the royal society of edinburgh research awards reception · 2018-06-07 · welcome to the rse’s...

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

monday 1 september 2014

research awards reception

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Front cover images:

1. Professor Lynn Abrams – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Network, p. 23

2. Dr Geraldine Parsons – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small Grant, p. 29

3. Dr Kamusella Tomasz – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small Grant, p. 27 Map of official languages in Central Europe, 1721

4. Mungo Campbell – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Workshop, p. 18William Hunter 1718–1783 by Allan Ramsay

5. Dr Gareth Lloyd – Scottish Government Personal Research Fellowship, p. 11Crystal structures, produced by X-ray Crystallography, of a molecular porous material with two important gases, carbon dioxide (top) and acetylene (bottom), captured within the structure

6. Professor James Loxley – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Workshop, p. 18

7. Professor Murdo Macdonald – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small Grant, p. 27Detail of ionisation caused by X-rays, CTR Wilson, 1912

8. Dr Bertalan Pusztai – CRF European Travel Fellowship – Visit to Scotland, p. 16Reenactment and place branding – jousting at the Bruce Festival in Dunfermline

9. Dr Anita Quye and Dr Klaus Staubermann – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Network, p. 22ReCREATE network logo

10. Dr Genevieve Lennon and Professor Clive Walker – Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Workshop, p. 19

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH

RESEARCH AWARDS RECEPTION 2014

PROGRAMME

5.00 pm Guests arrive and seated by 5.30 pm

5.30 pm Welcome from the President: Sir John Arbuthnott MRIA

5.35 pm Research Awards Convener: Professor Steve Beaumont OBE Report on 2014 Awards ProgrammeAnnouncement of Scottish Crucible Project AwardsLaunch of RSE Enterprise Fellowships Promotional Film

5.45 pm President’s Concluding Remarks

5.50 pm Poster Displays and Buffet Supper

8.00 pm Finish

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Welcome by Sir John Arbuthnott MRIAThe President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

Welcome by Professor Steve Beaumont OBEResearch Awards Convener

Welcome to the RSE’s annual awards reception. I am Professor Steve Beaumont, fromthe University of Glasgow, and I am the Research Awards Convener here at the RSE. Many of you will have met me when you came for your interviews earlier in the year.

This evening gives us the opportunity to celebrate with the 2014 Research Fellows, Enterprise Fellows, Scholars and Students. You will find their details and information about their projects in the following pages of this programme. The RSE is Scotland’s National Academy of both Science and the Arts and it is very fortunate to be able to offer awards across all disciplines, reflecting the founding aim of the Society which is “the advancement of learning and useful knowledge.”

We have awarded Scottish Government-funded Research Fellowships, a BP Trust Research Fellowship and a Caledonian Research Fund (CRF) Research Fellowship this year. The RSE welcomes the funding it receives from its partner organisations, the logos of which you will find on page 5, which make these awards possible.

The RSE employed a new PR and Marketing Officer late last year and this evening we will see the fruits of his labours as we launch the Enterprise Fellowships promotional film and new marketing materials. Application numbers continue to be high for these awards and we anticipate they will become even more competitive when the new materials take effect.

The Arts and Humanities awards remain very popular and the next deadline for applicationsis approaching on 15th September. Earlier this year, the RSE selection panel selected 30Scottish Crucible participants and they have now completed their career development ‘labs’. We will announce the winning group projects at this event and you will find more information about Scottish Crucible, and its participants, at the end of this programme.

I wish all the 2014 awardees every success with their projects over the coming year and into the future.

The Research Awards reception is a true highlight of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s annual events calendar. It lets us celebrate and reflect upon the important research work being done across academia and business here in Scotland. It also allows us to recognise the forging of new international research connections, and reinforces the strength of our existing collaborations.

Gathered here this evening we have over 100 distinguished individuals whose achievements and discoveries not only help progress knowledge in their respective subject areas, but also serve to revitalise the RSE’s 230-year history of supporting excellence across all areas of academic, public and scientific life in Scotland: from science and engineering, to medicine, and the arts and humanities, I am once again heartened by the sheer breadth of research that is being supported by our various awards.

These awards are made possible through the continued support of our many funding partners. For this I want to extend my warm thanks to BBSRC, BP, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Government and the STFC. Finally, I would like to offer my congratulations to each of the inspiring individuals whose successes and abilities are being celebrated here this evening. They represent the continuing ferment of inspired research that typifies the RSE.

Research Awardees 2014

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Laura MoranSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of St AndrewsDetecting Earth-size Planets

I have always had a fascination with space and, in particular, planets orbiting starsother than our own. The prospect of life in other planetary systems, or even anotherplanet for humans to live on, used to be science fiction, but thanks to more powerfultelescopes we are now able to discover and characterise these alien worlds – albeitfrom afar!

Extra-Solar planet detection is a relatively new field in Astronomy. Improving the radialvelocity method (one of the most common techniques used to find these planets) allows us to measure the mass of small planets. By monitoring a star’s radial velocity,we can detect a planet and measure its mass. This leads to estimating its density andhence the bulk composition and structure of the planet. The aim of this project is todetermine the masses of small Earth-size planets.

Craig McNeillSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St AndrewsAnalysis of Sunspot Rotation on the Simulation of an Emerging Toroidal Flux Tube

The wide scope in the reporting of sunspot rotation merits a study of the mechanismsdriving this motion. Several reports have noted that rapidly rotating sunspots have accompanied coronal mass ejections and solar flares, giving the study of sunspot rotation particular significance (recent studies include reports by Török et al. [2013] &Wang et al. [2014]). A suggested method of the mechanism is due to the untwistingof an emerging toroidal flux tube through the photosphere. This project used datafrom simulations of the toroidal flux tube described by Hood et al. [2009] to analysethe magnetic field and plasma velocity at both the photosphere and the solar interior.This was to determine if the flux tube was untwisting and what its rate of rotationwas at the photosphere, in order to compare it with previous reported findings fromobservational data.

Cormack Vacation Research Scholarships

Aneesh NaikDepartment of Physics, University of OxfordVisiting: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St AndrewsOnset of turbulence and inverse cascade in the ISM

The stellar IMF (initial mass function) is the mass distribution of stars. This turns out to be a universal function; i.e., it is the same wherever we look in the sky. There are various different strands of theories regarding the origins of this universal function;e.g., theories based purely on statistics, theories based on accretion processes, theories based on turbulence, etc. I played around with the latter case. In the firstpart of my project, I investigated the assumptions underpinning Padoan and Nordlund's turbulence-based theory of 2002, while in the second part I consideredthe effect on the IMF of turbulence arising via the 'inverse cascade'; i.e., turbulencerising from small length scales to large length scales, as opposed to the conventionallyassumed 'direct cascade', the opposite case.

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Katriona GoldmannSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of EdinburghVisiting: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St AndrewsLinking the 3D-shape of bulges with its dynamics

Galaxies can only be observed in the 2D plane of the sky, thus their unknown 3Dshape could hold invaluable information about their evolution and formation. Although previous studies have investigated the overall intrinsic shapes of ellipticalgalaxies, the slightly more complicated disk or spiral galaxies have not been studiedquite so extensively.

This project investigated the shapes of a sample of spiral galaxies using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This was achieved by firstly constructing a 2D model of the galaxy using photometric observations. From this, the most probable intrinsicshape could be constrained in all three dimensions using realistic triaxial methods.With images from the CALIFA survey, these shapes were then compared to the kinematics of the stars within them. This could then show whether there was anycorrelation between the bulge type, or stellar dynamics, and its shape.

Cormack Vacation Research ScholarshipsAnna Mary RiceSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of St AndrewsEquilibrium Chemistry in Extra-Solar Objects

The LEAP project, based at the University of St Andrews, studies charge processes in planetary atmospheres, with the aim of understanding how atmospheric ionisationmechanisms change in the transition region between stars and planets. These chargeprocesses could potentially influence the occurrence of life by electricity. Key to this isunderstanding what the dominating electron donor species are in such objects, andwhat global parameters are required for an atmosphere to become an ionised plasma.

Over the course of this project, we use simulations produced by the Drift-Phoenix atmosphere grid and apply a chemical equilibrium routine to them, to calculate chemical compostion. By using a broad range of simulations with varying global parameters such as effective temperature and metalicity, we are able to understandhow the ionising species in an atmosphere change at varying atmospheric depths for different types of object.

Magnus WoodsSchool of Physics & Astronomy, University of GlasgowInvestigating small X-ray flares outside of Solar active regions

Flares are rapid bursts of energy released in the Sun’s atmosphere, observed as flashes of light over many wavelengths. The largest flares always occur in activeregions, locations of strong magnetic field. This characteristic appears to continuedown to smaller flares, known as microflares. This is supported by data from NASA’sSolar X-ray satellite RHESSI. Some flare positions found with RHESSI lie outwith active regions and although this is often due to instrumental artifacts, it would be importantfor understanding how the solar atmosphere is heated to find flare-like energy releases occurring throughout the Solar atmosphere, not just in active regions. Since2010, there have been near continuous EUV images of the Sun from NASA’s SDO/AIAand so the aim of this project is to identify microflares that appear to be located outside of active regions, confirming whether they are real events through this combination of EUV and X-ray observations.

Piazzi Smyth Research Scholarship

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Research Awardees 2014Lessells Travel Scholarships

David Garcia CavaDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Dynamics of Advanced Structures and Machinery Research Group, University of StrathclydeVisiting: Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann ArborMI, USADevelopment of an automatic online vibration-based health monitoring system forstructures made of composites

The growth of aerospace and other sectors of engineering, such as wind turbine structures for instance, placed composite materials at the forefront of the contemporaryresearch. Modern structures typcially require the use of lightweight and strong materials,which demand a high level of performance combined with greater efficiency. Damagein composite structures adversely affects the system’s performance, which gives an additional importance to the use of structural health monitoring. The aim of this research is the development of an integrated system for structural health monitoringto fulfil the needs for delamination assessment and data-driven modelling of the vibratory behaviour of composite structures. With real time monitoring of the damagedevelopment of structures subjected to a wide range of environmental methodologies,my research is oriented towards the development of a novel methodology for statistical data analysis of the vibration resonse obtained from composite materials.

Margaret CreedInstitute of Energy Systems, School of Engineering, University of EdinburghVisiting: Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of WesternAustralia, Perth, AustraliaModelling the Environmental Impact of Tidal Stream Turbines

Renewable tidal energy extraction is at the cusp of the implementation stage. It is vital to understand the interaction between the energy extraction devices and their surrounding environment, to develop the most efficient technology whilst simultaneouslyminimising any negative environmental impacts. It has been shown that, dependingon the amount of energy extracted, the flow hydrodynamics can be altered significantly.The aim of this research is to develop a numerical model to analyse the interaction between the modified flow hydrodynamics and the erodible sea bed. The results willbe used to determine the varying impact that the extraction of tidal energy could haveon the short- and long-term sea bed and coastal morphology, depending on the quantity of energy extracted. The Lessell’s Travel Scholarship will help strengthen thecollaboration between offshore engineering researchers at UWA, Oxford Universityand the University of Edinburgh, particularly in the area of tidal energy extraction.

