The aim is to exploit a recent discovery concerning the production of a new high activity catalyst for use in the production of hydrogen peroxide from the direct reaction between hydrogen and oxygen using novel gold palladium heteropolyacid catalysts. These new catalysts have been protected by a patent filing. The key feature of these catalysts is that they can be used in water as solvent at ambient temperature whereas all previous catalysts require low temperatures and organic solvents. Initial results show the new catalyst is over fifteen times as active as the current equivalent commercial catalyst. Funding is requested to complete patent exemplification and to ensure commercial exploitation can be achieved.

The aim is to exploit a recent discovery concerning the production of a new high activity catalysts based on supported metal nanoparticles prepared by a sol immobilization method. The methodology uses a novel method for removal of stabilizers thereby gaining enhanced activity. Initial results show the new catalyst is highly active for CO oxidation whereas the untreated catalyst is completely inactive. This enhanced activity represents a step change in the manufacturing processes for these important catalysts and means that they can be considered to be commercially useful for the first time. Funding is requested to complete patent exemplification and to ensure commercial exploitation can be achieved.

A long term goal of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been to create machines that can understand spoken and written human language. This capability would enable, for example, spoken language interaction between people and computers, translation between all human languages and tools to analyse and answer questions about vast archives of text and speech. Spectacular advances in computer hardware and software over the last two decades mean this vision is no longer science fiction but is turning into reality. Speech and Language Technologies (SLTs) are now established as core scientific/engineering disciplines within AI and have grown into a world-wide multi-billion dollar industry, with SLT global revenues predicted to rise from $33bn in 2015 to $127bn by 2024. The UK has long played a leading role in SLT and the government has recently identified AI, including SLT, as of national importance. Many international corporations such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft now have research labs in the UK, in part to leverage local SLT expertise, and a new and extensive eco-system of SLT SMEs has sprung up. There is huge demand for scientists with advanced training in SLT from these organisations, most of whom hire only at PhD level, evident in the support for this CDT by more than 30 partners. The result is fierce, international competition to attract talent and supply is falling far short of demand. It is critically important, therefore, to improve the UK's capacity to address this industrial need for high quality, high value postdoctoral SLT talent, to enhance the UK's position as a leader in the field and, in turn, attract investment in AI-related technologies and support UK economic growth. To address the shortfall in PhD-trained scientists we propose a CDT in "Speech and Language Technologies and Their Applications". Our vision is to create a CDT that will be a world-leading centre for training SLT scientists and engineers, giving students the best possible advanced training in the theory and application of computational speech and language processing, in a setting that fosters interdisciplinary approaches, innovation and engagement with real world users and awareness of the social and ethical consequences of our work. A cohort-based approach is necessary in SLT because: (1) the software infrastructure, tools and methods for SLT are highly complex and creating them is nearly always a collaborative endeavour -- a cohort offers an ideal setting to gain experience of such collaborative working (2) PhD topics tend to be narrow and focused on specifics and do not include the broad overview needed in students' later careers -- through cohort training we can expose students to a range of different SLT topics (3) peer learning within and across cohorts is a highly effective way to hand over tools and to teach methodology (4) a multi-year cohort programme allows significant and sustained progression in larger (i.e. multi-student) SLT projects, resulting in better research outcomes and more impact in partnering companies (5) cohort teaching is very attractive to students (6) an extended cohort-based training programme with strong group work and peer tutoring elements allows students with non-standard backgrounds be admitted, helping to promote diversity in SLT. To realise our vision we propose to build on Sheffield's unique strengths in SLT, which include (1) a large team of SLT academics with an outstanding, 30-year research track record in publication, research grant capture and PhD supervision, covering all the core areas of SLT (2) a large group of industrial partners who actively want to participate in the CDT (3) a track record of impact arising from our research, through creating new enterprises or enhancing the activities of existing organisations (4) an excellent research environment in terms of computing and data resources, study and work facilities, and commitment to and respect for diversity and equality.

