University of Southampton

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-12

At mid-ocean ridges, plates move apart and the resulting space is filled with rising hot material that melts to form new ocean crust. Interaction between this hot young crust and cold seawater results in hydrothermal circulation that is responsible for ~25% of global heat loss. This circulation influences the chemistry of the oceans and crust, feeds unique ecosystems that hold clues to the origin of life and deposits minerals that are critical to modern technology and to a low-carbon future. Scientists can study this circulation by making measurements on fluids that emerge and on the mineral deposits that they form. Drilling into young crust and instrumentation of the resulting boreholes provides further insights. But focused venting of hot fluids and the associated mineral deposits must represent a small fraction of the overall flow. The pathways of circulation remain elusive because we have lacked a way of imaging this flow, which can change significantly over time as molten rock cools and hydrothermal fluids find new pathways, particularly at mid-ocean ridges where the plate separation is slow and molten rock is only episodically present. Two geophysical techniques can image active flow: seismology, which detects and locate small earthquakes resulting from cracking of the rocks by fluids; and electromagnetic imaging techniques that detect variations in resistivity due to changes in temperature and composition of the pore fluid. Recent developments in these techniques provide opportunities for previously impossible high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of fluid pathways. The aim of our project is to determine how hydrothermal circulation transfers heat and chemicals from molten rock below a mid-ocean ridge to the ocean above, and how this circulation changes on annual to decadal timescales, by carrying out a novel geophysical experiment at the “Lucky Strike” vent field on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This site is unique because: it is the only place on a slow-spreading ridge where molten rock has been imaged and mapped with seismic techniques; it was the focus of a 3D controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) study in 1999, yielding data that can only be analysed fully with techniques developed much more recently; and it has been the focus since 2010 of a European observatory, involving continuous observations, including of small earthquakes. At this site we will conduct a high-resolution 3D CSEM study using powerful transmitters close to the seabed. We will monitor resistivity changes over a one-year period using passive electromagnetic techniques. We will combine these observations with published information on sound speeds beneath Lucky Strike to distinguish the effects of rock composition from those of fluids. We will monitor small earthquakes for one year, using a larger set of instruments than available from the observatory, allowing us to distinguish earthquakes resulting from hydrothermal flow from those resulting from stretching of the crust. Using time-lapse electromagnetic modelling techniques currently under development, we will explore how hydrothermal flow patterns have changed since 1999 and how they change over a year. We will use the earthquake observations to determine likely locations of such changes. We will combine all of these results with data from the observatory, including measurements of the temperature and composition of fluids venting through the seafloor, to develop an integrated 3D view of the whole system from the molten rock below to the ocean above and its variation over time.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-09

Many people want to live meaningful lives. But our lives are changing as new technology increasingly influences how we work, live, and socialise. Algorithms calculate routes for delivery drivers. Artificial intelligence systems sift through legal records to compile reports for lawyers. Chatbots draft emails for office workers, and lesson plans for teachers. How do these changes affect the meaningfulness of our working lives? And why should we care about such impacts on meaningfulness? My project aims to address these questions. It does so by pursuing three objectives. The first objective is to explore the connection between meaningful work and meaningful lives, asking whether meaningful work (where this includes unpaid productive activities such as volunteering or care work) is necessary for living a meaningful life overall. Answering this question will shed light on whether the meaningfulness of our lives can be sustained despite the increasing automation of work. The second objective is to explain the role of attachments for meaningfulness. When we are attached to people, activities, or things, they take on special meaning for us. I argue that our attachments determine the extent to which activities are meaningful. But others can influence what we get attached to. For example, chatbots might nudge us to take up new tasks, or persuade us to think more favourably of our work. These influences can be problematic, when they amount to manipulation or deception. Such cases raise important questions about the ethics of influencing attachments, which the project addresses. The third objective is to investigate whether we can harm others by making their lives less meaningful. Intuitively, people suffer harm when their lives lose meaning, for example, when they get assigned trivial and pointless tasks instead of challenging and worthwhile tasks. But standard philosophical theories of harm cannot explain this intuition. I propose to expand standard theories of harm to include cases of meaningfulness. In doing so, I also explore the connection between instances of losing or gaining meaningfulness and living a meaningful life overall. Overall, the project develops a novel framework for understanding impacts of automation on meaningfulness, and in particular, meaningful work. The resulting framework has wide-ranging applications. Importantly, understanding the meaningfulness of work has implications for policy and business practice related to developing and implementing new technologies at work. For example, if meaningful work is central to meaning in life, then the primary aim of technological innovation should not be to replace human workers; rather, technology should be used to enhance work that is meaningful and reduce work that is not meaningful. The proposed project also sheds light on ways in which technology might affect the meaningfulness of work in more subtle ways, for example through technology which changes what is meaningful for workers by influencing their attachments. The results of the project will be disseminated, among others, through a policy brief and an event on policy implications. The project brings benefits to a variety of national and international stakeholders interested in the future of work, including, but not limited to, workers, businesses, policy makers, and researchers across disciplines interested in the good life and meaningful work.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-09

Feedback from actively accreting supermassive black holes (AGN) is known to play a fundamental role in shaping massive galaxies. In low-mass, "dwarf" galaxies, the impact of black holes has until recently been largely overlooked. However, new simulations and observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that a significant number of dwarf galaxies host active black holes, which may therefore be key to their evolution. This project aims to explore the co-evolution of black-holes and their host galaxies at low masses using new variability-based selection techniques for AGN identification. Variability selection is unearthing a previously unstudied population of accreting black holes at low-masses and will be transformed by the arrival of data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space Time (LSST) from mid 2026 which will allow low-mass black holes to be routinely detected out to redshift 1. Key Scientific Questions This project will address several fundamental questions on the nature of the host galaxies of new variability selected AGN from Rubin-LSST: What are the stellar masses and star formation rates of variability selected AGN? What fraction of variability selected AGN reside in dwarf galaxies? Do dwarf galaxies follow the same relationships between black hole mass and galaxy mass as seen in massive galaxies? Are galaxy mergers responsible for triggering black hole activity in these systems, or is secular evolution more important? What is the incidence of off-nuclear 'wandering' black-holes and dual AGN in the dwarf regime? Research Approach To answer these questions, we will leverage state-of-the-art data from upcoming astronomical surveys. Rubin-LSST will provide unprecedented samples of variability selected black holes beyond the local Universe. Combining this with near infrared imaging from VISTA will enable constraints on their host stellar masses and star formation rates. We will also use high-resolution imaging from the Euclid space telescope to analyze the morphologies of the host galaxies and search for dual and off-nuclear AGN. The project will focus on three main areas: Measuring the stellar masses and star formation rates of dwarf galaxies hosting accreting black holes – We will use advanced image decomposition techniques combined with machine learning to separate AGN and host galaxy emission and constrain the stellar masses and star formation rates of variability selected AGN. We will therefore determine how many variability selected AGN reside in dwarf galaxies with M*<3x10^9M_0 and establish whether dwarf galaxies at z>0.1 follow local scaling relations between galaxy and black-hole mass. Morphologies of dwarf AGN host galaxies – We will determine if dwarf AGN host galaxies contain bulges, disks, or evidence of past mergers, shedding light on how black holes and galaxies co-assemble at low masses. Identifying rare black hole populations – We will search for “dual AGN” (two black holes in the same galaxy) and “wandering” black holes that have been displaced from their galaxy centers, testing theories of black-hole seed formation. Why This Project Will Succeed Our team has access to cutting-edge datasets and analysis tools, including expertise in the Rubin LSST image-processing pipelines. We are involved in major international collaborations such as Rubin-LSST and Euclid with significant leadership roles within LSST and LSST:UK, ensuring that our findings will be integrated with broader efforts in the field.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-06

