Funding for research at the University of Dundee has reached record levels surpassing the £50 million milestone for the first time.
Over the last year the University of Dundee has attracted a total of £55.8 million to finance research projects - 30% up on last year - and ensuring Dundee's continued place in Scotland's top three universities for research alongside the much larger universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Congratulating research staff on their unparalleled success, Principal of the University of Dundee Sir Alan Langlands said: "Only state-of-the-art research attracts funding. This year's figures are a clear reflection of the University's position at the forefront of groundbreaking research in subjects such as psychology and geography and into illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and heart disease.
"A total of 23% of our research staff are now engaged in international class, 5* work; a figure surpassed in Scotland only by Edinburgh with 25%. Top calibre researchers in turn attract more research funding adding to the critical mass of research activity. This is excellent news for Dundee where the 'knowledge economy' is a very real phenomenon and life and medical sciences in particular are a key economic driver."
In recent years the University has spawned 12 spin out companies leading to over 400 jobs. Four companies have been formed in the last year - the specialist drug discovery company CXR Biosciences, dental technology company Innov8iveDetection & Measurement Ltd, Aktina, an offshoot of earlier spin-out Amcet and electronic equipment and, most recently, software company STARR-Dundee Ltd.
This year's research income represents 566 awards, seven of which were worth over £1 million each and three for £3.5 million or more.
The University's Director of Research and Innovation Services Mr James Houston sounded one note of caution: "We should bear in mind that research income can be 'lumpy' with the possibility of funding for one or two large projects distorting a single year's results. Having said that, over the last four years research income here has steadily risen from just over £30 million in 1998/99 to £55.8million today. This year's figure is a £12.8 million increase on last year's £43 million."
He added: "It is also good to note that income from licensing university technologies is now running at over £1m per annum."
Nearly half (47%) of the University's research funding comes from charities, just less than a third (29%) from research councils and the rest >from industry and collaborative ventures. /ends