The Departments of Chemistry (Chem) and Chemical Engineering (Chem Eng) at the University of Bath propose a Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Sustainable Chemical Technologies. The 6.9m requested from the EPSRC will be supplemented by 6.0m from the University and a 3.0m industrial contribution to fund a DTC operating at the interface of Chem and Chem Eng. The DTC will place fundamental concepts of sustainability at the core of a broad spectrum of research and training in applied chemical sciences. A dynamic, multidisciplinary research and training environment (the combined current EPSRC portfolio for the two departments is 19.9m) will underpin transformative research and training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies. This will respond to a national and global need for highly skilled and talented scientists and engineers in the area. All students will receive foundation training to supplement their undergraduate knowledge, as well as training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies and transferable skills. They will all conduct high quality and challenging research within the Sustainable Chemical Technologies theme directed by joint Chem and Chem Eng supervisors. The broad research themes encompass the areas of; Renewable Resources, Clean Energy, Clean Processes, Pharmaceuticals and Wellbeing, and Life Cycle Impact Reduction. Participation from key industry partners will address stakeholder needs, and partner institutions in the USA and Germany will provide world-leading international input, along with exciting opportunities for student placements. Detailed management plans have been developed in order to facilitate the smooth running of the centre and to enable excellence in the training and research aspects of the proposal. The Doctoral Training Centre will be supported by the creation of physical and virtual laboratories for the students.This 16m initiative has attracted strong and influential support: I strongly support the objectives you describe...the center is the right idea at the right time. Good luck! (Prof. George Whitesides, Harvard); The proposed initiative...should enable significant impacts to be made in this vital area. (joint letter signed by six Chief Executives of key stakeholders, including David Brown, IChemE and Richard Pike, RSC).

The report 'Higher Degree of Concern' by the Royal Society of Chemistry highlighted the importance of effective PhD training in providing the essential skills base for UK chemistry. This is particularly true for the many industries that are reliant on catalytic skills, where entry-point recruitment is already at PhD level. However, the new-starters are usually specialists in narrow aspects of catalysis, while industry is increasingly seeking qualified postgraduates equipped with more comprehensive knowledge and understanding across the cutting edge of the whole field. The 2011 EPSRC landscape documents acknowledged the existing strengths of UK catalysis (including the concentration of academic expertise in the south-west), but recognised the critical need for growth in this strategic and high-impact field of technology. Over the following 18 months, the universities of Bath, Bristol and Cardiff worked closely together to put in place the foundations of an alliance in catalysis, based on the distinctive but complementary areas of expertise within the three institutions. This bid will build on this alliance by creating a single training centre with unified learning through teaching and research. Building on the best practice of existing and established postgraduate training, and benefitting from the close geographical proximity of the three universities, each intake of PhD students will form part of a single cohort. The first year of the PhD will involve taught material (building on and expanding Cardiff's established MSc in catalysis), a student-led catalyst design project, and research placements in research laboratories across all aspects of catalysis science and engineering (and across all three institutions). This broad foundation will ensure students have a thorough grounding in catalysis in the widest sense, fulfilling the industry need for recruits who can be nimble and move across traditional discipline boundaries to meet business needs. It will also mean the students are well-informed and fully engaged in the design of a longer PhD project for the next three years. This project will be the same as the more traditional PhD in terms of its scholarship and rigour, but still include wider training aspects. A further benefit of the broader initial training is that students will be able to complete PhD projects which transcend the traditional homogeneous, heterogeneous, engineering boundaries, and include emerging areas such as photo-, electro- and bio-catalysis. This will lead to transformative research and will be encouraged by project co-supervision that cuts across the institutions and disciplines. We have identified a core of 28 supervisors across the three universities, all with established track records of excellence which, when combined, encompasses every facet of catalysis research. Furthermore, full engagement with industry has been agreed at every stage; in management, training, project design, placements and sponsorship. This will ensure technology transfer to industry when appropriate, as well as early-stage networking for students with their potential employers.