We are building on and evolving the Polymer IRC original structure, which was originally formed in 1989 by an EPSRC major grant (£23m over 11 years) to Leeds, Bradford and Durham Universities. Sheffield University joined in 2003-4. Historic information about the Polymer IRC (originally called the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Polymer Science & Technology is found here.) A timeline, focussed on Bradford, is shown below:
This identifies some major ‘step functions’ in our development. Our reach in the UK and especially internationally continues to develop, with extensive collaborations such as the RCUK Bradford Science Bridges China programme and its associated UK-China Advanced Materials Research Institute (which involve over 30 leading Chinese groups - with two Joint Laboratories in Sichuan and Changchun now formed - and UK universities, especially Leeds, Sheffield, Durham), together with major UK collaborations including the recent EPSRC MeDe Centre of Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices (Leeds, Bradford, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield).