Panel members are grateful to the Steering Committee for their excellent preparatory work that led to a well structured, albeit busy schedule. The Panel also offers an enormous vote of thanks to the EPSRC staff involved in managing the review. Specifically, their tireless efforts in chaperoning members of the Panel on their whirlwind tour of the UK, their excellent overall project management and preparation, including distribution of documentation for the Review, and first-rate travel arrangements, contributed enormously to a memorable experience and the success of the Review.
The Panel is deeply appreciative of the time and effort given to the review by the host institutions and their staff. Everywhere, the Panel was exposed to presentations of uniform high quality. The Panel appreciates the enormous time and effort devoted to the International Review by the Chemistry community. Talks and the interactions with the Panel formed the basis of lively discussions and an effective communication vehicle. Many academic researchers and industrialists travelled significant distances to participate in the presentations and open dialogue with panel members. Here again, the Panel is grateful for the time and effort generously given over to the Review by all those involved. The many frank discussions, with academics and industrialists were invaluable and form the basis of the Panel’s findings and recommendations. The Panel is especially appreciative of the early career researchers that openly shared their diverse experiences.
5.0 Panel Responses to the “Framework and Subsidiary Questions”
5.0.1 Preamble
The Framework and associated Subsidiary Questions generated by the International Review Steering Committee amounted to more than 50 separate issues on which the Panel was charged to gather findings and offer recommendations. This forbidding task was all the more challenging given that each sub-panel had only four days to gather anecdotal information from the Chemistry community before their findings were discussed by the complete Panel on the final day of the review. A democratic partitioning of the Panel’s time would have allocated about 10 minutes per issue per location. Nevertheless, the Panel embraced this challenge with gusto. The Panel’s views were also informed by additional information provided by EPSRC, including submissions responding to the Evidence Framework that were prepared by the various universities and other stakeholders3 . The time pressures experienced by the Panel were severe and the information may not be as fully digested as it should be. Thus the conclusions and findings should be regarded as perceptions and treated in the spirit in which they are tendered, namely, suggestions to enhance and sustain Chemistry in the UK for next decade and beyond.
As will be evident from the following pages, each issue did not receive equal attention, or likely not even the attention it deserved. The overall emphasis was in many respects dictated by the UK Chemistry community, as articulated in the open meetings that were held at each location visited. Thus through its input at these meetings the community was responsible for a tilt of the Panel’s emphasis away from issues calling for an assessment of outcomes such as jobs and wealth creation towards an examination of the impact of current policies and procedures (both at the Research Councils and at the universities) on creativity and innovation in Chemistry. Arguably the most pressing issue identified by the Panel as in need of attention was the current treatment of ECR scientists both by the universities and the Research Councils.
The following section contains the Panels findings and recommendations concerning the Framework Questions. There is an overarching plea for the Research Councils and stakeholders to open a meaningful dialogue and partnership with the Chemistry community on the way forward. The solution to the societal Grand Challenges facing humanity, namely sustainability, energy, the environment along with health and wellbeing are all inextricably linked to Chemistry. It is beholding on all parties (funding bodies, industry and academia) to work together to chart the way forward for the UK. The outcome of such a dialogue must be a way to build a viable framework to sustain creative (adventurous) Chemistry that will lead to innovation and thus have profound implications for all.
5.A. What is the impact on a global scale of the UK Chemistry research community both in terms of research quality and the profile of researchers?
Summary Findings:
Global impact of chemical research is uneven but with examples of world-leading and world-class effort
Islands of excellence exist at the level of departments and disciplines
The impact of UK chemical research globally is uneven both in quality and profile. There are islands of excellence with respect to both departments and disciplines. The number of centres characterised by excellent quality of research seems to be relatively small for the size of the population base when compared against smaller European countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands.
5.A.1 Is the UK the international leader in chemistry research? In which areas? What contributes to the UK strength and what are the recommendations for continued strength?
The Panel was not given a full opportunity to evaluate this question in depth since it was presented with a snapshot of the UK chemistry community. Seen from this vantage point the situation is rather heterogeneous and uneven with respect to a notable leadership position. There are examples of excellence that can be readily identified in synthesis, catalysis including biocatalysis, biological chemistry (specifically bioanalytical), supramolecular chemistry, polymers and colloids and gas-phase spectroscopy and dynamics. There are notable examples of areas in need of rejuvenation and strategic support. Selected comments on sub-disciplines of Chemistry are given below.
