A new shuttle bus sevice will be launched in July to link the University of Oxford's science area with Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and the Old Road Campus.

The service will begin operating on July 18 and will provide a weekday minibus connection every 30 minutes between 7am and 7pm.

It is being funded for one year initially by the University of Oxford and the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Professor Ian Walmsley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Oxford, said: "The University of Oxford is internationally recognised for the range and excellence of its research, and the calibre of its academic researchers.

"Our cutting-edge research in physical and life sciences requires access to state-of-the-art facilities and collaborations with centres of expertise.

"The new transport connection provided by the Science Transit Shuttle will, by providing a fast and frequent connection between the campuses, support the growth of interactions between the university and organisations at Harwell.

"This, in turn, will improve the ability for commercial connections and innovation opportunities to flourish from these innovation centres."

Starting in the science area at South Parks Road, journey times for the Science Transit Shuttle are expected to be about 50 to 60 minutes to Harwell Campus and 15 to 25 minutes to Old Road.

The service will initially be open only to university staff and students and staff at Harwell Campus, but it hoped it could be opened up to the public in the future.

The fees to use the service have not yet been decided.