Research

From supporting communities faced with natural disasters and securing global energy needs to improving healthcare, research in the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering has the power to solve global problems and improve our quality of life.

World-leading research that improves everyday life

Our world-leading scholars are using the fundamentals of science and engineering to add value to people’s lives. Examples of the impact our research has had on the global community include:

• identifying gold as a catalyst with the potential to save lives
• improving health by applying our mathematical expertise to improve patient management and reduce waiting times within the NHS
• cleaning up the environment by finding safer ways to store nuclear waste
• creating a unique index of the world’s species using big data to help save flora and fauna from extinction.

Facing future challenges head on

The College of Physical Sciences and Engineering enables research staff and students across our subjects to work together on the global challenges of the future. One of the ways we are doing this is through University Research Institutes, which have been set up in areas of expertise and cross-disciplinary strength to address specific challenges.

The Data Innovation Research Institute, for example, has been set up to conduct fundamental research into the aspects of managing, analysing and interpreting massive volumes of information for businesses in the areas of social sciences, biological and life sciences, computational sciences and engineering.

Staff from across our Schools are also instrumental in the Crime and Security Research Institute, the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, the Energy Systems Research Institute, the Sustainable Places Research Institute and the Water Research Institute.

Our research environment

Our research environment encourages innovation, entrepreneurship and original, cross-disciplinary thinking.

We offer dedicated training programmes to all of our research staff, whether they are at the start of their careers or at a more experienced level. We also offer funding and grant support to help our researchers make the most of available opportunities.

Our research staff benefit from excellent resources and equipment, from our artificial sky in the Welsh School of Architecture to our Cardiff Earth Laboratory for Trace Element and Isotope Chemistry.

Our facilities

We are investing in new facilities that will bring researchers closer across the disciplinary boundaries, as well as bridge the gap between research and industry. For example, we are currently investing £77 million into our Translational Research Hub, which will house the Cardiff Catalysis Institute and the Institute for Compound Semiconductors as part of the University’s Innovation Campus. Both Institutes have close links with industry and this investment will enable better engagement with the private sector to generate commercial revenue streams from our research.

Athena Swan

The University is a member of Athena Swan, which recognises our commitment to the advancement of gender equality. Many of our Schools currently hold a Bronze Award. We are also home to the Cardiff Women in Science network which exists to support female scientists across the University.