Fund

THE TURNER KIRK CHALLENGE FUND

Funding call

The Turner Kirk Sprint Challenge Fund has been established to bring together conservation scientists and mathematicians from Imperial's Centre for Environmental Policy (CEP), Department of Life Sciences (DoLS) and Department of Mathematics (DoM) to address unsolved challenging conservation problems towards further development of transformative and tangible solutions.

The overall assigned Turner Kirk Trust Sprint Challenge fund for the call is £50,000. One or more projects will be awarded.

The successful team(s) will be awarded a fund up to £50,000 to address their conservation challenge through (up to) 6-month project activities. The outcome will need to include a follow-up activity plan based on the Sprint Challenge achievement. The assigned fund can be used at the team’s discretion on the basis that it facilitates otherwise unachievable goals.

Find out more about the links between mathematics and conservation from Imperial academics Professor Mark Burgman and Professor Dan Crisan in the below videos:

Eligibility and application criteria

We welcome applications from multidisciplinary teams of postgraduate researchers and/or academics, comprising of - but not restricted to - mathematicians and conservationists.

To be considered for this opportunity teams are required to submit a brief expression of Interest, no more than 2 pages in length using the proposal form provided.

ICL Turner Kirk Trust Sprint Challenge Fund_Application Form 2023

Shortlisting of relevant applications will be made from a Committee of Experts (Professors Mark Burgman and Dan Crisan) based on the following criteria:

  • Proposed activities at the intersection between conservation and mathematics;
  • One of the PIs must be based at Imperial;
  • High risk/high gain co-creative ideas and approaches tackling global conservation and biodiversity challenges;
  • Potential to understand and solve complex scientific issues real-world environmental issues;
  • Novel use/application of mathematical tools.

Please note that teams with shortlisted proposals be invited to pitch their ideas at the Award Sprint Challenge Pitch Event at Imperial on the 30 March 2023. Further instructions will follow.

Awarded proposals and teams (i.e., names, departments, etc,) will be expected to be added to the The Imperial Turner Kirk Trust (TKT) Challenge.

Awarded 6-months projects are expected to start on 1 May 2023.

Upon completion, the team will be expected to present their findings at the Inaugural Challenge Fund Event at Imperial in December 2023.

Timeline - TKT Sprint Fund

Key dates are as follows:

Milestone Date
Call opening 7 March 2023
Submission deadline 20 March 2023
Awards shortlisting 23-24 March 2023
Award Sprint Challenge Fund Pitch event 30 March 2023
Projects start 1 May 2023
Projects end 30 November 2023
Project Sprint Challenge Fund Showcase event December (TBC)