The Trustee Board, Fellows and staff, past and present, of the Royal Academy of Engineering are deeply saddened to learn of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“As our Senior Fellow, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh has worked tirelessly to support the Academy right from its inception in 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering.

“We will always be indebted to Prince Philip for his active interest in engineering and technology. His genuine enjoyment and passion for engineering were evident in his many visits to the Academy and his typically challenging discussions with the engineers he met. He has been a staunch supporter of UK industry and presented the Academy’s highest award for UK engineering, the MacRobert Award, almost every year since it began in 1969.

“No organisation could possibly have wished for a better informed or more enthusiastic patron than Prince Philip and the world of engineering will be much the poorer without his wise counsel and encouragement. We have been honoured to be able to name our premises Prince Philip House – a home for excellence in engineering, where we can all come together and address the engineering issues of the day.”

HRH the Duke of Edinburgh was always a keen advocate of the role and importance of engineering in society.  He was closely connected with engineering in his early career as a Naval officer during and after World War II, and it was his vision that led subsequently to the formation of the Fellowship, later the Royal Academy of Engineering.

In 1965, His Royal Highness became President of the Council of Engineering Institutions (CEI), which was then formed of 12 professional engineering institutions. The new President was concerned that the CEI should create a path for engineers, anywhere in the profession, to reach professional status. This was achieved in 1971 with the formation of the Engineers’ Registration Board and the creation of different professional levels such as Chartered Engineer.

Prince Philip presented the first MacRobert Award at Buckingham Palace to recognise the successful development of innovative ideas in UK engineering and its contribution to national prosperity and international prestige. The 1969 Award was made jointly to Freeman, Fox & Partners for the Severn Bridge and to Rolls-Royce for the Pegasus engine.

As early as 1966, CEI members felt that a more prestigious body was needed to provide an effective voice for the profession in national affairs, to provide advice to government and to recognise eminent engineers and technologists. After discussion with the CEI, His Royal Highness set down his own vision for a Fellowship of Engineering, including what form and role it should have. Prompted by his strong support, the CEI completed the formation of the Fellowship in 1976 and the new Fellowship was announced at Guildhall on 9 February 1976. His Royal Highness stepped down as President of the CEI and assumed the title of Senior Fellow of the Fellowship of Engineering.

Some 130 engineers, drawn initially from the Royal Society and the professional engineering institutions, were invited to become Founding Fellows. The Fellowship’s inaugural meeting was held in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace on 11 June 1976.

In 1989 Prince Philip again showed his high regard for the engineering profession by agreeing to the commissioning of the Prince Philip Medal, to be “awarded periodically to an engineer of any nationality who has made an exceptional contribution to engineering as a whole through practice, management or education”.

The Fellowship grew increasingly independent of the CEI, both in its vision and activities, until in 1992 it acquired its own Royal title as the Royal Academy of Engineering. Since then, His Royal Highness has given tireless support to the Academy, attending numerous events and adding his voice to its activities, including the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

In 2012, His Royal Highness graciously agreed for the newly refurbished London home of the Academy, 3 Carlton House Terrace, to be named “Prince Philip House”. 

Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS, Chair of Trustees of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering and President of the Royal Academy of Engineering 2006-2011, says:

“The Trustees of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation are deeply saddened by the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

“As a past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and now Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize, I have witnessed the transformative impact that Prince Philip had on the success and status of engineers in the United Kingdom. His involvement and commitment to the creation of the Academy was decisive, propelling engineering to the forefront of society.

“In 2015, he wrote of great engineers that ‘instead of complaining, they think of ways to make things better.’ The engineering community and the nation have benefitted greatly from his own dedication to that principle. Prince Philip always thought of ways to innovate, modernise, and make things better. He will be greatly missed.”

Lord Alec Broers FREng FRS, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering 2001-2006, says:

“The Duke of Edinburgh’s support for British engineers and engineering has been of huge importance to the nation.  He fully understood the importance of creative engineers in setting the way we live and in driving industry forward and was key to the founding of the Royal Academy of Engineering. 

“His exceptional intelligence meant that he understood the complexities of engineering systems and enjoyed interacting with engineers at a professional level.  His quick mind and captivating sense of humour made him very good company. 

