EPSRC Follow-on Success
The EPSRC’s Follow-on Fund is a dedicated funding stream for translation research which aims to bridge the gap between the outcomes of ‘blue skies’ research and commercial uptake of technologies. The Fund supports projects that have previously received EPSRC grant funding and provides twelve months of support for technical and commercial development of an idea with the aim of delivering robust proof of concept and defining a route to market. Cardiff University submitted two applications to the most recent round (Round 8), both of which were successful. (Fifteen proposals were funded, from twenty four submitted).
A collaborative proposal between Dr Simon Pope from the School of Chemistry and Drs Emyr Macdonald and Martin Elliott from the School of Physics and Astronomy was awarded a Follow-on Fund grant of £140k for the development of novel hybrid materials for improved photovoltaic devices efficiencies.
Dr Emyr Macdonald commented that:
“Organic solar cells are an exciting prospect for low-cost, large area harvesting of solar energy and insights gained from complementary fundamental research in physics and chemistry are combined to form the basis for a new device concept.”
The other proposal to receive funding was submitted by Professor Graham Hutchings. This project received £120k for the development of new gold-based catalysts for oxidation reactions. Ranking first in the list of proposals for the second consecutive round of Follow-on Fund, Professor Hutchings said:
"The Follow-on scheme is one of the EPSRC's great innovations recently as it allows researchers to take key findings into the commercial arena. Follow-on funding provides the link between basic blue skies research and its application, something that is crucial if new discoveries are going to be taken up."
Since 2006, Cardiff University has secured over £780k in Follow-on Fund grants from EPSRC to support seven early stage commercialisation projects.
The call for proposals for Round 9 of the EPSRC Follow-on Fund are currently open, with a deadline of 4.00pm on 26th August 2010. For more information please contact the Research and Commercial Division (RACDV).
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