Jeanette HeiligersAdvanced Space Concepts Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of StrathclydeVisiting: Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USASolar sailing in the Earth–Moon system

Solar sailing is an exciting and relatively new, but advanced, field of spacecraft propulsion. By reflecting solar photons off a large, highly-reflective membrane, solarsails produce a continuous thrust force without relying on an on-board propellantsource. Solar sailing is therefore a breakthrough in Space propulsion, as it enables long-lived orbits and high-energy mission concepts. For the first time, this project will perform a thorough and systematic investigation of such orbits and concepts in the Earth–Moon system, as the potential of solar sailing has so far mainly been demonstrated in the Sun–Earth system. By creating solar sail orbits ‘closer to home’the outcomes of this work will improve and enable a range of vital space applicationsincluding Earth observation, Space surveillance (keeping ground and Space assestssafe from Space debris and asteroids), and lunar far-side communication, which willbe key in future human exploration of the Moon.

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Research Awardees 2014Lessells Travel Scholarships

Christopher LoweMechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of StrathclydeVisiting: Institute for Astronautics, Technical University of Munich Spacecraft Through-Life System Optimisation and Design

The use of nano-satellites to solve modern day problems is growing in popularity, in particular with the fielding of large, distributed constellations. The relatively low cost and modularity associated with these capable platforms is driving new mission applications; however, the design infrastructure is not necessarily in-line, resulting in generally sub-optimal mission performance.

The aim of this work is to identify new methods of examining the performance, utilityand value of large networks comprising satellites and ground nodes, such that optimalmissions can be established efficiently and with confidence. This involves, for example,modelling connectivity through the network over time, identifying system capacityand removing information flow bottlenecks. Data-flow can be used to represent thevast majority of Earth-orbiting satellite applications, from image capture and dissemination, through to communication, and maritime surveillance. Modelling large Space networks in this way is key to the success our future in Space.

Emma McIntyreBRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, University of EdinburghVisiting: Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaFire Performance of Concrete Reinforced with Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Bars:Large Scale Experimental Study of FRP-Reinforced Bridge Decks at the National Research Council of Canada in collaboration with Queen’s University, Canada

The introduction of FRP bars into construction is becoming commonplace due to numerous well-known benefits, mainly corrosion resistance. However, severe code restrictions typically remain where fire resistance requirements must be met. Criticaltemperatures for steel reinforced concrete are defined by a 50% loss in tensilestrength and, on this basis, the critical temperatures of FRP bars are likely to be much lower than for steel, due to the softening of the polymer matrix resins.

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario have commissioned Queen’s University to investigate the risk of fire on FRP-reinforced bridge decks, specifically hydrocarbonfires. As part of this study, a concrete bridge deck reinforced with FRP bars has beencast and will be tested at elevated temperatures. My current research involves the determination of fire-safe applications of FRP in concrete. This exchange will allow me to observe and assist with this unique large-scale structural fire test.

Shahid M. NaseerDivision of Biomedical Engineering, University of GlasgowVisiting: Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyTo Study the Growth of Stem Cells for Tissues Regeneration using Surface AcousticWaves and Dielectrophoresis

Stem cells are capable of self-renewal through replication by residing in a complex microenvironment and differentiating into specialised cells. In recent years, microfabrication-based technologies, such as lab-on-a-chip (LOC), in combination withstem cell biology, are laying the foundation for the development of in vitro diagnosticsystems capable of analysing cells under physiologically relevant conditions. Novel LOCplatforms can not only mimic complex in vivo milieu, but also provide greater controlin understanding cell properties in a scalable manner. My research is therefore concernedwith developing a platform, which integrates two complementary technologies –dielectrophoresis and surface acoustic waves – to study the electrical and mechanicalproperties of cells respectively. The J.M. Lessells Travel Scholarship would enable a collaborative research project with the expertise from MIT to characterise the electricaland mechanical properties of stem cells on their differentiation in matrix materials anddevelop tissue constructs for tissue-engineered applications.

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Research Awardees 2014Lessells Travel Scholarship

Marios TheristisInstitute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, Heriot-Watt UniversityVisiting: Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Fraunhofer, Albuquerque, USAOutdoor characterisation of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems

Concentrating photovoltaic systems (CPV) use optical components to focus direct sunlight onto a receiver, in order to increase the power output and reduce costs. In high concentrations, high-efficiency (over 40%) III-V multijunction solar cells are used to further increase the power output. Due to the high heat flux concentration, the celltemperature rises sharply, resulting in suboptimal performance and increasing the risk ofsystem failure. An integrated spectral-dependent electrical and thermal characterisationis therefore required to predict the cell temperature and optimise the performance ofsuch devices under variable atmospheric conditions.

The J. M. Lessells Travel Scholarship will allow me to experimentally validate the numericalmodel that I have constructed, as well as to quantify the effect of various atmosphericfactors on the CPV electrical, thermal and optical performance. The outdoor test field of CSE Fraunhofer in Albuquerque is an ideal location to account for these effects.

Lyubov ChumakovaSchool of Mathematics, University of EdinburghLeaky troposphere – improving reduced atmospheric models

With the changing climate, accurate global weather and climate predictions are of the utmost importance. A major difficulty in such predictions is the highly nonlinearnature of moisture dynamics in the tropics, which requires much computationalpower to capture accurately. In addition, the Atmosphere does not have a definitetop, which makes the computational load even larger. However, most of the weatherand moisture are confined to the Troposphere, the lower atmospheric layer approximately 12km in height, above which airplanes fly to avoid turbulence andstorms. In this study, I will model the Troposphere in isolation, while retaining the essential physics of the full Atmosphere by allowing it to “leak” the wave energy tohigher layers. By incorporating moisture dynamics in these reduced models, I hope to tackle several outstanding problems in tropical dynamics, and to improve weather and climate prediction models through collaboration with atmospheric scientists.

Scottish Government Personal Research Fellowships

Erik GaugerSchool of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt UniversityBiomimetic energy harvesting with quantum nanostructures

I am interested in understanding and controlling Nature at the quantum level. My research explores the physical limits of efficiency for light harvesting and energy distribution on the nano-scale, motivated by the aim of laying the foundation for future approaches to energy generation and delivery.

On the atomic scale, energy occurs in quantised chunks, e.g. as a photon of light, and its behaviour is governed by quantum mechanics. In Nature, harvesting and distributing quanta of energy is crucial for all forms of life, and these processes have been fine-tuned within living organisms for hundreds of millions of years.

Taking inspiration from the ingenious solutions found in the natural world, I intend to develop novel ways of harnessing quantum effects in artificial, quantum-engineered molecules and devices.


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Nasar MeerSchool of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde“We're a' Jock Tamson's Bairns” – To what extent is there a distinctive Scottish approach to race equality?

It is a curious feature of UK citizenship that its possession has never conferred a rightto non-discrimination, not least because the UK has no formal or ‘written’ constitutionas found in many liberal democracies. What has been amassed instead is a body oflegislation that is overseen by the judiciary and which protects both citizens (and non-citizens) from discrimination on specific grounds, and so seeks to treat people equally,rather than resting on a benign ideal of equal treatment. What remains unclear ishow these settlements are finding expression in approaches to race equality in Scotlandin the context of a restored national parliament, fifteen years of devolution and theprospect of further political self-governance. Even though matters of equality are formallyreserved in the Scotland Act (1998), my research will explore the ways in which Scotland may have innovated with categories and incorporated third sector partnersat local and national measures, and so assess the extent and scope to which Scotlandmight have developed a distinctive approach to race-equality policy and practice.

Scottish Government Personal Research FellowshipsGareth O. LloydInstitute of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt UniversityThe Supramolecular Chemistry of Hydroxamic Acid

Supramolecular chemistry explores how molecules interact with each other throughweak and dynamic forces. The research proposed in this fellowship will look at thesupramolecular chemistry of the chemical group hydroxamic acid (HA). HAs areutilised in medicines, are abundant within biology and are industrially relevant to thebinding of iron. It is therefore surprising that the supramolecular chemistry of HAs isrelatively unexplored. I therefore aim to extensively explore the weak chemical interactions of the HAs, aimed at developing modern supramolecular chemistry understanding. This knowledge will be utilised in the development of three importantaspects; namely, supramolecular hydrogels, molecular capsules and porous solid materials. The supramolecular hydrogels will have use in cosmetics, drug delivery andtissue engineering. The molecular capsules will be utilised in enzymatic mimickingchemistry. Finally, the porous solid materials will be investigated for gas storage andseparation, particularly looking at carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollutants.

Mohammed F. SalehInstitute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt UniversityNovel Nonlinear Phenomena in Microstructured Waveguides

Optical microstructures with truly unique properties have been developed at a fastpace in recent years as a result of the rapid progress in fabrication techniques. I aim to conduct analytical and theoretical research to investigate novel nonlinear optical phenomena in microstructured waveguides. Hollow-core photonic crystal fibres (HC–PCFs), microstructured waveguides with a two-dimensional periodic cross-section, offer unprecedented advantages that can lead to several fruitful opportunities for demonstrating and better understanding new physical phenomenain optics. HC-PCFs push the field of nonlinear fibre optics beyond the interaction oflight with solid media. These structures can host strong nonlinear interactions between intense light and gaseous media over a relatively long propagation distance. In addtition, having a wide range of gases with different properties enhances the opportunity to observe different novel nonlinear phenomena inside these structures.This will result in developing various novel photonic devices for diverse optical applications in the near future.

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Ona Kealoha MillerDepartment of Biology, University of St AndrewsCovalent attachment of bacteria to the host

In this project, previously uncharacterised bacterial surface proteins and their adhesiondomains will be studied using a combination of structural biology (nuclear magneticresonance, X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering), biochemical and cell-based assays. Furthermore, using powerful new tools for protein interactionanalyses, binding partners of the bacterial proteins in question will be identified fromcomplex biological samples, such as blood plasma. We have already developed a fluorescent molecular probe that specifically reacts with the bacterial covalent adhesion proteins, which can be used to label and identify proteins on the surface of bacteria. Our probe will also serve as a starting point for the development of smallmolecules that could prevent bacterial adhesion, and therefore serve as a new tool forcombating bacterial infection.

