Nanoktn Announces Winners Of Its 2011 EPSRC Collaborative Studentships

May 20, 2011 - PRLog -- The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), one of the UK’s primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, is pleased to announce that its allocation of this year’s EPSRC CASE Awards has been awarded to the University of Bath, collaborating with Pilkington Group Ltd, and Manchester’s Metropolitan University, collaborating with United Utilities, which encourages and enables collaboration of Universities with UK based companies. These projects will look at the development of photocatalytic coatings for self-cleaning and architectural glazing applications, and smart nanomaterials for the detection of natural (and) synthetic pollutants.

The collaborative studentships are allocated by UK Research Councils and are a unique way of linking academic research with industrial need. Collaborative studentships are supported by companies that offer funding to students, in addition to their already secured EPSRC funding. By offering these opportunities, companies hope they will encourage development into the UK’s strong nanotechnology market and gain from the research that is undertaken.

The University of Bath will seek to explore chemical vapour deposition (CVD) as a route to coloured and photoactive transition metal-doped titania thin films. In common with related Pilkington technologies, the fabrication of a product will require the application of a coating process based upon large area atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD). The primary goal of the project will be the development of multicomponent systems and, where necessary, single-source precursors for the APCVD of coloured, transition metal-doped titania thin films.

In the second project, Manchester’s Metropolitan University has been awarded funding to research a multifunctional core shell nanoparticle system that allows functional layers to be built up, utilising many unique material properties. Development of a cost-effective nanomaterial that is capable of detecting tiny concentrations of synthetic hormones in water will constitute a major scientific breakthrough of significant environmental benefit, and of great importance to the water and environmental industries, in addition to Governmental agencies. Sensitive biological assay kits and home waterfilters are just a few of the potential ways that the material can be exploited commercially, in addition to the substantial benefits for environmental protection and human health.

The NanoKTN’s annual involvement aims to encourage young scientists and engineers to promote the underlying potential of emerging micro and nanotechnologies and to raise the profile of UK academic research in nanotechnology, as well as providing networking opportunities between researchers and members of UK business communities.

Previous 2009 CASE Award winner, Dr Woei Ping Cheng, Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, University of Hertfordshire has found the scheme instrumental in her academic development, “This NanoKTN CASE award has been valuable to me as an academic, as for the first time I have had the opportunity to work directly with an SME, providing an insight into how the pharmaceutical industry works and what is important commercially for them. I am extremely hopeful that this project will lead to future collaborative projects.’

Another 2009 CASE award winner, Dr Edward Lester of the University of Nottingham adds, “The project is going well and it has been a real benefit to have a NanoKTN case project where a specialist SME (Promethean Particles) can work with the University on a project with so many different possibilities. Significant commercial interest has been developing around the use of these new materials.”

“The Industrial CASE awards are a unique way of linking academic research with industrial need. We’ve had an exceptionally high number of applications this year, all of which were of a very high standard. This is great for UK industry and a reflection on the growth and strength of our academic research base,” explains Alec Reader, Director at the NanoKTN.

Further information about the NanoKTN can be found on the website at www.nanoktn.com.

Established by the Technology Strategy Board, the NanoKTN is managed by Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, a leading technology development and consulting company.

END

About The NanoKTN:
The NanoKTN facilitates the transfer of knowledge and experience between industry and research, offering companies dealing in small-scale technology access to information on new processes, patents and funding as well as keeping up-to-date with industry regulation. The four broad areas that the NanoKTN focuses on are: Promoting and facilitating knowledge exchange, supporting the growth of UK capabilities, raising awareness of Nanotechnology, and providing thought leadership and input to UK policy and strategy.

About Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs):
KTNs (https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/guest/networks) have been set up by government, industry and academia to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experience between industry and the science base. They bring together diverse organisations and provide activities and initiatives that promote the exchange of knowledge and the stimulation of innovation in these communities.
The first KTNs were set up in 2005 and the network continues to grow. They are active in sectors, technologies and market-based areas and they interact strongly with the government’s Technology Programme and overall technology strategy.

About CPI:
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) was established by One NorthEast as a UK wide resource to stimulate and drive innovation within the Process Industry. Working with global industry partners and leading research universities CPI is committed to delivering world-class, groundbreaking applied research and development.

About The Technology Strategy Board:
The Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org) is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the government. Its role is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life.

Editorial Contacts
Fiona Brewer/Alex Kenchington
MCC International
T: 01962 888 100
F: 01962 888 125
E: nanopr@mccint.com