HEFCE : Publications : 2000 : 00/23 - Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1999: Awards by HEFCE and DHFETE

Report 00/23

Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1999: Awards by HEFCE and DHFETE

To	Heads of HEFCE-funded institutions Heads of DHFETE-funded universities
Of interest to those responsible for	Research funding; Equipment; Finance
Reference	00/23
Publication date	June 2000
Enquiries to	Rachel Schofield tel 0117 931 7316 e-mail r.schofield@hefce.ac.uk

Executive summary

Purpose
This document announces the awards by the HEFCE and the Department for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment in Northern Ireland (DHFETE) for the 1999 Joint Research Equipment Initiative (JREI).
Action required
No action is required.
Background
Institutions were invited in Circular Letter 2/99 to submit applications to the 1999 JREI, run jointly by the higher education funding councils for England, Scotland and Wales (HEFCE, SHEFC and HEFCW), DHFETE, the Research Councils and the Office of Science and Technology (OST).
This was the fourth round of JREI; the rules and criteria for the initiative were substantially unchanged from previous years. The objectives of the initiative were:
1. To contribute generally to the physical research infrastructure in higher education institutions.
2. Where possible, to promote partnership and sharing of equipment between departments and institutions.
3. To enable high-quality research to be conducted with the investment, particularly in priority areas for science and technology, such as those identified in the Foresight generic priorities.
4. To promote partnership between higher education institutions and external sponsors of research, such as industry and commerce, charities, government bodies and NHS trusts.
5. To assist the higher education funding bodies and the Research Councils in taking a strategic overview of the equipment needs of the UK higher education sector.
Funding was conditional upon the provision of substantial funding by an external sponsor.
The initiative was run as two competitions:
1. Competition A for bids for less than £150,000, funded by five of the Research Councils - BBSRC, MRC, PPARC, EPSRC and NERC.
2. Competition B for bids requesting more than £150,000, funded by the HEFCE, HEFCW, SHEFC and DHFETE.
A joint steering group of the funding bodies and OST oversaw both competitions; its membership is at Annex A.
The guidelines for the JREI explained that, at the discretion of the steering group, applications might be moved between the two competitions so that the best mix of bids could be funded.
Assessment
Applications submitted to both competitions were peer reviewed by the relevant Research Council. Proposals were assessed to determine the quality of the proposal against the objectives of the initiative, and judged on their value for money, including the level of matched funding.
Awards
The HEFCE originally set aside £15 million for the 1999 JREI, but subsequently provided additional funding; the final awards by the HEFCE and DHFETE totalled £16.3 million. These are listed at Annex B.
JREI awards by the Research Councils, SHEFC and HEFCW are announced separately.
Conditions of grant
Detailed conditions of grant and methods of payment have been provided to heads of institution and successful applicants. Copies of the conditions can be obtained from Rachel Schofield on 0117 931 7316.
Audit and evaluation
The HEFCE may audit a sample of awards to test that the equipment described in the bid has been purchased, and that value for money has been obtained from the funds provided.
The OST, the Research Councils, the funding councils and DHFETE are carrying out an evaluation to assess the impact of the initiative on UK science. The evaluation began in November 1999 and will report during 2000.

Annex A

Membership of the JREI steering group

OST	Dr John Taylor
BBSRC	Professor Ray Baker
EPSRC	Professor Richard Brook
ESRC	Dr Glyn Davies
MRC	Professor George Radda
NERC	Professor John Lawton
PPARC	Professor Ian Halliday
HEFCE	Sir Brian Fender
DHFETE	Mr Peter Holmes
SHEFC	Professor John Sizer
HEFCW	Professor John Andrews

Annex B

Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1999:
Awards by the HEFCE and DHFETE