BP Trust Personal Research FellowshipOlof JohanssonSchool of Chemistry, University of EdinburghPhotoinduced Ultrafast Magnetisation Dynamics in Molecular Materials

Faster memories with higher storage densities are needed to match the rapid development in electronics devices. A promising alternative to existing technology is to use ultrashort laser pulses to control magnetic materials, which are the basic components in information storage devices. This technique has the potential to read and record data 1000 times faster than what present computer memories canachieve. In particular, I am interested in applying these techniques to a new class ofmagnetic materials that are based on molecular building blocks, in analogy to commercially-successful OLEDs. Due to the chemical flexibility of these novel materials, interesting magnetic and optical properties are obtained and it is possible to systematically study how the material composition and properties affect the magnetisation dynamics. Ultrafast magnetism is one of the frontiers in current magnetic research and several important questions and challenges remain open.

Brianna VandreySchool of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsAn investigation of the role of the lateral entorhinal cortex in episodic memory

A prominent model of episodic memory in the medial temporal lobe posits that spatialand non-spatial information about an event is processed separately by the medial andlateral entorhinal cortex (LEC), respectively, before converging in the hippocampus toform an associative memory. However, this model may be too simple; recent findingsin the rodent brain suggest that some spatial and non-spatial information is jointlyprocessed in the LEC prior to the hippocampus. Therefore, I will combine electrophysiology, selective lesions and behavioural measures in a rodent model to examine how the activity of single cells in the LEC reflects the integration of spatialand non-spatial information, with the further aim of investigating the relationship between LEC and hippocampal function when processing information about anepisode. This research will encourage the development of a more accurate neuralmodel of episodic memory and may further our understanding of memory impairmentin diseases where the entorhinal cortex is damaged, such as Alzheimer’s.

Carnegie Caledonian Scholarship

Henry Dryerre Scholarship

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Research Awardees 2014CRF Personal Research Fellowship in Biomedical Sciences

Dina IordanovaCentre for Film Studies, University of St. Andrews, ScotlandVisiting: SPEAP (Science Po); Jean-Michel Frodon/(also Paris Cinema Festival/La FemisCinemas of Paris

The Fellowship will allow me to spend a period in France and work on my project on Parisian Cinemas (this will be a book which I am working on with my French colleague, the famous film critic Jean-Michel Frodon). I already spent a period inFrance earlier this year, and am returning again to continue work in the Fall.

Iain Andrew FergusonSchool of International Relations, University of St AndrewsVisiting: Centre for EU–Russia Studies (CEURUS), Department of Government and Politics, University of Tartu, Estonia‘Sweet Enemies’: The Character of the EU–Russia Relationship

This research project builds on my PhD work that tells the story of an unresolved conflict in the EU–Russia relationship that began on the eve of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The RSE grant will support my work on three research papers during a visit of fivemonths from 1st August 2014 to the only research centre in the world dedicated tostudying this international political relationship, at the University of Tartu in Estonia.One paper will be a theoretical explanation for why the EU and Russia can be understood as international ‘sweet enemies’. The other two papers will examine thedark side of this relationship, with a particular emphasis on describing and explainingthe expansionist character of the struggle between these neighbouring powers, firstin Georgia and more recently in Ukraine.

Shipra BhatiaMRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of EdinburghDecoding the functional relevance of cis-regulatory variation in human diseases

A large portion of the human genome regulates gene expression rather than codingfor proteins. Understanding how these regions of the genome work is of vital importance for human health – it has been demonstrated that genetic changes inthese regions result in incorrect gene expression, leading to a variety of human diseases. Differentiating the disease-causing sequence changes in noncoding regionsfrom the background sequence variation observed in the normal population can be achallenge. My research aims to explain the role of the noncoding-element mutationsassociated with mental retardation and other complex human diseases, using a zebrafish model. It is hoped that the research will lead to the development of improved disease treatments, or preventive approaches.

CRF European Travel Fellowships – Visits to Europe

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Research Awardees 2014CRF European Travel Fellowships – Visits to Europe

Costas PanayotakisClassics, School of Humanities, University of GlasgowVisiting: Thesaurus Linguae Latinae, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, MunichA commentary on the fragments of low farcical drama in the Roman Republic

My current research deals with indecent comic drama written in Latin, dated to the Roman Republican period, and now surviving only in fragments. The aim of the project is the production of a new text, the first-ever English translation, and a comprehensive commentary on the substantial fragmentary corpus of what is conventionally known as Atellane comedy. Atellane comedy comprised presumablyimprovised spectacles during its early stages as type of theatrical entertainment, but acquired literary form by the first Century BC in the hands of innovative dramatists and actors. The literary scripts of Atellane playwrights have not been transmitted directly, but survive in very short fragments cited by grammarians, lexicographers and encyclopaedists. Despite the importance of Atellane comedy,whose study enhances our appreciation of non-standard Latin language, Roman society, and Italian culture, there has never been an English translation or commentary on the fragments. My Visiting Research Fellowship will enable me totravel to Munich to consult the unpublished linguistic resources of the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae, and benefit from the expertise of the Redaktoren who work in it.

Katharine MitchellDepartment of Italian, University of StrathclydeVisiting: Department of Italian Studies, University of Bologna, ItalyWomen at the Theatre: Writers as Spectators in Early Post-Unification Italy(1861–1914)

I spent two months at the University of Bologna liaising with colleagues in Italian, History and Theatre Studies, and examining female performance and its consumptionas mediated through columns on theatregoing in women's journals housed at the Biblioteca Italiana delle donne in Bologna. The project identifies the beginnings of afemale critical community with its own lexicon of cultural criticism by and for women,linking it to the emergence of women writers on the literary scene in the 1870s andthe rise of the movement for female emancipation in the 1890s. Through an examination of journalism, fan letters, diaries and realist fiction, the project demonstrates a burgeoning solidarity among women in the public eye which was specific to nineteenth-century European celebrity culture, in contrast to the here and now, and which produced a significant degree of emancipation for female theatregoers, whose lives were typically confined to the domestic sphere.

Andy MurphySchool of English, University of St AndrewsVisiting: School of English/Long Room Hub, Trinity College, DublinBringing the Nation to Book: Ireland, Reading and Cultural Nationalism

Whilst critics have charted the rise of cultural nationalism in Ireland from the emergence of the United Irishmen in the 1790s, little attention has been paid to theway in which this intersected with the spread of educational provision and the rise of literacy. In the early decades of this period, nationalist activists had to work througha predominantly oral culture in spreading their message to a general audience. Theachievement of near full literacy by the final decades of the century facilitated the nationalist project, but it also led to a curious crux, as the Irish ‘common reader’ entered a print marketplace dominated by the output of London publishers. Repeatedlyin this period, an Irish cultural elite complained that Irish readers were resorting to thepopulist wares of the London trade. Mass literacy thus prompted, ultimately, an extended debate about what precise form a specifically Irish literature should take.

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Christoph BläsiInstitute for Book Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz (Germany)Visiting: Scottish Centre for the Book, Institute for Creative Industries, EdinburghNapier University, EdinburghRivalling ebook formats and open ebook strategies for Scottish publishers

Cultural diversity and the important role of bricks-and-mortar bookstores for a European-style book culture are hampered by non-interoperable ebook formats asthey dominate the current market. The first objective of the project was to see this as an instance of the more general issue of technologies competing to be the standard and embed it in the corresponding academic discourse that, for example,analysed the earlier Blue-ray–HD DVD struggle. The second objective was to developwhat this situation with respect to formats and other factors in the digital publishingmarkets means for small Scottish publishers. The latter culminated in a public lectureattracting representatives from the publishing sector in Scotland(cf. ww.youtube.com/watch?v=pguoCp0SjfI). Moreover, I took the opportunity to bein Scotland to do expert interviews with major figures in publishing education in theUK (with additional financial support from the Scottish Centre for the Book) about theself-conception of Publishing Studies etc.

Timothy PeaceThe Alwaleed Centre, University of EdinburghVisiting: Centre for European Studies, Sciences Po, ParisMuslim participation in the 2014 French local elections

During my research visit to Paris, I explored the participation of French Muslims in electoral politics through a study of the local elections which took place on 23rd and 30th March 2014. My study was based in the suburban towns of Montfermeil,Trappes and Sevran, which have significant Muslim populations and also record low levels of voter turnout, particularly during local elections. My fieldwork took me on the election campaign trail as I tried to understand why there is so much apathyamongst Muslim voters and also understand how political parties try to court thiselectorate. I was able to work with renowned scholars of French politics such as Professor Nonna Mayer, an expert on elections and political participation, and Professor Gilles Kepel, who is the foremost authority on Muslims in France. The research I carried out complemented my existing work into the political participationof Muslims in Britain.

CRF European Travel Fellowships – Visits to Scotland

CRF European Travel Fellowship – Visits to Europe

Andrea CaracausiDepartment of Historical and Geographic Sciences and the Ancient World, University of PaduaVisiting: School of Humanities, University of GlasgowLabour conflicts in early modern times: Italy in a European perspective

The present number and variety of protests worldwide invites scholars to investigate thereasons for and forms of protests in historical perspective and especially to evaluate their interaction with social and economic trends. This study aims to understand the developmentof social conflicts in early modern Italy in a European, comparative perspective, by focusingon labour and the exclusion of groups and individuals, such as women, migrants or ethno-religious minorities. The Italian peninsula as a case study is particularly appropriate because of the high level of commodification of labour during the centuries beforeindustrialisation, suggesting appropriate comparisons across historical periods. To investigate conflicts within the world of work, this study will use a large database of trials,mostly among individual employers and labourers and disputed in municipal guild courts.My study will examine the trends of these conflicts in relation to periods of collectiveprotest and changes in economic, social and political contexts and will stimulate new possibilities for the field of labour history and the study of social conflict.

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Holger PfaffIMVR – Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Science, University of CologneVisiting: Health Services Research Unit, University of AberdeenLeadership, organisational culture, social capital and quality of care in healthcare organisations

The main object of the visit is to study the relationship between leadership, organisational culture, social capital and quality of care in healthcare organisations. In previous work, I have found that social capital and transformational leadership are important determinants of several aspects of organisational performance in healthcareorganisations such as quality management efforts. However, I could not identify empirically a relationship between organisational culture and quality management efforts in hospitals. My collaborator in Scotland, Professor Lorna McKee, has conducted research on this relationship and found an association between organisational cultureand quality of care in the NHS. Building on this prior work, we aim to further analyse the role of organisational culture for quality management and we aim to compare its importance in different healthcare systems across Europe. Another aim is to comparehealthcare systems with regard to the use of different coordination mechanisms (eg. hierarchy vs. market-based coordination).

