Our Communities
The GW4 Alliance has invested over £2.9m in 93 collaborative research communities, which have generated over £46m in research income. This means that for every £1 GW4 spends on collaborative research communities, GW4 captures over £15 in external research awards.
The GW4 Alliance has adopted the Russell Group Research Integrity Statement of cooperation in cross-institutional research misconduct allegations, which aims to support the efforts of researcher communities to foster research integrity (also known as good practice in research or the responsible conduct of research).
Explore our GW4 research communities by keyword or theme. (All communities are also listed below in alphabetical order).
Aerospace and Advanced Engineering
Creative and Cultural Economy
Digital Innovation
Living Well
New Energy Systems
Resilience, Environment and Sustainability
Advancing the State of the Art in Damage Detection in Metallic and Composite Structures
INITIATOR FUND
Project period: May – July 2014
This project has been awarded Accelerator funding for the ‘Unlocking the Science for an Autonomous Structural Health Monitoring System‘ community.
GW4 Community Leads
University of Bath: Alicia King
University of Bristol: Stephen Hallett
Cardiff University: Carol Featherston
University of Exeter: Meiling Zhu
Project outcomes
The aim of this research is to advance the state of the art in damage detection in metallic and composite structures by enabling a modular system approach utilising energy harvesting and wireless communication for industrial applications.
Algal Valorisation and Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage
INITIATOR FUND
Project period: May – July 2014
This project has been awarded Accelerator funding for the ‘AVaRICE: Algal Valorisation & Remediation of metal Ion Contaminated Effluents‘ community.
GW4 Community Leads
University of Bath: Christopher Chuck
University of Bristol: Tom Scott
Cardiff University: Devin Sapsford
University of Exeter: Chris Bryan
Plymouth Marine Laboratory: Mike Allen
Project outcomes
The overarching aim of this research strategy is to develop an algal-based system for combined remediation and valorisation of acid mine drainage (AMD) and potentially other metalliferous effluents.
Alternative Urbanisms
INITIATOR FUND
Project period: May – July 2014
GW4 Community Leads
University of Bath: Roy Maconachie
University of Bristol: Gary Bridge
Cardiff University: Paul Milbourne
University of Exeter: Clive Barnett
Project outcomes
This project draws together researchers from social science and humanities across GW4, focusing on three overlapping aspects of the idea of ‘alternative urbanisms’:
Antimicrobial resistance
INITIATOR FUND
Project period: January 2017 – May 2017
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Dr Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern
University of Bristol: Dr Katy Turner
Cardiff University: Professor Timothy Walsh
University of Exeter: Dr William Gaze
Project overview
We are particularly interested in drawing on research strengths in GW4 partner universities in the area of antimicrobial resistance in environmental systems.
Applied Volcanology @ GW4
INITIATOR Fund
Project period: July – October 2017
GW4 community leads
University of Bristol: Dr Ryerson Christie, Dr Alison Rust, Professor Kathy Cashman
Cardiff University: Dr Wim Degruyter
University of Exeter: Dr James Hickey
Project overview
Across the GW4, we have the expertise to promote the welfare of people in DAC countries by improving their resilience to volcanic eruptions.
AVaRICE Algal Valorisation & Remediation of metal Ion Contaminated Effluents
Accelerator Fund
Project period: October 2014 – April 2015
GW4 community leads
University of Bath: Christopher Chuck
University of Bristol: Tom Scott
Cardiff University: Devin Sapsford
University of Exeter: Chris Bryan
Plymouth Marine Laboratory: Mike Allen
Project overview
Our aim was to investigate the use of algae native to contaminated mine sites to remove metals from acid mine drainage (AMD) and then convert the algae to biofuels.
Bio and Biomimetic Materials
INITIATOR FUND
This project has been awarded Accelerator funding for the Biomimetic Assemblies of Complex Functional Materials in Hierarchical Structures community.
Project period: May – July 2014
GW4 COMMUNITY LEADS
University of Bath: Paul Raithby
University of Bristol: Dek Woolfson, Simon Hall
Cardiff University: Niklaas Buurma
University of Exeter: Saverio Russo
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project has brought together communities from across the South-West to establish how they develop new materials with biological and/or chemical function in order to transform the way that chemistry and biology can be combined to make devices for healthcare technologies.
Biomimetic Assemblies of Complex Functional Materials in Hierarchical Structures
Accelerator FundProject period: October 2014 – April 2015 GW4 community leadsUniversity of Bath: Enrico Da Como Project overviewThe research programme is based on the preparation of hierarchical layered materials deposited with a new state-of-the-art facility; Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). |