Recommendation
A1: Greater participation and active involvement by the university community in partnership with the Research Councils is necessary to set priorities to establish and sustain world-leadership positions in Chemistry.
5.A.2 What are the opportunities/threats for the future?
The absence of sustained long-term funding is seen as a serious impediment in responding to the evolution of Chemistry as a science and its proper balance with the core disciplines. Although there has been some progress in multidisciplinary research, the lack (for the most part) of institutionally interactive teams (or even regional efforts) is inhibiting progress. Such teams are likely to be crucial in addressing societal Grand Challenges related to Sustainability, Energy, Health and the Environment.
Recommendation
A2: More groups need to have access to sustainable, long-term funding, which enables adventurous, visionary research in the core and multi-disciplinary programmes.
5.A.3 In which areas is the UK weak and what are the recommendations for improvement?
Potentially dangerous gaps in the UK academic research base include aspects of medicinal chemistry, modern experimental physical chemistry and the link to chemical engineering. In spite of some pockets of strength, opportunities exist to strengthen areas, such as chemical biology, physical organic, theoretical and computational chemistry of condensed phases and advanced materials. These include a selection of core activities and interdisciplinary programmes.
Recommendation
A3: Strategic hires (senior and ECR) in critical areas would help to address these shortcomings. International leaders should be approached because it is likely they could more readily nucleate effective research programmes.
Specific Disciplinary Comments and Recommendations:
Organic Chemistry (Synthesis)
Historically, organic chemistry has been a bright star in the constellation of UK chemistry, and the area, particularly synthesis, remains in a position of notable strength. It is a discipline that occupies a core position and at the same time has unlimited potential in bridging to a variety of other fields. Thus, organic chemistry (synthesis) can find resonance in inter- and multi-disciplinary research programmes, such as those in analytical, materials, biological and medical sciences. There have been positive developments since the ‘Whitesides’ Review. Funding initiatives were established to promote physical organic chemistry. Particularly noteworthy are: the new connectivity involving process chemistry; diversity oriented synthesis; biological chemistry; and new technologies (miniaturisation, supported reagents, innovative solid- and solution-phase strategies). Numerous cases could be identified in which fundamental discoveries and observations in organic chemistry have been translated into successful spin-off (start-up) companies, resulting in wealth and job creation in the UK. There have been impressive advances in the design and synthesis of functional molecules. Additionally, there are programmes in catalysis, methodology and natural products chemistry that are globally competitive. The Panel heard consistently repeated statements from the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industry of the high value they placed on the trained PhD organic chemists that they recruited in the UK and of the interdependence of each party on the strong collaborative arrangements in place.
First-rate, visionary research that is globally competitive requires programmatic funding at elevated levels so as to enable long-range transformative research. There is strong competition not only from historically noteworthy programmes in Europe, North America and Japan, but also increasing pressure from new competitors on the global scene. Continued strong support for organic chemistry in its various modalities (inter alia synthesis, physical organic, bioorganic, new technologies/media) at a high level is warranted in order to maintain a leading position. This applies equally to fundamental questions at the core as well as applications at the interfaces with materials, medicinal and biological chemistry where opportunities abound, e.g. the application of physical (organic) chemistry to the design and characterisation of new organic electronic materials.
Recommendation
A.4: The presence of a DTC in synthesis is a positive development, as are those other recently announced DTCs which will stimulate capacity generation and help sustain new activities in chemical biology, nanoscience and medicinal chemistry at competitive level. However, it is necessary to support several vigorous research groups in these areas for to reap the rewards of this investment. Moreover, DTC funding should extend beyond a one-off opportunity; a plea resonating in other sub-disciplines of Chemistry.
Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
This area has a long and distinguished history in the UK. Important, Nobel-level developments have been initiated in the UK research community and one could quote several important schools of both experimental physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry as well as computational chemistry which have over the years contributed to the UK leadership position. While centres of excellence can still be identified, important areas of growth involving the links of physical, theoretical and computational research to vibrant areas such as chemical biology, supramolecular chemistry, and solid state materials, as well as mesoscopic phenomena and multiscale modelling are underrepresented in UK Chemistry. This situation leaves the community less than optimally ready to contribute to important societal challenges in the coming decade. In the not too distant future, the perceived reluctance of the community to tackle the current challenging new problems will further erode the international position of the physical, theoretical and computational community.
