FCRI Cities Flagship Programme Call

Deadline: 15th May 2023

We would like to draw your attention to this opportunity to lead or be a partner in a new major research initiative from the Future Cities Research Institute(FCRI).  FCRI is a new interdisciplinary, joint research institute between the universities of Lancaster (UK) and Sunway (Malaysia) which has a focus on cities of the future and tackling key challenges associated with global urbanisation, sustainability and heritage preservation.

Please do disseminate this widely.

FCRI Cities Flagship Programme

This new innovative three-year Cities Flagship Programme (CFP) will support strategic, long-term research activities and development that will strengthen cities related research expertise, our internal and external profiles, and impact and engagement.

In round 1 of this new scheme, FCRI will seek to fund 2 Flagship Programmes to start in 2023.  Ideally, one of which will be led by a Sunway (SU) PI and the other by a Lancaster (LU) PI.

Key details for each of the two flagships are given below:

Flagship 1 – Lancaster led

Requirements	Lancaster based support	Sunway based support
Lancaster academic as PI Co-I’s from Sunway and Lancaster	£10K per year for up to 3 years* to cover LU based activities 1 FTE LU based PDRA post for 2 years	27,000 MYR per year for up to 3 years* to cover SU based activities One PhD student based at SU

Flagship 2 – Sunway led

Requirements	Lancaster based support	Sunway based support
Sunway academic as PI Co-I’s from Sunway and Lancaster	£5K per year for up to 3 years* to cover LU based activities 1 UK PhD studentship based at LU (3 years)	54,000 MYR per year for up to 3 years* to cover SU based activities One PDRA and/or PhD student based at SU

* budget to be released annually following a short progress report 

Deadline for submission: Monday 15^th May 2023

Please find the application forms (Application Document and Budget Proforma) which include more details of this call.

Please email completed application forms to Bryony Seager b.i.seager2@lancaster.ac.ukand Aisyah Abdul Kadir aisyahak@sunway.edu.my

Evaluation will be via a panel with representation from both LU and SU

Projects expected to commence from June 2023

Brief overview of aims of the scheme

• To identify an area of research that will make a key contribution in terms of knowledge and impact to studies on cities and urban regions, helping to tackle key challenges associated with global urbanisation, sustainability or heritage preservation. Any discipline area is welcome as long as there is a clear link to cities related research.
• To develop a programme of pilot research activities in the chosen topic area that have the potential to lead to further research activities that are ambitious and impactful
• To develop significant academic expertise in the Flagship research area, growing a recognised internal and external research reputation in the field.
• To attract external research funding to grow the programme with new investment that is at least equal to and ideally exceeds the initial resource/financial investment made by FCRI.
• To attract and engage other researchers from Lancaster and Sunway universities and beyond, into the programme, growing the Flagship network and related research focus areas.

Activities could include: pilot research activities (at least 65%), workshops, conferences, capacity building activities, stakeholder engagement, external network building, related student activity e.g. internships and so on.

Please find the application form attached which includes more details of this call.

Also here is a video from the LU FCRI Co-director introducing the call.

For any queries about this opportunity please contact Prof Emmanuel Tsekleves (LU FCRI co-Director) at e.tsekleves@lancaster.ac.uk,  Dr Mandy Dillon at m.dillon1@lancaster.ac.uk or via FCRI@lancaster.ac.uk

For help to connect to Sunway academics (if required) please contact Prof Sabine-Salima Chaouche (SU FCRI co-Director) sabinec@sunway.edu.my who may be able to assist you.

We look forward to receiving your applications.