CCDC welcomes new applications for its FAIRE grants to advance structural science

The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) welcomes new applicants for its FAIRE grants to support structural chemistry education and research in over 80 eligible countries.

The FAIRE (Frank H. Allen International Research & Education) programme is dedicated to the memory of the CCDC’s former Executive Director. Dr Allen led the Centre from 2002 to 2008, during which time he was passionate about bringing the crystallographic knowledge held within the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) to the widest possible international community of structural chemists.

Helping to address the challenges faced by scientists in countries with restricted financial resources, the three-year renewable grants cover the costs to access the CSD, software, training and teaching materials for an entire university campus.

Launched in 2017, 31 research and education establishments worldwide now receive FAIRE grants, including in Benin, Ghana, Venezuela and Morocco. But with research and education institutions in over 80 countries eligible to apply, the FAIRE programme and associated community of scientists has the potential to expand even further.

One member of the FAIRE programme, Dr Samuel Tetteh from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, encourages others to apply:

“The Cambridge Structural Database contains a wealth of carefully curated information for teaching and research involving structural chemistry and crystallography. Through the FAIRE programme, I have gained access to the CSD and can confidently illustrate to both my undergraduate and postgraduate students concepts such as VSEPR Theory including molecular geometry, bonding in organometallic chemistry, point group symmetry for molecular compounds as well as intermolecular interactions.”

“The 3D crystal structures can be rotated and translated to give molecular illustrations from different perspectives. Through the FAIRE programme, I can know if the compounds I am working on have already been published so that I don’t waste my time in the lab. This is a great opportunity for all scientists who are interested in structural science.“

Dr Tetteh and team’s scientific paper "The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD): Important Resources for Teaching Concepts in Structural Chemistry and Intermolecular Interactions" has just been accepted for publication by the journal Physical Sciences Reviews, the latest addition to the growing list of scientific publications in primary research journals resulting from the FAIRE programme.

In addition to providing access to the CSD and software, the CCDC is committed to ensuring FAIRE users receive the ongoing support and training they need so the FAIRE offerings can be fully utilised for research and education in their institutions. For example, at the Third Pan African Conference on Crystallography (PCCr3) meeting in Kenya the CCDC is holding a workshop on how to get maximum value from the CSD and giving a talk "From Molecules to Medicine. How Data from the CSD Can Help to Understand Pharmaceutical Discovery, Development and Manufacturing."

Speaking from the PCCr3, Suzanna Ward, Head of Data and Community, CCDC, said:

“As a non-profit charity pushing the boundaries of structural chemical science for the benefit of society, we believe that economics should not be a barrier to scientific excellence. Our FAIRE programme empowers scientists to achieve their research goals and I am delighted to see some of the results being showcased here at PCCr3.”