More than two dozen science projects at 21 universities around the UK are being given millions of pounds to improve their facilities.

The money is coming from the Joint Infrastructure Fund, which has invested in more than 100 projects since 1998.

The awards, ranging from �500,000 to �19m, are being spent on projects involving all the sciences - biomedical, biological, engineering, physical and social.

The projects getting the extra money include a fire safety engineering research facility at the University of Ulster, and a sterile environment at Birmingham University for developing nanotechnology - products and tools made at a sub-microscopic level.

'Time to be proud'

The total infrastructure fund is made up of �300m each from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Wellcome Trust medical research charity, and �150m from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The new, third round of funding is being announced by the Science Minister, Lord Sainsbury, at an event in London.

Congratulating the successful researchers, Lord Sainsbury said: "This is a time when we should be proud of British science.

"The United Kingdom's record in leading-edge discoveries is second to none, but scientists need the funding for their research and the equipment to do it with.

"This boost to high quality science in the UK, following years of under-investment, will help guarantee our prosperity and quality of life in the 21st century."

Dr Mike Dexter, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the awards were "a timely injection of essential resources and will undoubtedly help to alleviate some of the problems of years of chronic under-funding."