Boost for interdisciplinary research

18 June 2007

Researchers looking to stimulate and support interdisciplinary work around the University have a new home. The e-Science building, formally opened on 15 June by the Vice-Chancellor Dr John Hood, houses two new centres and a variety of research groups dedicated to using innovative technology and training methods to improve interdisciplinary research and training.

‘Our vision is that the building will be a huge step forward in offering an environment for the development and use of innovative computational and information technologies which facilitate new types of research, and in housing a leading doctoral training centre – which is attracting the highest quality students to the University’ said Professor Paul Jeffreys of the new Oxford e-Research Centre (OeRC).

The OeRC, based at the e-Science building, will play a crucial role in developing the University’s research infrastructure and will include a new generation supercomputer for the whole University. The new building will also be home to the EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre which provides a unique doctoral training programme for students bringing together leading-edge research in the mathematical, engineering and physical sciences and research in the clinical and life sciences. The Oxford University Computing Laboratory will use the new building to expand into exciting new areas of research such as computational biology and information systems, as well as enlarging both the research and teaching activities of the Software Engineering Programme, which offers part-time in-service education to practicing software engineers and is a joint venture with the University's Department of Continuing Education.

Professor Bill Roscoe, the Director of the Computing Laboratory, said: ‘These latest developments build on decades of excellent research at the Computing Laboratory which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special exhibition to coincide with the opening of the e-Science building. I am also delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Horrocks to a professorship from 1 September – he is a world leader in the development of the Semantic Web and will be a key figure in drawing together the work of the different units in the e-Science building and linking it with other departments around the University.’

Picture: A view of the atrium of the new e-Science building at 7 Keble Road.