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US Loses Leading British Expert in Quantum Chemistry Tempted Back to UK

Originally Published 4 December 2001
A leading British expert in quantum chemistry Professor Peter Taylor has been tempted back from the US to the UK to take up a post at the University of Warwick after winning one of thirteen awards designed to allow UK universities to attract the best researchers from abroad and retain them in Britain.

Professor Peter Taylor is one of three winners in the second round of the Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Awards scheme come from prominent US universities where they hold senior research posts. They will take up permanent jobs in top UK academic institutions.

Professor Peter Taylor, a British expert in quantum chemistry, is currently Deputy Director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego. Dr Taylor will move back to Britain to take a professorship in the University of Warwick's Department of Chemistry and to play a significant managerial role at the University of Warwick's recently established Centre for Scientific Computing. The Centre will foster multi-disciplinary research throughout the physical and life sciences and engineering.

Under Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Awards scheme each winner receive an average award of ?40,000 in salaries and research expenses on top of the basic wage that they will get from their host British university. On behalf of the Trustees of the Wolfson Foundation, Lord Wolfson of Marylebone said "how pleased they are to be associated with this imaginative development to attract and retain talent in this country, particularly in the fields of science and technology and to be part of a collaboration with the Royal Society and Government."

Lord May of Oxford, President of the Royal Society, said, "These 13 award winners are world-class researchers who are pushing back the frontiers of their disciplines. By choosing to carry on their work in the UK, they are demonstrating that our universities now provide facilities and career prospects that rival those offered by institutions in other leading scientific nations, including the United States.

Note for Editors:

Professor Peter Taylor appointment to Warwick's Centre for Scientific Computing follows the appointment of Professor Mike Allen as Director of the Centre, in October 2001 Centre's Web page is http://www.csc.warwick.ac.uk

For further information contact:

Professor Peter Taylor email taylor@sdsc.edu
University of Warwick.
Tel: +1 858 534 5153
NB is on west coast of US so will answer calls mid afternoon UK time


Further information about the above press release and all other media services at the University of Warwick can be obtained from:

Peter Dunn, Press Officer
Public Affairs Office
Senate House
University of Warwick
Coventry, CV4 7AL
West Midlands
Tel: 024 76 523708
Email: puapjd@admin.warwick.ac.uk