Leeds receives share of £204m government investment in research
Leeds is one of 40 universities to benefit from a £204 million government investment in doctoral training and Quantum Technologies science.
£167 million will support doctoral training over a two-year period, and £37 million will be put into developing the graduate skills, specialist equipment and facilities needed to put UK Quantum Technologies research at the forefront of the field.
Science minister Jo Johnson announced the funding during a visit to the University of Oxford where he met academics working in the Networked Quantum Information Technologies (NQIT) Quantum Technology Hub, led by Professor Ian Walmsley, one of four that form part of the £270 UK National Quantum Technologies Programme.
The funds for doctoral training will come from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) which has changed how funding is allocated through its Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs).
The DTP funds will support students for the academic years beginning October 2016 and 2017. The changes have been made to give institutions greater certainty and increased time to plan their DTP programmes. The University of Oxford will receive £13.5 million for its programme.
The Quantum Technologies funding is split between three Quantum Training & Skills Hubs in Quantum Systems Engineering, and seven strategic capital investment packages. The Hubs will receive £12 million and £25 million will be allocated via capital.
Jo Johnson said: “We are committed to securing the UK’s position as a world leader in science and innovation. The Government is ensuring major new discoveries happen here, such as the creation of super-powerful quantum computers which scientists are working on in Oxford. This new funding builds on our protection for science spending by supporting research in our world-leading universities and helping to train the science leaders of tomorrow.”
EPSRC’s Chief Executive, Professor Philip Nelson, said: “This year we are allocating £167 million to universities via Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs). These will cover a two year period and give institutions greater certainty and increased time to plan their DTP programmes, and support excellent doctoral students.
In addition, we are investing in training and providing capital for research to ensure that the National Quantum Technologies Programme can make the most of the country’s research talents.
These strategic investments will help science push at the boundaries and make discoveries that are taken through into innovations.”
Leeds is a partner in the Oxford-led Networked Quantum Information Technologies hub, working to enable quantum information processing to solve problems that even supercomputers of today deal with and make sense of 'big data'.
Our researchers are also partners in the York-led Quantum Communications hub, working to transform data securityacross different sectors and to give industry and business early access to quantum technology.
Posted in: Research and innovation