The EPSRC IT and Computer Science Programme

The investment in R&D in information technology in the UK is estimated to be of the order of several £billion. Worldwide, the volume of research is many times larger. Much of this research is undertaken within companies, driven by a fiercely competitive global market. Research in universities in the UK is-or should be-rather different. Universities should compete in the quest for new ideas which are interesting in themselves, but which also hold out promise of useful application in the future.