The award will allow Professor Ed Daw to focus entirely on hunting for the axion, a theoretical subatomic particle that is a leading candidate to solve a century-old cosmic puzzle, what is dark matter?
Over the last few years, Professor Daw’s group has been constructing a highly sophisticated axion detector. The apparatus operates at ultra-low, millikelvin temperatures to eliminate disruptive background noise, aiming to catch elusive axions that might permeate our galaxy.
The fellowship will enable Professor Daw to drive the collection and analysis of the experiment's very first data, while building a national coalition of researchers to drive future progress.
It's an honour to be selected for this fellowship. I will try to use it to improve our apparatus, search for axions, and build bridges with neighbouring fields with which our group shares common interests - those developing superconducting quantum computers, for example. It's an exciting time for the field!
Professor Ed Daw
Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust, said: “The opportunity to take some time away from teaching and administrative work creates space for ambitious, blue-skies thinking that can lead to fresh perspectives and unexpected insights. It is always a pleasure to see what can flourish when talented scholars are given the chance to focus fully on their research.”
About the Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship
The Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship scheme is for senior and mid-career researchers who would benefit from a period of full-time research without teaching, administration and pastoral care duties. This Fellowship has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust since it was first established in 1989 and has benefitted hundreds of scientific researchers.
About the Royal Society
The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.