“I spent a lot of time with him when I was President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, as he was the Senior Fellow, and also at Cambridge University where he was Chancellor. He was consistently helpful in all aspects of what was happening at the Academy and the University. He will be greatly missed.”

Notes for editors

Royal Academy of Engineering

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:
Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering
T: 020 7766 0636
E: jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk

Commenting today on the importance of maintaining funding for research and innovation and international partnerships, Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

“World-leading scientific research coupled with engineering innovation provides the lifeblood of economic success in the modern world, and international cooperation is essential for the success of Global Britain. While economic circumstances are challenging, it was very disappointing that research and innovation programmes suffered severely when International Development expenditure was reduced from 0.7% to 0.5% of UK GNI, despite appeals from across the charity and research sectors to the Foreign Secretary.

“The Academy’s own ODA funded programmes, supporting engineers from across low and middle income countries to address development challenges, have suffered a 73% funding cut and no new activities will be permitted in 2021/22 with government funding. This will impact heavily on the valuable relationships we have built up with research and innovation partners around the world.

“Given the government’s stated aim to make the UK a science and technology superpower, it would be entirely counter productive if the research and innovation budget has to be stretched to breaking point because the 2020 spending review did not make sufficient allowances to cover the initial cost of association to Horizon Europe. We need both dynamic domestic support systems and vibrant opportunities for international collaboration, and to put either on hold for a year would be harmful, and clearly at odds with the laudable ambitions that the government has set out.

“The UK faces huge challenges in achieving a recovery that marries economic renewal with the societal goals of spreading opportunity and skilled employment more evenly across the nation. Against this backdrop, supporting both innovation and international cooperation is vital to ensure that the UK translates its world-class research into technological breakthroughs that can enhance the productivity and competitiveness of UK business and deliver tangible societal benefit.”

Notes for Editors

1. The Presidents of the UK’s four national Academies have written joint letters to the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary on these issues, see Sir Jim’s blog at https://www.raeng.org.uk/news/blog-posts/2021/march/academies-seek-assurances-over-research-funding

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

Following a highly competitive selection process, the Academy is delighted to announce that six successful applicants will join the fifth cohort of its prestigious Policy Fellowships programme:

• Nicola Coppen, Infrastructure Co-ordinator for the Highways and Infrastructure Department, Westminster City Council
• Hannah Gibson, Innovation Lead, Innovate UK (UK Research and Innovation)
• Rick Holland, Regional Manager North West England, Innovate UK (UK Research & Innovation)
• Gerry McCafferty, Director Policy, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
• Robert Skey, Head of Low Cardon Economy Unit, The Scottish Government
• Chris Thomson, Head of Clyde Mission Team, Directorate for Economic Development, The Scottish Government

The Policy Fellows will join the programme virtually between April and June 2021. They will take part in a series of development activities including: one-to-one meetings with experts, coaching sessions and group workshops, to help them make rapid progress on their chosen policy challenges.  They will learn first-hand how engineers solve problems using techniques such as systems thinking and have an opportunity to expand their personal networks with the Academy’s community of innovators and leaders. Collectively they will meet over 60 leading engineers handpicked from the Academy’s UK and international networks.

Dr David Cleevely CBE FREng, Chair of the Policy Fellowships Working Group, said:

“The Academy’s Policy Fellowships programme is entering its third year with a strong new cohort representing central government, agencies and the devolved administrations. We hope to inspire and enable them to apply engineering and systems thinking to some of the most complex and urgent policy challenges facing the UK. I am excited by the potential of this unique network of policymakers to transform policy through engineering.”

Engineering Better Policy

The Policy Fellowships programme has a growing influence on policymaking practice. It is now a network of 33 alumni and we aim to reach over 50 alumni by the end of 2021.

The improved understanding of challenges and solutions is already having a direct impact on policymaking. Writing in our programme’s insights report Engineering better policy, Policy Fellows share the aspiration that the programme will make a big contribution to changing how public sector organisations operate in the coming years. The range of connections across a diversity of departments and authorities creates a promising network as government increasingly focuses on science, engineering and technology.

The Policy Fellowship gave me a valuable introduction to systems thinking and its application to policy problems. I now have a greater insight into how implementing complex systems involves recognising the intersections between new technologies and wider factors. This has informed my team leadership.

Chris Moore-Bick, Deputy Director, Policy Defence Science and Technology, Ministry of Defence

The Policy Fellowship has supported members of my team to forge meaningful connections outside of the department and bring new and diverse ways of thinking into their work.

