University of Edinburgh: Royal Society of Edinburgh research awards boost
Eleven Edinburgh academics have been announced as recipients of a Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) grant for developing research and to foster collaborative links.
The scholars have won funding in the annual awards which invest in research to benefit Scotland’s cultural, economic and social well-being, and to boost international impact.
The grants will enable researchers to build partnerships to tackle research challenges across a range of themes including mental health, dementia and community wealth building.
Totalling just over £664,000 the awards have been made to 37 researchers representing all 15 of Scotland’s universities.
In announcing the awards the RSE said the funding supports the outstanding talent in Scotland’s vibrant research community to advance knowledge, tackle global challenges and provide new ways of thinking to benefit to society and the economy.
Research themes
Michael Barany of the School of Social and Political Science won an International Joint Project Award for research to examine the future public understanding of mathematics.
Dr Jiazhi Fengjiang of the School of Social and Political Science was awarded a RSE Personal Research Fellowship for the research project Chinese transnational humanitarianism in Southeast Asia.
Dr Catriona Murray of Edinburgh College of Art was awarded a RSE Personal Research Fellowship for a research project: examining the Stuart monarchy and monumental sculpture and the royal image from 1603-1819.
Dr Maria Gardani of the School of Health in Social Sciences received a RSE Research Network Grant for the Scottish Student Mental Health Research Network (ScotSMART).
The Edinburgh based project is a collaboration with the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, the Business School and researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde.
Dr Una MacGlone, of Edinburgh College of Art was awarded a RSE Research Network Grant for a project to investigate approaches to address barriers to participation in musical improvisation, and how to achieve accessible creative spaces.
Dr Barry Maguire, of the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences received a Research Workshop Grant for research into justifying community wealth building.
Workshop grants have also been awarded to Dr Emanuela Patti of the School of Literature, Languages and Cultures for a project to explore the multifaceted figure of David Rizzio (1533-1566), also known as Davide Riccio, a key Italian figure in Scottish history and culture and Mary Queen of Scots’ confidante and private secretary.
Dr Katey Warran of the School of Health in Social Science for the project, ‘CREATE dance for dementia: cocreating a research agenda to facilitate equitable dance for dementia’.
The RSE Small Grants Awards were awarded to Dr Peter Adkins of the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures for research into Vegetarianism in Modernist Culture, 1890-1940. Professor
Linda Kirstein, Professor in the School of GeoSciences and Chair in Earth Dynamics received a grant for the project titled ‘Did intraplate magmatism in Morocco share a common origin with the Cameroon volcanic line’.
Dr Fiona McNeill of the School of Informatics also received a grant for the project ‘Analysing uptake and completion of computer-science-related National Qualification Group Awards across Scotland’.
The RSE’s Research Awards Programme is vital to support the outstanding talent in Scotland’s vibrant research community. The innovative work of these awardees in advancing knowledge, tackling global challenges and providing new ways of thinking will provide significant benefits to society and to our economy. On behalf of the RSE, I offer my congratulations to each and every recipient, and wish them success in their research.
Professor Charles W. J. Withers FBA FRSE
Research Awards Convener Royal Society of Edinburgh