The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are two of the United Kingdom's seven government funded research councils. Their joint aims are to encourage and support high quality research and training to meet national needs in terms of quality of life and economic competitiveness.

Five new Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations (IRCs) are being established, with funding of over £40 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). All five centres intend to carry out research that will mean we can all benefit from rapid advances in information technology- whether in hospitals, in businesses or in our own homes.

The new IRCs will bring together respected researchers from different scientific and technical backgrounds to undertake major, six-year, IT-based research programmes. Twenty universities and around 45 companies are involved in the new IRCs. Four of the new IRCs, funded in full by EPSRC, will tackle issues such as embedding computers into everyday objects and environments; improving knowledge management to prevent information overload; developing ultra fast communications using optical technology; and improving the safety, security and reliability of complex systems that involve computers, people and organisations.

The Advanced Knowledge Technologies project (AKT) led by Nigel Shadbolt from Southampton is concerned with the management of the knowledge life cycle.

The Equator project, led by Tom Rodden from Nottingham, is concerned with technological innovation on the border between physical and digital life.

The DIRC project, led by Cliff Jones from Newcastle and Ian Sommerville from Lancaster, is concerned with the dependability of computer-based systems.

The Ultra Fast Photonics Collaboration, led by Wilson Sibbett from St.Andrews, is concerned with the technology required for the development of the next generation of photonics with the aim of operating at speeds in excess of 100Tb/s.

A fifth IRC, jointly funded by EPSRC and the MRC, is the MIAS project led by Mike Brady from Oxford, concerned with translating data from medical images and signals into clinical information of use to the medical profession.

The successful IRCs were selected through a competitive peer review process following a call for proposals issued by EPSRC in April 1999. 100 outline proposals were submitted, and the successful centres were selected from a shortlist of 12 proposals.