Jo Shanmugalingam, Director General, Industrial Strategy, Science & Innovation, BEIS

Next cohort: applications open 15 April until 15 June 2021

The next cohort of Policy Fellows will start in September 2021. Applications will open on 15 April and will close on 15 June 2021. For more information about the programme and how to apply please visit www.raeng.org.uk/policyfellowships or email policyfellowships@raeng.org.uk.

Notes to the editors

1. About the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Policy Fellowships

As a national academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering provides progressive leadership for engineering and technology, and independent expert advice to government in the UK and beyond.

The Policy Fellowships programme is an intensive professional development programme that supports better evidence-based policymaking. It advances policymaking and policy through engineering perspectives and systems approaches.

2. About the Royal Academy of Engineering

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information, please visit www.raeng.org.uk/policyfellowships or email policyfellowships@raeng.org.uk.

From improving the sound quality of digital musical instruments to advances in materials engineering that will offer clean, adaptable and affordable energy solutions, the Royal Academy of Engineering has announced four new joint industry–academia research partnerships that will tackle some complex engineering challenges.

The magnetic resonator piano is an augmented acoustic grand piano which uses electromagnets to induce vibrations in the strings of a grand piano, producing a rich new sound world including infinite sustain, crescendos from silence, pitch bends, harmonics and new timbres. Image courtesy of Dr Andrew McPherson

Focusing on industry-relevant research across the full range of engineering disciplines, the Academy’s Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships enhance the links between academia and businesses with each of the prestigious five-year positions co-sponsored by an industrial partner. Each awardee will establish a world-leading research group in their field of engineering.

Commenting on the appointment of the three new Research Chairs and two Senior Research Fellows, Professor Karen Holford FREng CBE FLSW, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Cardiff University and Chair of the Academy’s Research Committee, says: “Every year I find myself amazed and encouraged by the ingenuity and engineering excellence shown by our awardees and the sheer range of challenges that they are helping to address to improve so many aspects of our daily lives. Fostering collaboration between expert engineering researchers and industry is something to which the Academy has always been committed and the internationally renowned centres of research excellence developed over the past 20 years of this scheme are testimony to its importance for UK engineering research and innovation.”

The Senior Research Fellowships and Research Chairs appointed are as follows:

Senior Research Fellows

Dr Andrew McPherson, Queen Mary University of London
Bela / Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Embedded Music Computing

This fellowship aims to develop a new generation of digital musical instruments whose richness and subtlety match the best acoustic instruments, making them suitable for expert and novice performers alike. Despite steady advances in computational modelling of acoustic instrument sounds, digital instruments still lag far behind their traditional counterparts in the nuance of interaction.

In collaboration with a consortium of three industrial partners—Augmented Instruments Ltd, the BeagleBoard Foundation and Texas Instruments—Dr McPherson will develop high-performance computing tools for working with sensors and audio that can be integrated into new instruments. This cross-disciplinary project incorporates electronic engineering, human–computer interaction and arts practice and aims to make computing accessible to creators without a specialist technical background.

Dr McPherson says: “We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the kinds of musical instruments that are possible with the latest embedded hardware systems. I’m excited about making rich new creative tools which not only support new kinds of music-making but can also teach us more about human cognition and human–computer interaction.”

Research Chairs

Professor Joseph Robson, University of Manchester
DSTL / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Alloys for Extreme Environments

Professor Robson’s research is on resilient alloys for defence applications in extreme environments. These high-performance metal alloys must withstand impacts from projectiles travelling at over 2km/s and function in both hot and cold temperatures and in highly corrosive environments, maintaining their effectiveness over lifetimes that can exceed 50 years. The traditional method of developing alloys for defence involves trial and error experiments, coupled with full-scale tests, that can take decades to perform and incur multi-million-pound costs. A different approach is needed, based on metallurgical understanding, digital simulation and rapid low-cost testing.

This award will support the development of advanced computer modelling techniques and rapid testing methods to design new materials that will also be of value beyond the defence sector for products such as lightweight energy-efficient cars and aircraft.

Professor Robson says: “DSTL have world-leading capability in modelling of materials performance in defence applications. The opportunity to work together to integrate alloy and component design will enable a new holistic approach that offers better performance, lower development times, and reduced cost. This integrated design approach will have impact beyond defence in sectors such as energy efficient transport.”