This project investigates how a domestic abuse victim’s voice – specifically their accent and vocal pitch – can influence how they are perceived by others. It aims to uncover whether biases related to social class, ethnicity, and gender expression affect how victims are judged in terms of their credibility and vulnerability, and whether these biases differ between the general public and trained professionals working in domestic abuse support services. Research shows that a victim’s likelihood of reporting abuse, being believed, or receiving support varies according to social identity factors (see Hester et al, 2012). The End-to-End Rape Review (Ministry of Justice, 2021) and inspections from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS, 2022) also highlight persistent failures in victim care, particularly for those who do not match the ‘ideal victim’ stereotype. Meanwhile, research in sociolinguistics has shown that accents strongly shape perceptions of credibility, intelligence, and likability (Pantos & Perkins, 2013; Levon et al., 2021), but this has rarely been studied in high-stakes contexts like domestic abuse. To explore this question, I will work in close partnership with Stop Domestic Abuse, a frontline support organisation, and HMICFRS. The research uses an experimental method called the matched-guise technique, where listeners hear carefully controlled recordings of victim testimonies delivered in a range of accents and vocal pitches. These recordings are performed by professional actors and digitally manipulated to isolate the effects of specific linguistic features while keeping content and delivery consistent. Scripts will be developed in collaboration with support practitioners to ensure they reflect the kinds of stories that real victims tell. This will ensure that the experimental materials are not only rigorously controlled, but also authentic and grounded in frontline experience. Listeners will evaluate how believable, competent, or fearful each speaker seems – traits shown to influence victim credibility judgments (Voogt et al., 2017). Participants will include both members of the public and staff from Stop Domestic Abuse, allowing for a comparison between the general population and people who work with victims on a daily basis. The findings will be used to improve training for professionals working with victims. Materials will be co-developed with Stop Domestic Abuse and shared with key partners, including HMICFRS, to help shape future guidance on victim assessment. These outputs will include slide decks, policy briefings, and interactive training materials that incorporate voice recordings and practical strategies for recognising and mitigating unconscious bias. By embedding these resources into existing professional development programmes, the project will provide an immediate and sustainable route to impact. Academic articles and a public-facing article in The Conversation will also share the findings more widely. By drawing attention to how voice-based stereotypes may shape critical decisions about safety and support, the project contributes to a fairer and more accountable justice system. It aligns closely with the UK Labour government’s mission to “make Britain’s streets safe” by helping frontline services better meet the needs of all victims. It also contributes to academic debates in sociolinguistics, criminology, and social psychology, offering a rare intersectional approach that accounts for class, race, and gender expression in combination. Ultimately, this work will promote more inclusive, evidence-led policy and practice, reducing the risk that those most in need of protection are overlooked because their voice doesn’t fit preconceptions about what a victim should sound like.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-04

A decarbonised mid-twenty first century society will require fuels for heavy industry including steel and cement, shipping, off-grid transport and energy storage. Hydrogen is a clean future fuel because its only combustion product is water.  The most proposed hydrogen production approach is “Green Hydrogen”, which is produced by renewably powered electrolysis of fresh water, but has considerable resource, energy and CO2 demands.  “Blue Hydrogen” from natural gas reformation combined with carbon capture and storage is expensive and energy intensive with marginal carbon benefits. Consequently, there is growing global enthusiasm about geological hydrogen resources which may be cost and energy efficient to exploit, where natural hydrogen is formed from water by hydrolysis following oxidation of iron in minerals. Natural hydrogen seeps such as those in Mali, Albania and Turkey have been known for decades and are commonly hosted by altered ultramafic rocks that were once part of Earth’s mantle but are now exposed to groundwaters.  Mantle rocks are rich in ferrous iron (Fe2+), reactive with water, and consequently good potential reactants to produce natural hydrogen. Some waters that spring from mantle rocks are highly alkaline (pH~11–13) and strongly reducing due to dissolved hydrogen. However, debate remains about whether these hydrogen seeps are sourced from slowly accumulated geological hydrogen reservoirs or whether hydrogen is continuously produced by on-going low temperature reactions (<100°C). Until recently, hydrogen production was generally accepted to be a relatively high temperature (~250°C) iron oxidation reaction, which favours the trapping of ancient hydrogen interpretation. However, new chemical and isotopic mapping approaches developed at Southampton now allow us to identify the different episodes of fluid-rock reactions that occurred in different conditions, of which some have the potential to form natural hydrogen. This allows us to test the proposition that low temperature reactions between specific minerals and deep groundwaters may be continuously producing hydrogen through iron oxidation. This project builds on Southampton-led Oman Drilling Project (OmanDP) research on the Samail ophiolite, Earth’s largest on-land section of ocean crust and upper mantle, to investigate whether low temperature oxidation of altered mantle rocks actively produces natural hydrogen. Our project is timely because our partners 44.01, the EarthShot Prize winning Omani-UK start-up, have recently drilled deep (>1000m) wells into tight, groundwater-free mantle rocks of the Samail ophiolite complementing the shallower (<400m) OmanDP wells. Crucially, drilling has recovered rocks from all depths in the wells. Hydrological pumping tests in the deepest parts of these wells have revealed hitherto unseen phenomena: 1) fresh waters pumped into the deep rocks became salty (~seawater) indicating rapid reaction with wall rocks and the dissolution of minerals, and 2) the waters returned bubbled with hydrogen gas.  However, the question remains: Is the hydrogen observed old and released from grain boundaries or inclusions by pumping, or has H2 been produced in situ through the oxidation of the wall rocks at low temperatures? Our proposal brings together this unique suite of fluid and rock samples, to which we have priority access, with state-of-the-art geochemical mapping and micro-analytical tools complemented by thermodynamic modelling to evaluate the low temperature hydrogen generation potential of Omani mantle rocks. These analytical techniques will illuminate the progressive sequences of fluid-rock reactions, involving iron oxidation and potentially, hydrogen generation. We will establish a standard methodology to objectively evaluate the hydrogen generation potential of ferrous-iron-bearing rocks worldwide.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-04

