Capital funding for science research has far reaching benefits says new report

Second Science Research Investment Fund has supported 15 different projects at Imperial - News

Wednesday 27 May 2009
By Naomi Weston

Government funding has led to the development of cutting edge research facilities at Imperial College London resulting in advancements in healthcare and support of new research areas, highlights a report commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Fifteen different research projects across the College have benefitted from the second Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF2), established by the Department of Innovation Universities and Skills to contribute to the long term financial sustainability of higher education institutes’ physical research infrastructure and their activities.

Over a two year period (2004/05 and 2005/06) SRIF2 has enabled invested in new buildings and scientific equipment across the UK and promotes collaborative research between institutions.

At Imperial investment in facilities is key to supporting world class research. Professor Sir Peter Knight, Senior Principal, emphasised the importance of the SRIF funding. He said:

“The science base is as productive as it has ever been in the UK. Output from this science will help us to recover from the current economic downturn. It is therefore crucial that this vibrant science base continues to be supported and to be underpinned by world-class infrastructure. SRIF has been really important in providing this underpinning support, illustrated in the report published last week.”

Key areas of the College’s work, which have been supported by SRIF2, include the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, which opened in July 2007.

The Institute draws together scientists, medics and engineers to apply their expertise to further medical diagnosis and treatment.

New equipment in the Institute is helping students develop their surgical skills with a virtual operating theatre, which enables students to carry out medical procedures in a realistic setting.

The Da Vinci robot is important for minimal invasive surgery and intricate procedures

In addition, robotic devices are being developed to benefit patients undergoing surgery. The Da Vinci robot, for example is important for minimal invasive surgery. Surgeons can manipulate the robot remotely using a control pad and joystick, allowing them to perform intricate surgical procedures with greatly enhanced precision and control. As a result, surgeons can operate through tiny incisions, speeding up the recovery time for patients.

The SRIF2 scheme also funded the Cross-faculty Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (CFNMR) Centre at the College. The £5 million facility incorporates an extremely powerful shielded magnet for studying the composition, structure and interactions of complex molecules at high resolution. It allows researchers to further understand the makeup of molecules and investigate the fundamental processes in science.

Research undertaken at the Centre has generated further research income, including a £1m capital grant from the Wellcome Trust. The Wellcome Trust grant was used to extend the Centre’s range of instruments with the installation of a cutting-edge X-ray diffraction system, which can be used to look more closely at the structure of a molecule. In addition, over £2 million of SRIF2 funding was invested in the College’s Department of Physics. Dedicated laboratories were created to support Biomedical Imaging activities and existing laboratories were refurbished for research into solid state physics, investigating how the large-scale properties of solid materials result from their atomic properties.

The report, published on 12 May 2009, was conducted by Technopolis, an innovation policy consultancy, on behalf of HEFCE to explore how international research in universities and colleges has been funded through round two of SRIF.

Key findings were that SRIF2 has led to an increase in research productivity, encouraged new types of research to be conducted and has attracted further funding to higher education institutes.

To read the full report please visit: www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2009/rd07_09/

For more information about research being conducted at the College please visit:www3.imperial.ac.uk/research