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23 April 2007

£1 million boost for Chemistry

Reward for top contribution to industry

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CHEMISTRY graduates are highly-prized in industry and MMU is one of the UK’s biggest trainers of quality chemists.

To acknowledge this fact, the University has been awarded £1m in additional funding over three years to support our expansive programme of undergraduate, postgraduate and on-the-job training.

Dr Brian Murphy, Head of Chemistry and Materials at MMU, said: "While other chemistry departments are closing, MMU is focusing on giving young chemists the best possible start in their careers and working closely with industry to ensure they have the right experience and skills.

"Chemicals and pharmaceuticals is the highest earning sector of the UK economy so it is important that we train top quality people and allow those already working in industry access to training and qualifications."

Maintaining high standards

MMU already trains around 6% of the UK chemistry graduates, while 25% of enrolled students are part-time, mostly on day release from industry.

The extra money from the Higher Education Funding Council for England provides MMU with an extra £1,000 per student per year over three years, supporting MMU staffing rates and funding high quality laboratory facilities.

MMU receives £357,000 this year, more than many traditional science universities such as Birmingham, Imperial, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle, placing it in the top dozen universities in the country for chemistry.

The funding is part of a multi-million pound package nationally for ‘very high cost and vulnerable laboratory-based subjects’.

- MMU is the only UK university to run a online distance course.

For more about chemistry, materials science, forensic science and pharmaceutical science, go to www.sci-eng.mmu.ac.uk/bchs.