Professor Tom Scott, University of Bristol
UKAEA / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Advancing the Fusion Energy Fuel Cycle

Professor Scott’s research focuses on tritium – the gaseous radioactive fuel component for fusion energy. This project aims to advance, develop and deploy technologies for breeding, handling, separation and safe storage of tritium. Working in partnership with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), Professor Scott aims to establish the UK as an international leader in tritium fuel cycle technologies.

This award coincides with the initial phases of UKAEA’s Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme; an internationally significant endeavour to design and build the world’s first fusion power station by 2040. The development of a well-established fuel cycle is a critical step towards this goal.

Professor Scott says: “Being involved with the STEP, via this award, is a hugely exciting prospect for myself, for the University of Bristol and also the Royal Academy of Engineering. The realisation of fusion energy will be truly transformational for the world.”

Professor Stephen Skinner, Imperial College London
Ceres Power Ltd / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Electrochemical Devices for a Zero Carbon Economy

Professor Skinner is committed to developing solid oxide cells that convert fuel to electricity and in reverse operation can produce clean hydrogen. These devices are some of the most efficient energy conversion processes and will be a vital part of a net zero future. The development of low-carbon and zero carbon energy technologies is of vital importance and underpins our drive towards a sustainable world. New advances in materials engineering can offer clean, affordable solutions to serve both developed and developing economies. Solid oxide cells will provide solutions that can be adapted to portable power, stationary applications and transport. They will also provide routes to produce the lowest cost green hydrogen as part of an integrated energy infrastructure. This collaboration aims to build an enduring partnership that will accelerate the deployment of new discoveries in the energy technology space.

Professor Skinner says: “Lowering carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 is an ambitious target to reduce our environmental impact – developing this technology will make a direct contribution to achieving this ambition, through use of solid oxide cells in a wide range of energy applications, from domestic heating and transport to data centres, and hydrogen production, enabled by the flexibility of the device output.”

Notes for Editors

1. Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships aim to strengthen the links between industry and academia by supporting exceptional academics in UK universities to undertake use-inspired research that meets the needs of the industrial partners. Awardees are expected to:

• Establish or enhance a world leading engineering research group
• Deliver ‘use-inspired’ research that meets the needs of their industrial partners
• Disseminate the outcomes of their research for appropriate academic impact
• Become a self-sustaining research group by the end of the award (by securing substantial external grant income: RCUK, EU, industry, charities, etc.)

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

The UK government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy has today been presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Responding to the strategy, Professor Nilay Shah OBE FREng, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Vice-Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Net Zero working group, says:

“It is essential that all sectors of industry are fully involved in the drive towards decarbonisation and today’s roadmap provides helpful targets and aspirations across the whole energy system. Low-regrets measures such as reducing energy demand and improving efficiency in transport and supply chains will help to reduce future costs and also have positive social and economic benefits. However, we must not underestimate the sheer enormity of the engineering challenge facing us, not least in upskilling the workforce. This includes long-term jobs in major infrastructure projects for power generation, carbon capture usage and storage and hydrogen as well as ensuring that the education young people are receiving today will properly equip them to contribute to decarbonisation in the future.

“Demonstrating the effectiveness of carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen is also a vital step to reducing emissions but will require massive technological adjustment and integration across energy storage and essential subsystems. Before widespread roll-out of hydrogen, full-scale demonstrators of the essential system components should be built, to allow for proper operational evaluation.”

Full details of the strategy are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-decarbonisation-strategy

Notes for Editors

1. The National Engineering Policy Centre

We are a unified voice for 43 professional engineering organisations, representing 450,000 engineers, a partnership led by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

We give policymakers a single route to advice from across the engineering profession.

We inform and respond to policy issues of national importance, for the benefit of society.

In January 2020, the National Engineering Policy Centre began a programme of work to explore, inform, and advise policymakers on some of the hardest cross-cutting challenges and the opportunities that need to be addressed in achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. For more information see https://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/policy-projects-and-issues/net-zero-a-systems-perspective-on-the-climate-chal

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636;

E:  Jane Sutton

Academy Chief Executive Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE will tonight be honoured with a Suffrage Science Award from the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences for her leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion in the engineering profession. Dr Sillem will join 11 other distinguished awardees at an online celebration on Monday 8 March 2021, which marks both International Women’s Day and the tenth anniversary of the awards.

