This new round of deals—seven in total—will doublethe number of successful bids from the
UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, and includes as much as £220 million in public funding. On top ofthat, though, there is more than £600 million worth of private support comingin. Furthermore, a third round of funding bits, with another £80 million ofpublic investment, is also part of the mix.
UK Research Partnership Investment Fund was set up in 2012 and will run for three years until 2015.
As noted by Sir Alan Langlands, chief executive ofthe
Higher Education Funding Council for England, which administers the fund, "The demand forfunding from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund demonstrates the powerof universities in promoting economic growth through research and knowledgeexchange. The support from international companies and world-leading charities—allmaking hard-headed investments—is a tribute to the excellence of scientific andresearch staff in our universities."
"It is fantastic that our top businesses andtop charities are queuing up to collaborate with our world-class universities.They want to work together to deliver innovation, commercialization and growth,which will help make sure the UK competes and thrives in the global race,"added Willetts. "The winning projects will tackle the key issues we face—likefighting disease, ensuring energy efficiency and improving infrastructure—forthe benefit of all."
Among the more life-science-geared deals,
University College London teamed up with St. Ormond Street Hospital for aninitial £85 million, while the
University of Manchester saw a commitment of £38million in a deal with the Christie Hospital. The
University of Nottingham, forits part, is getting £34 million initially in a partnership with
GlaxoSmithKline to support the Centre in Sustainable Chemistry.
