Professor Aarts was a previous recipient of investment, producing ground-breaking work into developing the picture of how elementary particles evolved during the evolution of our universe which was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Advanced Fellowship.

Gert holds a Personal Chair at Swansea University and his research areas include elementary particle physics, in particular the strong interaction under extreme conditions.

He held a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and a Leverhulme Research Fellowship and is currently Chair of the Scientific Board of the European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (ECT*).  He sits on a number of panels, boards and committees including:

• STFC Skills and Engagement Advisory Board (SEAB)
• Joint Scientific Council of the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe (FAIR/GSI)
• The Royal Society Newton International Fellowship Panel

Business Secretary Greg Clark recently outlined £1.3 billion of investment for British universities and businesses to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and scientific leaders who will ensure our future economic prosperity.

The scheme is open to best researchers from around the world, ensuring the UK continues to attract the most exceptional talent wherever they may come from.

Professor Gert Aarts commented:

“The STFC Advanced Fellowship offered an excellent opportunity to establish myself in the UK, after having carried out postgraduate and postdoctoral research in the Netherlands, Germany and the USA.

“The possibility to carry out independent research, while at the same time being embedded in the Particle Physics Theory group and the Physics Department, allowed me to mature as a researcher and ease the transition from postdoc to full-blown academic.

“In my experience the combination of an RCUK funded Fellowship with a University position provides the best of both worlds, combining research independence and funding with progression through the academic ladder. The new schemes announced by UKRI will provide excellent opportunities for up-and-coming researchers to establish themselves in the UK.”

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

“International collaboration has been key to many of the most significant discoveries and breakthroughs and I want the UK to remain the go-to destination for the best scientists and innovators.

“We are investing in the rising stars of research and innovation to ensure the UK is where the products and technologies of tomorrow are developed.”