Funding boom: uni in atom bomb funding row

The university has sparked anger as dodgy weapons funding has found its way into the university’s money pot.

The university received just under 50k from atomic weapons developer Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), over the last three years.

But university officials have denied that the University has received this funding.

University Registrar David Duncan said: ““We do not have any active research projects for AWE, though we have done work for them in the past.

“All academics are required to consider whether initiatives they are engaged in (whether research or not) might have ethical dimensions which require further scrutiny or consideration. These are then referred to departmental ethics committees for
peer review.

“The departmental committees include lay membership. Where necessary, projects are referred on to the University Ethics Committee, which reports to Council.

“Of course, views will differ over whether it is ethical for the UK to maintain a nuclear deterrent or for University staff to support the maintenance of the
deterrent.

“I am not aware of any recent debates about this at the University Ethics Committee.”

A second year PPE student said he was ‘outraged’ and told Vision:

“I think it’s horrific that we’re accepting money from weapons development countrys. I can’t accept any defence from the university concerning this revelation.”