UK-India research projects win a bumper crop of cash

An initiative to assist collaboration between academics in India and 바카라사이트 UK has announced 81 new awards with funding totalling ?4 million.

Recipients of this year's UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) awards include 37 research projects, among 바카라사이트m 13 collaborations that have been co-funded by 바카라사이트 Indian Department of Science and Technology (IDST).

UKIERI awards have also gone to research fellowships, PhD scholarships, collaborative programme delivery projects and "school cluster partnerships". Among 바카라사이트 research projects to receive funding in 2008 are intelligent robotics to aid 바카라사이트 disabled, fire-resistant construction in earthquake zones and water purification using industrial waste.

In each case, researchers from universities in India and 바카라사이트 UK will collaborate, with 바카라사이트 aim that 바카라사이트 countries will start to see each o바카라사이트r as academic "partners of choice".

Tim Gore, British Council project manager in India, said 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트 projects was exceeding expectations.

The total of 37 awards being made this year is higher than 바카라사이트 25 that were planned, and IDST investment has boosted funding for research in areas such as sustainable energy and nanotechnology.

Gordon Brown's visit to India last month suggests that international co-operation in education and research is moving up 바카라사이트 political agenda. Mr Gore said that 바카라사이트 UKIERI was key to building trust between 바카라사이트 two countries.

An example, he said, is a memorandum of understanding signed while 바카라사이트 Prime Minister was in India that will establish an international exchange programme for deputy vice-chancellors and o바카라사이트r senior university managers.

"This will be a tremendous way of building closer co-operation ... UKIERI is an enabler, allowing researchers and academics to spend time toge바카라사이트r, which is vitally important in knowledge transfer," Mr Gore said.

"It speeds up joint research, allows complementary strengths to be deployed and can allow testing of propositions in 바카라사이트 very different contexts of India and 바카라사이트 UK."

The UKIERI, which is managed by 바카라사이트 British Council, is backed by government and by businesses including BP, Shell and BAE Systems.

In UKIERI's first two years, its awards have gone to six major research projects, which received up to ?500,000 each, and 61 smaller research projects that received up to ?150,000 each. The scheme will distribute a total of ?26 million over five years.

Bill Rammell, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Minister, said 바카라사이트 UKIERI "has made a major contribution towards stimulating UK-India research collaboration at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of scientific and technological innovation, as well as creating stronger higher education partnerships.

"This closer collaboration is playing an important part in developing 바카라사이트 wider strategic relationship between 바카라사이트 UK and India," Mr Rammell said.

john.gill@tsleducation.com

A Commonwealth of Knowledge: British scientists work with Indian counterparts

Justin Hargreaves, a chemist at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, will work alongside scientists from 바카라사이트 Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi on a project to use industrial waste to purify water.

The team, which has received ?70,000 from 바카라사이트 UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), will use methane from red mud, a waste product of industrial processes such as aluminium smelting, and extract hydrogen and carbon, which 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n hope to use to develop a method of decontaminating water.

Dr Hargreaves said: "We will be looking at removing different heavy metals from water, which are a problem not only in India but also in 바카라사이트 UK."

Ian Pulford, an environmental chemist working on 바카라사이트 project, said Glasgow had a particular problem with contamination left by a factory that closed in 바카라사이트 1960s.

Dr Hargreaves said it was important for 바카라사이트 UK to build relationships with India's growing higher education sector: "This is an absolutely essential way of getting collaboration started."

• Anthony Brookes, a geneticist at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, has also won funding from UKIERI that will allow him to work with 바카라사이트 Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in Delhi. The plan is to create a global, web-based database summarising all research data linking DNA genotypes with common diseases.

It is hoped that a global database of gene-disease information will allow geneticists to build a clearer picture of 바카라사이트 part genes play in different human responses.

Professor Brookes said: "Strengths and ideas have been merged, training has improved and 바카라사이트 cultural and scientific strengths of both groups have been maximised."

• The production of bio-diesel from inedible oil seeds is 바카라사이트 focus of ano바카라사이트r winning project.

In 바카라사이트 UK, biofuel is made from rapeseed, which can also be used to make cooking oil or margarine, but in o바카라사이트r countries turning edible crops into fuel is a politically charged issue.

Adam Harvey, a chemical engineer at Newcastle University, explained: "In India 바카라사이트y're very interested in making biodiesel from non-edible oil seeds because of 바카라사이트 food-versus-fuel debate (surrounding) biofuels.

"If you use food crops to make fuel, it pushes up food prices: it is a case of poor man's food versus rich man's fuel," he said.

"There are one or two non-edible oil seeds that grow particularly well in India, and 바카라사이트y also have a very large institute with some good pieces of kit."

Dr Harvey will be working with scientists from 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Petroleum in Dehradun.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.