Engineers at Loughborough University have been awarded more than Pounds 500,000 in research grants through the funding councils' Joint Research Equipment Initiative. The main grant, worth Pounds 460,000, will help set up a state-of-the-art Optical Engineering Research Laboratory. Work will include using laser technology for non-destructive testing of components to be used in cars and aircraft and optical diagnostic techniques for the development of more efficient car engines. Leading industrial collaborators include British Aerospace, Perkins, Rolls-Royce and Rover.