Sandro JungDepartment of Literary Studies, University of Ghent, BelgiumVisiting: School of Critical Studies, University of GlasgowA History of Eighteenth-Century Scottish Book Illustration

The principal aim of consolidating collaboration with the Scottish Literature team and identifying further potential collaborators relates to my own and the Scottish Literature team’s desire to establish a long-term collaborative programme that may operate at both teaching and research levels and promote a research partnership not only with myself but also with the Centre for the Study of Text and Print Culture, of which I am the Director.

Bertalan PusztaiDepartment of Communication and Media Studies, University of Szeged, HungaryVisiting: School of Scottish Studies, University of EdinburghFestivals, Tourism and Social Change on European Peripheries

This project deals with the connections between tourism, festivals and local identity. I contrast the local discourses surrounding village and small town festivals with thosewhich emerge from scientific findings. In the majority of the cases analysed in previousresearch, festivals are interpreted locally as being connected with a surviving element of a lost, ideal culture. This interpretation generates a degree of exoticism, which is eagerly popularised by the media. My prior work has shown that such festivals are partof conscious settlement development strategies which may be observed in several areasacross Europe. Given its rich cultural tradition, Scotland is a fertile location in which toconduct analysis on this topic, especially in the context of the independence Referendum. One key question will be the importance attached to the formation of aclearly-distinguishable Scottish identity, not only on a national, but also on a local level.


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Borut TelbanInstitute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies, Research Centre of the SlovenianAcademy of Sciences and ArtsVisiting: Department of Social Anthropology, University of St AndrewsTraversing Ontologies and Epistemologies in Anthropological Research

While exploring the life-worlds of the Amazonian people, with the apparent existenceof one culture and many natures, several influential anthropologists have recently developed intriguing concepts of multi-naturalism, perspectivism and new animism. Instead of seeing other people’s articulations of their existence as ‘beliefs’ or ‘culturalperspectives’, and simultaneously rejecting a single unitary ontology of modern Euro-Americans, they conceive them as enunciations of different ‘realities’, ‘worlds’ or ‘natures’. All these approaches are no doubt worth further exploration and criticalreflection, especially in the context of Pacific anthropology. Building upon years ofethnographic fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, I intend to engage in extended discussions and broad comparative research with my colleagues from the Departmentof Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews, many of whom have gainedtheir reputation as scholars of either Melanesia or Amazonia and have, in differentways, significantly contributed towards the ‘anthropology of life’.

Tiina SuopäjarviUrban Life Lab, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Oulu, FinlandVisiting: Business School, University of AberdeenRhythms of everyday life: temporal and spatial performativities of public spaces

The project explores the use of visual methods, namely time-lapse film, photographyand short walking videos, in the study of public urban space. The aim is to capture therhythms of everyday practices, and how they constitute time and space. Time-lapsemethodology highlights the rhythmic variations related to age and gender, as well as different ways of moving. It also draws attention to temporal and spatial shifts, and how those are materialised through different practices. During Spring 2014, the project team made a time-lapse film of Union Terrace Gardens, a greenspace in Aberdeen City. The film conveys movements and activities – including people, animals,technologies and wildlife – and their accompanying soundscapes. Through furtheranalysis, our objective is to understand the socio-cultural meanings of the Gardens,such as the power relations constituted through different social–material practices;but also the agency of the visual methods themselves in the study of public spaces.

Scottish Government Arts & Humanities WorkshopCallum G Brown FRSESchool of Humanities, University of GlasgowHumanism and Civil Society in Modern Scotland

Humanists have a major influence in policy formation and national morality in Scotland, and are now the second largest provider of weddings. Hitherto largely ignored by academia, this project is exploring the way forward for the integration of secular humanism within Scottish civil life. Workshop events are being held whichcombine leaders, managers, publicists and celebrants of Scottish humanist and secularist organisations on the one side, and researching academics and doctoral students on the other. The Workshops explore humanism’s evolution in the last fortyyears as a cultural institution: in community development, chaplaincy services, in educational provision, health organizations, and in marriages, baby naming and funerals. The Workshops bring together a multi-disciplinary network of scholars to better understand the nature of the secular humanist sector in Scottish civil life, and to provide the sector with advice on its future prospects.


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James LoxleyLiteratures, Languages and Cultures, University of EdinburghScotland’s Collections and the Digital Humanities

Digital technologies present many exciting new avenues for humanities research and engagement with Scotland’s national collections. They offer an emergent set of computational methodologies for the study of cultural artifacts, narratives and histories: from text mining large corpora in order to identify patterns and trends ormapping networks of relations between objects, people and institutions, to creatingdynamic visualisations that allow new perspectives on objects and data. At the sametime, they enable data and findings to be shared globally and in innovative and engaging forms, breaking down the traditional distinction between academic research and public engagement. This project brings together humanities researchers, librarians, archivists and digital technologists to discuss these methods, the opportunities and challenges they present to those working in different sectors, and how they might be used to increase access to, knowledge of and engagementwith Scotland’s collections.

Mungo CampbellThe Hunterian, University of GlasgowWilliam Hunter Tercentenary Research Project – 2018

2018 will mark the tercentenary of the birth of the Enlightenment anatomist and collector, William Hunter (1718–1783). Hunter’s primary legacy, The Hunterian at theUniversity of Glasgow, forms a unique embodiment of Enlightenment knowledge. In close collaboration with the Yale Center for British Art, The Hunterian is planning a major exhibition, accompanied by academic programmes and publications, for 2018/2019. Reflecting extensive collaborative international academic dialogue, our interdisciplinary outputs will offer new insights into 18th-Century collecting, advancing understanding of William Hunter’s role in the Enlightenment and the evolution of the museum as a public educational institution. To initiate this groundbreaking programme, The Hunterian is holding two research workshops during 2014, inviting leading scholars and curators from Britain, Europe and NorthAmerica to scope and establish research questions, workstreams and teams for thistimely and truly multi-disciplinary investigation of a treasure at the heart of Scotland’sintellectual history.

Jan R. StrengerClassics Department, University of GlasgowGaza: Tradition and Leadership in a Learning City

Gaza in Palestine underwent, in common with other cities, a profound transformationduring the 6th Century CE in society, economy, culture and religion. What is significant about Gaza is its thriving cultural sector, as documented by ample literaryand material evidence. The key questions of this project are: how did major figures ofreligious and secular life, such as orators and monks, create educational authority inthe urban context and attempt to shape, through their leadership, Gaza as a ‘learningcity’? To what extent did these attempts respond to the challenges of change? The investigation focuses on the discourse strategies through which cultural visions weredisseminated across the civic community and relates them to modern uses of learningfor the promotion of urban regeneration. The objective of this pilot study is to gain insight into the situational nature of learning across times and cultures.

Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Workshops

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Research Awardees 2014Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Workshops

This workshop brought together 24 world-renowned experts from four continents, bothacademics and practitioners, in the field of terrorism law and security. The workshopadopted a thematic approach to the substanceof counter-terrorism law, examining categoricalapproaches, based on pursuit, protection andprevention. The 20 papers presented an authoritative, comprehensive, and critical analysis of how laws are, and ought to be, invoked in domestic jurisdictions against terrorism. The topics covered included: counter-terrorism law and codes; surveillance; dataveillance; detention; trial; oversight mechanisms; counter-terrorism policing arrangements and powers; the penology of terrorism; homeland security; manifestations of extremism; ‘Prevent’ policies and law’; andthe social impact of counter-terrorism policies.The workshop enabled cross-fertilisation between the various contributors, allowing them to further develop their analysis. The papers will be published as the Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Law.

Genevieve LennonSchool of Law, Department of Humanities and Social Science,University of Strathclyde

Clive WalkerLaw School,University of Leeds

Law and Terrorism

The idea that the welfare state should provideunconditional support has come under attack.Governments seek to reduce the overall welfarebill by adopting more restricted criteria for eligibility; and many worry that an unconditionalwelfare system encourages a culture of dependency, unfairly forcing the prudent to subsidise the profligate. Such thoughts lie behind the Westminster Government’s currentreforms, which are shifting many benefits froman unconditional to a conditional basis, thereby– at least in aspiration – making the welfarestate more responsive to individual responsibility.

Can Scotland do things differently? This collaborative project will explore the possibilityof finding an alternative set of principles to underpin the welfare state. Through a series ofcross-disciplinary workshops, we will assess thechances of finding a financially prudent solutionwhich pays due heed to the importance of individual responsibility, whilst rejecting the moralised austerity that is dominant south of the Border.

Ben ColburnPhilosophy,School of Humanities,University of Glasgow

Hugh LazenbyPhilosophy,School of Humanities,University of Glasgow

Responsibility and the Welfare State

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The Scottish Government has signalled –through both its International EngagementStrategy and its Cities Strategy – that whateverthe outcome of the vote of September 2014, the development of Edinburgh as a dynamic and internationally-oriented city remains a priority. The current political moment presentsan opportunity to understand what kind of international city Edinburgh could become. In order to do so, we propose a three-tiered international comparative project in order to understand the international socio-political logics behind the development of an international city. This involves identifying, historically and sociologically, the key actors in the international field in different cities(Geneva, Oslo, Brussels and Edinburgh), and comparing how these actors are similar or different in their attachment and relation to their specific sovereign national fields.

Xavier GuillaumeSchool of Social & Political ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh

Daniel KenealySchool of Social & Political ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh

What is an international city? And what does it take to become one? The future of Edinburgh as an international city

Developing ‘talent’ is a key aspect of the Scottish Government’s Strategy for the CreativeIndustries (2011). At a crucial time of politicaland technological change, Scotland finds itselfcompeting within a highly competitive globalmarket to identify, attract and retain creative talent and strengthen its skills base. Whilst thediscussion of ‘talent’ appears ubiquitous in thepolicy context, this project takes as its focus theScreen Industries to examine current definitionsand understandings and consider whether thesereflect the reality and complexities of a changingindustry. By identifying key gatekeepers and examples of best practice, we ask whether digital technology offers new pathways to capture and nurture a diverse talent pool andwhat kinds of policy intervention is required toachieve this. These questions will be addressedthrough two themed workshops designed to initiate dialogue between academics, policymakers and stakeholders within Scotland’sScreen Industries and beyond.

Lisa W. KellyCentre for Cultural Policy ResearchUniversity of Glasgow

Katherine ChampionCentre for Cultural Policy ResearchUniversity of Glasgow

Shaping Scotland’s Talent: Change, Flexibility and New Pathways in the Screen Industries

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Fall Narratives is an interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars affiliated with a broad range of arts and humanities fields oflearning, who are engaged with many aspectsof the Fall. The aim of this collaboration is to explore the concept of the Fall across a widerange of disciplines and languages, from antiquity to the present day; to produce a peer-reviewed book about the themes of the Fall from an interdisciplinary perspective; and to create a mutually-enriching interdisciplinaryscholarly research network to facilitate furtherexploration of the theme of the Fall. Followingthe local and international interdisciplinary FallNarratives workshops, which took place at theUniversity of Aberdeen in March 2014 and June2014, a book on the theme of Fall is currentlyunder process. The success of the internationalworkshop might lead to additional such workshops in the future.

