Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6255

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Vol cxlii No 20

pp. 452–463

Reports

Report of the General Board on the establishment of a Professorship of Sustainable Reaction Engineering

The General Board beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. Following a review of the research strategy of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Sustainable Reaction Engineering has been identifed as an area of high priority. The creation of sustainable processes that allow scientists and industry to meet society’s needs without damaging the environment is an immensely complex and urgent challenge with immediate industrial relevance and a significant impact on the global economy. It is a priority research funding area for UK Research Councils and industry. The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology will contribute world-leading expertise in sustainable reaction engineering to the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies targeted at reducing both energy demand and the production of carbon. Specifically, it aims to open up important new areas in low carbon chemical technology research.

2. The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology already has considerable research strength in Sustainable Reaction Engineering. Its contributions in the field include the development of techniques for the separation and recovery of high-value chemicals present in waste packaging, used engine oils, and tyres; modelling of the spread of chemical spills in the atmosphere or ocean; and research into the storage of carbon dioxide to mitigate climate change. The Professor of Sustainable Reaction Engineering will strengthen these contributions and provide a clear focus for these efforts.

3. The Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Syndicate have recommended the establishment from 1 April 2012 of a Professorship of Sustainable Reaction Engineering, and this has been endorsed by the Council of the School of Technology. In order to meet the recurrent costs of the Professorship, the Department have proposed that the vacant Readership in Sustainable Reaction Engineering (2007) be suppressed and the additional cost be met from funds available to the Department. The General Board have accepted the proposal for the establishment of the Professorship on this basis.

4. The Board are satisfied that an appointment at this level will be likely to attract a strong field of applicants. They are assured that suitable accommodation is available in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology for the Professor, and the Department has undertaken to provide the necessary support and facilities. The Board have agreed that election to the Professorship should be made by an ad hoc Board of Electors and that candidature should be open to all persons whose work falls within the title of the Professorship.

5. The General Board recommend:

That a Professorship of Sustainable Reaction Engineering be established in the University from 1 April 2012, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and that the Readership in Sustainable Reaction Engineering (2007) be suppressed.

8 February 2012

L. K. Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor

Christopher Crow

Robert Kennicutt

N. Bampos

Simon Franklin

Rachael Padman

William Brown

Andrew Gamble

J. Rallison

H. A. Chase

C. A. Gilligan

Patrick Sissons

Sarah Coakley

David Good

Morgan Wild

Report of the General Board on the establishment of Professorships of Politics, Engineering, and Genetics

The General Board beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. The Report of the Council on the financial position of the Chest, recommending allocations for 2011–12 (Reporter, 2010–11, p. 764) made provision to set aside £2m to facilitate staff restructuring, including measures to enhance the University’s submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014; further provision is included in the financial forecast for 2012–14. These non-recurrent allocations will, inter alia, enable a number of offices to be established from 1 October 2012, or as soon as possible thereafter, in anticipation of vacancies which are expected to occur through retirement not later than 30 September 2015. The census date for staff eligible for selection for the REF2014 is 31 October 2013. Following their consideration of detailed cases submitted by the Councils of the Schools to support succession planning and to enhance Departmental research profiles in anticipation of the REF, the General Board have agreed to recommend the establishment of the three Professorships, as proposed in this Report.

Professorship of Politics

2. The Department of Politics and the Centre of International Studies made a joint submission to both the 2001 and 2008 Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and in 2009 the two institutions merged to become the Department of Politics and International Studies. This process of convergence has been accompanied by an enhanced research profile for the Department, including research outputs, increased research income, and a thriving research culture. Professor A. Gamble is due to retire from the Professorship of Politics on 30 September 2014. Since this Professorship is one of only two permanent Professorships in the Department and the only one in Politics, the Faculty Board of Human, Social, and Political Science consider an overlap with Professor Gamble to be essential. Accordingly, the Faculty Board have recommended to the General Board that a senior research figure in politics should be appointed in advance of Professor Gamble’s retirement. The General Board have accepted the Faculty Board’s case and propose that a Professorship of Politics be established in the Department of Politics and International Studies from 1 October 2012, permanently replacing the Professorship of Politics that will become vacant on 1 October 2014 on Professor Gamble’s retirement.

