Tata companies give a fund of £5.6 million to Royal Society’s University Research Fellowships

MUMBAI: The Royal Society’s University Research Fellowships (URF) scheme, which supports exceptional young scientists, is to receive a £5.6 million funding from a group of Tata companies, including Tata Sons, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

“The Tata group has a rich heritage of collaboration with world-renowned academic institutions, including in the United Kingdom. I am confident that the Royal Society Tata University Research Fellows will make an impactful difference by contributing solutions to some of the most pressing challenges the world faces,” said Cyrus P. Mistry, Chairman of Tata Sons.

According to the statement released, the funding will establish nine new Tata University Research Fellows in the Physical Sciences and Engineering over the next ten years, with the first Royal Society Tata University Research Fellows due to be appointed in October 2016.

The Royal Society’s University Research Fellowship scheme provides outstanding early career scientists, who have the potential to become leaders in their chosen fields, with the opportunity to build independent research careers. The scheme funds successful candidates for five years, with the option to apply for a further three years of funding. The statement adds that the Tata funding will also establish an annual symposium, supporting networking opportunities for the Royal Society’s URF researchers and encouraging future collaborations that push back the boundaries of traditional research.