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The British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society have announced joint funding of £100,000 each for eight interdisciplinary research projects based at universities across the UK.

Awarded under the APEX scheme (Academies Partnership in Supporting Excellence in Cross-disciplinary Research) with support from the Leverhulme Trust, the funding will enable established researchers with a strong track record in their respective fields to pursue research that spans the social sciences and humanities, engineering and the sciences.

Each APEX award provides £100,000 funding for up to 24 months. Award holders can also separately apply for up to £10,000 to create and lead public engagement projects linked to their APEX Award.

For media enquiries please contact Pippa Cox

Pippa Cox
020 7766 0745

This year’s funded projects are:

  • Does cognition predate life? A philosophy-inspired engineering approach to defining and testing proto-cognitive processes in inert matter – Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta, University of Edinburgh
  • Exploring the feasibility of regenerating Medieval Licchavi Period irrigation infrastructure in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal – Professor Robin Coningham, Durham University
  • Understanding and Explaining Variations in the Rate of Radiocarbon Samples – Professor Timothy Heaton, University of Leeds
  • Bringing the Cosmos to the Lab: Explaining via Analogue Gravity Quantum Simulators – Dr Lina Jansson, University of Nottingham
  • New geometric methods for mapping the space of periodic crystals – Dr Vitaliy Kurlin, University of Liverpool
  • Robots in the Wild – Environmentally trustworthy robots for monitoring challenging natural ecosystems – Dr Hemma Philamore, University of Bristol
  • Integrated risk mapping of culture meat – Dr Neil Stephens, University of Birmingham
  • Responsibility for human-AI split-second decision-making (ROUTE) – Dr Ozlem Ulgen, University of Nottingham.

The 2024 APEX Awards will open for applications on 6 September and will close on 1 November 2023. For further information, please contact [email protected].

Further details about the APEX award scheme are available on the Royal Society’s website.

Notes for editors

  1. The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone. thebritishacademy.ac.uk @BritishAcademy_
  2. The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. http://royalsociety.org/ Follow the Royal Society on Twitter (@royalsociety) or on Facebook (facebook.com/theroyalsociety)
  3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age. @RAEngNews
  4. Since its foundation in 1925, the Leverhulme Trust has provided grants and scholarships for research and education, funding research projects, fellowships, studentships, bursaries and prizes; it operates across all the academic disciplines, the intention being to support talented individuals as they realise their personal vision in research and professional training. Today, it is one of the largest all-subject providers of research funding in the UK, distributing approximately £100 million a year. For more information about the Trust, please visit leverhulme.ac.uk and follow the Trust on Twitter @LeverhulmeTrust

For further information, please contact:
Pippa Cox, Communications Manager, Royal Academy of Engineering
[email protected] 020 7766 0745
Bryony Ravate, Assistant Press Officer, Royal Society
[email protected] 020 7451 2508
Volter Rechardt, Press Officer, British Academy
[email protected] 020 7969 5273