Science Show-off (can be Engineering Show-off too)

Some of the Bristol EngD community have been tweeting today about Science Show-off. This seems to be similar to PubhD (or InngD, as we called it):

It’s a chaotic open mic night for scientists, science communicators, science teachers, historians and philosophers of science, students, science popularisers and anyone else with something to show off about science.

It happens at least once a month in London (the next one is at the Bloomsbury Theatre on Wednesday 5 February), and also all over the country - the Bristol gig is on 23 January at the Grain Barge at Hotwells and according to a @ScienceShowoff Tweet: "Woop. We'd love to have engineers on stage".

Signed-up performers take to the stage to show off their science (engineering). They might:

• Show a film they just made
• Try out a new demo
• Practice a new science comedy set
• Tell us about their new discovery
• Perform a 9-minute play about science
• Play their new song about protons
• Tell us what they’ve been up to
• Predict the future
• Give us a taster of their science-themed Edinburgh show
• Read us their latest science poem
• Try out a bit of a new science lesson on us
• Play us a short radio documentary
• Experiment on the crowd
• Read us a blogpost
• Perform an interpretive dance about science

Or anything else…

Update (13 January 2014) - EngD Research engineer Natasha Watson (from the IDC in Systems at University of Bath, and sponsored by Buro Happold) is talking at the Bristol Science Showoff event on 23 January (see post) at the Grain Barge:

Natasha will be telling you the story of the three little pigs… with a twist: building houses from sticks and straw isn’t too bad after all.

Understanding the EngD impact

A highlight of last week's AEngD annual conference in London was the presentation of initial findings from a pilot study looking at the impacts of EngD research.

The study, funded jointly by the AEngD and the EPSRC, was undertaken by a team from Manchester Business School, led by Dr Fumi Kitagawa, and the interim summary identified five main areas of impact:

• generation of new knowledge - "increased in-house knowledge and research outcomes in the short/mid-term, as well as a long-term approach to technology problem solution and business change."
• innovation-related outputs and outcomes - these included licensing of patents, formation of spin-out companies, new product/service development, new market entry, business process improvements and faster time to market.
• pan-industry knowledge networks and collaboration - "Knowledge generated by one firm often diffuses into the industry as a whole through collaborative relationships, through supply chains or through movement of human capital."
• human capital and skills development - EngD research enhanced REs career paths, industrial partners' skills and the pool of talented future leaders across a sector
• economic benefits - Examples include EngD researchers identifying annual cost savings for sponsors of £2.4m and £3.0m. A patented therapy eventually valued at £20 billion. For every pound invested by EPSRC, one centre identified a further £1.77 industry investment in EngD research.

#AEngD2013 One EngD researcher (with an environmental bent) reduced their sponsor's operating costs by £5,000,000. Wow.
— Bengt Cousins-Jenvey (@BengtCJ) November 26, 2013

There were also direct economic benefits to the EngD researchers themselves. During her conference presentation, Fumi highlighted that EngD candidates were more likely to command higher salaries than researchers who had undertaken CASE PhDs: 33% of EngD graduates earn over £35,000 per annum compared to c. 13% of CASE PhDs.

There was also an interesting discussion about retention of EngD graduates by their industry sponsors (the study suggested that only about a quarter of EngDs remained with their sponsor upon completion of their research project). Fumi suggested some employers regarded the research as a fixed-term project; it was also evident that some employers didn't make competitive offers of employment to their EngD graduates with the result that they moved to other employers.

Applications for 2014 Industrial Fellowships invited

What does the Great Exhibition of 1851 have to do with studying for an engineering doctorate in 2014?

Well, applications for 2014 Industrial Fellowships from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 are now being invited (see AEngD news). The Fellowships are worth up to £80,000 over three years, and the most recent cohort of successful candidates included three EngD candidates.

A 2012 Fellow, Maria Felice, will be at the AEngD conference in London on 26 November as one of the shortlisted finalists in the AEngD Engineering Research Writer of the Year competition (post).

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was established in 1850 by Queen Victoria to organise the Great Exhibition. Prince Albert was appointed President and took personal charge of the whole complex operation.

The Exhibition was an enormous success and made a substantial profit. The Commission, about to be dissolved, was enjoined by Royal Charter to remain constituted and to administer the profits for charitable purposes. The Charter charged the Commission with 'increasing the means of industrial education and extending the influence of science and art upon productive industry'.

To this end the Commission purchased 86 acres of land in South Kensington and established the unique cultural site of three great museums, the Royal Albert Hall and what have become renowned institutions of learning, including Imperial College and the Royal Colleges of Art and Music. It continues to own the freehold of, and manage, much of this estate.

When this huge undertaking was largely complete, there remained sufficient funds for the Royal Commission to set up, in 1891, an educational trust to perpetuate its aims. In spite of generous funding of many worthy enterprises right from the outset, these slender resources have been carefully husbanded over the years. Today, with capital assets of over £60m, annual charitable disbursement approaches £2m.

