News Release

Royal Society -- EPSRC announce fellowships partnership

Business Announcement

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

A new collaboration between the Royal Society and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) was announced today that will support early career Royal Society research fellows who are working within EPSRC's priority areas.

Researchers recently awarded Royal Society University Research Fellowships (URFs) and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships by the Royal Society will receive further research funding from the EPSRC. The first seven fellowship awards range between £190k- £320k and are spread across six of the UK's leading universities.

Professor David Delpy, EPSRC Chief Executive, said: "This partnership will help us achieve our goals of developing the next generation of leaders in science and engineering, promoting excellent research and driving knowledge forward."

Professor John Pethica, Vice-President of the Royal Society, said: "We're pleased to partner with EPSRC so that these young researchers, identified by the Royal Society as excellent and potential leaders in their fields, will have access to further funding to advance their research and develop their careers."

The seven fellows receiving EPSRC funding are:

  • Christopher Cordier, Imperial College London
  • Anders Hansen, University of Cambridge
  • Cecilia Mattevi, Imperial College London
  • Ross Forgan, University of Glasgow
  • Michael Smith, University of Nottingham
  • Steven Murdoch, University of Cambridge
  • Akane Kawamura, University of Oxford

Dr Ross Forgan, from the University of Glasgow's School of Chemistry said: "The Royal Society -- EPSRC support has given a huge boost to my research group in its early stages, allowing us to investigate the unusual biomimetic properties of synthetic porous materials that have huge implications for the way we carry out catalytic reactions. This funding opportunity will underpin and rapidly develop a new research area across the interface of chemistry and biology at a vital stage of my career and provide a welcome platform for my future research."

Dr Cecilia Mattevi, from Imperial College London's, Department of Materials said: "The Royal Society -- EPSRC support has provided an essential contribution to establish my first research group in the area of two dimensional atomically thin materials. The funding will therefore support research in the newly emerging area of inorganic graphene analogous, with the ultimate aim to revolutionise a wide range of technologies spanning from energy conversion, energy storage, photonics, large area electronics on unconventional substrates and geometries, electronic textile, sensors and spintronics."

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For media enquiries contact:

EPSRC Press Office
Tel: 01793 444 404
e-mail: pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. http://www.epsrc.ac.uk

2. The Royal Society

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world's most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society's fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.

The Society's strategic priorities emphasise its commitment to the highest quality science, to curiosity-driven research, and to the development and use of science for the benefit of society. These priorities are:

    1. Promoting science and its benefits
    2. Recognising excellence in science
    3. Supporting outstanding science
    4. Providing scientific advice for policy
    5. Fostering international and global cooperation
    6. Education and public engagement

For further information on the Royal Society please visit royalsociety.org/. Follow the Royal Society on Twitter at http://twitter.com/royalsociety or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/theroyalsociety.


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