Throughout most of modern scholarly history, medieval geography has had a bad reputation. In 1764, antiquarian Richard Gough commented that only after the arrival of print did the English begin to know ‘the face of our own country’. Comments like these have deflected attention away from medieval geographical writings about Britain and towards the explosion of British national and regional mapping in the Renaissance. But people in medieval Britain did engage in geography. But they did so in ways that seem strange to later scholars. Indeed, medieval minds had no problem holding the mundane and the marvellous together in ways that modern readers can find uncanny. Medieval geographical compilations, often accompanying English or British histories and chronicles, featured descriptions, verses, diagrams, and lists of towns, roads, rivers, holy or historical sites. They also included multiple versions of the ‘Marvels of Britain’ – sites whose properties challenge medieval understanding in a variety of ways –  stretching from Loch Lomond to Stonehenge. Between around 1200 and 1500 multiple, highly varied geographical compilations were copied across England (and, occasionally, in Wales), and circulated in ever-changing configurations and contexts, sometimes supplemented with locally-or regionally-specific additions. These kinds of overlooked ‘strange geographies’ are a vital resource for geographical thought and practice in medieval Britain. The project will draw on this largely untapped source base to explore how medieval people thought about Britain and its constituent parts. How did they interpret and experience the island’s man-made and natural landscapes and hydrography, alongside its religious, political and historical geography? These sources provide a way into the mental worlds and spatial identities of the people who produced and read them, allowing a complete reappraisal of existing scholarly assumptions about the history of spatial representation in medieval Britain. The project will also produce an open-access edition, translation, and interpretation of a key project text, ‘the Marvels of Britain’, accessed via an interactive, map-based website. Beyond its academic outputs, the project will develop the potential of the mundane and the marvellous in these strange geographies to stimulate new kinds of engagement with our historic environment among a wide range of audiences, with tangible benefits for the creative and heritage sectors. Through collaborations with creative organisations and practitioners, the project will explore connections between medieval and modern modes of spatial and creative practice, facilitating site-focussed poetic and musical compositions that will engage and excite new audiences. The project has been developed in consultation with the custodians of a range of ‘medieval marvels’, including national heritage organisations, regional landscape custodians, and local volunteer groups who manage and facilitate access. Continued collaboration will ensure it meets the need for interpretation resources to improve engagement with the medieval histories of sites primarily for their prehistoric or biocultural significance. Working collaboratively with site custodians, volunteers, and staff responsible for interpretation, we will develop the potential of the project research and creative outputs to deepen visitor understanding and broaden and enrich engagement and experience.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Context and Challenge It has been sixty years since the publication of Jennie Lee’s landmark government white paper A Policy for the Arts (1965), which celebrated the value and utility of the arts in the broadest sense. The report’s defining principles are rooted in participation: that the arts should be available to everyone, that the value of art must be taught, and that a lucid arts policy will contribute to a “gayer and more cultivated country”. Lee's postwar vision of arts in the UK has faltered, beset by significant economic, cultural and social challenges that have inhibited its growth, inclusivity and influence. The visual arts, in particular, can mobilise communities: it nurtures career-defining skills and equips different generations with creativity and critical thinking. Yet without strategic action, the sector cannot deliver these many benefits. The visual arts therefore requires a radical vision that can assert its intrinsic value, evidence its social impact, and reimagine its principles of access, education and cohesion for the twenty-first century.   Aims and Objectives This fellowship allows me to explore a prospective model for the visual arts as a vehicle for participation. I will focus on developing a collaborative, equitable model that drives economic growth and enriches urban culture to inspire future artists from all backgrounds. I will activate established partnerships with Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN), Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), a-n: The Artists Information Company, and Plus Tate, who will comprise the advisory board for a “network of networks” and a research project. The synergies across these elements enables the production of a policy brief, policy framework, and two toolkits. Each will drive inclusive participation in the varied cultural spaces of the visual arts: from non-profit studios to local and commercial galleries. Diverse spaces of the visual arts already sustain the sector at different scales: from national funding schemes delivered by under-resourced organisations to occasional, volunteer-led classes held in meanwhile retail units. Lived and felt experiences of the sector highlight its distinctive challenges, but these also provide crucial data for redesigning cultural policies at a local and national level. Local government and community partners across the country have demonstrated the demand for a model that encompasses the breadth of UK visual arts practice: from painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics to photography, collage, video, design, and architecture. This wide range of media encourages wide and meaningful participation, but it also calls for unprecedented resources to unlock its full capabilities. The network will: Propose a visual arts participation model responsive to regional needs, educational opportunities, and intergenerational cohesion research. Provide a visual arts resource library that better serves diverse socioeconomic and geographical groups. The research will: Co-design a policy brief and policy framework that offers scalable solutions for the visual arts to address issues of community access, education and cohesion. Co-create two practical, digital toolkits to empower academics, visual artists, policymakers and communities.   Applications and Benefits This model addresses needs identified by the LUCIA-LGA programme, including cultural access, educational under-attainment, and intergenerational communication. I will connect these issues to LUCIA-LGA research themes, specifically ownership of cultural spaces, breaking down cultural barriers, and intergenerational access to culture. I will lead and coordinate LUCIA-LGA networks and projects to deliver digestible and understandable briefs, toolkits and frameworks for academics, policymakers and communities, putting learning into immediate practice.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

This project is a physics-led initiative aimed at building sustainable research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through hands-on training in applied physics, optical spectroscopy, and data-driven innovation. SSA faces a critical shortage of local expertise in core physics areas such as spectroscopy, limiting the region’s ability to develop, maintain, and apply advanced scientific techniques. By empowering early-career researchers with practical skills in spectroscopy and analytical methods, this project promotes equitable scientific participation and strengthens the foundations for long-term innovation in health and technology. The project will focus on developing low-cost, rapid, and non-invasive diagnostic tools for women’s health conditions, specifically ovarian cancer and endometriosis, which are often underdiagnosed in SSA. These conditions have significant health impacts and are exacerbated by limited awareness, delayed diagnosis, and lack of affordable medical tests. By integrating physics-led capacity building with applied medical diagnostics research, the project aims to bridge the gap between fundamental science and societal benefit, demonstrating how core physics knowledge can directly address pressing development challenges. Project objectives: Develop and optimise vibrational spectroscopy methods for detecting women’s health biomarkers in liquid biopsy samples using cell-line models as proof-of-concept. Train early-career SSA researchers in optical spectroscopy, instrumentation, data analysis, and AI-assisted diagnostics through workshops, joint experiments, and mentoring. Design a compact, signal-enhanced spectroscopic platform capable of detecting disease biomarkers efficiently and cost-effectively. Foster equitable, long-term partnerships between UK and SSA institutions, enabling local leadership in applied physics research and biomedical innovation. The research programme consists of interlinked work packages covering experimental spectroscopy, AI-assisted data analysis, capacity building, and project management. UK and SSA teams will co-develop spectroscopic protocols, standardise measurements, and create open-access workflows for data analysis. Portable spectroscopy platforms will enable SSA partners to perform reliable biomarker measurements, supporting both research and teaching. The societal and developmental impact of this project is significant. By focusing on women’s health, it directly addresses gendered health inequities in SSA, improving awareness and detection of ovarian cancer and endometriosis. Simultaneously, it empowers more than 15 early-career SSA researchers with advanced physics and data-science skills, fostering sustainable local expertise. Outreach and engagement activities—such as school workshops and public demonstrations—will promote gender equality in STEM, inspire young learners, and increase the visibility of women scientists and leaders. Ultimately, this project demonstrates how investing in physics-led capacity building can drive scientific excellence, innovation, and societal benefit. By combining fundamental physics, AI-based spectral analysis, and local training, it ensures that both immediate health-related outcomes and long-term capacity-building goals are achieved. This initiative strengthens SSA research ecosystems, promotes equitable participation in science, and delivers practical solutions for pressing women’s health challenges—exemplifying the transformative impact of physics on global development.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Plate tectonics shapes our world, influencing climate, biodiversity and resource distribution. The plate tectonic cycle starts with continental rifting: the process by which the Earth’s continental crust stretches, cracks, subsides and eventually breaks forming ocean basins and their margins. These margins, the locations of past active rifting, are the source of important mineral resources, sites of future CO2 and hydrogen storage and could become sites of geothermal energy production. Early-stage continental rifting establishes the structural template for these margins, controlling the distribution of sedimentary basins (for subsurface fluid storage) and the geometry of faults (sites of mineralisation and hot fluids). However, how fault geometry and crustal stretching evolve during the first few million years of continental rifting is one of the most poorly understood parts of plate tectonics. This is because ocean basin margins, although common and well-studied, do not preserve a record of the initial rift processes due to overprinting and masking over 10-100’s millions of years. The only way to fill this “plate-tectonic-blind-spot” is by studying active rift zones, where the continental rifting process is in its infancy and happening today. These active rifts are also zones of intense seismicity and a significant hazard for local populations. The size and shape of faults controls the maximum earthquake size possible on a fault, so determining this information is vital for seismic hazard assessment. The Corinth Rift in Greece is one of the most active rift systems on Earth today, and our knowledge of how the upper few km of the crust has stretched over the last 1-2 millions of years is not matched at any other rift. However, we are missing information on the processes acting in the crust at depths deeper than a few km along the entire rift, leading to important unanswered questions, such as: Are the dominant faults steep or shallow dipping? Does the geometry of faulting change along the rift and with time? Does the crust thin uniformly or variably along the rift and with depth? We will answer these questions by using seismology to accurately record thousands of small earthquakes in the Corinth rift. Seismology is a powerful and sophisticated tool to solve tectonic problems facilitated by increasingly advanced artificial intelligence technology to aid small earthquake detection. We will install 35 seismometers around and in the Gulf of Corinth to accurately detect the earthquake activity of the rift. The locations of the earthquakes and the sound waves they generate that travel through the Earth can be used to resolve the thickness of the Earth’s crust to determine how it is deforming during rifting, and to work out which of the geological faults are most active and the geometries of these faults. This provides vital information for understanding rifting processes and mitigating earthquake hazards in this rift and other active rifts worldwide. Corinth is the only location where existing data combined with new seismicity data from our proposed project allow the nature of the first phase of rifting- the first phase of the plate tectonic cycle- to be fully recovered. Our new knowledge of how rifts start to form will be used to disentangle the geological record at the many, much older rifted continental margins on Earth, allowing rifts to reach their full potential as we make the transition to sustainable energy and resources.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Across the world, keeping buildings cool and energy-efficient is becoming one of the biggest technological and environmental challenges of our time. In rapidly growing African cities, air-conditioning and heating already comprises 30 – 60 % of electricity consumption during peak demand periods. The proposed project brings together the University of the Free State (South Africa) and the University of Southampton (United Kingdom) to tackle this urgent issue by developing a new class of passive, self-regulating infrared (IR) coatings that can automatically control how much heat a surface emits or absorbs without the use of any external power. South Africa has much to gain from the future use of this technology and has world leading physics research capabilities that can provide extremely valuable contributions to this area of research. However, international collaboration is essential to strengthen capacity in expertise and resources so that these important contributions can be realised. The development of engineered radiative surfaces is a physics challenge combining advanced materials with electromagnetic design. A key challenge lies in understanding and controlling these materials at the nanoscale and produce thin-film coatings with high performance and long durability. Traditional thermal-control materials are static: their reflectivity and emissivity do not change with temperature. In contrast, certain “smart” materials undergo reversible changes in their electronic and optical properties when heated or cooled. By carefully adjusting these materials characteristics, it is possible to create coatings that regulate heat flow naturally.  This represents a distinct Sub-Saharan African (SSA) research challenge, as rising urban temperatures and energy costs make passive thermal regulation critical for sustainable living across the region. Addressing this challenge requires smart materials engineered to operate effectively within the 20–60 °C climatic range typical of SSA environments, reducing reliance on powered cooling systems and supporting equitable access to energy-efficient infrastructure. The goal of this collaborative Africa–UK project is to design, fabricate, and study multi-material thin films to produce smart radiative cooling solutions that autonomously regulate thermal radiation. The main objectives are to: Develop and optimise deposition methods for high-quality oxide films and multi-material stacks and characterise structure, composition, and phase transitions of materials using advanced microscopy and spectroscopy. Use computational models to understand the link between microstructure and thermal behaviour and design smart multi-material electromagnetic designs for different application requirements. Experimentally fabricate a variety of multi-material coating prototypes and evaluate their response. Work with stakeholders and end users to explore applications within the South African context using locally sourced materials and supply chains, reducing the need for imports. The two universities will develop a partnership to co-develop this critical technology, train postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers and generate societal impact. Our project addresses equity, diversity and inclusivity including female and under-represented groups and their training in cutting-edge materials science and photonics, building long-term scientific capacity in Africa. The project will be the starting point of new international collaborations, drive further research, and strengthen innovation pathways linking academia, industry, and policy. By combining materials physics, environmental sustainability, and equitable collaboration, this project addresses a central question for the 21st century: how to control energy and heat more intelligently. It will generate scientific insights, technological prototypes, and human expertise that contribute to cleaner, smarter, and more inclusive societies. Thus, we will be demonstrating how advanced physics can serve both planetary and human well-being.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

