Skip to main content

Dark energy researcher given major award to take on Einstein’s theory

By [email protected] - 18th January 2017 - 11:53

It is one of the biggest conundrums facing scientists – understanding why our universe is expanding. And the answers could soon be unlocked by Dr Clare Burrage following a £800,000 Research Leadership Award from the Leverhulme Trust. Her ambitious project will maximise our ability to detect dark energy - new forces and particles that make up 70 per cent of the universe - and bring greater understanding of what this means for well-known, but flawed, theories on gravity and quantum mechanics. Dr Burrage, of the school of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Nottingham, received one of just 13 national Research Leadership Awards after being nominated by senior colleagues. The prestigious awards are granted every three years to allow scholars to build a research team for their distinctive projects. Dr Burrage’s funding covers five years and will fund four positions. www.nottingham.ac.uk