UEA scientist, Professor Gerard Parr, has been invited to provide advice to the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council’s (EPSRC) Digital Security and Resilience research theme.
His appointment to the advisory group acknowledges his research expertise in telecommunications engineering and fault-tolerant systems as well as his long-standing international activities.
EPSRC has established the new research theme to put a spotlight on digital technologies relevant to the security, defence, and resilience of the UK. The research supported will aim to create a more secure and resilient digital society, that is robust and prepared to withstand shocks and challenges in an increasingly interconnected digital world.
Speaking of this appointment Mark Gaskarth, Head of the EPSRC Digital Security and Resilience Theme, said: “We are delighted that Professor Parr has joined our Advisory Group and look forward to working with him as we develop our strategy and plans. Professor Parr brings specific expertise on the fixed, wireless, and satellite Digital Communications and Internet Technologies sectors and will be joined by other leading UK academics as well as representatives from industry, to offer a wide range of expertise and advice relevant to our theme.”
Broadly, the EPSRC Digital Security & Resilience theme’s investments will fall in two areas:
1. Mitigating risk - research to promote and improve the security and resilience of digital technologies.
2. Creating opportunities - research into digital technologies that would be developed to promote and improve the security, defence, and resilience of the UK.
Planned EPSRC investments falling within the remit of the Digital Security and Resilience theme, include the following, as included within the recently launched EPSRC Strategic Delivery Plan (EPSRC strategic delivery plan 2022 to 2025 – UKRI):
- Ensure the UK remains confident, capable, and resilient as a thought leader in the fast-moving digital world, including by investing £7.5 million in cyber security research with partners such as the National Cyber Security Centre.
- Scope future priorities, including building opportunities in digital twins. An initial focus will be up to £20 million on a digital twins decarbonising transport use case working with the Department for Transport.
Professor Parr, the Chair of Telecommunications Engineering in the School of Computing Sciences at University of East Anglia, is currently involved in several EPSRC Projects covering Digital Transformation in Large Organisations and the UK-India Future Networks Initiative.
Explaining his new advisory role, Professor Parr said: “EPSRC supports excellent, internationally leading, long-term research and high-quality postgraduate training to contribute to the economic competitiveness of the UK and the quality of life of its people.
“I am delighted to have been invited to provide advice to EPSRC in support of the work of the Digital Security and Resilience Theme, and its work in enabling scientists to meet the UK’s future needs by delivering internationally recognised excellence, research and training.”
In March 2022, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed a total budget of £25.1 billion for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for the three financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25 and within that allocation, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has a budget of £1,929m.
