News

Funding available to develop partnerships with business and the community

(4 October 2004)

Links between the University of Durham and the community are set to be further strengthened thanks to a £200,000 grant won by REDSS (Research and Economic Development Support Services).

Money from the University’s Partnership Venture Fund (PVF) will allow staff and students to make bids to fund projects which develop relations between departments and external partners in the business and wider community.

The idea behind the initiative is to help bridge the gap between the development of academic ideas, concepts and inventions to the point where they are of potential interest to business and the community.

Partnership Venture Fund was originally launched in 2001 and ran until this year, but following the recent grant from HEIF 2 (Higher Education Innovation Fund), REDSS is now able to extend the scheme.

Dozens of university projects have already benefited from PVF money including the development of a convertible pram, an entrepreneurship centre in Derwentside and crystal growth production.

Lindsey Ayre, Regional Regeneration Officer in REDSS said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for academic staff to build links with the region's businesses and the community via an internally managed development fund."

"We’d encourage anyone who wants to put their idea into practice to get in touch."

More information about the Partnership Venture Fund is available at http://www.dur.ac.uk/redss/pvf.

If you have an idea for a project, please contact Lindsey Ayre (x 44632, Lindsey.Ayre@durham.ac.uk).