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NESTA champions collaboration across sciences as it calls for applicants to its Crucible Programme

12/12/2007

"There is an abundance of excellent scientific research in the UK but early specialisation in our education system means that there is very little cross-over between disciplines."

Now in its fifth year, Crucible is open to researchers working in science, technology, engineering, medicine, science policy, and social science who are at an early stage in their career. Applicants can be post-doctoral researchers, recently appointed lecturers or researchers working in industry, a research institute or similar.

As well as evidence of an interest in collaborating with researchers from other disciplines, NESTA is looking for candidates with an interest in science and society or science policy, and proven involvement in areas beyond their research such as working to improve public engagement with science, writing for non-specialist audiences or participating in a special interest group.

Applications will be accepted from 10 December 2007 until 31 January 2008. The 30 applicants selected by NESTA will participate in three residential Lab weekend designed to act as a spring board for the researchers to embark on risky new collaborations across disciplines. The Lab weekends will provide a creative environment in which the researchers are free to experiment and develop working relationships. The first weekend will concentrate on how researchers can engage with policy makers and the media about issues related to their work.

Previous projects that have emerged from the programme include sound-art installation works by Crucible 2004 participant, Paul Adderley and Goldsmith's composer, Michael Young, based on scientific information gained from soils and the environmental histories of remote societies.

Commenting on the programme, Helen Gresty, Executive Director of Innovation Programmes at NESTA, said:

"There is an abundance of excellent scientific research in the UK but early specialisation in our education system means that there is very little cross-over between disciplines. If the UK is to be truly innovative we need to bring together different type of researchers and stimulate new and exciting collaborations. It is these sorts of collaborations that are most likely to provide the solutions to our most pressing social challenges, as well as ensuring the UK's ongoing economic competitiveness."

Dr Robert Priddey, an Astrophysicist at the University of Hertfordshire who participated in Crucible 2007, said:

"Outside my day job, I have always had an interest in the connections between the arts and science. The speakers at Crucible really galvanised my interest beyond a hobby, leading me to apply for an interfaculty studentship with the head of music at Hertfordshire. We are now supervising a PhD student exploring the links between music and astronomy. Crucible is an excellent opportunity to begin to think about the wider context your work might have and I have no doubt that some interesting things will come of the collaborations that began to form during our time on the programme."

For more information or to apply to Crucible, interested parties should go to www.nesta.org.uk/crucible or email contact Sally Cryer on 01234 761755 or sally.cryer@nesta.org.uk.

NESTA
NESTA - the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts - is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body established by the National Lottery Act 1998 with a remit to 'support and promote talent, innovation and creativity in the fields of science, technology and the arts'. With endowed funds of over £300 million, its mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. It does this in three main ways: by working to build a more pervasive culture of innovation in this country; by providing innovators with access to early stage capital; and by driving forward research into innovation, with a view to influencing policy.