European funding for CIR

In the latest round of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) the University has been awarded £400,000 for the £20m Centre for Interdisciplinary Research (CIR), due to open this summer.

Unveiled by the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Allan Wilson, the funding will go towards meeting the costs of major capital equipment including super-computers, robots and spectrometers. These items are key to the processes of drug design, drug screening and drug analysis that will be performed in one of the CIR’s special laboratories - the Compound Screening and Drug Discovery Centre. This unit will be focused on translational research -taking academic research towards the next level - medical and commercial application. Ultimately the aim is to develop new drugs to treat diseases such as malaria, the single biggest killer of children in the world, and type-2 diabetes that is reaching epidemic proportions world-wide.

"This award from the ERDF recognises the importance of the world-class research in Dundee that is set to expand with the new Centre for Interdisciplinary Research. In both the areas of diabetes and tropical diseases, the work in the new centre has the potential to impact on millions of lives globally and to enhance local competitiveness in the Biotechnology sector", said Professor Mike Ferguson. Mike also praised his colleagues in RIS for their input in helping to secure the ERDF funding.

Allan Wilson, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, said, "This is excellent news for Dundee and demonstrates again the important role European funding has to play in ensuring Scotland’s economy continues to grow. Not only will this funding help the area economically, it will also contribute to the vital and potentially life-saving research that is to be carried out at the CIR."