Dr Sillem was nominated for the award by Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University and Chair of the Academy’s Research Committee. This will be the fifth Suffrage Science awards for Engineering and Physical Sciences. Professor Holford will present the award, which takes the form of a specially commissioned heirloom piece of jewellery that is passed on from each cohort of awardees to the next.

The Suffrage Science Awards celebrate women in science for their outstanding scientific research, communication work, and support of women in STEM. The awards scheme is divided into three branches; ‘life sciences’ – founded in 2011, ‘engineering and physical sciences’- founded in 2013, and ‘maths and computing’ – founded in 2016. Each branch has two associated pieces of jewellery which are passed on from one awardee to the next. The recipient of the jewellery is chosen by the current holder of the award. This generates an extensive ‘family tree’ of incredible scientists and communicators. The unique pieces of jewellery were commissioned from students of the art and design college Central Saint Martins-UAL, who worked with scientists to create pieces inspired by research and the Suffragette movement, from which the scheme takes its name.

Professor Karen Holford said: “Dr Hayaatun Sillem is a truly inspiring leader who is changing the face of engineering in the UK.  She is unapologetically passionate about using her voice to champion others, especially those from underrepresented groups in society.  She is the first female Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering and is bringing her passion for diversity and inclusion to address positively the diversity deficit which exists in the profession. What I really admire about her is her passion and determination to drive positive change and to positively challenge the status quo – Hayaatun has extensive leadership experience in UK and international engineering and innovation policy and programmes and she uses this experience to extremely good effect to drive the UK engineering community to shape the world with a shared vision for positive change.”

Suffrage Science pioneer Professor Dame Amanda Fisher said: “We dreamed up the awards scheme to celebrate the contribution that women have made to science, which often gets overlooked. This is as important now as it was ten years ago. This year’s awardees join a community of over 148 women scientists. I’m thrilled that since 2011, the awards have travelled from the UK, across Europe to the USA, Hong Kong, Iran and to Ghana, illustrating the international nature of science and engineering, and the global effort to improve the representation of women in STEM.”

The 2021 Engineering and Physical Sciences award winners are:

Dr Gaitee Hussain, European Space Agency, The Netherlands

Professor Syma Khalid, University of Southampton, UK

Professor Natalie Stingelin, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Professor Ina van Berckelaer-Onnes, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Royal Academy of Engineering, UK

Professor Ruth Cameron, University of Cambridge, UK

Dr Elin Röös, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Dr Maria Dolores (Lola) Martín Bermudo, Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Spain

Dr Samaya Nissanke, University of Amsterdam and Nikhef, The Netherlands

Professor Gerjo van Osch, Erasmus University Medical Center, The Netherlands

Professor Valérie Orsat, McGill University, Canada

Dr Mary Anti Chama, University of Ghana, Ghana

The current Engineering and Physical Sciences award holders (2019) are:

Professor Moira Jardine, University of St. Andrews, UK

Dr Sarah Harris  University of Leeds, UK

Professor Roisin Owens University of Cambridge, UK

Professor Tiny De Keuster, Ghent University, Belgium

Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng, Cardiff University, UK

Professor Serena Best CBE FREng, University of Cambridge, UK

Dr Tara Garnett University of Oxford, UK

Dr Isabel Palacios, Queen Mary University of London, UK

Professor Amina Helmi, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Professor Sue Kimber, University of Manchester, UK

Professor Marzieh Moosavi-Nasab, Shiraz University, Iran

Professor Melinda Duer University of Cambridge, UK

To further commemorate the tenth anniversary of Suffrage Science, the MRC LMS have launched ‘The Suffrage Science Podcast: How women are changing science’, hosted by Dr Kat Arney and produced by First Create The Media with audio production by Georgia Mills. Episodes will be available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Google, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 020 7766 0636

E: jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk

Notes for editors

1. MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences is an Institute of the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. It is a vibrant research environment in which scientists and clinicians collaborate to advance the understanding of biology and its application to medicine. LMS research programs are focused in three sections: Epigenetics, Genes and Metabolism, and Quantitative Biology. https://lms.mrc.ac.uk/

2. About the jewellery

Pendant by Ying Lola Lou

“I used cells and tissue scaffolds as icons to represent the twelve individual winners, and the Medical Research Council. Bringing together women through the Suffrage Science scheme has created a network that contributes to mankind. Embedded in the pendant are round and oval shaped stones of white moonstone, purple amethyst and green peridot minerals – the colours of the Suffragettes.”