New materials for renewable energy capture and storage, such as photovoltaic devices and novel electrochemical battery cell devices, can potentially enable sustainable sources of energy while eliminating negative effects on the environment that are inherent when non-renewable sources of energy are utilised and meet sustainable development goals. Synchrotron x-ray facilities are uniquely placed  to enable complex, advanced studies and to provide essential understanding of problems and potential solutions related to energy materials research. In this project, we will seek to expand the knowledge base and build capacity in synchrotron science and the energy materials & technologies scientific communities within the partner African research institutions. This will be achieved through knowledge exchange and by working collaboratively with African partner research institutions to utilise synchrotron facilities to study and further develop energy technologies.  In addition, the research team will host a number of scientific meetings in Africa during the lifetime of the project to provide a platform for local experts to present their research and network with delegates ranging from early career scientists to government policy makers. This will facilitate to develop further exchange and collaborative opportunities. Our research team consists of UK and African scientists with a broad range of expertise in (1) synchrotron accelerator science and; (2) the synthesis, characteristion and modelling of energy materials and their technologies. Our research team is therefore well positioned to complete the objectives of this project. In addition, we aim to develop a sustainable partnership that will extend beyond the lifetime of the project and will set African countries on the road to equitable access to energy resources and capacity in synchrotron-based materials characterisation.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Context: Today’s society relies heavily on fast and reliable computation interconnected securely over the internet. Quantum networks promise to revolutionise these technologies, transmitting and processing quantum information while exploiting entanglement and quantum measurement to achieve performance beyond the reach classical systems. Amongst the many promising material platforms for building quantum networks, trapped strontium ions (Sr+) are emerging as a leading quantum computing architecture, while semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are prominent single photon sources. However, Sr+ emit photons in the near ultraviolet (NUV) and QDs have shown excellent performance in the near infrared (NIR) – wavelengths that are subject to significant propagation losses in optical fiber, thereby severely limiting the operational distance of the quantum network. I will address this issue with a quantum transducer – a device that can efficiently convert photons from the UV and NIR to the low-loss telecommunication wavelengths in optical fibres, paving the way for heterogeneous quantum networking. Aims/Objectives: The primary aim of my proposal is to build and exploit advanced networking links using efficient light-matter interactions with a warm rubidium vapour. To achieve this, I will utilise my expertise in quantum light-matter interactions and leverage the successes of Phase I of my fellowship, where I demonstrated an ultrafast, high-efficiency, low-noise quantum memory at telecom wavelengths. Phase II of my fellowship will deliver the world's first single-stage convertor of NUV quantum light to telecoms wavelength, which will allow strontium ion quantum computers to be compatible with optical fiber communication networks. The device will have the additional utility to convert near infrared quantum light from semiconductor quantum dot sources, while also functioning as an on-demand storage device. Finally, the device will be built for field deployment, enabling quantum conversion to be done in collaboration with project partners based in Southampton and Oxford. In achieving this ambitious aim of my fellowship, the objectives are: I.          Build field-deployable 19-inch rack mounted quantum light-matter interfaces, II.         Demonstrate quantum transduction from NUV and NIR to telecom, III.        Perform hybrid quantum light-matter operations. Potential Applications: In the same way the invention of the transistor led to rapid advances in computation and communications, revolutionising the 20th century, quantum networks are the underpinning technology that have the potential to bring significant change and long-term social-economic impact in the 21st century. Such networks enable inherently secure communication for online transactions in banking, retail and the stock market, more precise global clock synchronization for enhanced GPS accuracy, and the potential to extend telescope baselines for improved astronomical observations. Networked quantum objects form powerful quantum computers capable of solving problems that current computers cannot, potentially revolutionising research methods in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and green energy. Efficient simulations and optimised computations using quantum networks could benefit epidemiology and genetic research, reduce costs in medication design for new diseases, and improve artificial light-harvesting devices for alternative energy sources, with many more applications likely to be discovered in the coming decades. In the shorter term, my project will aid in training the next generation of quantum scientists and generate valuable IP to be exploited by spinout companies, further forwarding the emergent quantum technologies industry in the UK.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

