Researchers working to tackle some of the key challenges facing engineering are to receive a multimillion-pound funding boost.
Six transdisciplinary research projects based at UK institutions will each receive a share of a £10 million investment.
The initiative is being led and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
It is intended to help them address the challenges identified in the 2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report.
Long-term vision for engineering research
TERC involved extensive engagement with the UK’s engineering community and set out a long-term vision for engineering research.
In the UK, engineers have long been at the heart of technological revolutions and to this day continue to transform the way that we live our lives.
Expert teams
These new projects, led by teams that combine appropriate expertise and experience, will help ensure the UK can face future challenges and contribute to economic growth, social wellbeing and the transition to net zero.
For example, at the University of Surrey, Bing Guo will lead a team working to tackle water pollution and ensure secure, safe, sustainable supply of this vital resource.
Meanwhile Professor Trevor Robinson at Queen’s University Belfast, working with a wider team, will exploit digital design technologies and help UK engineering transition to net zero faster.
At The University of Sheffield, Haiping Lu will lead a national initiative with a team to explore how advanced multimodal artificial intelligence technology can be better integrated into engineering design.
Tackling engineering research challenges
The funded projects are part of a broader strategic response by EPSRC that aims to address the recommendations of TERC.
In early 2023, UK Research and Innovation launched a responsive mode pilot scheme to specifically accommodate cross-disciplinary ideas.
The projects funded included those that are tackling engineering research challenges.
In addition, to encourage more engagement with interdisciplinary challenges, physical sciences and engineering strategic advisory teams were recently brought together.
This approach was to better understand the interfaces between the disciplines and promote greater translation between science and engineering.
A thriving future
Jane Nicholson, Executive Director for Research at EPSRC said:
Engineering is the cornerstone to a more sustainable, successful and thriving future for the UK.
From developing renewable energy solutions to creating smart cities, engineering innovations are driving progress in every sector.
These new networks will address the strategic challenges outlined by the TERC report.
Together, these researchers present a hugely ambitious, thoughtful response to the economic, environmental and social challenges we all face.
Further information
The six funded projects
Noise network plus: engineering a quieter future
Led by:
- Mark Plumbley and Abigail Bristow, University of Surrey
- Charlotte Clark, City St George’s, University of London
- Simone Graetzer and Antonio Torija Martinez, University of Salford
- Alan Hunter, University of Bath
Environmental noise has a major impact on public health, society and wildlife, much of which is a result of engineering activities, such as roads, airports and construction.
Despite its pervasive effects, noise is currently a neglected pollutant, underscoring the urgent need for more research and better interdisciplinary coordination.
In response, this project sets out to re-engineer the discipline of engineering, making noise a consideration at all stages of the design process.
It will create a mission-oriented inter-organisational research and innovation network, ‘noise network plus’, as a catalyst to bring together diverse, dynamic teams from across disciplines.
It will build unprecedented noise research capabilities to deliver a healthier, quieter, society and environment.
4D engineering of healthcare technologies (4D health tech)
Led by:
- Sophie Cox, Andrew Dove, Michael Bryant and Samantha Cruz Rivera, University of Birmingham
- Connor Myant and Robert Hewson, Imperial College London
Numerous tissues within our bodies continuously adapt to environmental cues over time.
In a healthy state this enables growth, movement and regeneration, but changes also occur as a result of many diseases and as we age.
When we engineer medical devices to replace or repair these tissues, these time dependent changes are not typically incorporated.
The aim of this network plus award is to inclusively transform engineering mindset into four dimensions, enabling the innovation of a new dynamic medical device era.
The digital design network plus: designing faster and better with less (D2N+)
Led by:
- Trevor Robinson, Queen’s University Belfast
- Ben Hicks, University of Bristol; Ashutosh Tiwari, The University of Sheffield
- Anja Maier, University of Strathclyde
This network plus will create an active digital design community that will define, set and prioritise key engineering design challenges and viable solution pathways that will exploit digital design technologies and help UK engineering transition to net zero faster.
It will ensure industrial engineering design processes fully adopt and leverage emerging capabilities, such as generative design tools, to create faster, better and more environmentally-friendly systems.
Better water for all: re-engineer water engineering for equitable and resilient access to high-quality water for future generations
Led by:
- Bing Guo, University of Surrey
- Francis Hassard, Cranfield University
- Bing Xu, Heriot-Watt University
- Lucia Rodriguez Freire, Russell Davenport and Tom Curtis, Newcastle University
Water is fundamental for basic human needs, economic activities, social wellbeing, environment and ecosystem health.
But ensuring a safe supply means facing up to many challenges, including the threat posed by emerging chemical and biological micropollutants (ECBM).
This project will help address this issue and develop comprehensive, effective frameworks to manage and reduce ECBM risks in water or wastewater systems.
Failure Modes of Engineering (FeME): a network for future inclusivity, sustainability and global impact
Led by:
- Encarni Medina-Lopez, Agnessa Spanellis, Laura Colucci-Gray and Sue Widdicombe, The University of Edinburgh
- Christa Searle, Heriot-Watt University
- Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay, University of Glasgow
This project will focus on socially and environmentally responsible approaches to engineering, nature-based engineering, and global engineering solutions.
It will explore the use of ‘failure modes’, a method taken from traditional systems engineering, to co-create a network of research practitioners, industry and local and global communities, that delves into the complex relationship between engineering, nature and society.
This interdisciplinary network will tackle the failure modes of current engineering practices, particularly in relation to climate change and its impact on women, children and underrepresented groups globally.
UK open multimodal AI network (UKOMAIN)
Led by:
- Haiping Lu, Nicola Morley and Nataliya Tkachenko, The University of Sheffield
- Peter Charlton, University of Cambridge
- Dezong Zhao, University of Glasgow
- Yao Zhang, University College London
Multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) integrates diverse data types, such as text, images and sound, to transform scientific discovery and enhance our interaction with technology.
It plays a crucial role in addressing tomorrow’s engineering challenges, spanning health and wellbeing, transportation systems, robotics, materials discovery, space research, nature-based engineering, global engineering solutions and responsible engineering.
The UK open multimodal AI network aims to connect stakeholders and solutions across disciplines to drive sustainable impact and growth.
Top image: Noise measurements in an anechoic chamber. Credit: University of Salford