Professorship of Engineering.

3. The Department of Engineering has achieved the highest possible rating in every RAE since 1992. Within the Information Engineering Division, the Control Engineering Group has maintained a leading international profile since the mid 1970s and continues to be widely renowned for its pro-active and successful research environment. The wider field of Information Engineering is also thriving, especially in the relatively new areas of Computational and Biological Learning and also Systems Biology with both the latter two areas overlapping considerably with Control Theory. The Department is conscious of the need to consolidate and enhance its pre-eminent position and to ensure that it remains at the forefront of research development in these new major areas of activity. Both the Department and the School of Technology have identified these developments as areas of strategic importance. Research within the Control Engineering Group is led by Professor K. Glover, who is due to retire on 30 September 2013. In order to ensure continuity of leadership, and to take forward research in these areas, the Faculty Board of Engineering have recommended to the General Board that a senior figure, with expertise in Control Theory and in at least one of the new fields identified, should be appointed in advance of Professor Glover’s anticipated retirement. The General Board have accepted the Faculty Board’s case and propose that a Professorship of Engineering be established in the Department of Engineering from 1 October 2012, permanently replacing the Professorship of Engineering (1974) that will become vacant on Professor Glover’s retirement.

Professorship of Genetics

4. The field of Genetics has made a major contribution to Biology and Medicine over the last century and, following a recent comprehensive review of the Department of Genetics, both the Department and the School of the Biological Sciences are confident that there is strong evidence that this role will continue. New technologies are generating ever increasing amounts of data on genomes and the molecules and phenotypes that they encode. This will provide unprecedented new opportunities to be exploited in understanding the functions of genomes, cells, and individuals while building on the Department’s historical strengths in the quantitative roots of the discipline. Professor D. Glover, who holds the Arthur Balfour Professorship of Genetics, is due to retire on 30 September 2015 and the Head of the Department considers an overlap with Professor Glover to be essential to consolidating existing research strengths and providing leadership for the substantial developments planned that will emphasize a quantitative and systems approach to Genetics. Accordingly, the Faculty Board of Biology have proposed to the General Board that Professor Glover’s successor should take up appointment in advance of his retirement and preferably by 1 October 2012. The General Board accordingly propose that a single-tenure Professorship of Genetics be established in the Department of Genetics from 1 October 2012, for the Arthur Balfour Professor Elect, in anticipation of Professor Glover’s retirement.

5. The proposals have the support of the Councils of the relevant Schools and the General Board have accordingly agreed to support the establishment of these three Professorships. The additional non-recurrent costs of the Professorships will be met from the allocation for REF preparations, as detailed in paragraph 1 above. The Board are assured that these appointments at the professorial level will be likely to attract strong fields of well-qualified candidates and that any start-up costs for the new Professors will be met by the School or Department concerned.

6. The General Board accordingly propose that a Professorship of Politics, a Professorship of Engineering, and a Professorship of Genetics should be established in the University from 1 October 2012 and assigned to the Departments of Politics and International Studies, Engineering, and Genetics, respectively. They have agreed in each case to concur in the view of the Faculty Board concerned that election to the Professorship should be made by an ad hoc Board of Electors and that candidature for the Professorships of Engineering and Genetics should be limited as specified in paragraphs 3 and 4.

7. The General Board recommend:

I. That a Professorship of Politics be established in the University from 1 October 2012, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to the Department of Politics and International Studies, on condition that the Professorship of Politics be suppressed on the retirement of the current holder.

II That a Professorship of Engineering be established in the University from 1 October 2012, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to the Department of Engineering, on condition that the Professorship of Engineering (1974) be suppressed on the retirement of the current holder.

III. That a Professorship of Genetics be established in the University for one tenure from 1 October 2012, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to the Department of Genetics.

8 February 2012

L. K. Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor

Christopher Crow

Robert Kennicutt

N. Bampos

Simon Franklin

Rachael Padman

William Brown

Andrew Gamble

J. Rallison

H. A. Chase

C. A. Gilligan

Patrick Sissons

Sarah Coakley

David Good

Morgan Wild