Gravity Exploration Institute, Translational Research Hub (TRH), Cardiff Catalysis Institute

Dear colleague,

Near the beginning of this month I held an open in-person meeting for staff to discuss the industrial action and allow questions to be put and answered. We encouraged questions to be submitted in advance, anonymously if desired (it was so desired), and asked by UCU at the meeting itself. In the knowledge that there would be no time that everybody could make, but wishing to hold the meeting as soon as possible, the event was streamed online and can still be reviewed here. Since then, of course, the very welcome news has been received of a two-week pause in industrial action whilst negotiations on terms and conditions continue under the auspices of ACAS. At the time of writing it is not clear what the outcome will be, but at least there is hope that a mutually agreeable solution might be found. It is also positive that the position of USS is much improved as a result of significantly higher interest rates which greatly benefit the long-term prospects of the scheme. The scheme monitoring is indicating that the next valuation will put the scheme on a far sounder footing than it has been for years, which would allow an outcome that might address many of the concerns that have underlain the dispute. In all then, there is reason to hope that we may be able to come together to resolve this dispute in a way that is broadly agreeable to all parties, although there can be no guarantees at this stage.

With the signing of a new trade deal between the UK and the EU there is also now reason to hope that the way to our participation in Horizon Europe may open after years of delay. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said as much in her speech to mark the agreement, but again there can be no guarantees until the UK government has responded, the treaty has been ratified and the various processes completed.

As my term of Vice-Chancellor comes to an end, it is good to see a range of projects that have been years in the making coming to fruition and indeed continuing to develop. Last month I visited the Gravity Exploration Institute in the School of Physics and Astronomy, where I was able to see the lab set up by Professor Hartmut Grote to add instrumentation to the already impressive list of ways in which Cardiff University participates in the huge, world-spanning consortium (LIGO) established over 40 years ago to detect gravitational waves. The Gravity Exploration Institute is among the 5 largest gravitational wave groups in the world with a unique combination of broad-ranging expertise covering all areas of gravitational wave observation, now including instrumentation to carry out experiments, gravitational wave modelling, the observation of signals and the astrophysical interpretation of their significance. The work in the gravitational wave lab is using the techniques from LIGO to probe theories of quantum gravity, by using precise measurements to attempt to identify very small-scale fluctuations in space-time using custom-built, exquisitely calibrated instrumentation.

The existence of gravitational waves was postulated by Einstein in his Theory of General Relativity, but he thought them far too weak ever to be detectable. Showing that they can in fact be detected has required not only a huge theoretical effort along with a staggering level of data analysis and interpretation (the dimension on which Cardiff excelled), but fantastically sensitive instruments to detect what are the faintest of signals indicating gravity events that may have taken place long ago in remote regions of the universe (remote from Earth at any rate; it’s all relative of course). After the history-making first confirmed detection of gravitational waves back in 2015, I felt it was appropriate and strategically sensible to help fund the establishment of Professor Grote’s lab. That decision has been vindicated by the success of Hartmut and his team in attracting substantial grants and donations to help them implement their plans and activities. They are now busy constructing bespoke instruments which are capable of detecting and measuring single photons in order to offer experimental proof of theories that will help improve our knowledge of how the universe works, and in due course will be expanding into new accommodation generously funded by the Wolfson Foundation.

This is not the only area of cosmology in which Cardiff colleagues excel. At an extraordinarily early stage of her career, Professor Haley Gomez achieved remarkable scientific distinction through her work on cosmic dust, showing that supernovae (massive exploding stars) were the hitherto unsuspected source of a significant proportion of the dust we see. This has major implications for our knowledge of the universe, as does her more recent work on the origins and development of galaxies. This is truly mind blowing stuff, and further evidence that Cardiff is a powerhouse of new ideas and new knowledge. Professor Gomez has also put much successful effort into outreach work with schools, encouraging primary school children to see themselves as potential scientists whatever their origin or gender, thus fostering the succeeding generations of scientists beyond the traditional demographics that we so sorely need. If you would like to know more, Haley recently appeared on the prestigious Radio 4 programme The Life Scientific, available on BBC Sounds, which is very much worth a listen to hear the inspiring and fascinating story of her life and work.

There are no immediate practical applications for much of the above research; such discoveries constitute knowledge for knowledge’s sake, although it’s possible to imagine that at some point as yet unsuspected practical applications might emerge. Be that as it may, Cardiff University continues to be deeply involved in some of the most profound and important discoveries being made in astronomy today, thus helping to fulfill the fundamental purpose of a university.

Earlier in the month I also toured the new Translational Research Hub (TRH) on the Innovation Campus on Maindy Road. The clean room which will enable us to greatly expand our work on Compound Semiconductors – a technology critical to any number of present and future technologies, from energy to mobile phones – is still in the final stages of having its equipment installed and commissioned, but it is clear that it will greatly increase our ability to work with manufacturing industry to help create jobs and stimulate the economy. It is in that magic zone where fundamental scientific research that universities are set up to do is rapidly translatable into prototypes that can in turn be swiftly scaled up for commercial production (hence the term ‘Translational’ in the building name). This is only possible by having the right facilities, people and funding in place, and working hand in hand with industrial partners. All of these elements are in place in the Institute for Compound Semiconductors, which is housed in the TRH next to sbarc | spark. We will now be able to develop the science of manufacturing and the physics required to scale research ideas through to manufacture, including a project to work out how to integrate advanced compound semiconductor technology with traditional silicon semiconductors to create optoelectronic integrated circuits and chips. Fascinatingly, some of the work includes using quantum technology via semiconductors to generate and manipulate single photons, much as we see in the Gravity Exploration Institute, though with very different purposes in mind. The compound semiconductor work could lead to applications in ultra-secure quantum communications, super sensitive imaging, and possibly optical quantum computing, whereas the gravitational waves work will help us  reveal the secrets of the cosmos. In a well-functioning university like Cardiff, both of these activities are equally valid and equally exciting. I have always believed that in many cases, fundamental blue-skies research and application-driven research are more than two sides of the same coin; they are inextricably linked and overlapping.

Also housed in the TRH is the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, which similarly works closely with industry to move rapidly from research to product and to which I was pleased to be able to welcome Vaughan Gething, Minister for Economy, for a tour earlier in the month. Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions and allow the precise manufacture of chemical products. Over 80% of all manufactured goods will have relied on a catalyst at some point in their production, ranging from fuels to plastics to pharmaceuticals, and contributing to an estimated 30% of global GDP. A stand-out example would be Perspex, the transparent plastic that became ubiquitous for its use in protective screens during the pandemic. The key intermediate for this material used to be made in a process that produced over 3 tonnes of highly contaminated waste for each tonne of material. By using a new catalyst process – in which Cardiff University was involved – the waste has been reduced almost to zero. This is an example of the power of catalysis to help build a greener economy and transition to Net Zero.

One of the key facilities installed as part of the move to the TRH is an amazingly sensitive Scanning Electron Microscope – one of only 3 in the UK – which is capable of imaging single atoms. The ability to do this, rather as with the ability to generate and manipulate single photons, beggars belief but is evidence of the huge demands that are made at the cutting edge of science and technology in the 21st century. A facility of this kind is a crucial tool in the fundamental understanding of catalysts, gives Cardiff a real edge and is proving a beacon to attract collaboration and investment from local and global business. This again is absolutely central to the purpose of a university, helping to restructure the economy of Wales and providing a route into sustainable prosperity for the future.

With best wishes

Colin Riordan
Vice-Chancellor