Congratulations to Dr Gavin Mountjoy and Professor Anna Corrias on their award of a prestigious New Horizons grant by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Dr Gavin Mountjoy and Professor Anna Corrias have been awarded a New Horizons grant by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The project, on which Gavin is principal investigator, and Anna, co-investigator, is on “Persistent Phosphor Glasses”. It is designed to create a new type of phosphorescent glass for optical applications. Modern technology depends on mastery of materials, and functional glasses and glass-ceramics are used in a range of devices in the sectors of communications, healthcare, energy, and aerospace. The aim of the new project is to make fully dense and transparent materials which can be functionalised with a variety of oxide nanocrystals to overcome the following limitations in the manufacturing of such materials. This project will create an exciting new generation of functional materials through oxide nanocrystal doping of glasses. This continues Anna’s and Gavin’s long standing, productive collaborations, with the award valued at ~£200,00.
This is one of three awards to the School of Physical Sciences, with Dr Emma Pugh and Dr Gunnar Möller also awarded from the Physics of Quantum Matter group awarded seperate grants. These awards are part of a ground-breaking new programme to support adventurous, high-risk research. The review process focused on the transformational potential of the research, and the three projects from our academics were amongst approximately 100 funded in the UK. New Horizons grants were evaluated without knowing the identities of the project leaders or their institutions which highlights the recognition given to the science behind the proposals, and demonstrates how the School is delivering world class research with a real-world impact.