About ERPem
The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have formed an exciting, vibrant, research venture in engineering and mathematics, created as a result of £22m of investment, of which £11.7m is being provided by the OSI and SFC. This funding facilitated the formation of a nucleus of research activity which, with additional funding from the contributing Universities, has led to the creation of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics (ERPem).
The Government (SFC/OST) funding has allowed the creation of an initial 26 new academic positions to expand and lead new research activities; these have been appointed equally (12 each) across the two leading Universities, with an additional two appointments at Napier University.
The ERPem initially encompassed five Joint Research Institutes (JRIs) with an associated joint postgraduate school. Additional funding from SFC in January 2007 has enabled the creation of a sixth JRI. In keeping with the ERPem’s philosophy of selective inclusivity the sixth JRI includes areas of research excellence in Edinburgh Napier University.
The Joint Research Institutes are in the areas of:
- Signal and Image Processing
- Mathematical Sciences
- Subsurface Science and Engineering
- Energy
- Integrated Systems (Precision Optical, Electronic and Miniature Systems)
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
Each of the six JRIs combines the relevant research active academic staff, postdoctoral research fellows and their graduate students from the partner Universities into a single joint research institute, significantly enhancing research capacity and scale.
The ERPem, with its six JRIs involves the participation in excess of 290 academics, a large number Research Fellows, Post Doctorate Research Assistants and Post Graduate Students. Additional external researchers from the British Geological Survey, the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre and the Astronomy Technology Centre are also involved to help create a unique environment for research.
ERPem features, benefits and achievements