Zohar Hadromi-AlloucheSchool of DivinityUniversity of Aberdeen

Áine LarkinDepartment of FrenchUniversity of Aberdeen

Fall Narratives: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) is one of the most prominent and contested modern theologians. His dramatic involvement in theGerman resistance to Hitler, and consequent execution, have contributed to a widespreadand sustained interest in his work. Today, he remains amongst the most widely read theologians in Europe, North America and beyond. Most significant debates in contemporary theology and ethics are in some way shaped by his provocative legacy.

This series of exploratory workshops at the University of Aberdeen is bringing together leading Bonhoeffer researchers and scholarsfrom around the world. In particular, the workshops focus upon critically assessing thesignificance of Bonhoeffer’s work for contemporary debates in theology, ethics and public life. This series will shape the agenda for ongoing research in these fields.

Philip ZieglerDepartment of Divinity and Religious StudiesUniversity of Aberdeen

Michael MawsonDepartment of Divinity and Religious StudiesUniversity of Aberdeen

The Challenge of Bonhoeffer’s Theology for Contemporary Ethics andPublic Life

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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Workshop

A research workshop by Glasgow Life and Glasgow University featuring filmed analysis of objects and themes from Glasgow Museum’smajor exhibition on Georgian Glasgow calledHow Glasgow Flourished, 1714–1837 – thelargest history exhibition attempted at the newKelvingrove Museum since its refit in 2003 and a keynote celebration of the city’s and country’s history in Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. The films will increaseknowledge about Glasgow, making scholarshipand public museum collections more accessible,with speedier knowledge exchange betweenScottish schools, colleges and universities via the professional digital filming of presentationsby Glasgow University’s Media Services and a dedicated website for hosting these presentations, as well as using them for the Museum’s web-based digital database.

Anthony LewisGlasgowlifeGlasgow Museums

Simon NewmanAndrew Hook Centre for AmericanStudies, School of HumanitiesUniversity of Glasgow

How Glasgow Flourished, 1714–1837

Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Network

The multidisciplinary ReCREATE research network reconnects the tools, materials, laboratory/workshop environments, manufacturing skills and experimental practicethat Scotland used to make colourful decorativetextiles in the Industrial Revolution. Building onsuccesses from the knowledge exchange projectReINVENT, ReCREATE strengthens links betweenacademic and heritage sector researchers in science, arts and humanities through four innovative networking meetings, where the collaborators examine and discuss historicaltools, equipment, textiles and documents nowin museums, archives and trusts. Knowledge exchange between the core group and invitedspecialists from the UK and Europe will informand inspire reconstructive research for makingdecorative textiles, and contextualise the international significance of Scotland’s experimental culture before and during theIndustrial Revolution. The group will ultimatelyshare their expanded understanding though apublic conference for public and private collections, and also scope collaborative researchpartnerships between the academic and heritagesectors to rediscover Scotland’s forgotten storyof textile manufacturing innovation.

Anita QuyeCentre for Textile Conservation andTechnical Art History, History of ArtUniversity of Glasgow

Klaus StaubermannDepartment of Science and TechnologyNational Museums Scotland

ReCREATE: reconstructing the experimental culture of 19th-CenturyScottish textile manufacture

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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Networks

Handknitting has had a prominent place in the Scottish economy since the 19th Century. Its products, ranging from the softest woollensocks, to the finest Shetland shawls, from elaborate Fair Isle jumpers to the black andwhite Sanquhar gloves, have come to symboliseScottish heritage and are a synonym for skill, an eye for design and an authenticity that ishighly valued in the modern marketplace.

Today, knit is the pin-up craft for sustainability,creativity and authenticity. Knitting in theRound will investigate the transformation from small-scale, home-based craft productionto one of Scotland's most identifiable brands and it will explore the relationships that knit facilitates: between young and old, across continents, between practitioners and researchers, producers and consumers, in theScottish and international context. The resultwill be greater public understanding of the ways in which knit contributes to the Scottisheconomy, to health and wellbeing and to cultural enrichment.

Lynn AbramsHistory, School of HumanitiesUniversity of Glasgow

Marina MoskowitzCollege of ArtsUniversity of Glasgow

The project focuses on the legacy of religion inScotland. Despite the persisting secularisation of Scottish society, represented by decreasingchurch attendance, understanding Scotland's religious past is a sine qua non for understanding Scotland's social present. Religion has served as a principal factor in theformation of Scottish culture by shaping culturalnorms, delineating individual and corporateidentities, and profoundly influencing the nation's legal and political institutions, and remains prominent in the use of the Saltire as anational emblem. Moreover, the recent censushighlights the continued importance of religionin understanding modern Scotland. Whilst thenumber of Scots who feel religion defines theiridentity has decreased, the religious diversity ofthe nation has never been greater. The projectseeks to deal directly with the role of religion as a formative and yet divisive force in Scottish society and highlight its positive and negativefunctions in the nation's culture.

R. Scott SpurlockTheology and Religious StudiesUniversity of Glagow

Crawford GribbenSchool of History and AnthropologyQueen’s University, Belfast

Knitting in the Round: Hand-Knitted Textiles and the Economies of Craft in Scotland

Scottish Religious Cultures Research Network


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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities NetworksWe are building a trans-disciplinary, trans-national network to address the role ofcriminal punishment in democratic societies –a timely issue in Scotland, as we rethink our approach to punishment. If we accept the principle that those who commit crimes do notthereby exclude themselves from citizenship,from the mutual respect and concern that citizens should expect, what modes of punishment,with what aims, could be legitimate? This topiccan be usefully addressed only by collaborativework that draws on the resources of differentdisciplines and different traditions of penalthought – i.e. by this kind of network.

We are focusing initially on the material forms(especially imprisonment) that punishment maytake; and on the collateral consequences ofpunishment – the further deprivations that offenders often undergo beyond their formalpunishment. We plan to disseminate our workto a variety of audiences of policy makers, practitioners and interested citizens.

Richard SparksSchool of LawUniversity of Edinburgh

Antony Duff FRSEDepartment of PhilosophyUniversity of Stirling

Robert Crawford FRSESchool of English, University of St AndrewsLoch Computer

This project brings together short-story writers, poets, artists, computer scientists and digital humanities scholars to ponder the meaning of remoteness and connectedness in the digital age. It is hoped that the results will include publicationsand an exhibition. The project runs from 2014 until 2016.

Democracy, Citizenship, and Punishment

Photo by Aisha Farr


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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Networks

Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small GrantChristopher J. Berry FRSESchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of GlasgowThe Virtues of a Commercial Society

The grant paid for my fare to Japan (and contributed to travel expenses whilst there).The trip was a follow-up to my book The Idea of Commercial Society in the ScottishEnlightenment (Edinburgh University Press 2013). I gave four different lectures in sixdifferent universities, wherein I developed a theme of the book by examining the recalibration undertaken by Smith and Hume of the ‘classical’ virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, courage) to make them ‘fit for purpose’ in the modern world and how they established the appropriateness of distinctive ‘commercial virtues’ such as probity and humanity. The visit was also intended to foster Scotland–Japan intellectual links. On a personal level, I discussed my work with the Japanese translator of the book and, more generally, through the exchange of ideas, the possibility of establishing an international academic network in the study of the Scottish Enlightenment was explored. Indeed, a Japanese scholar visited Glasgow in August.

Carole HoughEnglish Language, School of Critical Studies, University of GlasgowCognitive Toponymy: People and Places in Synergy

This project uses place names to investigate human conceptualisation of place and its impact on the development of Western society. Cognition-based approachesare currently prominent in various disciplines, including archaeology, linguistics and psychology. The focus is on mental models and the role of embodied experience inthe everyday interaction between human beings and the world. This project harnesses these approaches within an interdisciplinary study of perceptions of place,examining the strategies used by humans to impose order on their surroundings and make sense of their environment over the last two millennia.

The nine members of the Research Network are based in Scotland and Denmark, and the research draws on comparative evidence from these two countries. Threemain strands relate to differences between geographical and mental compass points, the role of religion in the standardisation of place naming in medieval Europe, and the factors that determine salience in the visual perception of place.

Richard OramHistory and Politics, University of StirlingRoyal Scone: parliament, inauguration and national symbol

• To consolidate active research partnerships between scholars working on royal governance and symbolic use of place in northern Europe.

• To enhance public knowledge and understanding of Scone’s historic significance for governance in Scotland’s early national story.

• To organise an international academic conference and free public lecture series tofacilitate knowledge exchange about royal Scone’s place in Scotland and Europeanlegislative history.

• To publish new research on Scottish medieval inauguration and governance and itsEuropean context in a peer-reviewed monograph.

• To develop a schedule of public interpretation events in partnership with end-users and network scholars, using diverse media including creative writing, art work anddigital media.

• To form an authoritative research development and management plan for Scone and other European royal centres as the basis for development of the case for aUNESCO World Heritage Site application.


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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small Grants

Sally M FosterArchaeology, School of Geosciences, University of AberdeenECCLES: pre-Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture in Scotland in its European context

Europe’s pre-Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture is an outstanding resource, key to understanding of the introduction of Christianity and of the earliest Europeanisation. Through it, we can also explore Scotland’s contribution to the development of early medieval (pre-1100 AD) Europe. The main objective of ECCLES(Early Christian Churches and Landscapes) is, with partners in England, Ireland andWales, to develop a wider understanding and appreciation of the nature, value andsignificance of this resource in the Isles. Taking a European perspective, we need tocelebrate, address and build on the highly regional nature of the resource, its existingresearch and future potential. This grant enabled me to meet my partners, fact-findand explore options with researchers in different disciplines in Scotland, and learnfrom the experience of leading Corpus Architecturae Religiosae Europae practitioners,in France and Spain. The outcomes are working reports, conference papers (Edinburgh and Istanbul), an article and a grant application.

David CowleyAerial Survey, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandFrom ‘spy in the sky’ to material witness: aerial images of conflict in war museums

World Wars I and II saw the application of aerial photographs to military intelligencegrow exponentially from amateur pursuit to enormous specialised industry. Whilst images were collected to inform strategy and assess bomb damage, amongst otherobjectives, they now offer a unique textured view of conflict landscapes. Drawing on his extensive work on the uses of historic aerial photographs for archaeology, including the archaeology of conflict, and landscape studies, the applicant aims to examine uses in military museums, specifically in visitor engagement. Museum visits in Europe and desk-based assessments world-wide will examine the role of historicaerial photographs in creating narrative histories and stimulating memory. This will inform critique of synergies between archaeological approaches to imagery, generallyas sources for the more distant past, and their role in stimulating engagement withthe recent past.

