In this issue... Project Atlantis restores the scientific base Discovery House and sets up a museum on the South Georgia Island. more...

Graduate George Craigie wins a UK award for his Crucial designs more...

QMRC boosted by £1/2 million

The Queen Mother research fund has beaten off rival bids to secure a £1/2 million funding boost to set up a "human interface research theatre" including a cybercafe designed for "silver surfers". The generous donation from the Wolfson Foundation will provide a custom built laboratory dedicated to designing computer technology to meet the needs and abilities of older people.

The research theatre will be linked to a cybercafe providing an ideal place for older people to meet, surf the net, learn computing skills and share their particular needs and access problems first hand with researchers etc.

The theatre will also serve as a training facility for designers and executives in industry, where they will be taught to consider the needs of older people in their designs. As well as supporting academic endeavours, the theatre will act as an evening venue for theatre groups with an interest in providing entertainment for older people.

Professor Alan Newell welcomed the boost to the fundraising campaign saying: "I am grateful for the Wolfson Foundation’s generous support of the Queen Mother Research Centre. With over 30 researchers, the department of applied computing has the largest academic group in the world developing computer systems for older and disabled people. The grant from the Wolfson Foundation will provide a significant boost to this activity and lead to improvements to the quality of life of older people throughout the world."

The Wolfson Foundation is a charitable foundation set up in 1955 whose aims are the advancement of health, education, the arts and humanities. Grants are given to act as a catalyst to back excellence and talent and to provide for promising future projects.

This generous donation adds to the £1/2 million promise of infrastructure from Scottish Power and £200,000 in SRIF funding.

An artist's impression of the Queen Mother Research Centre on campus. Designed by architects Page and Park

Principal's Column Students' business idea wins top prize Gala concert New dean Online medical school announced in "watershed moment" Honorary degrees John Simpson ceremony "war permitting" Flim win secures international profile New light on Woolf Personality types aid better learning Whaling, science and discovery - conserving South Georgia Island Kinasource starts up STAR - Dundee Calico Jack wins Orange deal Norseman returns to Caird House - 60 years on DJCAD represented at 50th Biennale Scottish biotech institute for Dundee Digest Review of support services - where are we now Court report

Innovative teaching Graduation - not just for the students Books Poetry box Poets read in DCA E-books Research Grants Turner-McKinlay collection Cancer care Stress busters Crucial win in design Students' projects cubed Retirals Opsoc hits 40 The world in her hands Dundee hosts Rwandan scholars Descartes awards MS research IT training update Revolutionising student management Boxing clever Cheeky art

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Look for the next issue of Contact Magazine out on 12 March.
Copy deadline for any contribution is Monday 17 February.

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