The global position of UK experimental physical chemistry seems to have been affected adversely by lack of support (start-up) for state-of-the-art instrumentation for ECR scientists wishing to participate in emerging fields. The situation is partly due to perpetuation of traditional areas but mostly due to faculty hiring which seems to have been influenced to recruit preferentially in other areas by the perceived difficulty of obtaining expensive instrumentation under the present funding models. In the area of theory and computation, no provision seems to have been made to encourage the development of new algorithms and new ideas to bring to full fruition the utilisation of the next generation of very large parallel (petaflop) machines that will soon become accessible to a large number of researchers on the international scene. Although there are notable exceptions, overall, the integration of the theoretical and computational groups into the scientific life of the UK Chemistry departments, outside the traditional gas phase areas, is not as well developed as it should be.
Recommendation
A.5: More should be done to increase the current international standing of experimental physical, theoretical and computational chemistry.
Inorganic Chemistry
There are a number of UK research groups that are internationally competitive in bioinorganic chemistry, d- and f-block metal complex and main group compound synthesis, inorganic materials, supramolecular chemistry, catalysis, radiochemistry, computational applications and structural chemistry. In this context, inorganic chemistry is a healthy discipline in the UK, overlapping areas that have become major themes of UK Chemistry research including Chemical Biology and Materials Science. Considerable attention in terms of synthesis has shifted toward inorganic and inorganic/organic hybrid materials. Consistent with international trends, such interdisciplinary activities have grown over the past decade. However, there appears to be limited activity among UK inorganic chemists in the chemistry of sustainable energy, including solar energy conversion.
The UK has a long tradition in the area of homogeneous catalysis and this continues to be strong today. Bioinorganic chemistry, including the development of metal complexes for medical applications, is a very active sub-discipline with strong connections to biochemistry and biology. However, in agreement with the ‘Whitesides’ Review, it does not appear that UK inorganic chemistry is in a dominant position in any of these areas. Recent recruitments to senior positions in the UK could give the field a needed boost, however, the recruitment, nurturing and retention of outstanding early career inorganic chemists will be essential for this area to prosper in the UK.
The resurgence in radiochemistry is a potentially important development given the rising interest world-wide in nuclear power generation. There are obvious needs for better understanding of the environmental chemistry related to the radioisotopes and for educating a new generation of personnel trained to deal with these materials. Moreover, this presents an opportunity to explore the fundamental chemistry of compounds that are rarely accessed in academic laboratories.
Recommendation
A.6: UK Inorganic Chemistry is well positioned to make essential contributions to Sustainable Energy, including developing efficient and selective catalysis for biomass feedstock and solar energy conversion and storage. The new DTC in sustainable chemical technologies is a welcome development, and further attention to these areas by the funding agencies might encourage qualified individuals or teams to undertake the risk of potentially transformative research in this arena.
Solid State and Materials Chemistry plays an important role in a number of centres and programmes especially where nanomaterials and the energy-electrochemistry interface are involved. The community has an international reputation for the discovery of novel materials with new physical properties (magnetism, electrochemistry) and is also involved in catalysis. Although the level is very high in some groups, the Panel observed that the research interface between solid state physics and materials chemistry is perhaps not as vibrant as it should be. Moreover, solid state chemistry is indispensable for fuel cells and energy research in general. These topics have huge societal and economic implications and present important opportunities for creative research, including materials synthesis and modelling. They need greater attention because materials chemistry is well positioned to make valuable contributions.
Recommendation
A.7a: Mechanisms to stimulate collaborations at the physics/chemistry materials interface should be improved and an effort should be made to encourage the training in this multidisciplinary area, which is the clue to discovery of new materials with as yet unrealised properties.
A.7b: An increased effort should be made to stimulate collaborations between industry and the materials chemistry community via programmes, fellowships, and exchanges.
The methods of characterisation used by the solid state chemists, especially the structural characterisation, using Large Facilities (neutron, synchrotron) are absolutely necessary for all the materials (polymer, colloid, biological and supramolecular). The Panel was told that the national neutron facility, ISIS, is likely to run for only 120 days or less in 2009/10 (compared to a possible 220) because of lack of financial support.
Recommendation
A.8: Under-exploitation of facilities should be viewed as unacceptable and be resolved as a priority since the physics and chemistry (and biology) communities are affected in the UK and will lose productivity and efficiency.
Atmospheric Chemistry
Atmospheric chemistry, a topic that bridges physical and analytical chemistry, is an area of traditional strength in the UK. Historically, UK scientists have played a major role in elucidating the fundamental reaction kinetics and mechanisms underpinning atmospheric chemistry, as well as combustion chemistry. While much laboratory based chemistry remains to be done, the grand challenge is to link these detailed chemical reaction measurements to sophisticated models of climate change, a task of great interest to the present large crop of globally-minded students. Moreover the importance of such studies, and especially the modelling, for national and international policy will only increase over the next decade.
