Liverpool STFC IPS Fellowship
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The IPS Fellow will coordinate the knowledge exchange strategy for Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics and Accelerator Science within the Department of Physics.
Healthcare: The University of Liverpool, Department of Physics is one of only three national training providers for the new Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) Medical Physics MSc, funded by the NHS. This was a highly successful bid, with Liverpool being ranked first against stiff competition. This MSc is delivered in collaboration with the Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS Trust, the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology (CCO) and Clinical Engineering with the University of Liverpool. The trainees come from throughout the UK. This provides a unique opportunity to build collaborative research and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) partnerships within the Healthcare sector. The fellow will coordinate these efforts and will help establish a new Medical Physics research institute within the University of Liverpool, which is a strategic goal of the University in its current planning.
Security: The Fellow will help coordinate the exploitation of the sensor technology and associated instrumentation and techniques that exists within the research groups. The fellow will help consolidate existing relationships with partner organisations by showcasing the full breadth of STFC science activity. New opportunities for funding R+D will be identified together with establishing relationships with new companies.
Energy: Liverpool scientists and engineers are working together as part of a new University Institute focused on research into energy. The Stephenson Institute is developing clean and sustainable energy technologies including hydrogen generation and storage, solar harvesting, wind and marine energy and fusion technology. The institute is in the process of developing expert networks, including policy-makers and management, to highlight global energy and sustainability issues. Making links with far eastern energy providers and attempting to attract a large investment from the University of Liverpool Energy campus we believe will be an important role of the fellow. The IPS Fellow will be fully engaged in this process, ensuring the opportunities for STFC science are fully exploited. The University of Liverpool Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Physics Departments are in the process of forming a Nuclear Engineering alliance which will maximise the exploitation of institutional expertise in autonomous systems, sensors and virtual engineering. The IPS Fellow will help coordinate the relationship between the alliance and external stakeholder organisations such as the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Sellafield Ltd.
IT Developments: The Department was an early developer of large scale computing building the first large scale COTS cluster in n Europe in 2000 (MAP) and innovated specialized middleware . Subsequently the group invested in Grid computing and, at the same time founded the AiMeS Institute for commercial applications with NWDA and EW funding. This led to commercial spin-offs (AiMeS Grid Services) totally independent of the University currently delivering these Grid Services to the wider community. The Departments IT cluster activities, through also led to the introduction /choice of Force10 (now DELL) switches as the core switch technology at CERN; an example of beneficial relationship between industry and research. The group is now (separately from this request) bidding (with computer science partners) to develop a new generation of computers, based on a next generation of GPU chip and switch technology that aims to deliver a factor 1000:1 improvement in performance price of useable CPU cycles within the next decade. The IPS fellow will play a pivotal role in attracting commercial partners and carefully managing the IP issues that will arise.
Healthcare: The University of Liverpool, Department of Physics is one of only three national training providers for the new Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) Medical Physics MSc, funded by the NHS. This was a highly successful bid, with Liverpool being ranked first against stiff competition. This MSc is delivered in collaboration with the Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS Trust, the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology (CCO) and Clinical Engineering with the University of Liverpool. The trainees come from throughout the UK. This provides a unique opportunity to build collaborative research and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) partnerships within the Healthcare sector. The fellow will coordinate these efforts and will help establish a new Medical Physics research institute within the University of Liverpool, which is a strategic goal of the University in its current planning.
Security: The Fellow will help coordinate the exploitation of the sensor technology and associated instrumentation and techniques that exists within the research groups. The fellow will help consolidate existing relationships with partner organisations by showcasing the full breadth of STFC science activity. New opportunities for funding R+D will be identified together with establishing relationships with new companies.
Energy: Liverpool scientists and engineers are working together as part of a new University Institute focused on research into energy. The Stephenson Institute is developing clean and sustainable energy technologies including hydrogen generation and storage, solar harvesting, wind and marine energy and fusion technology. The institute is in the process of developing expert networks, including policy-makers and management, to highlight global energy and sustainability issues. Making links with far eastern energy providers and attempting to attract a large investment from the University of Liverpool Energy campus we believe will be an important role of the fellow. The IPS Fellow will be fully engaged in this process, ensuring the opportunities for STFC science are fully exploited. The University of Liverpool Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Physics Departments are in the process of forming a Nuclear Engineering alliance which will maximise the exploitation of institutional expertise in autonomous systems, sensors and virtual engineering. The IPS Fellow will help coordinate the relationship between the alliance and external stakeholder organisations such as the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Sellafield Ltd.
