Awards to tackle a range of critical issues
The GW4 Alliance has announced awards for six new research communities tackling a range of global and industrial challenges. This includes a community which will map the needs of a post-Brexit and Industrial Strategy-ready Great West region, and another drawing upon GW4’s shared expertise in neuroscience to explore ecologies of mental health.
All six communities have received GW4 Initiator funding, which offers awards of up to £20K for nascent GW4 research networks to establish themselves through collaborative activities such as sandpits and workshops.
The full list of the latest successful GW4 initiator communities is as follows:
- Materials and systems to improve occupant health and the built environment
- Network for critical engagement with the defence establishment
- South West and Wales facing the Withdrawal from the EU: Mapping Needs, Strategies and Voice
- Microfluidics and modelling for investigating cellular heterogeneity
- Physical, Chemical and Biological Impact of Increased Lightning Strikes due to Climate Change
- Ecologies of mental health
2018 funding call aims to continue ROI success
GW4 will open its next funding opportunity in early-2018 for collaborative research communities across its universities, which are four of the most research-intensive and innovative in the UK.
This call builds on an earlier announcement that, following a review of the investment programme, GW4’s investment of £2.3m in 68 research communities has generated £27m in research income, meaning that for every £1 GW4 spends on collaborative research communities, it captures £11.73 in external research awards.
GW4’s existing research communities encompass a variety of research areas and disciplines, including biofuels, post-truth politics, mental health, and quantum technologies. These communities work with over 140 external partners such as the Ministry of Justice, Airbus, Sky News and the European Space Agency.
The early-2018 funding call will include both Initiator and Accelerator funding, and projects with a Global Challenges Research Fund or Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund focus are encouraged (but the call will not be limited to this criteria).