FLEX-INSPIRE will establish the UK's first thin-film deposition infrastructure for flexible materials (Roll-to-Roll, R2R) featuring advanced purpose-built control software for high-throughput material discovery and rapid patterning on innovative flexible substrates. This system enables deposition of diverse materials including insulators, metals, semiconductors, and ceramics, essential for developing new technologies in energy and beyond. As a prime example, leading thermoelectric material GeTe, deposited on textiles, could power wearable sensors from body-heat alone. Beyond R2R, the system accommodates traditional rigid substrates up to 8-inch in diameter, compatible with Southampton’s existing nanofabrication technologies. It also enables deposition on long rolls of materials used in flexible technologies such as fabrics, plastics, paper, flexible glass, and metallic foils. This pioneering infrastructure surpasses current UK industrial capabilities, combining flexible substrates with rapid material discovery, aligning perfectly with EPSRC’s Advanced Materials Theme. The energy sector will be the prime beneficiary. Our closest fusion reactor, the sun, provides humanity with vast amounts of sustainable energy in the form of light and heat. Lightweight and flexible harvesters for light (photovoltaic) and heat (thermoelectric) enable energy recovery not only here on Earth, but critically in space. Furthermore, triboelectric and piezoelectric generators can also be designed to supply continuous power thus reducing battery demand. Flexible supercapacitors and batteries can be developed for storing the charge from these harvesters, enabling fully autonomous energy systems. These energy technologies require extensive research and development, which is currently severely limited in industry due to production time constraints and the high-risk nature of new discoveries. FLEX-INSPIRE will provide the step-change needed for both academia and industry, to enable rapid discovery and optimisation of novel materials, leading to enhanced device performance. Using scalable end-user substrates, the infrastructure will facilitate commercial uptake of cutting-edge research, and foster new practices and policies, ensuring sustainability for our society. FLEX-INSPIRE will drive innovation beyond energy technologies. This state-of-the-art infrastructure enables measurable high-quality, timely, and impactful research in Healthcare, Defence, AI, Quantum technologies, Photonics, Space, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, and Flexible Electronics. Wearable sensors offer real-time patient monitoring, vital for preventative healthcare. Lightweight electronics installed on satellites, maximise lifetime. Large, replicable datasets improve AI material-science discovery. Flexible superconducting films will revolutionise quantum computing. Conformal displays could wrap around buildings or be used in foldable phones. Flexible electronics embedded into clothing will create a fully connected digitised world. FLEX-INSPIRE prioritises sustainability; Its low-temperature, energy-efficient process reduces the time required to recover the energy invested into device fabrication, bringing sustainable energy recovery ever closer. Advanced control software enables multi-recipe runs, accelerating material development, saving time, energy, and cost. Shadow masking reduces the use of chemicals and high-purity water, supporting the UK’s net zero strategy. The infrastructure will produce commercially viable materials on a large batch scale, ensuring a smooth transition from laboratory research into industry for subsequent large-scale production. Accessibility is at the heart of this project. This national infrastructure serves early-career researchers, and industry leaders alike, academic or commercial, regardless of background. Cutting-edge, inclusive, and open to all, it’s ready to drive innovation across the UK. FLEX-INSPIRE’s pump-prime scheme, Accessibility Plan and Dissemination Plan aims to create an ‘access for all’ infrastructure. FLEX-INSPIRE will advance UK research in lightweight and flexible applications, from wearables to satellites, ensuring a sustainable, inclusive future.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

  Respiratory cilia are tiny, hair-like structures that line the airways and help keep the lungs healthy by clearing out mucus, dust, and other harmful particles. When these cilia do not function properly, it can lead to a rare genetic condition called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), which affects breathing and lung health.   Diagnosing PCD currently involves a slow and labour-intensive process. Specialist clinicians must manually search for cilia in extremely thin tissue samples using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Because cilia are so small and can appear in many different orientations, clinicians must take many images at different magnifications, identify the right cross-sections, and analyse ~30-50 examples per sample to make an accurate diagnosis. Although machine learning (ML) tools are beginning to assist with diagnosis, image collection and classification are still done manually, creating a bottleneck that limits the speed and scalability of diagnosis.   The goal of CiliaScope is to automate the image collection and analysis process by controlling the microscope to scan low-resolution images, locate regions containing cilia, capture high-resolution images of each cilium, and generate fully reproducible diagnostic reports. The full algorithm has been developed, but at the end of our Impact Acceleration Account  project, we encountered an unexpected, high-risk and fundamental bottleneck that prevented CiliaScope from functioning as intended. TEMs do not maintain a fixed reference frame when changing magnification, which means that coordinates identified at low magnification do not precisely align with those at high magnification. Unless this problem is solved, CiliaScope cannot operate reliably. Addressing this issue is the central aim of this MRC proposal.   If successful, CiliaScope will dramatically reduce the time and cost of diagnosis, release skilled staff for other tasks, and enable microscopes to operate autonomously, including overnight. It will also accelerate ML model development by generating large, high-quality datasets—an essential step toward translating this technology from research to routine clinical use.   The tools developed will be freely distributed to our two NHS partners for research use and for evaluating their commercial potential as a diagnostic assistance tool, with the aim of commercialisation through both direct licensing to the NHS, private clinics or international diagnostic centres, and via partnership with TEM manufacturers.   In summary, this project addresses the challenge of slow and resource-heavy PCD diagnosis by creating an automated imaging workflow. It aims to improve clinical efficiency and lay the foundation for broader applications in medical research and diagnostics.   The work is being led by:   Astrophysicists, experts in data and image analysis and complex problem-solving, Research software engineers, who will ensure the software is well-architected, sustainable, and reproducible Medical experts in cilia and PCD at the Royal Brompton Hospital and University Hospital Southampton.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

The history and practice of gynaecology remains haunted by a legacy of racialised violence, epistemic exclusion, and neglect. From the experimental surgeries of Dr. J. Marion Sims on enslaved women in the nineteenth century to the persistent dismissal of pain, consent, and credibility experienced by Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic birthing individuals today, the harm is ongoing and systemic. These injustices are not historical anomalies; they are active structures shaping contemporary healthcare, rooted in centuries of dehumanisation and silencing. Despite an accumulation of biomedical data and policy reforms, dominant clinical and academic paradigms remain inadequate in addressing the sensory, emotional, cultural, and historical dimensions of gynaecological racism. Moreover, recent policy shifts across the UK, US, and Europe are rendering alternative narratives increasingly invisible. Cured: Considering Endarkened Co-Composition as a Methodology for Gynaecological Inquiry responds to this context by proposing a transformative approach through Endarkened Co-Composition (EC), a methodology I have developed at the intersection of sound studies, Black feminist theory, and collaborative public research. Rooted in sonic practices as both method and metaphor, EC treats sound not only as material—voice, instrumentation, ambient noise—but as epistemological: a mode of knowing, remembering, and resisting. Drawing on Black and Indigenous traditions of storytelling and story-keeping, it integrates interviews, focus groups, and creative practices to generate socially engaged artworks and humanities-based interventions, such as short films, compositions, and installations. The method has proven powerful in the humanities and social sciences, and I propose that it can also significantly contribute to medical, ecological, and technological fields. This application marks a critical foundational phase in a longer-term research trajectory. At this stage, I will take five key actions: First, I will clearly define the research questions that will underpin a broader investigation into gynaecological racism and qualitative inquiry via collaborative, creative research. Second, I will articulate the aims and objectives that frame EC as a mode of socio-sonic research. Third, I will specify a multi-site, multi-temporal research context for deploying this methodology. Fourth, I will define how EC will function as a method to answer emerging research questions. Fifth, I will begin addressing the central question: What can EC contribute to cross-disciplinary qualitative socio-clinical or medical humanities research? To support these aims, I will build a cross-sector, interdisciplinary, and international team, including medical anthropologists, composition scholars, and maternity health stakeholders, to co-produce a larger research initiative. I will conduct independent research visits and host a two-day networking and research retreat to co-develop guiding questions. A conceptual framework paper will be produced to inform a future Catalyst Award and, eventually, an AHRC Standard Research Grant. I will also compose a sound-based proof of concept—Anarcha’s Aria—a 3–4-minute piece for voice, small ensemble, and archival sound, collaboratively written by myself, Davis, and Mouton, demonstrating the method’s power as a socio-sonic clinical intervention. Through these activities, Cured will lay the groundwork for future collaborative research producing both creative and scholarly outputs: a co-composed chamber opera, published libretto, peer-reviewed articles, and a methodology paper. Rooted in medical anthropology and informed by the enduring legacy of Anarcha and Sims, the project aims to examine structural racism in obstetric systems and explore how sound can guide interdisciplinary, community-informed interventions. In a moment of growing inequity, Cured offers a deeply collaborative, artistically driven response to urgent social and healthcare challenges.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Climate change could cost the UK billions annually, in part because of its effect on agriculture. For example, the record-setting wet winter in 2023-24 is expected to cost UK farmers nearly £1 billion. Diversifying current farm practices is necessary for the UK to continue to grow nutritious food in a changing climate, without degrading biodiversity and being resilient to global shocks (Azam-Ali et al. 2024; Poppy and Baverstock 2019). Utilising novel and underutilised crops (NUCs) is one underexplored route to diversification. NUCs are those currently rarely grown in the UK, but with great potential as an alternative food source. Identifying and overcoming barriers to their incorporation into the food system requires an extensive interdisciplinary team, which brings together representatives across the entire food system, from farmers, breeders, processors and retailers, via science to communities, ensuring the approaches explored present multiple best-net benefits for all involved, as well as the environment. This is the mission for NUCNet, the ‘Novel and Underutilised Crop Network’. Initiation of NUCNet is timely. Defra/NIAB (2022) consulted with farmers and producers to shortlist approximately 30 NUCs that have potential grow successfully in the UK, including chickpeas, buckwheat, hemp, and sunflower. The consultation also identified research gaps, including absence of routes to market and consumer interest. These were discussed in a BBSRC meeting in 2023, but the field has failed to rise to this challenge and NUCs remain poorly studied. NUCNet will fill these gaps, and whilst doing so, ensure that processors and consumers are involved, and their priorities accounted for. The goals of NUCNet are to: (1) galvanise and connect the NUC research community with producers and diverse communities across the UK, generating an inclusive interdisciplinary network of expertise. (2) identify barriers and opportunities for incorporation of NUCs into the UK food system. (3) pump-prime small research projects and support teams to develop capacity leading to larger bids, adding value to the network and the BBSRC investment. (4) develop relationships between the network and community groups to allow knowledge exchange and to influence society and policy. Our core team has the wide-ranging expertise and links with stakeholders necessary to ensure realisation of NUCNet’s goals and delivery of impact, comprising a greater evidence base and knowledge exchange with schools and communities. Dedicated project-specific input will ensure outcomes deliver policy-related impact. To achieve our goals, we will invite all relevant stakeholders across the UK to join NUCNet, building a searchable database of expertise, facilities, projects, and data, with links to publications, webpages, and upcoming opportunities. Through meetings, focus groups, systematic reviews, targeted research, and open research calls, including for community engagement, we will identify the evidence needed to provide system level change to the UK food system. The network will become self-sustaining, leading to further research bids and an expansion in expertise, influencing the trajectory of UK research. As the first of its kind, NUCNet will serve as a model for other nations to adopt. The network will support the future diversification and resilience of UK cropping systems, delivering a stronger agricultural sector and related economy. Ultimately, our network will help drive the vision of the BBSRC leading to a healthy, prosperous, sustainable future. Through investment in the network, the BBSRC is investing in a community of individuals, together advancing bioscience and the economic and societal benefits.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