	£	£
University of Bath		447,900
A symmetric multiprocessor computer for simulating the chemistry of ceramics and minerals Professor SC Parker	275,000
UV raman microscopy Dr D Wolverson	172,900
University of Birmingham		1,071,600
Fluorescent imaging in the life sciences Professor M Heath	219,400
Analysis of catalytic and regulatory ligand-protein interaction by NMR Professor Levine	213,100
Networked microsystems R&D in an innovative manufacturing environment Professor PD Prewett	639,100
University of Bristol		536,200
High performance area detector diffractrometry Professor AG Orpen	293,000
Applications of solid-state NMR in colloids, polymers and geochemistry Professor T Cosgrove	243,200
University of Cambridge		1,344,500
Computer simulation of protein folding Dr M Wales	366,000
Quantitative measurement science for engineering based MRI Professor LD Hall	742,800
Diversification and development of environmental scanning electron microscopy methodology and applications Professor AM Donald	235,700
University of Durham		290,300
Siderophile metal tracing of geological and environmental processes using magnetic-sector ICP-MS Dr G Pearson	290,300
University of East Anglia		231,200
Magnetic property measurement system for palaeoclimate, palaeomagnetism and pollution Professor B Maher	231,200
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine		1,013,800
A FIB-SIMS for materials processing and analysis Dr DS McPhail	235,500
Dedicated computational fluid dynamics modelling at Imperial College Professor J Darlington	778,300
University of Lancaster		371,500
A computing facility for studying high energy proton and antiproton collisions Professor Ratoff	371,500
University of Leeds		1,297,500
Protein sequencing and molecular analysis facility Professor M Stockley	522,400
Virus production facility for gene therapy applications Professor Markham	71,700
Advanced simulation of driving tasks for future transport telematics and foresight vehicle research Mr AM Parkes	260,300
Virtual environment laboratory for interactive stimulation and visualisation Professor PM Dew	443,100
University of Leicester		2,408,000
UK astronomy fluids facility Professor King	2,408,000
University of Liverpool		1,214,600
Networked supercomputing cluster for mantle, ocean and rock studies Dr JH Davies	324,000
High performance computing for materials research Professor DJ Bacon	334,500
High power carbon dioxide laser facility Dr KG Watkins	285,400
Patient-specific prostheses: predicting the medical behaviour of implants Dr RH Crompton	270,700
University of Manchester		1,294,800
Nuclear resonance spectroscopy instrumentation- methods and applications Professor M Morris	214,300
Accurate modelling of chemical reactivity using commodity processors Professor IH Hillier	365,000
A premier centre for high performance visualisation and virtual reality Mr R McCloy	715,500
University of Nottingham		903,600
Development of new NMR microscopy techniques for biological and materials research Dr M Bowtell	521,000
Production of hyperpolarised xenon gas for MRI Dr JR Owers-Bradley	382,600
University of Oxford		569,200
Design of high mass q-tof EM, to provide high mass capabilities and sample collection Dr F Robinson	194,900
Hot Metal Processing Dr KAQ O’Reilly	374,300
Queen Mary and Westfield College		660,700
High performance computing and visualisation environment for multiscale modelling, imaging and 3-D TV Dr PV Coveney	386,400
Dual cluster system for computationally intensive research in fluid & solid mechanics Professor JPW Stark	274,300
The Queen’s University of Belfast		14,000
Improved detection and treatment of anaerobic bacterial infection of prosthetic joints Dr Patrick	14,000
University of Reading		595,800
Coupled torsion and tension behaviour of ropes and other components Professor CR Chaplin	164,000
Multi-user distributed interactive visualisation Professor GM Megson	431,800
University of Sheffield		229,100
Metal pollutant spike identification and control in toxic & municipal waste incineration plants Professor J Swithenbank	229,100
University of Southampton		699,900
Mammalian genome research facility Professor Fleming	220,000
Basic research in aeroacoustics Professor PA Nelson	283,900
Microstructure property optimisation in structural materials for the transport and biomedical sectors Professor PJ Gregson	196,000
University of Sussex		193,300
A facility for macromolecular x-ray crystallography Dr M Davies	193,300
University of Ulster at Coleraine		177,000
Ionised physical vapour deposition: closed field unbalanced magnetron/inductively coupled plasma sputtering	177,000
University College, London		595,300
Genomic analysis in evolution and development Professor F Partridge	230,000
A computational facility for the modelling of catalysis, sorption and sensors Professor CRA Catlow	209,000
Functional brain imagery of neonates intensive care with a multi-channel time-resolved optical imager Dr J Hebden	156,300
University of Warwick		210,400
High field NMR spectrometer Professor TDH Bugg	210,400
University of York		178,000
Computing facilities for York structural biology laboratory Professor M Hubbard	178,000

Report 00/23

Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1999: Awards by HEFCE and DHFETE

Executive summary

Purpose

Action required

Background

Assessment

Awards

Conditions of grant

Audit and evaluation

Annex A

Membership of the JREI steering group

Annex B

Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1999: Awards by the HEFCE and DHFETE

Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1999:
Awards by the HEFCE and DHFETE