ALT Funding opportunity Funding opportunity:Opening up the Environment 2025 Opportunity status: Open Funders: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Funding type: Grant Total fund: £1,000,000 Maximum award: £62,500 Publication date: 18 November 2024 Opening date: 18 November 2024 9:00am UK time Closing date: 1 April 2025 4:00pm UK time

ALT Professor Charlotte Deane, EPSRC’s Executive Chair, said: Discovery science is the bedrock of innovation, feeding the pipeline of progress critical to prosperity, sustainability, security, competitiveness, quality of life and resilience to future challenges. It’s always been a UK strength and EPSRC has always been at the forefront of maintaining and extending this national capability. Utilising and enhancing expertise across the country, these new EPSRC-backed projects will generate a legacy of extraordinary new knowledge, with impacts felt across the UK and the globe.

ALT Funding opportunity Funding opportunity:Opening up the Environment 2025 Opportunity status: Open Funders: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Funding type: Grant Total fund: £1,000,000 Maximum award: £62,500 Publication date: 18 November 2024 Opening date: 18 November 2024 9:00am UK time Closing date: 1 April 2025 4:00pm UK time

ALT Three young people sat at a desk talking to eachother.

ALT EPSRC Executive Chair, Professor Charlotte Deane, said: The seven projects announced today will harness regional research and innovation strengths to unleash the potential of emerging and existing innovation clusters across the UK. Our investment will strengthen partnerships between UK universities, civic bodies and local businesses to create new jobs, improve skills and boost regional economic growth that will benefit places and communities directly.

ALT Stella Peace stood behind a lectern wearing a pink jacket and black shirt in front of a seated audience.

ALT Stella Peace stood behind a lectern wearing a pink jacket and black shirt giving a speech with her hands up by her shoulders.

ALT Stella Peace and Roger McKinlay in the audience both with smiles on their faces. Stella has her hands cupped together and Roger has his arms folded.

ALT The Business Design Centre with a queue of people outside waiting to attend the Quantum Showcase.

ALT Screenshot of quote taken from the news story. Text reads as below: 'Critical for UK strength and opportunity Dr Kedar Pandya, UKRI Technology Missions Fund Senior Responsible Owner and Executive Director of Cross-Council Programmes at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said: "Engineering biology is one of the technologies critical for UK strength and opportunity. It has the enormous potential to address global challenges and is predicted to add billions of dollars to the global economy over the next decade. Our latest investment through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund will provide support for researchers to seize the economic potential of this transformative technology to drive growth and bring wider societal benefits to the UK."'

ALT EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Charlotte Deane said: We live in a fast-paced digital world where smartphones, computers and the internet are part of our everyday life. We need robust cyber security so that we can better protect ourselves and trust the systems and devices that we use. This network will bring together key people from across academia and industry to work in the best way to better protect us against cyber threats and attacks. This investment underlines our commitment to enhancing the UK’s security and resilience, ensuring that we are prepared to adapt to the evolving challenges of our digital world.

ALT Stall for the Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics programme

ALT Group of people sitting in a row with one man raising his hand.

ALT Dr Michael Cuthbert, Director of NQCC, and Lord Vallance stand next to NQCC's newly unveiled plaque.

ALT "The National Quantum Computing Centre marks a vital step forward in the UK’s efforts to advance quantum technologies. “This Centre will help solve some of the biggest challenges we face, whether it’s delivering advances in healthcare, enhancing energy efficiency, tackling climate change, or inventing new materials. “The innovations that will emerge from the work the NQCC will do will ultimately improve lives across the country and ensure the UK seizes the economic benefits of its leadership in quantum technologies" - Lord Patrick Vallance

ALT "With our rich national heritage in quantum computing research the UK is well-placed to lead the development of this transformative new technology, which has such huge potential across society and the economy. “The UK National Quantum Computing Centre is central to this critical work, bringing together internationally-leading researchers and technologists from across academia and industry to ensure that the UK’s quantum computing ecosystem thrives, delivering benefits to people across the UK and beyond.” - Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser

ALT "The inauguration of the NQCC is an important milestone for the UK that reinforces our commitment to advancing quantum technology and fostering collaboration. “This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for innovation, bringing together researchers, businesses, and stakeholders to unlock the transformative potential of quantum computing. “I am incredibly proud of our team and our construction partners who have worked tirelessly to create such an outstanding facility enabling this amazing technology." - Dr Michael Cuthbert, NQCC Director

ALT Group of people sitting in a row with one man raising his hand.