MYORG is a sugar-processing enzyme made in cells called astrocytes within the brain. Recent converging observations reveal MYORG controls production of proteins that coordinate phosphate transport in the brain and that aberrant function of MYORG leads to brain calcification. Select gene variants of MYORG cause the neurodegenerative disorder Primary Familial Brain Calcification (PFBC; also known as Fahr’s disease). PFBC is characterised by progressive bilateral deposition of calcium phosphate in the basal ganglia, and often the cerebellum and thalamus. These calcifications form around blood vessels, suggesting PFBC results from dysfunction of the neurovascular unit, an intertwined network of blood vessels and brain cells that tightly regulate nutrient flux. Clinical manifestations of PFBC include parkinsonism, dementia, depression, headaches, and epilepsy. Prevalence of PFBC is estimated at 2.1 per 1000 people, with MYORG variants comprising ~13% of cases. MYORG patients have near complete penetrance, unlike most other gene variants that cause PFBC. Similar calcification patterns are observed in the basal ganglia in other diseases, e.g. Alzhemier’s disease, and it is unclear if these share a mechanistic basis with PFBC, and whether we can exploit the MYORG-regulated calcium-phosphate axis for broader therapeutic benefits. Importantly, proteins MYORG regulates have also been broadly implicated in other neurodegenerative disorders. The mechanistic coupling by which a sugar-processing enzyme regulates production and activity of phosphate transporting proteins is cryptic and no study has detailed other MYORG controlled cellular processes. PFBC patients with mutations in MYORG exhibit the most severe patterns of calcification; even more pronounced than calcification resulting from pathogenic mutations in the phosphate-transporting proteins MYORG regulates. This observation reinforces the idea that MYORG coordinates a large set of proteins integral to maintenance of calcium-phosphate homeostasis. No study has investigated PFBC gene variants of MYORG, and we hypothesis that these mutations impact the ability of MYORG to produce key calcium-phosphate regulating proteins, rather than a more complex aetiology, e.g. toxic build-up of MYORG aggregates. Evaluating the role of MYORG is paramount in defining the calcium-phosphate regulatory axis in astrocytes and to unpick the molecular underpinnings of PFBC. Studies looking at PFBC have largely focussed on the clinical characterisation, leaving an important knowledge gap where biochemical and molecular biological approaches could re-direct research efforts, unveil routes to therapeutic intervention and broaden understanding of mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. This proposal comprises a three-pronged strategy to deliver unparalleled insights into MYORG function: Aim 1: Evaluate how gene variants, identified in PFBC patients, cause MYORG dysfunction. This is essential to understand PFBC aetiology and confirm whether all variants converge of a shared mechanism of disease. To achieve this, we will define MYORG variants found in patients in the context of protein structure, stability, subcellular localisation, and regulatory functions. Aim 2: Locate and validate MYORG-regulated proteins to discover common mechanisms of disease. We hypothesise MYORG controls production of PFBC-associated proteins, acting as a master regulator of diverse processes all centred on controlling calcium-phosphate levels. We will identify these protein targets using cutting-edge intracellular labelling techniques, protein isolation methodology, and mass spectrometry. Aim 3: Define the enzymatic function of MYORG using mass spectrometry and bespoke chemical tools.  While MYORG is known to regulate protein production, the mechanism by which it achieves this is enigmatic. We will use cultured astrocytes and biochemical workflows to illuminate these mechanisms.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

At the request of ESRC, the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) has prepared a response to the ESRC specification for creating an NCRM Resource repository which will maintain access to the NCRM online training and capacity building resources which have been developed over a 20-year period. Details of what is included is specified in the document from the ESRC. It has been recognised that these resources are valuable assets, and it is important they continue to be made available to the social science community after 2025. The NCRM Resource Repository will provide access to selected, existing NCRM resources (full list below in Appendix). It will not create new training materials or new functionality. The current NCRM website platform will form the basis of the new repository. A new technical platform will not be created. However, the existing website will need to be changed and adapted to reflect the required change in functionality and remit. What we present is a cost-effective option to guarantee access to the online resources across the five years (from Jan 2026). ESRC recognises its new research skills strategic leadership hub (‘the Hub’) is still being commissioned and that how the ESRC and the new Hub will want to work with the Repository is unknown. This specification has been developed based on the needs identified by the ESRC in July 2024. There may need to be further conversations between ESRC, the Hub and the Repository during the funding period of this 5-year grant (i.e. between 2026-2030) as ESRC’s training and capacity building landscape evolves. It is likely that further discussions between NCRM, the ESRC and the Hub may also need to take place during 2025. However, future needs, beyond what is outlined by the ESRC specification have not been included in this response. (The grant therefore does not allow for hand-over of materials or TCB infrastructures to the new hub, nor the upkeep of any functionality of other NCRM TCB infrastructures not listed in the specification from 1 Jan 2026). We anticipate a higher level of activity in years 1 and 2 while the new investment is established and develops their own new online portal for resources. There will be potentially close collaboration required between our team and the new investment, but the nature of this work is yet unknown.   Specification: Maintaining access to NCRM online resources via the NCRM website, which will include (as listed in the ESRC specification): Online tutorials  NCRM E-Prints   Resources for trainers   Recordings of NCRM events and other videos   Podcasts   Books and collections   Methods Futures   The Ethics of Research Involving Children: Common Questions, Potential Strategies and Useful Guidance  Investigative Methods: An NCRM Innovation Collection  Resources for conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic/Changing Research Practices   ReStore  The NCRM YouTube channel  NCRM Moodle, the NCRM virtual learning platform, which allows access to training materials and resources for course (and event) participants. These particular resources are only available to those that registered for a course (or event). (These resources are not freely available since they are designed for the particular course participants, and restrictions from the presenters may exist.)

