Dr Florian Beutler from the University’s world-leading Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation has been awarded a prestigious University Research Fellowship (URF) from the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science.

Each year, the Royal Society awards URFs to outstanding scientists in the early stages of their careers with the potential to become leaders in their field. It is one of the highest accolades a young scientist can receive.

Dr Beutler said: “I am honoured to receive this Fellowship that counts so many great scientists among its membership, past and present.”

Dr Beutler’s ground-breaking research is concerned with galaxy surveys that measure the position of about 20 to 40 million galaxies, which allows scientists to make 3D maps of the distribution of matter in the Universe. These maps can be used to study dark matter and dark energy (the mysterious forces that make up 96 per cent of the Universe) and test General Relativity on cosmic scales.

I am honoured to receive this Fellowship that counts so many great scientists among its membership, past and present.

Dr Florian Beutler, Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation

He has worked on galaxy surveys such as DESI and Euclid and in 2016 Dr Beutler led one of the main analysis projects of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) which is currently the largest galaxy survey of its kind.

Earlier this year, Dr Beutler received the five-year STFC Ernest Rutherford fellowship and he will take up his URF in the New Year.