Grant Winners

TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD

A total of 18 "green" projects are to receive more than £20 million in funding, of which the Technology Strategy Board will provide half, to aid development for new or improved sustainable products and processes. Listed below are details of the projects involving universities that have been made available.

Award winner: University of Leicester

Partners: Env-Aqua Solutions Ltd (lead), C-Tech Innovation Ltd, Ashton and Moore Ltd, Surface Engineering Association, Stainless Plating Ltd and G & P Batteries Ltd

Recovery of nickel from filter cake

Award winners: University of Bath and the University of Liverpool

Partners: Unilever R&D (UK Central Resources Ltd) (lead), The National Non-Food Crop Centre, Croda International plc and Rockwood Additives Ltd

Functional, renewable and sustainable hybrid (FR&SH) materials

Award winner: Loughborough University

Partners: Surface Transforms plc (lead), Faiveley Transport (Birkenhead) Ltd, Federal Mogul Friction Products Ltd, Bentley Motors Ltd and Alcon Components Ltd

Sustainable surface-engineered ceramic friction materials

Award winner: University of Exeter

Partners: Simpleware Ltd (lead), Delcam plc, 3T RPD Ltd, Crucible Industrial Design Ltd, EOS Electro Optical Systems Ltd and Plunkett Associates Ltd

Sustainable product development via design optimisation and additive manufacturing

Award winner: University of Leeds

Partners: Aestiva Ltd (lead), C-Tech Innovation Ltd, Madeira UK Ltd, Royal Mail Group Ltd, Mathias & Sons Ltd, GnoSys UK Ltd, J Sainsbury plc and Oxfam Activities Ltd/Oxfam Waste Saver

Rapid disassembly techniques to enable reuse of corporate clothing and upcycling of garment waste

Award winners: Bangor University, Glyndwr University and the University of Reading

Partners: Ken Wilkins Print Ltd, Marks & Spencer, Innovia Films, Young's Bluecrest Ltd, Germains Technology Group, Valueform Ltd and National Institute of Agricultural Botany

Sustainable technologies for chitosan and novel functional derivatives

Award winner: London Metropolitan University

Partners: Smithers Rapra Technology Ltd (lead), PJH Partnership Ltd, Martins Rubber Company Ltd, BD Technical Polymers, J Allcocks and Sons, Charles Lawrence International and Kingpin Tyres Ltd

Remould: development of a scalable industrial process for the continuous production of remouldable, revulcanisable rubber compound from end-of-life vulcanised rubber

Award winner: University of Sheffield

Partners: Tecvac Ltd (lead), National Physical Laboratory, Airbus UK Ltd, NMB-Minebea UK Ltd and Alstom Power

Coating substitution for reduced environmental impact

Award winner: University of Bristol

Partners: Unilever R&D (lead), Croda Europe Ltd and National Physical Laboratory

Sustainable detergents systems

Award winner: University of Nottingham

Partners: Aigis Blast Protection Ltd (lead), EPL Composite Solutions Ltd, Archimedes Polymer Technologies (UK) Ltd, MIRA Ltd, Crompton Mouldings Ltd and Anglo European Import Export Ltd

Sustainable high-energy absorbing lightweight material development

THE WELLCOME TRUST

The Wellcome Trust has awarded £30 million to seven new international and pan-African consortiums under its African institutions initiative. Each partnership will be led by an African institution, and aims to strengthen research capacity and tackle some of the world's deadliest diseases. Below is the list of all the consortiums along with the UK institutions that are involved.

Award winner: Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa

Director: Alex Ezeh, African Population and Health Research Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

Institution: University of Warwick

Award winner: One Health Initiative - African Research Consortium for Ecosystem and Population Health

Director: Bassirou Bonfoh, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Cote d'Ivoire

Institution: University of Glasgow

Award winner: One Medicine Africa - UK Research Capacity Development Partnership Programme for Infectious Diseases in Southern Africa

Director: Mark Rweyemamu, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania

Institutions: London International Development Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Royal Veterinary College

Award winner: Research Institute for Infectious Diseases of Poverty

Director: Margaret Gyapong, Dodowa Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service

Institutions: Brunel University and the University of Cambridge

Award winner: Southern Africa Consortium for Research Excellence

Director: Newton Kumwenda, Malawi College of Medicine

Institutions: Barts and the London School of Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London and the University of Liverpool

Award winner: Strengthening Research Capacity in Environmental Health

Director: Esi Awuah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Institutions: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of East Anglia

Award winner: Training Health Researchers into Vocational Excellence in East Africa

Director: Nelson Sewankambo, Makerere University, Uganda

Institutions: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Cambridge

ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

Award winner: A.J. Bell

Institution: University of Leeds

Value: £886,858

Mobile energy-harvesting systems

Award winner: W. Wang

Institution: University of Surrey

Value: £115,288

Multi-modal blind source separation for robot audition

IN DETAIL

Award winner: University of Leeds

Partners: Bod Ayre Products Ltd (lead), Critical Processes Ltd, Independent Cosmetic Advice Ltd, Higgins Consultancy Ltd, DyeCat Ltd and The Body Shop International plc

Extraction, isolation and application of natural polyphenols, polysaccharides and pigments from British seaweeds for high-value applications.

This project intends to develop methods to extract natural compounds from British seaweed varieties and use them in new, high-value applications for skin and haircare. The seaweed farming and processing firm Bod Ayre Products is leading the scheme, in collaboration with Richard Blackburn (pictured) and Chris Rayner from the University of Leeds, plus five other small and medium-sized enterprises. The scheme aims to produce a range of hair colourants, haircare and skincare agents, creating significant opportunities for sustainable business.