Recommendation
A.9: Because the scientific and engineering issues in climate modelling and climate change are so immense the UK atmospheric chemistry community, and society, would best be served by further uniting forces to maximise the UK's impact on the international stage of climate change.
Polymer Science and Engineering
Following world-wide trends, the UK polymer-chemistry community has made some important and excellent choices. In a coordinated action a few universities have set-up excellent programmes covering the entire chain-of-knowledge in polymer science and engineering. In this way, the UK is ensured a leading position in this important field for both scientific and industrial needs. There is strong evidence of growth and impact in polymer synthesis in the UK Chemistry community. There are several centres that have been created and whose members have established international reputations. The polymer synthesis community has placed the field on the map in the UK. There is interest in controlled polymer synthesis, water-processible and functional polymers. A very strong activity that has international recognition is the synthesis and processing of organic electronic materials where the UK is pre-eminent. Applications include polymer LEDs field effect transistors, organic photovoltaics and sensors.
Universities that had small programmes in the past have either moved their activities to new fields such as soft matter, supramolecular chemistry or totally other areas. This illustrates a successful action to create focus and mass at one place (region) and refocusing of research emphasis at others.
Colloid Science has been traditionally very strong in the UK chemistry and physics communities. In addition, there has been long-standing collaboration between industry and academia. This field is undergoing major changes, due in part to retirements of the previous generation of world leaders in the area. Maintaining the health and strength of this discipline is of strategic importance since it forms part of the foundation of disciplines, such as nanotechnology, bio-medicine and pharmacy.
Analogous to issues in colloid science, the essential length scale in polymer science is the mesoscale, i.e. dimensions between 10nm and a micron. Structure control at this length scale is vital for design of properties like mechanical, optical and electrical, as well as the corresponding applications. There is strength in UK not only in synthesis, but also in characterisation of structure and properties. This is highly demanding, and it is thus pleasing to note that centres have usefully been formed to jointly tackle these tasks. This strength in characterisation enables the development of novel systems composed of polymeric materials (e.g., actuators and sensors).
Recommendation
A.10: Serious consideration needs to be given to sustaining and improving the quality of polymer and colloid science through opportunities in managed and responsive mode programmes. Noteworthy opportunities exist in addressing new synthetic methodology for both specialist and commodity polymers, and issues that relate to environmentally friendly footprint for commodity chemicals.
Supramolecular Chemistry (and Nanoscience)
Without doubt the UK excels in the relative new field of supramolecular chemistry. Coming from a variety of different areas of traditional chemistry and based on a rich recent history, UK supramolecular chemistry has clearly positioned itself at the forefront of a research field that rapidly grows internationally. The focus of the field follows one of the 25 “What we do not know” questions posed by Science Magazine on its 125th anniversary, to wit "How far can we push chemical self-assembly?”. Outstanding contributions in the field of molecular motors, block copolymer assemblies, complex molecular systems, supramolecular polymers, systems chemistry and dynamic covalent chemistry are just a few to illustrate the strength of this area. Care should be taken in not trivially designating everything supramolecular chemistry; it is more than just a new name for traditional topics. It is very pleasing to observe that the outstanding contributions that are obtained have emerged from different laboratories distributed across the UK and more importantly are embraced by excellent senior scientists as well as highly talented ECR scientists. However, in the UK, the influence of modern Physical Chemistry (Theory, Computation and Experiment) on the field of Supramolecular Chemistry (and Nanoscience) is lagging behind other nations, despite the enormous importance of this discipline to the further progress in designing, controlling and utilising complex molecular systems.
Recommendation
A.11: Attention should be given to improving the interface between physical, theoretical, computational and supramolecular chemistry.
Biological Materials Chemistry in the UK is strong internationally and well placed to play an integral role in addressing societal Grand Challenges through future mission programmes. One area of opportunity is the use of biological systems as tools for constructing functional nano-biomaterials. The incorporation of biological components as essential elements of materials is emerging as an important strategy for supramolecular chemistry; unlike the traditional area of biomaterials, which seeks to create materials for biological applications, this nascent sub-discipline within chemistry uses biology as one of many tools to create materials for novel applications. The UK’s core strengths and the emergence of chemical biology would be highly synergistic with an emphasis on biological materials chemistry and nano-biomaterials.
