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One hundred of the greatest minds are being sought to come to Nottingham and help solve some of the world's biggest problems.

The high-calibre recruitment drive is part of a new £200m project by the University of Nottingham that will create up to 500 jobs , including new academic talent and researchers.

Within the university's biggest ever investment dedicated to research, it aims to tackle six global challenges – including securing sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery and developing greener transport systems.

Together they contribute to all 17 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals – a set of shared objectives between members to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, pro-vice-chancellor for research and knowledge at the university , said the investment will help "transform" its impact – with a vision for bringing significant changes in everyday lives through its discoveries.

She said: "This unprecedented investment in our research and people gives us the opportunity to find solutions to some of the world's biggest issues – how to prevent malnutrition by finding crops that can withstand climate change; how scanning the brain can help us treat mental illness; how to change the fact that there are 46 million people enslaved around the world today; how to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels; how to revolutionise greener transport; and how personalising our use of technology can build better-connected societies."

The five-year programme will be unveiled today (Thursday, June 22) in a special event at the Royal Society, in London, as the university bids to attract investors to double its own outlay.

Aircraft powered by batteries and the next global industrial revolution are some of the revolutionary changes that could result from a new £200m investment programme by the University of Nottingham.

In its biggest ever cash injection into research, the university will take the lead in tackling six global challenges that could bring significant changes in everyday lives through its discoveries.

The project will create up to 500 jobs over the next five years, consisting of 100 research fellow positions and at least 370 other roles within its research teams.

By channelling findings into commercial solutions, it is expected to have a knock-on effect by creating more jobs in businesses across the region.

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, pro-vice-chancellor for research and knowledge at the university, is leading the programme.

She said: "We're really interested in bringing world-class, talented researchers to the university from around the world. We're looking for really outstanding young academics to build their careers with us and tackle these challenges.

"We're also investing that money into buildings that are already great in the university.

"It will be truly global in terms of what we're hoping to discover and its importance, as it will have an impact on everyday life.

"The university is a very important driver of the regional and local economy, and we want to do this in a way that grows companies in the area, creating new jobs."

The university is funding six "beacons of excellence" – multi-disciplinary research groups focused on finding solutions to a global issue.

Together they contribute to all 17 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals – a set of shared objectives between members to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.

The research areas include securing sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery and developing greener transport systems – including investigations into electric airplanes to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Prof Corner said: "When you think of aircraft being powered electrically, it's like putting a man on the moon.

"We can't do that at the moment because we haven't got everything we need to make it possible. If you think about the size of the battery that would be needed, the jet could never get off the ground and the engine would be a massive fire risk.

"But we can see that if we did succeed with that, it would be globally significant.

"We have identified our strongest areas and then decided to direct those resources at these very significant challenges for the world."

The programme will be launched today with an event at the Royal Society, in London, where funding bodies, industrial partners and government organisations will be invited to provide further backing – with the aim of doubling the initial £200m investment over the next five years.

Professor Sir David Greenaway, vice-chancellor of the University of Nottingham, said: "From the pioneering work of people like Sir Peter Mansfield who developed MRI, to Professor Don Grierson who created the world's first genetically modified tomato, our university and our people are pioneers of world-changing research.

"It is right the university makes this investment in these six profoundly important areas, building on existing expertise and enabling us to entice world-leading academics and experts to push the boundaries of possibility.

"Our beacons are tackling complex global challenges. Our research informs policies across the world and we work with the United Nations, internationally-renowned organisations and NGOs tackling real-world issues.

"We live in rapidly changing times, politically, scientifically, economically. The university's vision to deliver research of global significance remains a constant. But we cannot stand still.

"We believe our unique approach and proven excellence in research will allow us to help solve these problems facing the world now and in the future."

Chris Hobson, director of policy at East Midlands Chamber, added: "This is a really exciting announcement and builds on the strengths that we have here in Nottingham, as well as across the wider region.

"These beacons of excellence will not only help develop solutions to the global issues of the coming decades, but also places Nottingham at the centre of these efforts, developing the ideas, technologies, processes and products for us to export and share around the world

"The investment creates a focus here in the East Midlands, which will draw in international partners and collaborators. We look forward to supporting this work as it progresses."

The six "beacons of excellence" that the university will invest in are:

Rights Lab — finding solutions to ending modern-day slavery

Green Chemicals — the next global industrial revolution

Precision Imaging — personalised therapies to transform lives

Propulsion Futures — the future of propulsion

Smart Industrial Systems — sustainable products for the future

Future Food — exploring new ways of feeding the world