At a seminar today in the University of Glasgow's Kelvin Gallery, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) announced funding for two major research collaborations in Scottish HEIs, in physics and chemistry.

The funding ﾖ worth more than £37 million over the next four years ﾖ will finance over 180 chemistry researchers and their teams, and over 200 physicists and their research groups. The new backing will pool resources across Scotland in two world class research alliances.

In physics, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) involves six universities ﾖ Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot Watt, Paisley, St Andrews and Strathclyde. SUPA will have a Chief Executive heading an executive committee that is advised by an external advisory committee and will operate a single pan-Scottish Graduate School.

SUPA will receive £6.9 million from SHEFC over the four years, with further support coming from the universities themselves and the Office of Science and Technology.

The universities' physics departments will collaborate to ensure cohesive research programmes in astronomy and space physics, condensed matter and materials physics, nuclear and plasma physics, particle physics and photonics.

Professor John Chapman, Head of the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Glasgow, said: 'The news that SUPA is to be funded is very exciting indeed. It will allow us to build rapidly and effectively on the undoubted strengths that already exist in Physics & Astronomy departments within Scotland. Coordinated programmes in the most active research areas will really make us a force within and beyond the UK. A single Scottish graduate school in physics will mean we offer post-graduate training second to none.'

ScotCHEM ﾖ the chemistry pooling plan ﾖ brings together under one umbrella two new groupings. WestCHEM comprises Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities and EastCHEM brings together Edinburgh and St Andrews. A separate proposal from Heriot Watt University will also go ahead under the ScotCHEM heading and eventually Dundee and Aberdeen Universities could be involved.

EastCHEM will undertake research on biophysical chemistry, chemical biology, organic synthesis, structural chemistry, materials chemistry and physical chemistry/chemical physics.

WestCHEM's direction will be inorganic materials synthesis, functional materials synthesis, analytical biological chemistry, chemical proteomics and theoretical chemistry and modeling.

'WestCHEM is a tremendous development, said Professor David Jackson, Director Designate of WestCHEM. It is a real step change in how Chemistry research will operate in the West of Scotland. Both Glasgow and Strathclyde have strong chemistry departments and WestCHEM allows us to use the best of both to enhance our standing on the world stage.'

Glasgow Physical Sciences Dean, Professor David Saxon, said: 'This is a terrific vote of confidence in our Chemists and our Physicists. We have been keen to show that our energetic and enthusiastic researchers can beat the best in the UK. Our research into the fate of black holes and into medical uses of lasers have shown we can take on the world. Now we have the chance to do this across the breadth of Physics and Chemistry. Working with our colleagues across Scotland gives added zip to the endeavour.'

SHEFC will be contributing around £9 million to the ScotCHEM research pool, again with support from the institutions and the OST.

Sir Muir Russell, Principal of the University of Glasgow, this morning expressed delight at the news: 'This strong support from SHEFC for research collaborations proposed by the universities themselves is very encouraging, emphasizing Scotland's excellence in two key subject areas which are currently being abandoned by universities south of the border. I am delighted that the University of Glasgow is involved in both these powerful new alliances, which will transform the research landscape of Scotland.
The WestChem alliance further strengthens the existing, successful Synergy partnership between the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. and the opportunity to work with other leading Scottish Universities in the SUPA collaboration ensures that Glasgow will remain at the forefront of leading-edge developments.'

SHEFC Chief Executive Roger McClure commented: 'Research is an increasingly fierce competition on an international stage. These pools, developed by researchers themselves, show how well Scotland can respond to maintain and enhance its leading position in two of the core subjects in the science base.
'The aim is to develop a distinctive, radically new research landscape in Scotland with powerful well-resourced research communities, attractive to leading researchers around the world, and producing world-class research.
'The seminar today brings together researchers from all over Scotland to discuss pooling and other collaborative initiatives. We intend to ensure that Scotland continues to punch above its weight in key disciplines.'

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The Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of Science and Technology have already indicated their support for the pooling proposals, subject to SHEFC?s agreement.

Along with funding of ?15.9 million from SHEFC the OST and the HEIs will be contributing funds to the total of ?37 million

The seminar Enhancing Research Competitiveness in Scotland took place at the Kelvin Gallery, University of Glasgow today (Monday November 29, 2004. A full programme is available on SHEFC?s web site at www.shefc.ac.uk

SHEFC is a non-departmental public body which supports the maintenance and further development of Scottish higher education institutions. SHEFC distributes more than ?800 million each year of public money to 20 higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland for teaching and research.

First published: 29 November 2004