A team of academics and software engineers based at the University of Southamptonâs School of Electronics and Computer Science, the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester and led by EPCC at the University of Edinburgh, will work in partnership with the research community to manage software beyond the lifetime of its original funding, so that it is strengthened, adapted and customised to maximise its value to future generations of researchers.
âThe issue at the moment is that there are no co-ordinated ways of sustaining important research software once it comes to the end of its funding,â? said Neil Chue Hong, Director of the SSI and OMII-UK. âSome software gets abandoned when the project ends. Some systems are maintained in pockets on very much a best-effort basis rather than on the basis of any longer term strategy.â?
Mr Chue Hong and his collaborators will work with 30-40 groups across the UK, providing the expertise needed to create self-sustaining communities of researchers around important software. It is these communities that will ensure the softwareâs future by keeping it up-to-date and developing it to meet new requirements. A wide range of disciplines are set to benefit from the SSIâs work, with early projects encompassing climate change, nuclear fusion and medical imaging.
The SSI will collaborate with key researchers to identify and shape the software which is considered by its community to be the most important for research. Strategies for sustaining software will be optimised, and the best methods will be communicated to researchers through SSI consultancy. This work will help to stop the decay of software.
âThe creation of the SSI will ensure that important software is sustained so that it can continue to contribute towards high quality researchâ? said Mr Chue Hong.
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.
A murder has taken place in the Library â Who did it? How? and Why? â In an exciting and creative event for National Science and Engineering Week, schoolchildren from Southampton and the local region will be invited to solve the mystery.
Blood on the Library Floor takes place at the University of Southamptonâs Science and Engineering Day on Saturday 13 March, and has been devised by Dr Reena Pau of the School of Electronics and Computer Science following the success of last year's award-winning âBlood on the Kitchen Floorâ.
Actors from the Nuffield Theatre and graduate students will be working alongside Reena to create a unique event which allows children to identify the murderer by solving âcluesâ using technologies such as robotics, solar power, codebreaking, audio technology and echo-location sound mazes.
The event will begin with a reconstruction of the events that led up to the murder intended to draw the children into the story and giving them the motivation and context to solve each of the clues. The inspiration for the event came from Reenaâs work in schools as well as her passion for getting girls enthusiastic about science and technology. While interviewing schoolchildren for her PhD project she found that many didnât understand how technology can be used in the real world. This suggested to her that merging theatre and technology would provide a narrative showing the real-world context in which science can be used.
âThe narrative is really funny,â said Reena, âbut has the serious purpose of drawing the children into the story. As they work their way round the different technologies, driving solar-powered boats or using robots to retrieve objects from forbidden places, they will be able to understand the importance of these important technologies and hopefully be excited by their potential.â
Blood on the Library Floor takes place on Saturday 13th March at the University of Southamptonâs Highfield Campus. Blood on the Library Floor website; to book a place on the event, which runs three times during the day, email bloodonthelibraryfloor@googlemail.com
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel. +44(0)023 8059 5453.
Research on the development of the World Wide Web in the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) is featured in a new BBC season of programmes, Superpower, which began on Monday 8 March and runs for two weeks.
The SuperPower season will feature programmes on radio, television and the Web, considering the impact of Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the Web 20 years ago and the way it has transformed our lives.
In addition to the wide selection of programmes, there is also the opportunity to become part of the action and commentary on the development of the Web by contributing blogs and videos to the Superpower web site. Tim Berners-Lee, who is a Professor of Computer Science in ECS, recently appeared in Virtual Revolution, a four-part television series on the Web, shown on BBC2, which is part of the SuperPower series. Professor Nigel Shadbolt of ECS also appeared in the series and acted as Series Consultant.
Writing on the BBC web site, Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC Technology Correspondent, previews a specially-recorded episode of Discovery to be broadcast on Wednesday 10 March, which includes interviews with both Professor Shadbolt and Professor Dame Wendy Hall of ECS. In the programme Professor Shadbolt discusses his recent work with Tim Berners-Lee on providing access to public data, which can be used in new applications by developers enabling UK citizens to gain new information. The programme explores the success of the Web and its future development, with a warning from Professor Hall that we need to be vigilant about the way the Web develops: "There are no guarantees that it will carry on to evolve the way it is now - open, free and with universal standards," says Professor Wendy Hall. "If you lose that or the standards are taken over by a commercial concern, then the Web will change dramatically." Professor Hall is taking part in the next episode of The Forum, to be broadcast on Sunday 14 March, at 9.00 am GMT on the BBC's World Service. She will be discussing the future of the Web with Bruce Damer and Evgeny Morozov.
