Wanted: young stars eager to shine on world stage

Glasgow University is seeking to tempt top young researchers from across the world in a full-page advertisement in The Times Higher this week.

The ad trumpets 11 cross-disciplinary research fellowships on offer in areas ranging from history of art to chemistry, each with a research allowance of up to £10,000 a year.

Attracting early-career research stars is one of the top priorities in Glasgow's newly unveiled strategic plan for the next four years. Last year, the university launched a voluntary redundancy scheme after discovering a multimillion-pound deficit, but it is keen to stress that it has simultaneously been recruiting actively in fields where it believes it can be an international leader.

The Times Higher' s league tables put Glasgow around 20th in the UK and 100th in the world, alongside the Sorbonne and Trinity College, Dublin. But now it has its sights set on becoming one of the top ten UK institutions and one of the world's top 50.

The university is focusing on key areas such as cardiovascular medicine, public policy and veterinary medicine. The new fellowships, funded in part by the university trust, complement several dozen senior appointments.

Anton Muscatelli, Glasgow's vice-principal for strategy and advancement, said: "We are looking to bring exceptional individuals to Glasgow, who will either develop our capacity for interdisciplinary and leading-edge research or help us to meet our strategic goal of attracting more postgraduate and international students."

Last year Glasgow introduced 17 new postgraduate courses. It is recruiting to add 33 more for the coming academic year.