Accolade for battery expert

A University of St Andrews scientist who is pioneering new materials for smaller, lighter and less toxic batteries has won a prestigious funding award aimed at retaining top academics within the UK.

Professor Peter Bruce of the School of Chemistry is to be presented with The Royal Society Merit Award. Administered by The Royal Society using funds supplied by the Wolfson Foundation and Government, the five-year annual award (£160,000) is presented to a handful of “researchers of outstanding achievement” and provides the host universities with funds to support the particular academic in a variety of ways.

This is the first time that the University of St Andrews has been successful within the context of this scheme.

Professor Bruce is carrying out fundamental studies involving the design of new materials for rechargeable lithium batteries which will power everything from artificial hearts and laptops to environmentally-friendly vehicles and mobile phones.

A founder member of the RSC Solid State Group, Professor Bruce sits on the editorial board of several journals including Dalton Transactions and has contributed to a number of textbooks. The author of a number of international patents, he is a well-regarded populariser of science and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1995.

ENDS

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact Claire Grainger on 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or email [email protected] Ref: peterbruce/standrews/chg/3dec2001