Professors Berners-Lee, Hall, and Shadbolt are all Directors of the Web Science Trust, which advances the discipline of Web Science, which can now be studied at PhD level in universities across the world. In London last night (Monday 8 March), the three professors took part in an event held at the Royal Society, entitled 'Why Study the Web: Social Machines and Virtual Revolution', which focused on the need for Web scientists, and the challenges facing the Web in the future. The event was chaired by Dr Aleks Krotoski, and included experts from business and academic research, including JP Rangaswami of BT, Professor Noshir Contractor of Northwestern University, and Professor Helen Margetts of the Oxford Internet Institute. A video of the live stream of the event will be available to download from the web site in a few days.
Further information about PhDs in Web Science at the University of Southampton.
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel. 44(0)23 8059 5453.
ECS will be making a strong contribution to this year's Science & Engineering Day which takes place on Saturday 13 March.
Dr Denis Nicole will be leading a team of ECS students who will be based in the Technology Zone in Garden Court, providing a whole range of exciting activities including games writing, electronic construction, race solar-powered boats, play scratch, compose electronic music, experience enhanced reality, and chase robots around the arena. There are plenty of activities for children of all ages taking place throughout the day.
The Murder Mystery returns again this year with a new scenario: Blood on the Library Floor! The event is devised by Dr Reena Pau of ECS, and brings together actors from the Nuffield Theatre and graduate students to create a unique event. It begins with a reconstruction of the events that led up to a murder, intended to draw children into the story and giving them the motivation and context to solve a set of clues using technologies such as robotics, solar power, codebreaking, audio technology and echo-location sound mazes. Bookings for the event (numbers are limited) can be made in advance, but it is also possible to book on the day at the Nuffield Theatre. The shows run at 11 am, 12.30 pm and 2 pm.
We look forward to seeing you there!!
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.
After last year's successful first attempt by a UK entrant at the World Championship of Inter-Collegiate Solar Boating, Team Tarka II are now preparing for their second visit to Arkansas.
This year's Solar Splash event takes place from 9 to 13 June in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the University of Southampton will again be the only UK entrant. At last year's event Team Tarka put up a spirited challenge, coming away with a string of awards and a very creditable 10th place.
Taking place over five days, the event comprises different water-based competitions which test speed, manoeuvrability, endurance, design, and innovation. Last year Tarka ended the event in 10th place (guaranteeing their competitor number this year), and won the Teamwork Award, the Sportsmanship Award, and achieved âBest Score for a Rookie Teamâ. The boat was placed third in the qualifying event and came joint first in the Silver Medal race. With a Union Jack flying from the boat and emblazoned on its prow, it wasnât hard to spot Tarka amongst the other competitors.
This year, there are a number of new developments. Dr Reuben Wilcock of the School of Electronics and Computer Science is managing the project. 'A really exciting development this year is that we have four Ship Science students at the core of the Tarka II team,' he says, 'and they have been working extremely hard on the new hull.
'Because of their knowledge and experience they have been able to perform more theoretical simulations on the hull during the design stage. They even built a scale model of the design and tank-tested it to confirm the performance increase over the Tarka I boat.'
A carbon fibre composite is being used for the hull material to make it as light and stiff as possible. Another important change this year is that Tarka's drive power has been more than doubled, with a maximum of 25kW possible from the dual motor engines. Custom propellers will also help achieve the best possible performance with this engine.
The team are aiming for a podium position but still have a long way to go before the new boat is ready. Interested sponsors are needed to help support the team's work over the next few months, and the shipping of the boat to Arkansas. If you are interested in sponsoring Team Tarka II and having your company logo emblazoned on the new hull contact Valentin Muenzel.
Team Tarka II are pictured here at the University Boathard at Wood Mill, with last year's boat. The project is led by Dr Peter Wilson of the ECS Electronics Systems and Devices research group.
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.
The Prime Minister has re-appointed Professor Dame Wendy Hall to the Council for Science and Technology (CST).
The CST is the Governmentâs top-level advisory body on science, engineering and technology policy and reports directly to the Prime Minister. Professor Hall was appointed to the CST in 2004; her re-appointment, with 12 other members of the Committee, runs until 31 December 2010.
Professor Hall, who was last year elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, was a member of the Advisory Group to a significant report published last week (9 March) by the Royal Society. The Scientific Century: Securing our future prosperity argues that science and innovation should be at the heart of the UKâs long-term strategy for economic growth. Commenting on the report, Professor Hall said: "Investment in science makes you smarter as a nation. If we cut our budgets now we will slip out of the premier league of scientific nations and be the poorer for it."
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.
