A UNIVERSITY is to invest at least £6m to boost its international research profile.

The move by the University of Newcastle will include the appointment of 23 senior academic staff.

It hopes to increase the pool of talent in the region, attracting more world-class academics and researchers from the UK and abroad during its recruitment drive, which starts this month.

Many of them will be leaders in their field and working in areas that will reap benefits for the North-East and the UK in the long-term, such as health, science, literature, education, engineering and the rural economy.

All three university faculties will be appointing professors and readers.

They include a reader in children's literature, who will work closely with the new Newcastle Centre for the Children's Book.

There will also be a professor of statistical genetics, who will analyse research into diseases such as cancer and a professor of earth systems, who will be part of a team working to provide sustainable solutions to global problems, such as water and energy resources.

They include the director of a new initiative, Culture Lab - a £4m digital media and creative practice facility aimed at boosting research in the performing arts.

Much of the funding for the posts has been made available following the university's restructuring.