IT Developments: The Department was an early developer of large scale computing building the first large scale COTS cluster in n Europe in 2000 (MAP) and innovated specialized middleware . Subsequently the group invested in Grid computing and, at the same time founded the AiMeS Institute for commercial applications with NWDA and EW funding. This led to commercial spin-offs (AiMeS Grid Services) totally independent of the University currently delivering these Grid Services to the wider community. The Departments IT cluster activities, through also led to the introduction /choice of Force10 (now DELL) switches as the core switch technology at CERN; an example of beneficial relationship between industry and research. The group is now (separately from this request) bidding (with computer science partners) to develop a new generation of computers, based on a next generation of GPU chip and switch technology that aims to deliver a factor 1000:1 improvement in performance price of useable CPU cycles within the next decade. The IPS fellow will play a pivotal role in attracting commercial partners and carefully managing the IP issues that will arise.
Organisations
- University of Liverpool (Lead Research Organisation, Project Partner)
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust (Collaboration)
- Mirion Technologies Inc (Collaboration)
- National Nuclear Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Kromek Group plc (Collaboration)
- Metropolitan Police Service (Collaboration)
- University of Liverpool (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
Andrew Boston (Principal Investigator) |
Description | The role of the IPS Fellowship has established a culture of innovation in the Department which has significantly increased the proportion of staff engaging in activities with measurable industrial impact potential. Impact activities are now an integral part of all PDR meetings where academics need to establish their impact plans for each 12-month period. This has led to significant cultural change in individual research portfolios. Impact that resulted from IAA (or other) funding was also communicated more prominently in staff meetings, internal/external communication, highlighting successes and underlining the importance of this activity. This is opening a wide range of new opportunities across all the research clusters. Larger scale partnerships that have been established include Nuclear Safeguards (with NNL), Proton therapy (with Proton Partners International) and Nuclear decommissioning (with Mirion Technologies). The role of innovation and impact within STFC science has been showcased with initiatives established by the IPS Fellow such as "Physics Innovate" part of the International Business Festival (https://www.internationalbusinessfestival.com) and "The Physics Effect". Both of these initiatives will continue and will develop to align with opportunities identified in the Industrial Strategy white paper (HM Government). |
Exploitation Route | The STFC IPS Fellow is working closely with Business Gateway the University TTO and the senior management of the department of physics. IAA funding will continue to provide pump-priming support to enable STFC funded staff to explore the potential and/or engage with industrial collaborators and potential end users. Such support will allow consortia to apply for IPS/FoF/Innovate UK/EU or ISCF support. In addition, Industry/Academic workshops and showcase events will continue the previous success of "Physics Innovate" and the EuPRAXIA Symposium (2018), with in the first instance a large scale industry co-innovation workshop that will be held jointly with CERN and around 100 companies from the UK and abroad on 22 March 2019 at the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) in the framework of the FCC project. This workshop will focus on the strategic R&D programme of FCC, including the technological innovations envisaged within the project, and the benefits for industry in terms of project involvement and product commercialization. |
Sectors | Education Energy Healthcare Security and Diplomacy |
Description | The role of the existing IPS Fellowship has established a culture of innovation in the Department which has significantly increased the proportion of staff engaging in activities with measurable industrial impact potential. Impact activities are now an integral part of all PDR meetings where academics need to establish their impact plans for each 12-month period. This has led to significant cultural change in individual research portfolios. Impact that resulted from IAA (or other) funding was also communicated more prominently in staff meetings, internal/external communication, highlighting successes and underlining the importance of this activity. This is opening a wide range of new opportunities across all the research clusters, some additional examples include: (1) GAMBE (Gamma Blind Neutron Efficient Detector): seeks to exploit the expertise acquired by the high energy physics group of the University of Liverpool in the development of state of the art silicon detector for particle physics to produce high efficiency neutron detectors with low background contamination. (2) Fast readout silicon detectors: exploits the development of state of the art silicon detectors developed for particle physics applications. A collaboration with Q-technologies to investigate feasibility was established with the assistance of IAA support. The team created new intellectual property and have demonstrated that sensitivity levels down to a part-per-trillion can be achieved in a mass spectrometer not bigger than a small suitcase and at a fraction of the costs of traditional scientific instrumentation of comparable sensitivity. (3) DEPICT (Dosimetric Imaging with CZT) is a device being developed for dosimetry during radionuclide therapy of the thyroid. The IAA provided support to enable STFC researchers to work with 257 who provided a prototype model of the DEPICT system. (4) GRi (CZT Gamma-ray Imager): exploits the development of near field-of-view (FOV) semiconductor-based Compton Gamma-ray imaging systems for potential use in security, medical and nuclear decommissioning applications. Funding facilitated through with the IPS Fellow directly from the Metropolitan