THE first phase of Supergen (Marine) concluded in September, 2007. However, the team was asked to bid for continuing work in 2006 and, once again, the partners were asked to subject their proposals and output from first phase for peer review.
This time, a slightly different consortium was selected. The Robert Gordon University was replaced in the core partnership by Queens University Belfast, led by Trevor Whittaker, but RGU was retained in an outer partnership of affiliated universities which includes Manchester, Exeter, Southampton, Durham and Cork.
The change in core membership reflected the fact that all but one of the RGU tidal team, led by myself, had moved to the University of Edinburgh in the closing months of the first phase of Supergen. The structure of the new consortium is much more centralised than previously. It is managed by an executive director, Professor Robin Wallace, who is responsible for all contractual issues, and a research director, myself, who is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of research aims.
There is also a training manager, Dr David Ingram, who is responsible for the educational aspects of the consortium, which includes 18 doctoral students as well as the extensive team of experienced professional researchers. In addition to the programme managers, there is a steering committee, which has representatives from the funding body and industry.