PVSAT-6, which will be held from 24 to 26 March 2010 at Chilworth Manor, Southampton, will showcase UK and international developments in photovoltaics and illustrate how solar energy is rapidly becoming as cost effective as grid electricity.
A full and varied programme is promised. Invited speakers include Wim Sinke, ECN, The Netherlands; Chris Wronski, Pennsylvania State University; Ayodhya Tiwari, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; Thomas Hoffman, Centrosolar Glas, Germany; Ray Noble, Renewable Energy Association; Darren Bagnall, University of Southampton; and Alan Turner of Solarbuzz.
Event organiser, Professor Darren Bagnall of the ECS Nano Research Group, said: "This is an important time for the photovoltaics industry. It has always been an excellent low-carbon method of electricity production, but now, solar energy is rapidly approaching the point where it can compete with grid electricity."
In his talk on Photonics and thin film silicon technologies on 26 March, Professor Bagnall will illustrate how new light-trapping technologies can be used to reduce the thickness of semiconductor materials needed in solar panels, which would directly reduce the cost even further.
The Government today announced the creation of the new Institute for Web Science.
It is designed to make the UK the hub of international research into the next generation of web and internet technologies and their commercialisation, and was announced by the Prime Minister alongside plans for a radical opening up of information and data to put more power in peopleâs hands. The Institute will conduct research, collaborate with businesses, identify opportunities for social and economic benefit, assist in commercialising research and help Government stimulate demand through procurement.
The web was originally a place where people published documents that users could search and pick up. Web 2.0 has enabled users to contribute and create web content more easily. Web 3.0 will take the web to a whole new level by publishing data in a linkable format so that users and developers can see and exploit the relationships between different sets of information.
The development of these technologies will create significant new opportunities for business and the public sector. The impact of these technologies is likely to be as important as the creation of the original web, and could generate large-scale economic benefits for the UK in the global market for web and internet technologies. The role of the Institute will be to undertake research and development, and act as a bridge between research and business, helping commercialise these new technologies. It will also advise Government on how semantic technologies can be used in the public sector, and how public procurement can be used to speed their adoption.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that £30 million would be set aside to create the Institute for Web Science. It will be headed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British inventor of the World Wide Web, and leading Web Science expert Professor Nigel Shadbolt.
âWe want to build on the outstanding work Sir Tim and Nigel Shadbolt have put in to âmaking public data publicâ. We are determined to go further in breaking down the walled garden of Government, using technology and information to provide greater transparency on the workings of Whitehall and give everyone more say over the services they receive.
âThis Institute will help place the UK at the cutting edge of research on the Semantic Web and other emerging web and internet technologies and ensure the Government is taking the right funding decisions to position the UK as a world leader. We will invite universities and private sector web developers and companies to join this collaborative project.â?
The Institute, to be funded through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, will strengthen the UKâs world-leading capability in the development of semantic web technologies as well as others that enable the extraction of value from information. It will bring together the best minds from around the world to deliver the benefits of advances in web technology to businesses and individuals.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:
âBritish innovation brought the web to the world. This Institute will ensure the UK remains at the forefront and that we anticipate and fully exploit the economic and social benefits of future developments.â?
Whether it is to allow our research institutions and innovative businesses to maximise and demonstrate the strength and attractiveness of their networks, or to ensure we make the most of clinical information to improve our understanding of disease, a new web revolution is afoot.
Government support for this Institute as well as early adoption of these emerging technologies in the public sector arena will allow the UK to lead the way and help pull this technology through to the market place.
The Institute for Web Science will be jointly based in the Universities of Oxford and Southampton. It is still subject to contract.
This news release was issued at 12.30 GMT, Monday 22 March by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.
The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced £30M of funding to take forward research on the next generation of the World Wide Web.
The funding will create a new Institute for Web Science which will be led by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Nigel Shadbolt, Professors in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, who were appointed Government Information Advisers last June.
Speaking in London today (22 March), the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of Semantic Web and Linked Data technologies: "[The] next generation web is a simple concept, but I believe it has the potential to be just as revolutionary - just as disruptive to existing business and organisational models - as the web was itself [â¦]
"Today I can announce the first funding for the next stage of this research - £30M to support the creation of a new institute, the Institute for Web Science - based here in Britain and working with government and British business to realise the social and economic benefits of advances in the web."
The Prime Minster commented on the work of Professor Berners-Lee and Shadbolt over the last year and emphasized his determination to take this further: "Building on the outstanding work Sir Tim and Nigel Shadbolt who have been leading on âmaking public data publicâ, I can now announce that we are determined to go further in breaking down the walled garden of government, using technology and information to provide greater transparency on the workings of Whitehall and give everyone more say over the services they receive."