Giving fellowships and grants to pure research in science and engineering, applied research in industry, industrial design and other projects, the Commission supports the development of science and technology, and its profitable exploitation by British Industry. The first Industrial Fellowships were awarded in 1990

The future of the EngD

The annual conference of the Association of Engineering Doctorates, to be held in London on 26 November, will debate the future of the EngD qualification in light of new research into EngD impacts and recent changes in EPSRC funding (AEngD news).

New AEngD/EPSRC-funded research from Manchester Business School looking at the impact of the EngD qualification (see previous post) will be presented by Dr Fumi Kitagawa at the AEngD conference at the Building Centre.

The event will also consider the Engineering Council's view of the route from EngD to Chartered Engineer status (recent post), and recent changes to the EPSRC funding affecting various industrial doctorate centres. Details of the full impact are currently sketchy; most if not all affected centres have been informed, but an official announcement is expected from EPSRC later this month - just before the AEngD conference.

The conference also aims to stimulate discussion among current and recent EngD research engineers about what the AEngD could do to support them during their four-year research terms. If you are a current RE, this is your chance to influence and get involved with the future activities of the AEngD.

Lastly, but by no means least, finalists in the AEngD Engineering Research Writer of the Year competition (shortlist post) will also present their papers at the conference - which, with the Manchester Business School research impacts presentation, makes it ideal for existing and potential industry sponsors to learn about EngD research benefits and outcomes.

Book your place at the AEngD 2013 conference here (opens in new window).

DesigningBuildings / Development Securities ideas competition: £500 prize

DesigningBuildings (an expert wiki devoted to the built environment - and so relevant to a good number of EngD research centres, though admittedly some more than others) is running an ideas competition, in conjunction with Development Securities focused on the question: How do we keep investors interested in UK property?

It's different to our recent Engineering Research Writer of the Year award (finalists to present in London on 26 November - book your seat now) which looked for 800 word essays. Instead, short and fresh ideas are welcomed, and there is a £500 prize for innovative ideas.

Julian Barwick, Director, Development Securities says:

“We need to harness the creative thinking of practitioners if the UK is to succeed in the global market. This competition is about harvesting good ideas and a bit of crystal ball gazing. We are looking for free and lateral thought, particularly from those with a fresh view.”

Sounds like a good place for EngD researchers and alumni to show their originality....

Shortlist for 2013 Engineering Research Writer of the Year

To mark the first anniversary of the formal launch of the Association of Engineering Doctorates, we are holding a further conference - to be held at the Building Centre, London, on 26 November - and promoting the outcomes of EngD research by getting researchers to write about their studies. The Engineering Research Writer of the Year competition attracted some great entries, which were wittled down to two shortlists:

EngD graduates/alumni: actual impact (describing tangible benefits actually delivered during and/or as a result of the researcher's project):

• Javid Khan (Centre in Optics and Photonics Technologies, Heriot-Watt University) - Holographic volumetric 3D displays
• Marek Kubik (Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments, University of Reading) - The winds of change

EngD research engineers: potential impact (potential benefits that could be delivered during and/or as a result of the researcher's project):

• Laura Daniels (Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments, University of Reading) - Diesel generators and demand side management
• Christos Ellinas (EngD in Systems, University of Bristol) - An engineer imagines. Again.
• Maria Felice (Centre for Non-Destructive Evaluation, University of Bristol) - Let's get cracking!
• Rob Hughes (Centre for Non-Destructive Evaluation, University of Warwick) - Pushing the limits of materials testing

To reach the shortlists candidates have all demonstrated that they have thought about and understood their audience and can convey information about their engineering challenge, and their research response to that challenge, in a readable way. They have all been invited to deliver a short presentation (no longer than eight minutes) at the AEngD conference on the afternoon of Tuesday 26 November - if they can't make it, we may get them to summarise their research in a short video! The winners, each receiving £250, will be announced during the post-conference drinks reception immediately after the conference. To register to attend the conference, please click here.

Last call for entries for Engineering Research Writer of the Year 2013

The deadline for entries to the AEngD writing competition is midnight on Monday 30 September 2013. We want EngD research engineers and recent alumni to write short articles promoting public interest in their research. The writers of the two best articles will each win £250.

As part of its commitment to promoting the EngD qualification, the AEngD is seeking articles that address any area of engineering and would be suitable for publication in a magazine (for example, the RAEng magazine) and/or a broadsheet newspaper. Shortlisted writers, who should be current EngD research engineers or recent alumni, will be invited to present their papers at a London event in November 2013, and the writers of the two articles judged best will each win £250.

VEIV EngD centre hosts building projection party

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  The EngD Centre in Virtual Environments, Imaging & Visualisation welcomes you for drinks at its exhibition and book launch in the UCL Quad where it will be projecting 10 years of research onto the face of the Portico and Wilkins Building. 
  Date:   Friday 14th June 2013
  Exhibition Opens:  8.00pm
  Speech:   9.30pm
  Building Projection:  10.00pm
  Location:  UCL Quad, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT
  The VEIV centre is involved in the research of virtual environments and interactivity of everything from architecture to archiving. For more information on the exhibition and the VEIV centre, please visit: http://engdveiv.ucl.ac.uk/
  Please sign up for free at our eventbrite page if you are able to make it: http://uclveiv10years.eventbrite.com/