It’s always good to hear about successful funding bids! The latest news from the Press Office at Lincoln is about a new Masters in Forensic Science led by the University of Lincoln and funded by the EC’s Erasmus Mundus programme:

Universities in England, Spain and Portugal are developing the world’s first international Masters in Forensic Science to aid the global fight against crime and terrorism.

The Erasmus Mundus Masters in Forensic Science is led by the University of Lincoln, working alongside the University of Cordoba and the Instituto Superior de Ciencias da Saude Egas Moniz.

The two-year postgraduate course, which starts in September 2011, will feature taught modules on a variety of areas of forensic science, including forensic pathology, fire and explosion investigation, forensic entomology, forensic anthropology and forensic toxicology.

Students will spend the first six months of their studies in Spain before switching to Portugal for the latter half of the year. The second year begins in England then after six months students will choose where they wish to spend their last semester and complete their final project.

Dr Jose Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Senior Lecturer in the School of Natural and Applied Sciences at the University of Lincoln, said: “In a globalised world, crime transcends national borders, making it crucial that national law enforcement agencies co-operate and co-ordinate their efforts. Society needs highly trained professionals who can keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by criminals and terrorists. This is why we are launching the world’s first international Masters in Forensic Science: to produce the forensic scientists of the future and promote greater collaboration between nations in the fight against crime and terrorism.”

A generous range of grants is available to successful applicants, including scholarships to cover tuition fees plus monthly allowances for living costs worth up to 500 Euros for EU students and 1,000 Euros for non-EU students.

The Erasmus Mundus Masters in Forensic Science has been funded by the European Commission’s EACEA (Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency) through Erasmus Mundus 2009-13. Erasmus Mundus is a worldwide co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education. Its objectives include providing support to higher education institutions that wish to implement joint programmes at postgraduate level.

Applications are now being invited from students from around the world who hold a bachelors degree in science. The deadline for applications is 14th January 2011 for students wishing to join the first intake in September 2011.

For more information or to apply, visit: www.lincoln.ac.uk/forensic-erasmusmundus