for up to three years and may be used for salaries, materials, equipment up to £10,000, travel and subsistence. Co-funding must have been secured from project partners before submitting the application.

Follow on funding (FoF) is intended to provide financial support at very early or pre-seed stage of turning research outputs into a commercial application. The idea must have a clear potential for commercialisation. Proposals should not exceed a total value of £110K at 100% of fEC, and should be no longer than 12 months long. STFC will award 80% fEC.

FoF is a ‘proof-of-concept’ model, where further work on an idea will make any commercial potential evident to the market and so secure, for example, a spin-out (seed/venture finance) or licensing opportunity or provide the necessary information to bid for other KE schemes e.g. IPS, CLASP. This often takes small amounts of funds to enable activities essential to preparing a robust business plan.

Follow-on funding is designed support a range of relevant activities to enable the development and examination of a concept to establish its commercial feasibility and scientific and technical merit. Industrial partners are not required as part of Follow-on Fund applications, however industrial, non-governmental organisations or academic partners from other higher education institutes are welcome where appropriate. Whilst other funding is not a prerequisite, Follow-on Fund grant applications which have secured funding from elsewhere e.g. host institution, will be looked upon favourably. N.B. Funding from third parties must be additional to the funds requested.

Funding can be used for

Undertaking further scientific and technical development of an idea.
Improving an intellectual property (IP) position, through for example, supporting further work to exemplify or broaden patent claims. All intellectual property arising from a Follow-on Fund grant will rest with the institution to which the grant is awarded.
Gaining further information about the market for the new product or process.
Identifying potential licensees or opportunities for joint ventures.

IPS supports the transfer of technology and expertise from STFC research to the marketplace. This scheme provides funding for a maximum of £450,000 (£150,000 per year) fEC for up to 3 years to take existing STFC research and expertise into a commercial environment. This includes technologies or ideas originating from the core STFC funded areas of nuclear physics, particle physics & particle astrophysics, astronomy & space science, and accelerators & computing in support of these.

As IPS is aimed at higher TRL levels, one of the requirements for IPS funding is that there is a linked project partner from industry or other non-academic institution(s) (for example, government departments, charities, NHS foundations etc.). This partner should provide either financial or in-kind contributions to the project, and have a vested interest in its outcomes. For projects at a lower TRL level, before the market has been identified, then please use Follow-on-funding instead of an IPS grant.

The IPS Fellowship scheme is designed to support a knowledge exchange and commercialisation (KEC) professional in a position at a UK university in developing innovation and impact from its STFC-funded research outputs. It is expected that the IPS fellow will cultivate innovation opportunities by facilitating the transfer of technologies, skills and knowledge, developed through funding from the STFC Science Programme, to industry and other users of research outputs. The fellow will focus on commercial exploitation to ensure UK economic impact and strive to enhance the capacity for knowledge exchange within STFC funded departments of the host university.

Note, this is NOT a research fellowship, and a financial contribution from the host organisation is required to demonstrate the institutions support of the Fellow.