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White Rose Research, a joint venture between three Yorkshire universities, is to become a limited company after securing more than Pounds 1.5 million in its first year.

The consortium of Leeds, Sheffield and York universities was formed to improve the commercial exploitation of academic research. The company is now confident of getting a further Pounds 3-4 million to get ideas off the ground.

Tony May, pro vice-chancellor for research at Leeds, said researchers had identified mutual interests and pooled resources. Their combined research income was on a par with Oxford at almost Pounds 100 million.

White Rose is now seeking to recruit ten research students on projects as diverse as anxiety in the animal kingdom, rail and road transport costs, comparisons of mothers with disabilities, and a history of Bolton Priory.