Police and with support from the STFC IAA has allowed a product concept to be developed to allow field use in a forensic setting. (5) Development of a High-Power UV Laser in work with M Squared Lasers Ltd., Glasgow. The department has initiated a programme of work to develop laser systems technology for applications in the near UV wavelength. (6) Support of an academia-industry co-innovation event as part of the EuPRAXIA Symposium. The department has organized an international Symposium on "Quantum Leap towards the next generation of accelerators" on 6 July 2018. The aim of the event was to encourage a dialogue between industry, plasma accelerator scientists and the broader community of particle accelerators. (7) Adaptive Optics development. The development of innovative non-invasive diagnostic technologies for particle accelerators in collaboration with industry partners D-Beam in the UK and ViALUX, Germany. This work will now provide a basis for any future DMD-based commercial products. |
First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
Sector | Education,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Security and Diplomacy |
Description | Innovate UK |
Amount | £1,000,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Innovate UK |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2016 |
End | 01/2019 |
Description | Canberra |
Organisation | Mirion Technologies Inc |
Department | Mirion Technologies (Canberra UK) Limited |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Expertise in gamma-ray imaging |
Collaborator Contribution | Route to Market - Canberra. Access to civil nuclear facilities - NNL. |
Impact | Access to nuclear facilities, route to market. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Canberra |
Organisation | National Nuclear Laboratory |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Expertise in gamma-ray imaging |
Collaborator Contribution | Route to Market - Canberra. Access to civil nuclear facilities - NNL. |
Impact | Access to nuclear facilities, route to market. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | DEPICT |
Organisation | Kromek Group plc |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | DEPICT is a device being developed for dosimetry during radionuclide therapy of the thyroid. The STFC IAA coordinated by the IPS Fellow provided support to enable STFC researchers to work with 257 who provided a prototype model of the DEPICT system |
Collaborator Contribution | Supply of a commercial CZT sensor and collaborative R+D |
Impact | Development of prototype imager |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | IPS 1 |
Organisation | Mirion Technologies Inc |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Expertise in Gamma-ray imaging systems |
Collaborator Contribution | Mirion Technologies have supported the development of Gamma-ray Imaging systems for the Nuclear sector. They have sponsored PhD and MSc students and support research grant applications. |
Impact | New algorithms for extracting signals from germanium detectors. New optimised designs of deployable detector systems. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | IPS-2 |
Organisation | National Nuclear Laboratory |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Gamma-ray detector systems and mobile deployment. |
Collaborator Contribution | Access to Nuclear Facilities include Sellafield. Access to test facilities. |
Impact | Key research projects to reduce the overall cost of Nuclear Decommissioning going forward. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | IPS-3 |
Organisation | Metropolitan Police Service |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Work with the MET to understand the radiation detection requirements. |
Collaborator Contribution | Access to facilities and personnel to understand the challenges associated with radiation detection and measurement within the MET police. |
Impact | Development of technologies and algorithms to meet end user requirements. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Proton Therapy |
Organisation | The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Access to the Proton Therapy facility for measurements with phantoms. |
Collaborator Contribution | Extensive clinical knowledge and experience. |
Impact | The research work is in progress |
Start Year | 2015 |
Title | SPECT/MR Compton imager |
Description | A new SPECT/MR camera |
Type | Diagnostic Tool - Imaging |
Current Stage Of Development | Refinement. Non-clinical |
Year Development Stage Completed | 2014 |
Development Status | Under active development/distribution |
Impact | Potential for short scan time with SPECT or reduced dose to patient |
Description | Cross-Government Security Research Briefing Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Cross Government Briefing data on Nuclear Security. Link with UK and US Government officials has led to opportunities to exploit STFC technology at an international level. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Forensic KTN event (London) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | KTN event on Forensics. Provided key showcase for STFC technology with industry insiders and experts. Invited plenary presentation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Imaging 2016 conference presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Imaging 2016 international conference in Stockholm, Sweden. Showcasing the impact of STFC technology in Medical Imaging. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | NNL Technical Seminar Series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | National Nuclear Laboratory Technical Seminar series. Presenting projects that define the technology roadmap going forward. Raised profile of STFC technology opportunities within the nuclear sector. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Physics INNOVATE |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Physics INNOVATE was run as part of the international festival of business. Held in Liverpool at the Convention Centre (2016) and the Town Hall (2015). The event showcased the key UoL and STFC technologies to a broad range of industry. A number of new projects have commenced following these events. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |