Royal Holloway University and eight other world-leading institutions have announced the creation of a new London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), which will specialise in training the next generation of environmental scientists.
As part of a £100 million investment, revealed yesterday by the Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts, the London DTP will allow postgraduate students to use environmental sciences to tackle the challenges facing the world today.
It is one of 15 new DTPs across the UK, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), that were announced as part of NERC's renewed commitment to postgraduate training.
Professor Danielle Schreve, Director of the Centre for Quaternary Research at Royal Holloway, said: "The funding of the London NERC DTP cements Royal Holloway's reputation for international excellence and innovation in environmental science.
"The London DTP, a collaboration of world-leading institutions, is a truly exciting opportunity that will allow Royal Holloway and its partners to train the next generation of research leaders in this field."
The London NERC DTP brings together more than 375 academics working across most of the environmental sciences. It is a unique collaboration between Royal Holloway University, University College London, Birkbeck University of London, Brunel University, Institute of Zoology, King's College London, The Natural History Museum, Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.
The London DTP also includes strong links to businesses, policy-makers, and public and third sector organisations, such as BHP Billiton, Forestry Commission, Lloyds of London, Microsoft International and Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.
David Willetts, the Minister for Universities and Science, said: "This significant investment highlights the Government's commitment to supporting postgraduate training and research in the environmental sciences. We're dedicated to providing the next generation of environmental researchers with the necessary skills and training to succeed in academia and industry.
"The strong support for this programme from a number of international partners such as BP, Microsoft and Arup is enormously encouraging. Not only will this initiative benefit students, UK research organisations, business, industry and the economy, it will keep us at the forefront of the global science race."