The UK e-Science Programme

The UK e-Science Programme began in 2001 as a coordinated initiative involving all the Research Councils and the then Department of Trade and Industry. The e‑Science Core Programme, managed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council on behalf of the communities of all the Research Councils, has supported the development of generic technologies, such as the software known as middleware that is needed to enable very different resources to work together seamlessly across networks and create computing grids. Each Research Council has funded its own e-Science activities to develop techniques and demonstrate their use across a broad range of research and applications.

The programme quickly demonstrated the utility of e-Science across disciplines in areas ranging from chemistry and biology to astronomy, atmospheric physics, engineering design, materials science and health and medicine. Scientists engaged with each other in multidisciplinary teams to develop new Grid middleware across many pioneering projects and applications. The programme saw significant industrial commitment, from major companies in the engineering and pharmaceutical sectors.