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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/R026939/1
Title: The UK Catalysis Hub -'Core'
Principal Investigator: Hutchings, Professor G
Other Investigators:
Turner, Professor NJ Beale, Professor A Davidson, Professor MG
Catlow, Professor R Mulholland, Professor AJ Hardacre, Professor C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Almac Group Ltd Arvia Technology Ltd AstraZeneca
Axion Group (UK) BP CatScI Ltd
Central Laser Facility Co-operative Group Limited Eastman Chemical Ltd (inc)
Econic Technologies Ltd GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) Inov8 Ltd
Invista Textiles (UK) Ltd ISIS Johnson Matthey
Knowledge Transfer Network Limited Mitsubishi Chemical UK Limited Plastics Europe
Ricardo Group Sabic Europe Sabic UK
Sasol Technology Selden Research Ltd Seymoor Limited
Solvay Group (UK) Unilever Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru)
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: Cardiff University
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 December 2018 Ends: 30 November 2024 Value (£): 2,201,661
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Catalysis & Applied Catalysis
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Chemicals
Environment Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
25 Jan 2018 UK Catalysis Hub Next Steps Funding Interviews Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Catalysis is a core area of science that lies at the heart of the chemicals industry - an immensely successful and important part of the overall UK economy, where in recent years the UK output has totalled over £50B annually and is ranked 7th in the world. This position is being maintained in the face of immense competition worldwide. For the UK to sustain its leading position it is essential that innovation in research is maintained, to achieve which the UK Catalysis Hub was established in 2013; and has succeeded over the last four years in bringing together over 40 university groups for innovative and collaborative research programmes in this key area of contemporary science. The success of the Hub can be attributed to its inclusive and open ethos which has resulted in many groups joining its network since its foundation in 2013; to its strong emphasis on collaboration; and to its physical hub on the Harwell campus in close proximity to the Diamond synchrotron, ISIS neutron source and Central Laser Facility, whose successful exploitation for catalytic science has been a major feature of the recent science of the Hub.

The next phase of the Catalysis Hub will build on this success and while retaining the key features and structure of the current hub will extend its programmes both nationally and internationally. The core activities to which the present proposal relates include our coordinating activities, comprising our influential and well attended conference, workshop and training programmes, our growing outreach and dissemination work as well as the core management functions. The core catalysis laboratory facilities within the research complex will also be maintained and developed and two key generic scientific and technical developments will be undertaken concerning first sample environment and high throughput capabilities especially relating to facilities experimentation; and secondly to data management and analysis.

The core programme will coordinate the scientific themes of the Hub, which in the initial stages of the next phase will comprise:

- Optimising, predicting and designing new catalysts

- Water - energy nexus

- Catalysis for the Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing

- Biocatalysis and biotransformations

The Hub structure is intrinsically multidisciplinary including extensive input from engineering as well as science disciplines and with strong interaction and cross-fertilisation between the different themes. The thematic structure will allow the Hub to cover the major areas of current catalytic science

Key Findings
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Organisation Website: http://www.cf.ac.uk