Sir Tom Devine OBE FRSESchool of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of EdinburghThe Scottish Factor in the Ceylon Tea and Coffee Eoncomics in the 19th Century

This project examines the key Scottish influence on the development of the Ceylon(now known as Sri Lanka) tea and coffee economics in the 19th Century. Despite thesignificant growth of interest in Scottish activity throughout the Empire and globally,no sustained study of the country’s influence in Ceylon has been attempted.

This research aims to fill a significant gap in the historiography of the Scots abroad.The outcomes of this targeted project will be four journal articles, several seminar papers, and a presentation at the 2014 Scottish Homecoming conference.

The wider project on the Scottish migrant experience in Ceylon, of which this particular project is a part, will result in a jointly-authored book by Devine and McCarthy.


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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small Grants

Murdo MacdonaldDuncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of DundeeC T R Wilson and the Tracks of Sub-Atomic Particles: An Aesthetic Consideration

The Scottish physicist C T R Wilson was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1927 for his invention of the Cloud Chamber, an apparatus described by Rutherford as ‘the most original and wonderful instrument in scientific history.’ Taking the standpoint of art rather than science, my objective is to draw attention to the high aestheticquality of Wilson’s Cloud Chamber photographs, and by doing so to disseminate his contribution outside the scientific community.

The aesthetic significance of the images has been little explored, even though Wilson’s skill as a photographer is widely recognised. The purpose of this research is to take further the advocacy of Wilson displayed at the conference in his honour held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2012. This project is in collaboration with the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture.

Anthony HeywoodHistory Department, University of AberdeenTsarism’s Achilles’ Heel? Russia’s Railways in World War 1, July 1914–March 1917

My current monograph project addresses a key question for understanding TsaristRussia’s war effort in World War 1 and the autocratic regime’s momentous collapse in the 1917 February Revolution: how well did Russia’s railways cope with the waremergency from 1914? Traditionally, textbooks have asserted that the railways collapsed, greatly exacerbating the food shortages that sparked revolution. Yet thisclaim has never been thoroughly investigated. Already, I have proved that actually therailways carried 20 per cent more freight in 1916 than in their record peacetime year(1913). My RSE Small Grant is advancing my investigation considerably by enablingfieldwork in Russia during 2014 to clarify three core issues: when the railways beganmobilisation in 1914; how well they coped with it; and the effectiveness of the government’s subsequent efforts to expand railway capacity to accommodate the unforeseen and unprecedented demands of total war.

Tomasz KamusellaSchool of History, University of St AndrewsThe Atlas of Language Politics in Modern Central Europe

The Atlas offers a novel insight into the mechanisms and history of how Central Europe’s languages have been made, unmade and deployed for political action, mainly in the age of nationalism (19th–21st centuries), but with a reference to earlier periods, too. The interdisciplinary project is unique in its approach and scope, as no similar work has been attempted so far. The Atlas makes a wealth of specialised and hard-to-reach information readily available to the specialist andgeneral reader, and allows, at a glance, for gleaning information on, for instance, the fashioning of Serbian and Croatian into Serbo-Croatian, before it split into thetwo former languages, and Bosnian and Montenegrin, this process parallel to thebreakup of Yugoslavia. The Atlas’s several map series charter, amongst others, writing systems, the employment of languages for state building projects, and the disappearance of non-state languages.

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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small GrantsGavin MillerEnglish Literature, University of GlasgowDSM-5 and the Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis: Perspectives from Medical Humanities

This award allowed me to participate as a discussant in an international symposiumhosted by the Brocher Foundation in Switzerland. The Foundation supports interdisciplinary research on the ethical, legal and social implications of medical research and biotechnologies. The Symposium (organised by Dr Matthew Smith, History, Strathclyde University) brought together around twenty-five participants in a critical examination of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-5]. My particular contribution was a response to a paper on scientific classification in the DSM-5 presented by Dr Rachel Cooper of LancasterUniversity. It is hoped that a network of researchers will emerge from this meeting.

Emily NimmoCollections, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandSecuring Scotland’s 3D Digital Heritage

As the national collection for Scotland’s built environment, RCAHMS has a commitment to ensuring that the widespread capture of 3D laser scan data of Scotland’s ancient and historic monuments remain accessible to future generations.The fast pace of technological change in this area and the absence of an existing mature and workable approach to its preservation places this important record at risk.

Current guidance for the long term preservation of this data requires essential metadata which is often found to be too burdensome by the data creators. Theytherefore tend not to submit their important data to archives or submit with little or no accompanying metadata, putting its long term preservation at risk.

This research project has identified an approach which finds a balance between theease of use required by data creators and the essential documentation (metadata) required by archives for preservation purposes. This will be taken forward by the partners through future research applications.

Bernadette O’RourkeSchool of Management and Languages, Heriot-Watt UniversityBecoming a “new speaker” of a minority language – comparisons between Gaelic,Irish and Galician

In many parts of Europe, traditional communities of minority language speakers arebeing eroded as a consequence of urbanisation and economic modernisation. Increased provision for these languages through their inclusion in school curricula, the media and other public domains is giving rise to new types of speakers on whomthe future of these languages is likely to depend. Despite their significance, academicresearch and policy makers have not always given ‘new speakers’ (commonly referredto as non-native or second language speakers) adequate attention. The aim of thisproject is to bring this important sociolinguistic group into focus through a comparative analysis of the linguistic and social practices of new speakers across three contrasting European minority language settings including Gaelic (Scotland),Irish (Ireland) and Galician (Spain).

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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small GrantsGeraldine ParsonsCeltic and Gaelic, University of GlasgowAn edition of Acallam na Senórach from Oxford, Bodleain Library, Rawlinson B 487

Acallam na Senórach is an extraordinary literary work. Written c. AD 1200, probably in the west of Ireland, it imagines St Patrick coming into contact with ancient, pagan warriors from the war-band (fían) of Finn mac Cumhaill. The tale functions as a medieval meditation on Gaelic history and cultural identity and on the role thatthe land plays in each; place names prompt questions about the past, whilst the warriors root their answers in the landscapes they pass through.

One of the lengthiest literary texts to survive from the Gaelic Middle Ages, the workhas not been edited since 1900. The Rawlinson version of the text was under-utilisedin the 1900 edition and hence neglected by literary critics. This edition represents the first single-witness edition and, I hope, the first digital edition of the Acallam. In both these ways, I hope to facilitate new ways of understanding the text.

Neil PriceArchaeology, University of AberdeenImperial Addictions: Collateral Archaeologies of the Opium Trade, 1730–1930

The age of the European empires combined the rise of capitalism with early globalisation, and the large-scale production, transport and consumption of specialised commodities. This project makes a new, interdisciplinary study of one of them: opium. An unusual focus is brought to bear on the concept of collateral, to embrace not just the core areas of the trade such as Britain and China, but also the full range of its peripheries, the world that opium touched and changed. Gathering a wide series of archaeological case studies, material culture is used to illuminate what opium meant to the peoples of the early modern world, and to shed light on its varied socio-political heritage in our own time. The RSE's generoussupport has funded project research in Hong Kong, Canton (Guangzhou), Macau and Mauritius, together with its presentation at the primary world conference onIndo-Pacific archaeology, held this year in Cambodia.

Johnny RodgerMackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of ArtThe Spatial Distribution of Justice in Scotland

This project examines the history and design of the places and symbols where justice is delivered in Scotland. By a thorough examination of the development of the courthouse building, its design and use, and its role in the legal process and thetrial, the aim is to foster a wider and more nuanced understanding and appreciationof the forms and processes of justice. The courthouse is the physical expression of our relationship with ideals of justice: how does it mediate them, where does it do it, and what are the factors that have determined the development of such an expression? Given that important changes in regional provision of court buildings are underway, how have the buildings themselves been seen as part of a ‘problem’,and how can design and distribution of such spaces affect equal access to justice,now and in the future?


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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small GrantsKatie StevensonSchool of History, University of St AndrewsThe Power of Pedigree: The Stewart Dynasty and the Foundations of Royal Authority

This project provides a new understanding of the ways in which history was createdand utilised in late medieval and early Renaissance Scotland (c.1371–c.1562), a keyperiod in the nation’s past when it was fully independent and a significant power in Europe. Drawing on sources that have hitherto been largely neglected by scholars – particularly visual and material culture – and developing the wider disciplinary argument that iconography and symbols of sovereignty provided a mode of communication through which authority could be maintained during periods of constitutional crisis, as well as in the normal day-to-day running of the kingdom, this project explores the development and propagation of the myth of dynasty created by the Royal House of Stewart, which rested on key moments in the nation’s past in order to exercise power and authority in the kingdom and beyond.

Zoë StrachanSchool of Critical Studies, University of GlasgowOut There, a new anthology of LGBT writing from Scotland

The first anthology of LGBT writing from Scotland in over 14 years, and only the third in existence, Out There features contributions from new and established Scottish writers including Ali Smith, Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, Christopher Whyte,Ronald Frame, Louise Welsh, Jenni Fagan and many more. The stories and poems are contextualised by critical essays by Professor Berthold Schoene (MMU) and Dr Jeff Meek (GU). Edited by Zoë Strachan and to be published by Freight Books in September 2014.

Rhian WilliamsEnglish Literature, University of GlasgowParochial Histories: The poetics of ecological record-keeping and material change, c. 1770–1830

My RSE grant has enabled me to visit key archive holdings of 18th-Century weatherrecords, informing work delivered to the European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and the Environment as the first stage in a new study of the natural history writer Gilbert White (1720–1793) and cultures of ecological record keeping, 1770–1830. This historicised, materialised and theorised study is specifically alert to the generic variations in private weather diaries, almanacs, garden calendars, weather- and gardening-related letters, notebooks, and poems in this period of intensifying industrialisation. This cross-genre reading delineates a subtle and varied literacy in writing about and responding to the natural world in this period and by embedding White into the active and local communities of‘weather watchers’ and phenological recorders, my research demonstrates that‘parochial histories’ contain within them the logic and models by which communities develop an ‘ecological mindfulness’ that connect them to larger social processes and to our own moment of ecological concern.


