UCL researchers interested in working with partners in Mexico can apply for funding to support their collaboration.

The UK – Mexico Visiting Chair scheme provides mobility funding for a research visit of up to two weeks to visit a new potential collaborator within a Consortium of 12 Mexican and 12 UK universities (see the guidance notes under ‘How to apply’ for a full list of participating Mexican institutions).

The scheme was created with the support of the Mexican and UK governments to increase research collaboration and strengthen relations between HEIs in the two countries.

To be eligible, applicants need to hold a doctorate degree in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) or Social Sciences and Humanities as well as being employed by any of the HEIs included in the scheme.

Activities accepted and encouraged include attendance at workshops, research symposia and conferences, as well as meetings to scope collaboration, share best practice or develop new initiatives.

Costs covered under the scheme include flights, accommodation, workspace, insurance, internal travel and incidental expenses.

How to apply

Applicants must read the guidance notes in full before completing the research project proposal form. They will need to list their top three possible destinations for their proposed visit to Mexico – this should include confirmation from the host academic/department in each institution.

Applications should be submitted to ciaran.moynihan@ucl.ac.uk by 17.00 on 20 May 2016. They must be made in English and include the documents below:

a.    A completed research project proposal form
b.    Curriculum vitae, including relevant publications.

The results will be announced on Friday 24 June by email and published online thereafter.

Applicants should be aware that if successful, the location of their placement will depend on finalisation by the Commissions of both their home country and that of their partner.

UCL researchers collaborating with partners in South Africa can apply for new funding to support their work.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) are inviting collaborative proposals that contribute to the economic development and welfare of both South Africa or wider Africa more broadly.

Proposals should offer additional value to existing programmes of education research, addressing the following themes:

• Organisation of higher education systems, higher education institutions (HEIs) and alternative providers
• Equity in higher education access and participation
• Curriculum, pedagogy and modes and levels of provision
• Higher education for the public good
• Higher education and the labour market.

Between four and six projects will be funded through the scheme, to which the ESRC has allocated up to £2.5 million and NRF has allocated RAND 10 million.

Each joint proposal may request £415,000 – £630,000 (at 100% Full Economic Costing) from the ESRC and R1.67m to R2.5m from NRF over 20 months in duration. Each project will require both a UK and a South African principal investigator.

For further information visit the ESRC website.

The deadline for proposals is 3 May 2016.

School pupils around the world will be starting their first enterprises on Saturday 4 July as part of Citrus Saturday, a UCL initiative to get young people thinking about entrepreneurship. The programme gives teams of young people aged 11 to 15 years a taste of running their own businesses through setting up and managing lemonade stands for the day.

Over 200 young people are due to take part in this year’s event, with participating countries including the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Poland, Armenia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Niger, Kenya and Tanzania.

Media are invited to attend the formal launch at the British Library where Timothy Barnes and Jack Wratten will be available for interview from 11:30am, while local and international media can also attend local stands – for a full list of where Citrus Saturday is happening please visit the website

Citrus Saturday, which is in its fifth year in the UK and second internationally, is a hands-on education programme developed by UCL to provide an introduction to entrepreneurship for young people.

Each team will run their stand as closely to that of a small business as possible, having been provided with seed funding from UCL to buy fruit and materials for the day. Any profits made are kept by the teams to reinforce the link between hard work and earning money.

Jack Wratten, Citrus Saturday Manager, said: “Our mission is to ensure that every young person in the world who wants to learn about business and experience entrepreneurship first-hand gets the opportunity to do just that.

“Citrus Saturday helps to fulfil the need for enterprise education in a fun and easy way, students directly learn skills not only valuable for entrepreneurs but for the entire workforce of tomorrow.”

Participation in the programme, which was established in 2011 by Timothy Barnes, Director of UCL Enterprise Operations, has tripled since last year and aims to engage with 1 million young people by 2020.

The programme is designed for small teams of pupils, with the Citrus Saturday Toolkit available to any organisation that works with young people. The Toolkit includes all materials needed to run workshops covering the basics of being an entrepreneur.

The teams will be supervised by volunteers from UCL and the wider community, who will provide support on the day and at introductory workshops, teaching the teams everything from business planning to food hygiene.

The stands have been generously supported by partners including The British Library, Spitalfields Market and Network Rail, with supplies provided by Booker.