A new PhD scholarship programme has been launched at the University of Strathclyde to support pioneering research in engineering and science, established in memory of Dr George Weir.
Funded by the James Weir Foundation, the programme will support a new PhD studentship at Strathclyde each year. The inaugural Dr George Weir PhD Scholarship will fund research within the University’s Neurotechnology Centre, led by Professor Keith Mathieson.
The Strathclyde Neurotechnology Centre, launched in 2025, brings together engineers, physicists, AI specialists and neuroscientists to advance implantable technologies aimed at studying and treating degenerative neurological conditions, such as forms of blindness and dementia. The Centre is also home to a state-of-the-art facility for the semiconductor fabrication of ultrathin neural implants, supported by a major grant from the Wolfson Foundation.
Improve lives
The scholarships commemorate Dr George Weir who studied at Winchester, Cambridge and the Massachusetts institute of Technology before spending most of his career working in the Weir Group, specifically on Research and Development. He was passionate about science and technology and in particular how its application could improve the lives of others.
The first PhD project will focus on next-generation neural implants developing advanced semiconductor interfacing technologies. This work builds on Strathclyde’s collaboration leading international neurotechnology groups. For example, the team have been working with Stanford University on retinal implant research, which has already achieved restored a visual acuity of 20/400 in patients with age-related macular degeneration. The project aims to further enhance these outcomes to meet clinical thresholds for wider use.
This is the first PhD research project in a rolling programme of annual matched-funding scholarships supported by the foundation. Future projects will be selected for their potential to make a significant contribution to advancing innovation in the fields of engineering and science.
Valued relationship
Professor Duncan Graham, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Associate Principal at the University of Strathclyde, said: “The James Weir Foundation has had a longstanding and valued relationship with Strathclyde, and we are proud to continue this partnership through the new PhD scholarship programme.
“These will play a vital role in advancing research that tackles real-world engineering and scientific challenges. We are particularly pleased that the inaugural scholarship will support the pioneering work of our Neurotechnology Centre.”
Edward Weir, Chair of the James Weir Foundation and who is the son of the late Dr George Weir, said: “The Trustees of the James Weir Foundation are delighted to be supporting the Dr George Weir PhD Scholarships at Strathclyde.
These scholarships reflect the Foundation’s long-term commitment to supporting innovative doctoral research that addresses major societal challenges, and we are very excited to see the outcome of the pivotal and groundbreaking research.
James Weir was a Scottish industrialist and aviation pioneer, whose career spanned engineering innovation and public service. He was also involved with the family engineering firm G & J Weir – now known as the Weir Group – which produced ground-breaking inventions in pumping equipment. Weir, who died in 1973, was also committed philanthropist who supported a range of charitable causes, and the Foundation carries on his legacy today.