The University of Aberdeen has announced a new £100,000 fund to help to maintain and strengthen its European research links.
Principal George Boyne announced the fund today, at an event held for students and staff at the University’s Sir Duncan Rice library to celebrate the University’s close ties to Europe, which date back to its foundation in 1495.
The fund is intended to protect and enhance the University’s European research links, bolstering its activities with partners through initiatives such as the AURORA network.
The University is a leading institution in pan-European research projects, with close to 1500 joint research publications with European institutions over the last ten years and over £47m in EU funding.
Among its current EU funded projects is the development of the next generation of MRI scanning technology – known as Fast Field Cycling MRI (FFC-MRI) – which builds on the University’s pioneering development of the first whole-body MRI scanner built in 1980.
Supported through a €6.6 million Euro Horizon 2020 grant, the IDentIFY project, led by Professor David Lurie, has already resulted in a prototype FFC-MRI scanner that has been successfully tested on patients and healthy volunteers.
Meanwhile, Professor James N’Dow is leading the PIONEER project, a €12.7 million European Commission IMI funded project that aims to use big data to transform prostate cancer care.
Involving 32 institutions and companies from nine countries, the project is seeking to create a single innovative data platform which integrates existing big data from many quality data sources from cancer patients across many different stages of the disease.
Announcing the launch of the £100,000 fund, Professor Boyne said: “We have a long history of successful research links and successful research bids with partners across Europe, and we want to ensure this continues.
“As the UK leaves the EU, our commitment to continuing to work closely with our European partners is undiminished and this fund will help us to make the most of the new circumstances we find ourselves in.
“The fund will help new links to be formed and existing links to be strengthened, ensuring that our long history of developing innovative research with European partners will continue and that together we will be at the forefront of research addressing the global challenges of our time.
“We have a long history of European connections which dates to the University’s foundation in 1495, and as we approach our 525th anniversary in just ten days’ time it’s important that we reaffirm our links to Europe with a clear message that our shared story of success will continue.”