Researchers working to tackle some of the key challenges facing engineering are to receive a multimillion-pound funding boost thanks to an initiative being led and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Six trans-disciplinary research projects based at UK institutions will each receive a share of a £10million investment intended to help them address the challenges identified in the 2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report. TERC involved extensive engagement with the UK’s engineering community and set out a long-term vision for engineering research.
The 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 to explore how advanced multimodal artificial intelligence technology can be better integrated into engineering design.
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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 aimed at better understanding the interfaces between the disciplines and promote greater translation between science and engineering.
‘Engineering is the cornerstone to a more sustainable, successful and thriving future for the UK,’ said Jane Nicholson, executive director for research at EPSRC. ‘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.’