Cambridge awarded EPSRC funding for doctoral training centres in sensing and analysis

The two new centres providing postgraduate training are the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) CDT in Sensor Technologies and Application and the EPSRC CDT in Analysis.

The CDT in Sensor Technologies and Application builds on CamBridgeSens, the University's strategic network in sensor research. Professor Clemens Kaminski of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and Director of the CDT said: “Sensors are a pervasive technology now, impacting on every aspect of our lives, and markets are already thought to exceed £300bn globally. There is enormous potential here for UK industry and academia to capitalise on these developments, but there are challenges too. Sensor innovation requires foundations in incredibly diverse fields. Traditional, single-discipline PhD programmes are not suited for this task. The CDT will act like a ‘virtual superdepartment’ in sensor technologies to educate the next generation of sensor champions.”

The Cambridge Centre for Analysis also comes on the back of previous high achievement in this area. “We are happy to be able to build on the success of the last four years – and look forward to training some of the best mathematical talent around in the next five cohorts of our CDT,” said Director of the CDT, Professor James Norris of the Department of Pure Maths and Mathematical Statistics.

The EPSRC and other research councils have been able to fund these new Centres, a total of 22 across the country, following a £106 million investment announced in the Budget. The support of industry, universities and charitable partners, on top of the funding for 91 centres previously announced by EPSRC, now brings the total investment in training for future scientists and engineers to over £950m.

Chief Executive of the EPSRC, Professor David Delpy, commented: “The CDT model has proved highly popular with universities and industry and these new Centres will mean that the UK is even better placed to maintain the vital supply of trained scientists and engineers.”