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Scottish Government Arts & Humanities Small GrantsSaeko YazakiTheology and Religious Studies, University of GlasgowMuslim–Jewish–Christian relations: A. S. Yahuda and his career

The current political and social climate deeply affects our perception of history. For example, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict often leads to a misconceived belief that there has been a long history of hatred between Jews and Arabs/Muslims. This project draws attention to Muslim–Jewish–Christian relations through exploring the Arab-Jewish scholar, A. S. Yahuda (d. 1951), and his study of Hebrew–Egyptian relationships in the Bible, Judaeo-Islamic traditions in al-Andalus, and Judaeo-Christianthought in Newton’s religious writings. Yahuda was an early supporter of Zionism, but became critical of its direction for ignoring the importance of Arab–Jewish relations, whilst he regarded the shared heritage of medieval Spain as the socio-politicalbasis for post-Ottoman Palestine. This project focuses on Yahuda’s under-researchedviews of the strong tie amongst the three monotheistic faiths, central to his political activities, through an exploration of his life and achievements as a scholar and manuscript collector.

Orfeas BoteasEdinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC), University of EdinburghDehumaniser

Creating monster and imaginary creature sounds for the entertainment industry is a time consuming procedure, which requires the recording and process of various animal sounds or human voice in order to create the wanted sound. This proceduredemands technical knowledge, equipment and time in order to create the wanted result. Dehumaniser is a unique vocal software processor/sound design tool for making monster and imaginary creature sounds in real time. It can be used for the entertainment industry, including films, video games, radio and theatrical performances. Dehumaniser is being used by the biggest sound studios and videogame companies worldwide.

Olivia FengAccounting and Finance Department, Adam Smith Business School, University of GlasgowDeveloping and commercialising an online interactive platform (CampusBuddy) to help universities to reach and engage with prospective international applicants

Utilising app development skills and research expertise in gamification (behavioural experiments and modification), we aim to develop attractive online solutions that provide a more virtual and immersive learning and social experience for users. The current project focuses on providing CampusBuddy as an online platform as a SaaS(software as a service) model. We are able to help converting and engaging moreprospective applicants into committed students. CampusBuddy is a cross-platformmobile app that will revolutionise the way universities communicate and engage with international applicants. CampusBuddy enables a university to directly reach and communicate with ten million prospective international applicants so that it accurately reflects the strengths and aspirations of that university, allowing users to find the university that best fits their needs. Students will be better informed and more confident in making the right application decisions.

Scottish Enterprise Enterprise Fellowships


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Scottish Enterprise Enterprise FellowshipsDavid HunterEdinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC), University of EdinburghShot Scope Technologies

Sport performance and wearable technology markets are growing at an exceptionalrate, Shot Scope is the next generation of both. The patent-pending wearable technology revolutionises sports performance data collection.

Initially targeting the golf market, Shot Scope collects statistical data automatically as a golfer plays. Once finished, the golfer uploads data to the Shot Scope website,where statistics are displayed in graphs, charts, tables and a map of the golf course.The technology has been proven and tested with professional golfers and the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University. I now seek investment to commercialise the technology.

The RSE/SE Enterprise Fellowship, combined with an award from the Technology Strategy Board, provided the skills, knowledge and resources to progress the business. Prior to founding Shot Scope I worked for seven years as an electronics design engineer, developing electronics products for medical, military, oil & gas and commercial applications.

Eirini KomninouComputer and Information Sciences, University of StrathclydeAutomated near-optional Space science operations scheduling with the use of heuristics

Satellites are sophisticated tools used for observation, communications, etc. Post-launch, a satellite provides the scientific or commercial return it was designed for, during a predefined operational timeframe. Operations can last for years or decades,depending on the mission. Instructing a satellite what to do, when and for how long,known as mission operations scheduling, is pivotal for a successful mission. Operationsscheduling has been conducted manually since the beginning of the Space era. Missions have become more complex, making the process increasingly challenging.Nevertheless, the scheduling process has remained largely manual, with experts comparing mission requirements to constraints by hand before a conflict-free scheduleis generated. Such a process is lengthy, cumbersome and error prone. During this research, tools and methodologies are being developed to automate and optimise theprocess of mission operations scheduling, supporting experts by alleviating excessiveworkload whilst increasing operations reliability and maximising mission return.

Jamie KunkaMechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, University of DundeeLonely Mountain Skis

I am a research associate with a background in product design and engineering. I love combining my passions for design and outdoor sports and making productsthat will put a smile on people’s faces.

Lonely Mountain Skis produces innovative handmade skis for the freeride and skitouring markets. Using hardwood and natural fibre composites, we can bring skis to market that are high performance, lightweight and sustainable. We use hardwood top sheets on our skis, which is a homage to the days when we skied on wood. Our skis are made with as much locally-sourced, natural and recycled material as possible. Sustainability is a big deal for us, as we plan to operate in an industry which relies on snowfall.


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Liita-lyaloo NaukushuEdinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC), University of EdinburghReusable Menstrual Hygiene Device for Wholesale to International Development Agencies

Kalitasha Ltd. was established and registered in Scotland in 2013. The company seeks toenable women to effectively and securely manage their menstrual fluids.

Although menstruation is a critical aspect of every woman’s life, for many around the world it is often accompanied by a loss of dignity and a limited capability to engage in public life. At Kalitasha Ltd., we believe that women should find dignity in every day.

The company has developed a reusable menstrual hygiene device, which it will contract out for manufacturing. It will then market and sell bulk quantities of the product to organisations that can distribute it to adolescent girls in developing countries. Through this for-profit model, the company seeks to produce social benefits to women and girls;and also provide financial returns to investors.

Jack NgEdinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC), University of EdinburghSanitation by easily-applied copper surface

80% of infectious diseases are transferred by touch. In the healthcare environment,when patients are weak or have healing/open wounds, it is easy to pick up additional infections which cause serious complication and even death. Can we reduce the riskof hospitals actually harming people?

One in three of us carries bacteria that can kill someone in hospitals. Hand washingand trying to change people’s behaviour is not enough. Copper has a natural powerthat destroys the germs landing on its surface. Jack has developed a product, micronCopper, that can be easily painted onto high-touch and high-traffic surfaces such asbed rails, trolley & drawer handles, door fixtures, patient accessories, surgical tabletops and other devices.

Jack has been a lead researcher of several projects in simplifying manufacturingprocesses for eight years. He founded the company Sansible. It stands for sanitation that is sensible, and simplified.

Silvana Palacios School of Textiles and Design, Heriot-Watt UniversitySelvancolour® Unique technology for sustainable fashion

Selvancolour® is the only method of digital ink-jet printing fabric with sustainable and environmentally friendly dyes at an industrial scale.

Each year, seven million tonnes of synthetic dyes are produced, much of it ending in bodies of water, where they have toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects. On clothing, they can cause contact dermatitis. Our proprietary ink formulations are based on natural organic dyes and are adaptable to industrial-scale printing technology.


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Muhammad Rohaan SadiqDivision of Imaging and Technology (DIT), University of DundeeActive Needle Technology for Safe Needle Interventions

Every year over 1.5 million UK and 250 million world patients undergo needle-basedprocedures, such as regional anaesthesia and cancer biopsy. The problems of poor visibility and deflection of the needle tip are still major concerns for clinicians at bothtrainee and consultant levels. These problems, besides increasing the overall durationof the procedures, lead to numerous post-operative complications, such as nerve damage, internal bleeding and repeat biopsy, costing more than $1 billion annually.Dr. Sadiq has developed an innovative medical device ‘Active Needle’ technology that allows the clinicians to see the standard medical needles in colour during ultrasound-guided procedures and significantly reduces tip deflection. It is believedthat this technology can revolutionise the healthcare system by providing safer, efficient and cost-effective needle-based procedures, benefitting patients, cliniciansand healthcare providers. The RSE/SE Enterprise Fellowship is offering valuable support for the commercialisation of the ‘Active Needle’ technology through marketresearch, enterprise training and development of a viable business plan for Dr. Sadiq’s pre-incorporated startup Ultravizion.

Abesh ThakurEdinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC), University of EdinburghReal-time 3D audio engine

There is a growing demand for immersive audio-visual experiences, as evidenced bythe growth of virtual reality head mounted displays such as those developed by Oculus VR (Facebook) and Sony. Although these technologies deliver a compelling visual experience, they lack advanced audio technologies, mainly due to the computational complexity associated with complex audio effects such as 3D audio in real time.

At Two Big Ears we have created 3Dception, an efficient cross platform 3D audio engine which allows games and application developers to create realistic audio content to match their high-quality visual environments. When played back overheadphones, sounds can appear to come from any point in space – front, back, evenabove or behind the user. It is easy to implement in existing developer workflows andis up to 29 times faster than competing technologies. Imagine hearing a monstergrowling right behind you so realistically that it forces you to turn around and face it!

Alex WardPhysics and Astronomy, University of St AndrewsThe commercialisation of a novel piezoelectric nanopositioner

In the modern world, where even a toaster has a microchip and a mobile phone has the computing power of a state-of-the-art computer from ten years ago; a lot ofour society is built on really tiny circuitry. Although during the manufacturing of such nanotechnology, often clever techniques can be used to avoid direct manipulation at these tiny-length scales, sometimes, during inspection and error correction, it is necessary to bite the bullet and actually move and probe these structures. To do thisrequires a technology to provide precise, stiff, high-force movement with a precisionmeasured in nanometres. During the course my RSE fellowship, I will be commercialisinga new mechanism for nanomanipulation; one that has the potential to be more robust and more powerful than current technologies. This will be sold, initially, to an academic market who research nanotechnologies, before graduating into scanning-probe microscopy and, finally, integrated circuit manufacture and inspection.



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Huabi (Helen) YinDepartment of Physics, University of StrathclydeCommercialisation of high power broadband terahertz Gyrotron Travelling Wave Amplifier (Gyro-TWA) technology

I propose to set up a company to manufacture and sell terahertz Gyro-TWAs to the magnetic resonance instrumentation market initially and later to the security industry. The gyro-TWA has >50 times higher power-bandwidth performance than any competing devices and is the best product available to meet the demand for high resolution pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and high-sensitivity nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughthe terahertz-based dynamic nuclear polarisation (DNP) technique. EPR has hugeapplications in bioscience, as it is used to characterise the structure and properties of bio-molecules. DNP technique can increase the sensitivity of NMR and the contrast of MRI by a few orders of magnitude. EPR/DNP represents a £Billion industry.With the one-year RSE Enterprise Fellowship, I will develop a business which can manufacture the gyro-TWAs in sufficient numbers (30 to 50 units per year) to satisfyEPR/DNP market demand.

