Ambitious research projects across the UK are to be backed by an £80 million investment through the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in the hope of sparking new, potentially life-changing discoveries.

One hundred projects from researchers at thirty-nine institutes from Aberdeen to Exeter are being supported to take forward their transformative ideas, with the government claiming their work could drive breakthroughs in areas such as robotics, energy storage, cybersecurity, and medical technology.

The projects include a new design for prosthetic arms, developed at the University of Bristol, using tailored neuro-signals to improve the sense of touch for those who have lost limbs, and another at the University of Edinburgh working to exploit next generation X-ray sources for extreme conditions research.

Another funded project will see researchers at Swansea University working on ‘biomarker’ tools allowing for more measurement of blood clots, helping medical researchers and pharmaceutical firms develop new treatments that might potentially prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Funding is set to go to studies in areas including healthcare, clean energy, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, with the government’s science minister, Patrick Vallance, describing curiosity driven research as the ‘goose that lays the golden egg’, having led to discoveries such as fast-track vaccines and the lithium-ion batteries we rely on to power electronics.

“We are backing 100 ambitious projects up and down the UK which could spark the beginning of a new generation of life-changing developments, from more comfortable and effective prosthetic arms to earlier detection and prevention of blood clots,” said Vallance.

“It is vital we support bright researchers to explore a new generation of discoveries.”

Among other projects to benefit from funding is a study into countering quantum attacks on messaging platforms on standard computers, from King’s College London, which the government said could produce major security benefits for businesses and individuals.

Meanwhile, researchers at Loughborough University will be supporting the development of smart polymer nanoparticles, measuring a diameter a thousand times less than that of a human hair, which might help advance drug delivery and medical imaging.

According to the EPSRC, the investment will harness UK expertise in disciplines across the sciences and technology, building what it describes as ‘game-changing’ capabilities and new intellectual property.

It’s hoped that the investment will also attract and develop more tech talent in the UK, boosting the country’s profile in the global science and technology sectors. 

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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.

“Utilising and enhancing expertise in all parts of the country, these new EPSRC-backed projects will generate a legacy of extraordinary new knowledge, with impacts felt across the UK and the globe.”

This latest funding adds to the tens of millions that UKRI has already committed over the past year, including £32.4 million in September for thirty-six projects designed to stimulate innovative new interdisciplinary research, £22 million for regional innovation clusters, a £6 million investment in a cybersecurity network, and over £5 million for UK’s engineering biology sector just last month.