Events in Physics
The Academy’s Chair in Emerging Technologies scheme aims to identify global research visionaries and provide them with long term support to lead on developing emerging technology areas with high potential to deliver economic and social benefit to the UK.
Due to the prestige and duration of these awards they are announced intermittently, with two awards made in 2009 and 2012. As part of a wider investment in research talent from the National Productivity Investment Fund, the government has provided funding for up to ten Chairs to be appointed in this round of applications. By covering employment costs for the Chair, the award enables sustained focus on advancing the technology to application in a strategic manner over a period of up to 10 years.
The Academy is not prescriptive in defining the focus of Chairs, except that they require a powerful case to be made for the value of an extended long-term vision through to application, and hence for funding that provides sustained support for a world-leading researcher, ensuring continuity of their focus across other grants and contracts and removing any expectation of duties that do not support the technology programme.
Emerging technology fields that have been highlighted as having particular potential include:
- Engineering biology
- Machine learning
- Neurotechnology
- Quantum technologies
- Regenerative medicine/engineering
- Robotics