The Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund was established in 1974, on amalgamation of the Society for Analytical Chemistry (SAC) with the then Chemical Society (CS), which later became the Royal Society of Chemistry. The proceeds of the sale of SAC journals were used to establish a fund and ACTF was set up as a Registered Charity No 268893.
The Object of the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund is to promote, assist and extend the science and study of Analytical Chemistry and of all questions relating to the analysis, nature and composition of natural and manufactured materials for the benefit of the public.
All current trustees are existing or previous elected members of the RSC Analytical Science Community Council. Trustees meet at least 3 times per year to review financial budgets, assess funding applications and discuss further developments to further meet its objectives.
To learn more about what we fund, what we have funded, please visit out Funding Opportunities page.
Governance
Trustees
Dr Zoë Ayres (Chair)
Zoë has had a varied background in analytical science from studying forensics, collaborating with a large pharmaceutical company, and doing a PhD in chemical sensor technologies. Zoë spent nearly a decade in industry, as a Senior Scientist, and Head of Research and Development, before returning to academia, and is now Head of Laboratory Facilities at the Open University, helping manage over 190 labs.
Professor Karen Faulds
Karen Faulds is a Professor in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde and an expert in the development of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and Raman techniques for novel analytical detection strategies and in particular multiplexed bioanalytical applications. he has been awarded over £20M in research funding.
Professor Roy Goodacre
Roy Goodacre is Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Liverpool, co-director of the Centre for Metabolomics Research, and President of the Metabolomics Society. Our research team develops and applies MS-based metabolomics to biological systems, and high spatial resolution photothermal infrared and Raman-based methods to image bacteria at the single cell level.
Dr Ruth Hearn (Administrator)
Ruth has been the Administrator for ACTF since 2018 and is the key contact for all applicants of ACTF grants. She is an Analytical Chemist and currently runs her own company providing training, consultancy and technical auditing to a range of customers including working as a technical assessor for the UK Accreditation Service, assessing ISO Standard compliance.
Professor Melanie Bailey
Melanie is a Professorial Research Fellow in Analytical and Forensic Science at the university of Surrey. She is Director of the BBSRC SEISMIC facility for spatially resolved single and sub-cellular “omics” and a grant holder of the UK National Ion Beam Centre. Her group are exploring new approaches for the analysis of cells, biological fluids and tissues.
Dr Ian Ball
Ian has worked for Johnson Matthey for 21 years. He started in the European Technology Centre working within the research and development laboratories, supporting their next generation catalytic convertors for cars and heavy duty vehicles. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, a Chartered Chemist, Chartered Scientist, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Dr Leon Barron
Dr. Leon Barron is a reader in analytical and environmental sciences. He received both a BSc in Analytical Science and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Dublin City University, Ireland. He is a fellow the RSC, the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and the Higher Education Academy, and sits on the committees of the RSC Separation Science Group and the London Biological Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group.
Dr Jacquin Wilford-Brown (Treasurer)
Jacquin has held a variety of roles in research and management in the chemical industry, including working for AkzoNobel, moving slowly from new product development to analysis and measurement. She likes working at interfaces – whether in materials and coatings, or between disciplines, teams and people. Her favourite quote is “without analysis, there is no synthesis”.
Dr Jonathan Jones
Jonathan studied Analytical Science in University of Wales Swansea from 1997-2000 and stayed on to research LC/MS applications until 2004, later joining Waters and gaining significant experience in customer support, product management and marketing. Since 2019 Jonathan works at Genedata, a leading provider of MS software solutions to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Dr Vicky Hilborne
Vicky is a Lecturer (Teaching) at University College London. She has particular interest in education for sustainability and developing skills of research and data evaluation valued by employers. Her research includes design and evaluation of portable detectors of contaminants in indoor air and in aqueous environments, dispersion modelling in natural environments and industrial processes.
Paul O’Nion
Paul has worked for over 20 years as an analytical scientist. An experienced chromatographer, Paul has worked at RSSL for more than ten years, specialising in flavour and taints analysis using multi-dimensional chromatography and mass spectrometry. Paul is a qualified NVQ assessor, a member of the Industry Advisory Board for CAMS and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Other organisations supporting analytical scientists
The Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund 