RSC Welcomes EPSRC Chemistry Funding

The RSC has welcomed the EPSRC’s investment in Centres for Doctoral Training in the Chemistry and the Chemical Sciences that will train over 2000 PhD students to tackle some of the biggest challenges currently facing the UK such as climate change, energy, our ageing population, and high-tech crime.

The announcement represents an investment of around £140m in training the next generation of chemists and chemical engineers with the right skills to tackle major challenges for the UK, develop smart clean energy sources, and create business to boost the UK’s economy. 41% (18 out of 44) of the new multidisciplinary training centres have a significant input from the chemical sciences and will draw upon the chemistry community to tackle broader issues such as energy, nanotechnologies and sustainability. "This is good news for the UK and its chemistry community" said RSC chief executive Dr Richard Pike today. "The announcement recognises the central role that the chemical sciences will play in tackling the great challenges of the future. "With talk of credit crunches, tax increases and restricted government spending it is ever more important that we continue to invest to support the core underpinning sciences on which our long term future depends. "The RSC hopes that this will be the first of many such announcements of continued investment in the chemical sciences to maintain the excellence, entrepreneurship and dynamism of the UK chemistry community that underpins our current key economic sectors such as  pharmaceuticals and invests in those sectors that will bring rewards in the future.”