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The Ministry of Defence this week announced ?10 million in new funding for research, as well as two new fellowship schemes.

It is hoped that the cash will support a "competition of ideas" that will offer innovative solutions to major defence problems. Universities will have until the end of January to bid for a share of the money.

Sir Roy Anderson, chief scientific adviser at the MoD, said that the competition would give academia and industry an open platform to respond to defence needs.

A pilot scheme for three new Royal Society Postdoctoral Research Fellowships begins next month, aiming to attract "the brightest and best scientists" into defence and security-related research. A similar scheme is planned for engineers in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering.

A pilot for 30 doctoral research studentships will be launched next summer. An additional competition is planned for early 2007 to create a consortium for research into novel materials. Research priorities include biological detection systems, communications, logistics, radar and materials.

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