Physics Department awarded £3million STFC grant
Researchers in Swansea University's Physics Department have been awarded a grant of over £3 million from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to support the work of the Department's Theoretical Particle Physics Group.
The three-year grant allows the Department to employ four post-doctoral research assistants and, under the terms of the new "full economic costing" mechanism, also covers 30% of the salaries of the academic staff as well as travel and infrastructure costs.
Caption: The Sombrero Galaxy
Professor Graham Shore, Deputy Head of the School of Physical Sciences and the Principal Investigator, said: "This new rolling grant is effectively a renewal of the previous £1 million grant from STFC's predecessor, the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, which has supported the group since 2005."
"However, this is the first time that we have received a grant under full economic costing, and the £3 million award represents a substantial increase to our core funding. It puts the Department's finances on a very secure and sustainable footing, and marks a step change in the way grants are awarded."
The Theoretical Particle Physics Group is the largest research group in the Physics Department and the third largest in the U.K. The group comprises 14 researchers who are investigating the fundamental laws of nature at the smallest scales and highest energies imaginable.
"The group is studying the interactions of fundamental particles such as quarks, gluons and the as yet undiscovered Higgs boson," said Professor Shore. "Particle physics at these energies is the key to understanding the physics of the Big Bang and the creation of the Universe."
"The group has very strong links with CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, and we are closely involved in the so-called 'Big Bang' experiment that was the subject of international media attention a few weeks ago."
The Theoretical Particle Physics Group is also carrying out research in quantum gravity and superstring theory - a theory that could unify all the known forces in the Universe. The ultimate goal is to unite quantum mechanics with Einstein's general relativity, effectively the holy grail of theoretical physics research.
Professor Shore said: "The ideas developed through studying the fundamental laws of Nature permeate the whole of Physics and ultimately lead to innovative technologies. The award of this grant is clear recognition of the important and exciting role that Physics has to play in the wider world, and it will enable us to continue our research into areas of Physics that have the potential to impact greatly on our understanding of the Universe."
Click here to read more about Swansea's involvement with CERN. You may also like to read about the forthcoming lecture by Lyn Evans, Project Director of the "Big Bang" experiment
For further information about Swansea University's Physics Department, please visit the Department's website.
For further information about the Science and Technology Facilities Council, please visit http://www.scitech.ac.uk/
