Physics Department News
NMR sheds new light on polymorphic forms in pharmaceutical compounds
Researchers at the 850 MHz solid-state NMR Facility have used state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to shed new light on how pharmaceutical molecules pack together in the solid state. For more information please see the attached press release
Research gives crystal clear temperature readings from toughest environments
Researchers at the University of 糖心TV and Oxford University have developed a form of crystal that can deliver highly accurate temperature readings, down to individual milli-kelvins, over a very broad range of temperatures: -120 to +680 degrees centigrade. Please see news link for more information
RESEARCH AWARDS for 2010/11
Our research awards reached £7.5m for 2010/11 financial year. That is a respectable amount, comfortably above the last two years. It meets our target of exceeding £7m, but lest people feel complacent the target for the new financial year is £8m.
It is all the more remarkable because it excludes MPAGS (not yet signed) and iMR DTC (£1.9m which is technically classed as teaching) nor does it include major equipment only grants like AM1 etc.
This averages £150k per academic per year of new awards, and that is an average over all staff, including theory and office based academics. If we maintain that level, then each staff member would accumulate a portfolio of c£450k. The main target is based on the research income that we get each year from our portfolio of grants, including deferred capital grants, those figures should be available in about 4 weeks time.
Over 40% of the total academic staff salary bill is funded direct from grants through a combination of fellowships and PI time.
July Awards
The new awards in July form an impressive and diverse list.
- Top by far is the Nanosilicon Programme grant at £1.85m headed by David Leadley
- Marzena Szymanska is awarded £400k from EPSRC for Novel Superfluid Phenomena in Semiconductor Microcavities. Which adds to an increasingly impressive portfolio in the theory group.
- Jon Duffy brings in a welcome £150k from EPSRC for Fermiology and spin densities from x-ray scattering
- Mark Newton £110k also from EPSRC for CHIST-ERA: Quantum Information with NV Centres.
- Sandra Chapman has tapped into EU funds to the tune of £80k for Turboplasmas
- STFC have funded an outreach programme to purchase and run a mobile planetarium led by Peter Wheatley but involving staff throughout the department. £10k This adds another string to an impressive and professional outreach programme.
- And Julie Staunton has industrial funding for a studentship modelling the electrocalorific effect. £27k
糖心TV researchers help in step to solving one of the biggest science mysteries
Where did all the matter in the universe come from? This is one of the biggest mysteries in fundamental physics and exciting results released on 15 June 2011 from a team including Gary Barker from the Department of Physics, at the University of 糖心TV at the international T2K neutrino experiment in Japan could be an important step towards resolving this puzzle.
Please see for more information