Recommendation
A.12: Serious consideration needs to be given to establishing programmes in the area of biological materials chemistry with emphasis on nano-biomaterials, with its obvious links to supramolecular chemistry, as well as chemical and bio-engineering.
Chemical Biology
Chemical Biology, the emerging field of biology-inspired chemistry, has made significant strides in the UK since the ‘Whitesides’ Report in 2002. The panel saw several examples of truly innovative work in developing chemical tools and processes to aid fields of proteomics, protein chemistry, molecular evolution, genome sequencing and cell biology. The next step in this process is for UK chemists not just to develop important technologies for biologists, but to begin probing biology themselves much more closely with biology colleagues. All too often tools can be developed but not used. This was seen as a weakness in the UK community relative to others internationally. Making this next leap requires chemists to develop an in-depth understanding of the critical questions in biology, and how chemistry can be adapted to uniquely address these questions. For example, chemical probes of signalling pathways can have clear advantages over other tools available to biologists such as gene knockouts and siRNA. However these later probes ablate the target of inquiry and require long developmental times or long treatments to have effect. Small molecules have the advantage that they typically block a particular site; they work quickly in the time-frame of signalling events themselves and in a dose-dependent manner.
Recommendation
A.13: Attention to be given to improving the interface between chemistry and biology via schemes that further stimulate real collaborations.
Biological Chemistry
The UK has truly outstanding examples of world-leading research groups in biological chemistry. This has been a traditional area of strength in UK science and they have produced world leaders in the analysis of protein structure, function and folding. There are many excellent collaborative research links between chemistry and biochemistry that auger well for the future. The Panel did not visit any biochemistry departments or make explicit contact with biochemists during the review and so refrains from making specific recommendations.
Medicinal Chemistry and drug discovery in the UK was considered a real strength. The Panel saw community efforts directed at established targets and toward the important process of developing cures to diseases. However, significant gaps appear to exist and the UK’s considerable talent could also directly address important questions in cell signalling and cell biology, with the end goal not necessarily to cure a disease so much as to understand the molecular basis for it. UK chemists could contribute mightily to this important goal, which ultimately leads to more rational and informed approaches to mitigate diseases.
The Panel noted with concern a trend to move research out of the UK. To capitalise on the current pharmaceutical R&D operating model of resorting to academia for early identification of drug candidates, academia could perhaps benefit by strengthening Medicinal Chemistry and drug design capabilities. Investment in these disciplines will likely bring enhanced cooperation and fruitful partnerships with industry along with substantial benefit to both sides. Stimulation of such research within UK universities instead of institutions outside the UK is clearly an opportunity for academia.
Recommendation
A.14: Research Councils, stakeholders and academia should look for ways to create viable partnerships to further drug discovery in the UK to retain its globally competitive position.
Chemistry and the Nano-Bio-Med Frontier
There has been real progress in the area of multidisciplinary research since the last Review. However, at the interface between biology and chemistry, where a healthy amount of activity has consolidated recently in the UK, the "definition" of the new field remains (with few exceptions) the classical one, and single molecule methods, for instance, are not yet, routinely, part of the discipline. Furthermore, the Panel was told of a new interdisciplinary centre where the faculty populating the new building were being grouped according to standard criteria. Thus, although there were going to be many opportunities for an expanding chemistry presence, no chemistry faculty were going to move the centre of mass of their operation into the new facility. In another new facility at the interface of chemistry with biology no nanotechnology will be present. In the future, the emerging field of Nanomedicine will require a strong involvement of UK chemists and is thus an area of opportunity.
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
According to the UK Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) in its simplest form, chemical engineering is the design, development and management of a wide and varied spectrum of industrial processes. In addition to this occupational definition the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) defines chemical engineering as the profession in which knowledge of mathematics, chemistry and other natural sciences gained by study, experience and practice is applied with judgment to develop economic ways of using materials and energy for the benefit of society. Thus, with the help of other disciplines chemical engineering translates chemistry into application. This idea originated in the late 19th century in the UK. With this proud tradition, the quality of chemical engineering research and academic education in the UK has always been high and internationally recognised. An important element in this connection might be the sustained interaction with the chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries.
During the review week, the represented academic chemistry departments put forward very few examples of chemical engineering as a pathfinder to technological and commercial applications. However, these same academic institutions together with the presenting industrialists provided many examples of pronounced links to an array of industries that take advantage of the outcome of the UK chemistry research activities and academic education. Overall, the focus of chemistry in the UK seems too narrow to include chemical engineering. This is perhaps a missed opportunity.
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