University of Bristol received £1.3m from secretive British organisation The Atomic Weapons Establishment

….Dr David McCoy, chairman of Medact, said: “Many aspects of scientific research work funded by the Atomic Weapons Establishment are conducted in sensitive and controversial areas, raising complex ethical and legal issues.”

AWE funds six professorships, named after its first director, Sir William Penney, at five universities. Two are at Cranfield, one at Cambridge, one at Bristol, one at Heriot-Watt and one at the University of Edinburgh…..

http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/news/14022014095216-university-of-bristol-received–1-3m-from-secretive-british-organisation-the-atomic-weapons-establishment/

14-February-2014

by The Bristol Post

Researchers at the University of Bristol have received been paid £1.3 million from a secretive British nuclear weapons organisation.

A Freedom of Information Act request has revealed The Atomic Weapons Establishment has forked out £8 million to 50 universities in the UK but just five, with one of them including Bristol, have been the main beneficiaries.

The “Technical Outreach” programme between AWE and universities mainly supports scientific research in the physics, materials science, high performance computing, modelling, and manufacturing disciplines.

Although much of this work qualifies as “blue skies” research, which is not aimed at any particular application, some of it is considered to have “dual use” potential – the capability to be used for both benign, peaceful purposes and military purposes contributing to the development of weapons of mass destruction.

A Bristol University spokesperson said: “The university is one of five universities with which the AWE has strategic alliances. The relationship has been in place since 2009. Alongside the research projects (some of which are PhD studentships), the relationship seeks to encourage a range of activities which includes AWE involvement in giving seminars, contributing to teaching and joint workshops.

“Research we undertake with AWE is work the university proposes to AWE, work we are keen to pursue, which contributes towards areas such as safe operations, risk and cost reduction in storage of nuclear materials, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities.”

The report exposing the links has been published by two groups campaigning for nuclear disarmament, Nuclear Information Service and Medact, an NGO made up of health professionals.

Pete Wilkinson, director of Nuclear Information Service, said: “Many scientists frown on research which contributes to the development of weapons of mass destruction, however indirectly, and our study found that AWE values its academic outreach programme as much for the acceptance it buys for AWE’s own scientists in reputable academic circles as for its scientific findings. Universities and individual researchers are responsible for ensuring that their work meets accepted ethical standards, and our report aims to warn them of the risks from being seduced into murky waters by the lure of AWE’s cash.”

Dr David McCoy, chairman of Medact, said: “Many aspects of scientific research work funded by the Atomic Weapons Establishment are conducted in sensitive and controversial areas, raising complex ethical and legal issues.”

AWE funds six professorships, named after its first director, Sir William Penney, at five universities. Two are at Cranfield, one at Cambridge, one at Bristol, one at Heriot-Watt and one at the University of Edinburgh.