Aberdeen University will be given almost £500,000 to help more students study for a PhD.
The Granite City institution is one of seven across Scotland that have been given a share of a £20.2million UK Government cash pot to boost the number of doctoral students.
Aberdeen is getting £488,820 as part of the funding, which will be awarded through the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in a bid to increase innovation and research.
Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “We are committed to securing Scotland and the UK’s position as world leaders in science and innovation.
“This new funding recognises the high quality of research in Scotland, and builds on our protection for science spending in the UK.
“These seven universities will be able to take on more doctoral students to support their most promising research, leading to new discoveries like more accurate imaging for medical diagnoses and training Scotland’s science leaders of the future.”
Scotland Office Minister Andrew Dunlop added: “This is a hugely important and significant funding announcement for universities in Scotland. Scottish universities have a strong track record and rich history in science and innovation, punching well above their weight across the world.”
The scheme will support new PhD students starting in October 2016 and 2017, and comes as part of a UK-wide £167million fund for doctoral research support.
Other Scottish universities gaining access to the funds include Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and St Andrews.
Research funding is a reserved power for the UK Government. Scotland received 11% of all UK public research funding in 2014, compared to its 8% share of the population.