Matthew MurdochDepartment of Physics, University of LiverpoolCommercialisation of an anti-neutrino detector for plutonium accounting at nuclear reactors

Nuclear proliferation is of great concern to the global community. Nuclear materials are difficult to robustly track and safeguard by their very nature. This is particularly true at nuclear reactors, where plutonium is produced as a by-product, creating the opportunity for diversion of materials from peaceful use. Currently, the IAEA employs many and varied safeguards at nuclear reactor sites to prevent such diversions. However, the use of nuclear energy is on the rise, increasing the demand for robust, automated safeguard measures.

Anti-neutrinos are the smallest, massive particles observed and are created in abundance in reactor cores. By deploying state-of-the-art neutrino detection technology (such as that developed at Liverpool), the anti-neutrino emissions of a reactor can be monitored to provide an automated, near-to-real-time safeguard measure that can be monitored remotely, requiring no access to the reactor building itself.

STFC and Scottish Enterprise co-funded Enterprise Fellowship

STFC Enterprise Fellowship


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Sarah de VosCrop Genetics, John Innes Centre, NorwichThe New Heritage Barley Company

The New Heritage Barley Company is the proposed name for a spin-off business culminating from research started over ten years ago at the John Innes Centre.The business will revive and develop heritage barley varieties for brewing. ThroughBBSRC follow-on funding, we established a demand for heritage malt and workedwith industry to develop a quality product for sale from 2015. Heritage malt will provide greater choice and added value to farmers, maltsters and brewers in the malt beverage supply chain. In addition, we have recognised a requirement for valuable disease resistance traits identified in our heritage varieties. We will introduce thesetraits into elite cultivars for local production in niche markets, a process we define as'boutique breeding'. Our business proposition capitalises on the desire for sustainableproduction in agriculture by introducing barley varieties that have greater adaptivevalue (plasticity) with regard to disease pressures and climate change.

Oliver Charles GoodyearImmunity and Infection, Medical School, University of BirminghamThe commercialisation of a novel “label free” cell separation

Recent advances in stem cell biology have highlighted the potential of cellular therapyto deliver effective healthcare. Cell separation underpins cell-based therapies and research, with a global market anticipated to be worth $5.7 billion by 2016.

The ProblemExisting methods rely on filtration, centrifugation or affinity separation using magneticcolloids or particles that leave capture ligands on the cells. This leads to co-enrichmentof red blood cells and dead cells, limiting the ability for multiple separation steps andcompromising target cell viability.

Our solution is a new technology that allows rapid “label free” separation directlyfrom whole blood, with high viability and purity.

Our business proposition is to form a university spin-out company focusing on thesupplying of cell separation devices to the research community. We will minimise theoperational costs by harnessing university infrastructure whilst out-sourcing distribution and manufacture as demand increases.

George FrodshamInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, University College LondonHaemofilter for the treatment of malaria

Every year there are 220 million malaria cases and 660,000 deaths. Most are childrenunder five, and many do not survive even if they get to hospital. Our device could save the lives of thousands, and improve the lives of millions.

The haemofilter is a medical device which removes malaria infected cells directly fromthe bloodstream. The patient’s blood flows through the device via an extra-corporealloop in a dialysis-like technique. It is affordable, requires no drugs or chemicals, andwould be the first medical device for the treatment of an infectious disease.

It can treat any malaria infection, including drug-resistant strains, alleviating symptoms in hours rather than days. In isolation, the device could keep a patient aliveand symptom free indefinitely. Alongside conventional therapies, it could reduce or eliminate side effects, and improve survivability through rapid reduction of the initialparasite burden.

BBSRC Enterprise Fellowships

The award-winning leadership and developmentprogramme for Scotland’s ‘research leaders of thefuture’ – Scottish Crucible – completed a sixth annual programme earlier this year. Scottish Crucible 2014 brought together 30 highly promisingresearchers (pictured right) from different disciplinesthrough an intensive programme run over threemonths and hosted by the universities of Edinburgh,St Andrews and Glasgow. The aim was to encourageparticipants to widen the impact of their researchthrough collaborative and interdisciplinary work,and help them develop skills, knowledge and connections to maximise their capacity for researchand knowledge exchange with business, industry,media and the policy community.

Scottish Crucible is open to all academic disciplinesand a record number of applications was receivedin 2014. From this very competitive applicant pool,the selection panel was able to create a cohort oftalented researchers from the fields of engineeringand physical sciences; biology,ecology and medicine; arts andhumanities; and social sciences.The researchers who won a placeon the 2014 programme arefrom the universities of Aberdeen,Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclydeand the West of Scotland; Glasgow Caledonian, Heriot-Wattand Queen Margaret; and the James Hutton Institute.

Scottish Crucible gives its participants a unique opportunity to broaden their networks with seniorcolleagues in different sectors; e.g., through interaction with the Royal Society of Edinburgh,the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament.It also has a growing alumni network which comprises all members of the Scottish Crucible2009–2013 cohorts. Many Scottish CrucibleAlumni were able to attend special networkingevents held con-currently with the 2014 programme, including an annual ‘Crucible Ceildh’, which this year was hosted by the University of Glasgow.

Members of the ‘Scottish Crucible Alumni Network’ also travelled to Copenhagen in June 2014 (below) as part of a special delegation led by Scottish Crucible Directors,Dr Ruth Neiland and Professor Alan Miller FRSE. Involving Crucible Alumni from eight Scottish universities, all of whom are lecturers in disciplines ranging from biomedical engineering and robotics to conservation science and music, the ScottishCrucible delegation visited Copenhagen to participate in ESOF – the EuroScience

Open Forum – a pan-European, multidisciplinaryconference on research and innovation. Theevent attracted several thousand delegates,including top researchers from all disciplines,business leaders, senior EU policy makers, and the international scientific media.

Scottish Crucible Director, Dr Ruth Neiland,Heriot-Watt University, said of the event“ESOF 2014 was a perfect conference for ourCrucible Alumni; not only did they participate

in a high-quality scientific programme encompassing a variety of multidisciplinarythemes, but they also took full advantage to network with potential collaboratorsand colleagues to help foster future research projects.”

Scottish Crucible Alumnus, Dr Anita Quye, University of Glasgow, commented“It was a fantastic experience and fruitful in many ways, not least in strengtheningour special Crucible bond across the years. I have a number of research leads to follow up now, thanks to contacts made at the ESOF 2014 conference.”


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Scottish Crucible 2014

Further details of Scottish Crucible and European Crucible are available at: www.hw.ac.uk/scottishcrucible/ or by contacting Scottish Crucible at: [email protected]

The Scottish Crucible delegation was also welcomed to Copenhagen by Professor KirstenHastrup, President of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Professor AlanMiller, Deputy Principal for Research and KT, Heriot-Watt University and Fellowship Secretaryof the Royal Society of Edinburgh said “We thank colleagues from our sister Academyin Denmark for their warm welcome to Scottish Crucible at ESOF and anticipate even closerties developing between members of our respective research communities in the future.”

Scottish Crucible 2014 will culminate with the award of funding for collaborative projects through the Scottish Crucible Interdisciplinary Project Fund. The results of this competition will be announced at the RSE Research Awards Ceremony on 1st September 2014.

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Dr Alison BennettEcological SciencesJames Hutton Institute

Dr Javier Escudero Rodriguez School of EngineeringUniversity of Edinburgh

Dr Miguel Garcia-SanchoScience, Technology & Innovation StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh

Dr Suzanne GrantDivision of Population & Health SciencesUniversity of Dundee

Dr Susanne KeanSchool of Health in SocialScience, Nursing StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh

Dr Carol EmslieInstitute for Applied Health ResearchGlasgow Caledonian University

Dr Ewan CampbellSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of Aberdeen

Dr Andrea CaporaliBHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh

Dr Efthalia ChatzisymeonInstitute for Infrastructure& EnvironmentUniversity of Edinburgh

Dr John ConnollySocial SciencesUniversity of the West of Scotland

Participants in Scottish Crucible 2014

Dr Joanne McEvoyDepartment of Politics & International RelationsUniversity of Aberdeen

Dr Laura McNamaraCentre for Cell EngineeringUniversity of Glasgow

Dr Stuart RobertsonDepartment of Pure & Applied ChemistryUniversity of Strathclyde

Dr Benjamin SachsDepartment of PhilosophyUniversity of St Andrews

Dr Christopher McCormickBiomedical Engineering DepartmentUniversity of Strathclyde


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Dr Maggie CunninghamPsychology DepartmentUniversity of Stirling

Dr Niall MackenzieUniversity of StrathclydeBusiness School

Dr Stephen MansellSchool of Engineering & Physical SciencesHeriot-Watt University

Dr Deborah MaxwellSchool of DesignUniversity of Edinburgh(Edinburgh College of Art)

Dr Fadhila MazanderaniScience, Technology & Innovation StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh

Dr Michael LonesSchool of Mathematical & Computer SciencesHeriot-Watt University

Dr Stacy DeRuiterCentre for Research intoEcological & EnvironmentalModelling (CREEM)University of St Andrews

Dr Stephan DombrowskiDivision of PsychologyUniversity of Stirling

Dr Grainne El MountassirDepartment of Civil & Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Strathclyde

Dr Kathryn ElmerInstitute of Biodiversity,Animal Health & Comparative MedicineUniversity of Glasgow

Participants in Scottish Crucible 2014

Dr Andrew StewartSchool of Physics & AstronomyUniversity of Glasgow

Dr Matthias TrostMRC Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation UnitUniversity of Dundee

Dr Manousos ValyrakisEnvironmental EngineeringUniversity of Glasgow

Dr Laura WynessDietetics, Nutrition& Biological Sciences DepartmentQueen Margaret University

Dr Laurie SheddenDepartment of BiomedicalEngineeringUniversity of Strathclyde

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

Telephone/Textphone +44 (0) 131 240 5000Fax +44 (0) 131 240 5024

e.mail [email protected]

22–26 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ

The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scottish Charity No. SC000470The RSE Scotland Foundation is a connected charity, registered in Scotland as

Scottish Charity No. SC024636

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland’s National Academy of Science & Letters. It is an independent body with charitable status. The Societyorganises conferences and lectures for the specialist and for the general public. It provides a forum forinformed debate on issues of national and internationalimportance.

Its multidisciplinary Fellowship of men and women of international standing provides independent, expert advice to key decision-making bodies, including Government and Parliaments.

The Society’s Research Awards programme annually awards well over £2 million to exceptionally talented youngresearchers to advance fundamental knowledge, and to develop potential entrepreneurs to commercialisetheir research and boost wealth generation.

Among its many public benefit activities, the RSE is active inclassrooms from the Borders to the Northern Isles, with asuccessful programme of lectures and hands-on workshopsfor primary and secondary school pupils.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, working as part of the UKand within a global context, is committed to the future ofScotland’s social, economic and cultural wellbeing.

the royal society of edinburgh research awards reception · 2018-06-07 · welcome to the rse’s...

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