DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (030) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 5 March 2009
A centre to
revolutionise the future of UK transport industry was announced
today by Transport Minister Andrew Adonis. The £7.75m programme
will be based at Imperial College London as well as University
College London and the University of Leeds, and will draw on
scientific experts from across the country.
The UK Transport Research Centre (UKTRC) will undertake long and
short-term research on some of the key big questions likely to
face transport in the next decade and beyond, including:
* Economic competitiveness
* The environment
*
Society
* Mobility and accessibility
* Technology
Whilst visiting Imperial College, Andrew Adonis said;
"We are committed to delivering a first class sustainable
transport system in this country - but to do this we need a first
class evidence base.
"The research coming out of this new centre will be
instrumental in ensuring Britain is at the forefront of new
sustainable transport developments."
Research will include the impact of Government investment in
transport infrastructure and its effects on the labour market and
the economy. Other projects will look at ways to improve
governance and decision making in the transport system and predict
how technological advances in different sectors might affect
future transport demand.
Rector of Imperial College London, Sir Roy Anderson said;
"I welcome the establishment of a national hub for transport
research. It will provide a tremendous opportunity to enrich and
extend the scope of work carried out in this field and enable
Imperial to work more closely with our partners at Leeds and UCL."
Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the Economic and Social
Research Council, who are joint funders, said
"The UK's transport system is at the very heart of the
future of the country. Providing a strong base of evidence to
inform future government policy will be vital, not just to the
economic recovery, but to all aspects of society."
Notes for Editors
1. The UKTRC will be funded by the DfT, ESRC and the Scottish
Government (DfT £5.0m, ESRC £2.5m and the Scottish Government £0.25m).
2. The Centre will be led by Professor Peter Jones, seconded from
University College London, together with four Executive Directors,
and will draw on the multidisciplinary academic expertise found
across the academic sector in the UK. The announcement was made
during a visit to Imperial College London today, where the
Minister met leading academics in transport research.
3. The ESRC grant holder is Professor John Polak, Director of
Imperial's Centre for Transport Studies and the grant will be
administered through Imperial College London.
4. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the
UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate
training relating to social and economic issues. It supports
independent, high quality research which impacts on business, the
public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's planned total
expenditure in 2008/09 is £203 million. At any one time the ESRC
supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in
academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk
5. Research is expected to start early in 2009.
6. The UKTRC will carry out research in two streams:
a. Short term policy relevant analysis and research aimed at
informing immediate policy questions. This element will be
wholly funded by DfT, who will directly commission the research
and its dissemination, and will be managed by the University of
Leeds. A Policy Research and Analysis Customer Group within DfT
has been will be established to steer this work.
b. Longer term in-depth innovative research aimed at developing
the evidence base to inform policy questions, dissemination and
capacity building - jointly funded by DfT, ESRC and the Scottish
Government and managed by Imperial College London.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk