Dr Rhys Crilley (Politics) has been awarded a prestigious UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship.  Rhys was awarded £1.1 million to examine how nuclear arms control and disarmament efforts can be developed to reduce and avert the risk of nuclear conflict, in a time of rising tension between nuclear weapon states.

The project will investigate how the legitimacy of nuclear weapons is communicated and contested, and explore ways that the risk of nuclear war can be mitigated through improving nuclear arms control and disarmament advocacy and mechanisms, so that they gain more international support.

Rhys said: “I'm delighted to have been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship to address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. Nuclear weapons are once again at the fore of public attention, and it often seems like there is nothing we can do to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict. This fellowship will enable me to lead a team of world class experts based here at the University of Glasgow to conduct research across the globe so we can develop innovative solutions to the nuclear crises of today.

“Significantly, the fellowship also makes it possible to work with policymakers and advocacy organisations in order to make nuclear arms control and disarmament measures more effective.”

Dr Joy Farnaby (School of Chemistry) was also awarded £1.2 million to address nuclear industry technical challenges and underlying knowledge gaps in fundamental actinide (uranium and plutonium) chemistry, critical to the management of the UK’s civil plutonium inventory.

First published: 6 December 2023

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