The Universities of Southampton and Oxford will partner in the establishment of the new joint Institute for Web Science. (See full text of news announcement.)
Professor Nigel Shadbolt commented: "The Web is one of the most disruptive and transformative innovations we have ever witnessed. We must understand the forces that have shaped it, anticipate its evolution and determine its future social and economic impact. But we must also research a next generation of the Web. The announcement today will allow us to do this in the UK and to ensure that we remain pioneers and world class in this critical area."
He added: "The Institute for Web Science will act as a bridge between research and business, helping commercialise these new technologies. It will also help Government stimulate demand through procurement."
Uniquely, the Institute will foster a community of activist developers who use the next generation of Web standards in a practical context and encourage their adoption in mainstream open source tools. To achieve this, the new Institute will focus on the Semantic Web and Linked Data Technologies.
It will also look at the wider discipline of "Web Science" that creates the ecosystem needed for semantic technologies to be deployed and used effectively. It will have a Web Science orientation where the technology is understood in terms of a wider interplay with societal, economic, legal and other drivers.
Dame Wendy Hall, Professor of Computer Science in the University of Southampton and Director of the Web Science Doctoral Training Centre, said: "On behalf of the Web Science community in Southampton, Oxford and around the world, I congratulate Tim and Nigel on this fantastic achievement. In their work with the UK government over the last year they have demonstrated not only the power and value of linked data for public good, but also the huge potential of the Web in the future.
"When we established Web Science as a research discipline we knew that we were at the beginning of something very exciting. It is wonderful to see that our confidence is now shared in the Government and public sector, and in business. This is a great day and we look forward to the future!"
Professors Berners-Lee, Hall and Shadbolt are all Founding Programme Directors and Trustees of the Web Science Trust, launched last year to foster education and research in Web Science.
Professor Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, commented: âI am delighted that Southampton will play such a fundamental role in shaping the next-generation technologies and capabilities of the World Wide Web. I congratulate Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt for their recent work which has demonstrated the transformational power of the Web in delivering data and information which is of real value.
"This new role will build on Southampton's established world-class research and expertise in Web Science. We now look forward to working with universities and business around the world as we take this research initiative forward.â
For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453.
As the University joins institutions and individuals worldwide to switch off lights and appliances during Earth Hour, researchers in the School of Electronics and Computer Science will be using their new GridCarbon iPhone app to see just how much carbon has been saved.
Earth Hour, organized by the WWF, takes place this year on Saturday 27 March at 8.30 pm GMT. WWF are aiming for one billion people worldwide to switch off their lights for an hour in support of people, wildlife, and habitats threatened by climate change. The University of Southampton is encouraging staff and students to switch off all unnecessary electrical appliances at both the machineâs switch and, if safe and accessible, at the mains socket before leaving work on Friday 26 March 2010. The University's web site explains: 'This will make a difference for the whole of the Earth Hour weekend.'
Electricity is produced from different raw materials which each create various levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; with coal creating the most CO2 emissions and renewable energies creating the least. Gas is predominantly used to produce electricity in the UK but when demand exceeds the supply capabilities of the gas fired power stations, coal powered stations are employed to maintain the electricity supply. This means that the carbon intensity of the grid - the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere when one unit (1 kWh) of electricity is used by a consumer - varies continuously over each day and throughout the year.
Earlier this year researchers in ECS launched a new iPhone application which monitors the UK electricity grid. Dr Alex Rogers, Dr Perukrishnen Vytelingum and Professor Nick Jennings developed 'GridCarbon', which enables users to monitor the carbon intensity of the grid â the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when one unit (1 kWh) of electricity is used by a consumer.
âThe GridCarbon app (download from iTunes) shows people how using appliances and machinery at different times of the day can reduce their carbon footprint; for example, at some times of the year, running washing machines and dishwashers overnight rather than at peak times in the evening, can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 40 per cent,â? said Dr Rogers. âWhile developing this app, we were surprised at how much the carbon intensity of the grid varies at different times of the day, and between different days in the week.â?
Dr Rogers has developed live meters that are currently running in three buildings in the School of Electronics and Computer Science: Zepler Building; Mountbatten Building; and Building 32.
GridCarbon is just one initiative being developed by ECS researchers as they develop a vision of the Smart Grid. They are currently researching the use of computerised agents to operate smart electricity meters in support of the Governmentâs initiative to have smart meters in all homes by 2020, and are using a new building on the Southampton campus as a test bed. The Ideas Project web site has more information.
DON'T FORGET - switch off for Earth Hour!!! 8.30 pm Saturday 27 March ...