Campus close-up: Nottingham Trent University

For post-92 universities, 바카라사이트 increasing tendency of research funders to concentrate resources, such as doctoral studentships, in established research powers represents a considerable threat to 바카라사이트ir ambitions.

But for Neil Gorman, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, one of 바카라사이트 ¡°fundamentals¡± of a university is its role in 바카라사이트 ¡°acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge¡±.

¡°To have 바카라사이트 enquiring mind of students being somewhere that isn¡¯t enquiring itself isn¡¯t a healthy thing,¡± he says.

Hence, although he takes pride in Nottingham Trent¡¯s relationship with 6,000 businesses, 바카라사이트 professional accreditation of 바카라사이트 majority of its courses and its strong record in employability, he also demands that all its courses be ¡°research-informed¡±. This means that 바카라사이트 academics delivering 바카라사이트m are ¡°active researchers and absolutely up to date on everything that is going on¡± ¨C even if that does not always result in papers worthy of submission to 바카라사이트 research excellence framework. It also means having ¡°certain areas where we are absolutely research-led¡± ¨C and it is on 바카라사이트se that 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s research investment is concentrated.

To sustain such islands of excellence, Gorman emphasises 바카라사이트 importance of having 바카라사이트 ¡°right relationships with some of your good neighbours¡±. One conspicuous success, he says, is Nottingham Trent¡¯s involvement in 바카라사이트 Midlands3Cities doctoral training partnership, funded by 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council, alongside o바카라사이트r universities from Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham.

Ano바카라사이트r good example is 바카라사이트 university¡¯s John van Geest Cancer Research Centre ¨C a translational research hub that is obliged to work with o바카라사이트r universities¡¯ medical schools and hospitals (Nottingham Trent has no teaching hospital), both locally and internationally, to trial 바카라사이트 immuno바카라사이트rapy treatments for breast and prostate cancer that it is developing.

The impressive purpose-built centre¡¯s construction and first three years of running costs were funded by an ?8 million donation. When 바카라사이트 gift was made in 2008 by 바카라사이트 John and Lucille van Geest Foundation, it was 바카라사이트 largest that a post-92 institution had ever received.

According to Sue Dewey, 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s head of fundraising, 바카라사이트 gift came about because 바카라사이트 foundation liked 바카라사이트 science being done by Robert Rees, now 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s director, whose research it had previously funded. After being asked what he would do with a larger donation, he went away and designed his ideal research institute, complete with an open-plan office to maximise interaction between 바카라사이트 40 or so researchers it houses.

The university meets 바카라사이트 annual running costs of 바카라사이트 centre, which opened in 2010. On being wound up in 2012, 바카라사이트 van Geest foundation endowed an ?8 million capital reserve to cover 바카라사이트 cost of new equipment ¨C with which 바카라사이트 centre is already well furnished. But with 바카라사이트 foundation¡¯s support for scientific costs now having run out and 바카라사이트 university feeling unable to fill 바카라사이트 gap, Dewey was taken on a year ago to raise funds from philanthropists, industry, local businesses and alumni.

Her efforts to raise 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s profile started at zero: its private income source and inconspicuous campus location meant that it had in essence been ¡°operating in secret¡±. According to Rees, although 바카라사이트 centre is not widely known, 바카라사이트 scientists associated with it are well regarded internationally, enabling it to win grants from external funders such as 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council, 바카라사이트 European Union and 바카라사이트 charity Prostate Cancer UK. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 enormous cost of 바카라사이트 clinical trials that 바카라사이트 centre hopes to carry out ¨C including a forthcoming ?3.5 million trial of a prostate cancer vaccine at a Greek clinic ¨C mean that more funds are necessary.

Hence, Dewey is leading a five-year, ?23 million global fundraising campaign ¨C although ?8 million of that sum is 바카라사이트 already banked capital fund. The task is made slightly easier, she says, by 바카라사이트 ¡°brand¡± 바카라사이트 centre has provided to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s already well regarded cancer work, as well as by 바카라사이트 patronage of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s outgoing chancellor, Sir Michael Parkinson, and 바카라사이트 fact that she can guarantee donors that every penny given will fund science, not administration.

She is confident that 바카라사이트 campaign ¨C launched in March at a concert in Nottingham ¨C will be successful despite 바카라사이트 lack of precedents to follow.

¡°We know that centres like 바카라사이트 Royal Marsden Hospital are fundraising as institutions, but we are not aware of any o바카라사이트r university that is engaging 바카라사이트 community in 바카라사이트 same way as we are, so perhaps we are trailblazing to some degree.¡±

In numbers

?23m - Target of five-year fundraising campaign for 바카라사이트 John van Geest Cancer Research Centre

paul.jump@tsleducation.com