UCL Astrophysics Short-term Visitor Programme 2006-2009

We propose to continue our successful and productive short-term visitor programme at UCL to cover PPARC-funded astrophysics research in theoretical and observational areas. The grant would support individual visits from overseas and the UK, typically lasting 5 days each. A total of £45,000 is requested over 3 years in connection to the research activity of 20 academic staff, 15 post-doctoral fellows and 30 PhD students. We also seek to support the recent major expansion of the UCL Astrophysics group into the area of cosmology. The funds will be used to cover mostly subsistence costs for about 25 visitors per annum, i.e. approximately 3 per research area per year. The visits will provide substantial benefits to our research groups through direct interactions, output of research publications, access to overseas facilities, exchange schemes, and generation of new opportunities for research and funding.