Philanthropy

Support for research

The Dyers’ Company Research Medal is awarded annually to what is judged to be the most worthy research-oriented paper which has been published during the previous twelve months in the journal published by the Society of Dyers & Colourists, in collaboration with Wiley, entitled Coloration Technology.

In 2020, the Colour Committee recommended that the Company should fund the fees, for three years, of a UK PhD student to research a project in colour science. Invitations were sent out to universities to apply for the funding. An evaluation panel decided to make the award to the University of Leeds. The project “Investigation into Low Temperature Dyeing of Wool and its Commercial Viability” is being supervised by Professor Chris Carr, a member of the Livery, and commenced in the Autumn of 2020.

In 2021, the Court agreed to make available a grant of £20,000 for which academics may apply to support their research into dyes and dyeing technology. From the applications received, an evaluation panel decided to make awards to Dr Robert Smith of the University of Central Lancashire, for his research into heptamethine dyes for biological applications, and also to Dr Muriel Rigout of Leeds University, for a short proof-of-concept project to investigate the antibacterial effect of selected anthraquinone dyes in photodynamic therapy.