The University of Warwick's astrophysics department has received a £3.5 million donation to recruit and support the next generation of astronomers.

Announced during World Space Week (4-10 October), the donation comes from a Warwick alumnus and is one of the largest gifts towards the study of astronomy and astrophysics in the UK.

It will support talent from postgraduate study up to early career research fellows, allowing the university's astronomy and astrophysics group to further boost its already excellent research profile.

£2 million will support up to 15 PhD students for the duration of their studies, while a further £1.5 million will allow the university to recruit the strongest upcoming talent in up to 13 postdoctoral roles.

The gift recognises the world-leading work in astronomy and astrophysics taking place at the University of Warwick with the aim of investing in research that has the potential to achieve the level of science's highest honours, such as the Nobel Prize, within the coming decades.

The group's research encompasses the birth and death of solar systems, the search for distant planets and the life they may harbour, and some of the most extreme and destructive astronomical phenomena in the universe.

The gift will establish a programme to support postgraduate students and early career researchers to take this research deeper into unexplored areas of astronomy.

Prof Danny Steeghs, head of the astronomy and astrophysics group at University of Warwick, said: "We are looking for exceptional students and researchers who share our passions and ambitions.

"Astrophysics is a very exciting field and this scheme will significantly increase our impact while training a new generation of researchers."