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Antigen presentation on target cells is essential to induce an effective immune response. Understanding how peptides are generated and subsequently presented at the cell surface has been essential in developing immunotherapy treatments and vaccines. These treatments usually focus on high affinity cancer or viral peptides which bind strongly to major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I; called HLA-I in humans) molecules. In recent years in silico methods predicting which peptides are presented by HLA molecules have become increasingly reliable. However, they lack precision in pathological conditions, such as when cancer or virally infected cells evade the immune response by interfering with peptide generation and presentation, rendering target cells invisible to the immune system, highlighting a knowledge gap. Our project aims to deepen our understanding of the HLA-I peptide presentation pathway and how it is altered during immune evasion, enabling the development of new therapeutic strategies and/or biomarkers to stratify patients that could benefit from these therapies. The processing and presentation of peptide antigens involves tapasin and endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1, ERAP1, which edit peptides for presentation by HLA-I molecules. Tapasin assists peptide binding to HLA, but the level of assistance depends on the specific HLA; characterised as being tapasin-dependent or -independent. Tapasin expression is often reduced in cancers and some viral infections, which leads to unstable peptide-HLA complexes, as the peptides are poorer binders, resulting in low levels of cell surface presentation. ERAP1 trims peptide precursors to their final length for HLA loading but can also destroy peptides by overtrimming, preventing their binding to HLA and subsequent cell surface presentation to CD8+ T-cells. Abrogating ERAP1 activity can prevent this overtrimming leading to presentation and activation of CD8+ T-cells. Whilst the function of tapasin and ERAP1 have been studied extensively, understanding how these molecules may work together is limited. We observed the loss of T cell epitopes when tapasin was absent. However, their presentation was restored when ERAP1 activity was inhibited, suggesting they were overtrimmed. This level of ERAP1 overtrimming is greater when tapasin is absent, indicating a synergistic effect of tapasin and ERAP1 on peptide presentation where tapasin can perform a protective role from ERAP1 overtrimming. Importantly, this protection may also be dependent on the level of interaction between peptide-MHC and tapasin. Therefore, we hypothesise that the ability of ERAP1 to destroy peptides is determined by the absence of tapasin and the tapasin-dependence of the HLA molecule expressed. The project aims are (1) to investigate the combined role of tapasin and ERAP1 by measuring the effect of tapasin and ERAP1 loss  on peptides presented on a panel of different HLA alleles; this will identify HLA alleles for which ERAP1 inhibition has the greatest effect on the peptides presented and (2) to assess whether presentation of ERAP1-sensitive peptides, lost after tapasin downregulation, can be restored by ERAP1 inhibitor treatment. This knowledge is vital in enabling us to predict which HLA molecules are most affected by ERAP1 and whether altering ERAP1 activity could restore tumour antigenic epitopes in patients expressing tapasin-dependent/independent HLA alleles in tapasin downregulated tumours, sensitising tumours to immunotherapies (e.g. checkpoint blockade inhibition). Ultimately, understanding the combined role of tapasin and ERAP1 in peptide presentation will enable the design and translation of immunotherapy treatments, such as vaccines that resist immune evasion, and aid in identifying patients most likely to benefit.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

In this project, I am aiming to understand how damaging immune responses develop and persist in autoimmune conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. These conditions affect millions in the UK. Despite significant progress, therapies do not work in large numbers of patients, their efficacy wanes with time, and they leave people vulnerable to infection. I propose that understanding the complex interplay of immune cells in affected tissues will enable new treatments to be developed. My team and I study the development and behaviour of a type of white blood cell called a T cell. T cells are required for killing of infections and for development of cellular memory, for example following vaccination, but they can also induce profound damage to healthy tissue. This occurs for example if they are switched on in the wrong place, in response to the wrong trigger, or if they persist for too long following a productive response. In these situations, T cell behaviour is both directly and indirectly a cause of autoimmune disease. Therapies for such diseases often target the T cells themselves, their migration into affected organs or their products. However, many problems exist with the current therapies and much remains to be understood about how T cells trigger tissue damage and how they can be switched off. It is imperative that we develop new treatments which can be precisely targeted to only those T cells which are causing damage and only those present in the damaged tissue, leaving all others unaffected. To do this, we need to understand deeply how they develop, how they are triggered, and how they change throughout disease, and it is essential we do so using clinical samples donated from patients, to maximise the translational value of our research. I propose that a key trigger of these damaging T cells is the infiltration of another immune cell, the neutrophil. Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in the circulation and move rapidly into damaged tissues in their millions. We know from our previous work that they interact closely with T cells, and they can drive T cells to the behaviour that causes autoimmune disease. We have only so far studied this in mice, or in dishes in the lab. Now I have designed an ambitious programme of work to understand how neutrophils affect T cells in real clinical samples from patients with Multiple Sclerosis or Crohn’s disease. The objectives of this work are to 1) understand for the first time precisely how these two cells interact; 2) determine how this differs between tissues (brain, intestine, lymph node, blood) and between diseases; and 3) identify key neutrophil actions which trigger damaging T cells. We aim to pinpoint a number of neutrophil products which drive T cell dysfunction, or identify specific neutrophil-responding pathways in the T cells themselves, to develop as novel therapeutic targets in future work. This work will be of interest to immunologists studying T cell differentiation and neutrophil biology, and will result in a new understanding of how these two immune cells interact in long-term diseases. It will develop large datasets of great value to the academic and clinical communities. We will also work closely with patients to develop accessible resources relating to our work.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Plants respond to sound and generate sound, especially when experiencing stress; yet, we still know surprisingly little about the nature of plant-environment acoustic interaction. While it is evident that animals use sound to communicate, navigate, and respond to threats, the idea that plants might also produce or respond to sound has only recently gained increased attention. However, the physical mechanisms and ecological significance of these processes remain largely unknown. This project addresses a fundamental and timely challenge: to understand how plants generate and perceive sound, and explain the role of sound in ecological interactions. Advancing the nascent field of plant acoustics is only possible through an interdisciplinary approach where detailed modelling and experiments of acoustic sources and transmission pathways are concurrent with monitoring biological processes. The proposed research is the first study capturing the complete sound generation and reception cycle. It aims to establish a solid understanding of biological players and acoustic transduction mechanisms underpinning sounds in plants, as well as their interactions with microbial communities and pollination. A vital part of the developed knowledge base will be a credible evaluation of the capabilities and limitations of sound-based interactions with plants, including propagation ranges and detectability intensity thresholds in air and soil, considering the plant as a transmitter and as a sensor. Focusing on three model crops—tomato, maize, and peas—this research has three objectives: Understand how plants generate sound, particularly under stress conditions such as drought, nutrient deficit or temperature changes. Investigate how plants respond to sound, including changes in physiology, volatile emissions, and microbial associations. Examine how sound affects plant reproductive processes and ecological interactions, particularly in relation to pollinators. To achieve these aims, the team will use a combination of experimental and modelling techniques, including controlled growth environments, rigorous acoustic measurements in advanced facilities, laser vibrometry, soil acoustic measurements, plant physiology, shotgun metagenomics, mass spectrometry, pollination experiments, mathematical modelling of sound propagation in plant tissues and soil and much more. All themes intertwine the disciplines of the project, integrating their modelling and experimental methods. This match offers the best chance to understand sound processes in plants and enable an informed use of this capability. The potential benefits of this research are wide-ranging. In the short term, it will establish a new scientific foundation for understanding plant acoustics and their ecological roles and generate openly available, extensive, and credible datasets. It will pioneer sensing methodologies, signal processing workflows, and limits for acoustic sensing and sound-based interactions in plant-soil systems, serving as a catalyst for the field. In the longer term, this project lays the pathway to non-invasive, field-applicable plant health monitoring systems based on sound. Such systems would be vital for early detection of crop stress, informed interventions and precision agriculture, helping farmers respond more effectively to climate-related challenges. Reciprocally, this project offers transformative benefits to acoustics by uncovering novel mechanisms of sound generation and sensing in plants, with the potential to inspire ultra-low-energy acoustic transducers, advance modelling of waves in complex nonlinear media, and help develop methods for detecting weak transients in noisy environments, translating into numerous engineering applications. Finally, understanding the effect of noise on plants and their reproductive processes will inform the design of low-noise engineering solutions and inform policy on noise, particularly for next-generation transport systems, to protect pollination from interference.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

East Antarctica, once considered a stable "sleeping giant" of sea-level rise, is beginning to stir. Even a small amount of melting - just 1% of its ice – would raise global sea-levels by half a meter, redrawing coastlines everywhere. Antarctica’s melting is driven from below, by the ocean, as warmer water moves into ice shelf cavities. This process, a major yet mostly unexplained contributor to sea-level rise, is caused by complex changes in ocean heat transport that remain poorly understood. In vulnerable East Antarctic regions, about 30% of the ongoing ice melt has been linked to wind-driven movement of warm ocean water. However, the remaining 70% is still unexplained. This gap persists due to a lack of detailed, simultaneous observations of ocean properties and velocities, along with models that cannot yet resolve critical features like ice shelf cavities at high enough resolution. As a result, the possibility of “rapid and unstoppable” sea-level rise cannot be ruled out as East Antarctic regions continue to lose ice. To address this gap, we will directly observe then simulate a hidden but major driver of warming ocean temperatures. We argue that changes in ocean structure—through shifts in the volume and position of key water masses—are an overlooked driver of warming. Changes in Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)—which, despite being formed in only four Antarctic regions, fills the deepest 40% of the ocean—significantly impact the position of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) that overlies it. Due to freshening at its source regions, AABW is shrinking by hundreds of meters per decade. As a result, CDW slumps toward Antarctica bringing heat closer to the ice shelves. 2WayXChange will use a groundbreaking combination of observations and simulations to reveal the previously overlooked role of AABW shrinkage—and its potential disappearance—in driving warming ocean temperatures. Our team offers the tools and capability to deliver a new understanding of the Southern Ocean and a step-change in prediction capability for sea-level change. We will track how water masses have evolved in the region and their influence on ice melt, by combining 50 years of ocean measurements in new ways.  Our 4D-Dataset will provide the first-ever observational time series of ocean conditions and circulation in East Antarctica. Using this new suite of observations, we will determine why ocean waters have changed near three East Antarctic regions particularly vulnerable to ice melt. We will use a novel analytical approach, that separates water mass movement from composition changes, to determine how much warming is due to AABW shrinkage versus wind-driven movement. Building on our brand-new observational insights, we will use ground-breaking simulations to predict how shrinking AABW affects shelf warming, ice loss, and global sea-level rise, both in the past (1950-2025) and future (2025-2100), distinguishing between ocean- and wind-driven causes of warming over 150 years. Global temperatures are already exceeding climate targets. They are projected to temporarily surpass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years, accelerating ice melt and intensifying the connection we seek to understand. We will tackle one of the most imminent challenges of our warming world - achieving a deeper understanding of ocean heat transport that enable more accurate predictions of sea-level rise. 2WayXChange is poised to push scientific frontiers, providing crucial new insights into Southern Ocean dynamics and its global impact.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Gambling Disorder (GD) is increasingly recognised as a significant public health and clinical issue, with wide-ranging consequences for individuals, families, and society. Harms linked to GD extend beyond financial losses to include mental health difficulties, relationship breakdown, employment disruption, and in severe cases, suicidality. This growing recognition has led to heightened political and clinical attention. In the UK, Gambling Disorder has been identified as a priority in the NHS Long-Term Plan, with new specialist treatment services now operating nationally. Alongside these developments, the introduction of the statutory Gambling Levy and the establishment of the UKRI Research Programme on Gambling signal a pivotal moment for consolidating the evidence base. At the centre of this effort lies a fundamental challenge: the accurate and consistent measurement of Gambling Disorder and its associated harms. Robust instruments are essential for identifying individuals at risk, establishing prevalence, confirming diagnosis, monitoring symptom trajectories, and evaluating treatment outcomes. The current measurement landscape is notably heterogeneous and lacks standardisation. A wide range of instruments exist; including screening/assessment, diagnosis, and treatment outcome evaluation instruments, but these vary in purpose, psychometric robustness, and validation context. Critically, there is little consensus on which instruments are most appropriate for specific contexts. Because of these issues, this Rapid Evidence Review (RER) focuses on measurement instruments for Gambling Disorder. By systematically bringing together evidence for and against the available measurement tools, evaluating their strengths and limitations, and clarifying their intended purposes, this review will provide clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and people with lived experience a clear roadmap for selecting instruments that are fit for purpose. In doing so, it will address one of the most pressing methodological challenges in the field and help to strengthen prevalence monitoring, service delivery, and policy evaluation in the UK and beyond.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Harmful gambling is a significant public health issue, affecting more than 500 million adults globally. The burden of harm associated with gambling is substantial – estimated to be two-thirds that of alcohol use disorders and major depressive disorder. Importantly, gambling harm is not only experienced by people who gamble, but also their family members, social networks, and the broader community. In England alone, the societal and economic burden of gambling is estimated at a minimum of £1.27 billion annually, increasing to £1.77 billion when broader impacts on health, welfare, and the criminal justice system are considered. These costs may well be under-estimates, due to the challenge in quantifying diverse types of gambling harms. Although psychological and pharmacological treatments have demonstrated efficacy, harmful gambling is commonly characterised by relapse. The aim of this rapid evidence review is to identify, synthesise, and critically appraise the existing literature on relapse. Specifically, we will examine: definitions of relapse; prevalence of relapse; relapse trajectories; warning signs of relapse; determinants (i.e., risk and protective factors) of relapse; consequences or harms associated with relapse; and, relapse prevention, aftercare, and continuing care interventions explicitly designed to address relapse. By evaluating the evidence scientifically, we will identify what is already known (with implications for policy makers, clinical services, public health, and other stakeholders) as well as identifying crucial knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in future work.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Silicon photonics is currently one of the fastest growing areas of research and development. The ability to exploit both the optical and electronic functionality of the semiconductor platform to process and manipulate data offers a route to dramatically increase the speeds, capacities, and efficiencies of optoelectronic systems. Capitalizing on their compact and efficient architectures, silicon photonic chips now underpin several key application areas such as data centre communications, where they are helping to expand internet bandwidths, and LiDAR, where they are enabling 4D vision in driverless vehicles. However, there are challenges associated in realizing the full suite of optoelectronic functionality using single-crystal silicon platforms due to their fixed silicon layer thickness. This is because the active and passive devices that make up the silicon circuits have different size requirements. For example, active devices are more efficient when the light is tightly confined in small waveguides, while passive devices are best when formed from larger waveguides as this helps to reduce the coupling and transmission losses. Moreover, the fixed silicon height can also make it difficult to fully optimise and integrate various components for operation across broad bandwidths or non-standard wavelength regions. The work in this proposal aims to tackle the integration challenge by developing a low cost and versatile polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) platform technology that allows for the formation of components with a range of tailored dimensions across the photonic chip. The components will be fabricated via a combination of precision etching, deposition, and laser materials processing to achieve high-quality polysilicon waveguide devices. Importantly, as well as boosting the efficiency of the individual components through optimised designs, the improved coupling between components of different dimensions will reduce optical losses, resulting in lower energy consumption within the photonic integrated circuits. Furthermore, the transition from using single-crystal waveguide materials that require high temperature epitaxial growth to low temperature deposited polysilicon opens a route to a more sustainable manufacturing of silicon photonic systems. To explore this new platform technology, the team combines leading UK experts in the areas of semiconductor materials optimisation and integration, as well as active and passive silicon photonic component design and systems level engineering. Although much of the programme is focused on development of the fabrication procedures, a number of passive and active devices will be constructed, including couplers and modulators that will be used to benchmark the performance against state-of-the-art systems. The work will culminate in the demonstration of a high-speed photonic transmitter circuit constructed entirely from our polysilicon platform, illustrating the versatility and practicality of this approach. Thus, this project will take a transformative step towards unlocking the rich potential of integrated polysilicon optoelectronic systems.