Brooch by Diana Dong

“The strength, belief and courage that exists deep within each woman’s heart, is the inspiration for the brooch. The display device is designed to incorporate the magnetic levitation principle. Magnets will be installed in the base of the display device and the bottom of the brooch, which will make the brooch suspend in mid-air.”

3. The Royal Academy of Engineering harnesses the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to solve the greatest challenges of our age.

• Statistics show impact of Africa grants programmes on sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa

• Videos highlight engineering role in meeting UN SDGs

To mark the second UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development on 4 March 2021 the Academy is showcasing its impact on enhancing collaboration, education and diversity in engineering in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), delivered through its Africa grants programmes.

The achievements of the Africa grants programmes include:

• Over 2000 professionals trained by Professional Engineering Institutions across SSA.
• Over 530 student industry placements since 2013. Number of students obtaining industry internships increased from 40% to 90% over the course of one project in Zambia
• Diversity & Inclusion initiatives have driven equal gender participation in programmes. A project from the Institute of Engineers Rwanda helped to increase the number of female internship applicants from 5% in 2018 to 25% in 2019.
• 50 individual course curricula reviewed and improved as a result of industry–academia partnerships.
• Almost 50 UK organisations and 400 in-country bodies involved as project partners so far.

The Academy has also released a series of videos highlighting how engineers play a critical role in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and published a blog post by the Chair of the Academy’s International Committee, David Thomlinson FREng.

The Academy is helping to develop innovative solutions to a range of impending and accelerating challenges in SSA. Working with local higher education and engineering organisations, it is helping to grow engineering capacity and support sustainable development across 23 countries through two key programmes: Higher Education Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa (HEP SSA) and GCRF Africa Catalyst.

The first, HEP SSA, provides industry secondments for lecturers, equipping them to teach in line with the latest industry standards, while placements help their students to develop practical skills and to give them a better understanding of project cycles and networking opportunities. The programme addresses the gap between theoretical engineering knowledge taught to students across SSA and the practical application of such theory in industry.

Through strong alliances with partner academic institutions, the Academy is helping to reshape teaching requirements and facilitate more opportunities. At the University of Zambia this led to updating and aligning course content in line with industry requirements, while increasing the number of students obtaining industry internships from 40% to 90%.

The GCRF Africa Catalyst programme leverages the Academy’s extensive network and expertise to strengthen national engineering organisations. More than £3.5 million has been awarded through 37 projects across 14 countries to help these bodies promote better training, diversity and sustainability.

Launched in 2016, with support from the UK government’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), the Africa Catalyst initiative allows engineers to focus on issues of specific importance to their relevant jurisdictions, while facilitating good governance practices.

The Academy aims to support the development of a diverse and future-fit workforce across the continent. It is estimated that fewer than 10% of engineering posts in Africa are currently occupied by women. GCRF Africa Catalyst has worked with Women in Engineering (WomEng) to promote gender diversity across a wide spectrum of professional experience. WomEng’s work with Eswatini’s Registration Council for Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Allied Professionals has resulted in seven registered female members where they initially had none. A HEP SSA project with the Institute of Engineers Rwanda helped to increase the number of female internship applicants from 5% to 2018 to 25% in 2019.

Commenting on the progress achieved, Yewande Akinola MBE, a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering GCRF Africa Catalyst Committee, said: “While we see immediate improvements in skills and innovation through these programmes, the real win is establishing a framework for lasting change. This will equip communities in Africa to anticipate and plan for the challenges posed by climate change, urbanisation and economic development. The continent is transforming rapidly, and those engineering its future need the skills to think on their feet.

“By developing strong alliances between local partners in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK, we can enable learning, collaboration and sharing of best practice, which in turn will build skills to boost innovation. But there is much more to be done, which needs the continued support of investors and partners.”

Notes for Editors

1. The Academy’s Africa grants programmes facilitate learning and collaboration between engineers in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK to boost innovation and tackle shared challenges. The flagship programmes, HEP SSA and GCRF Africa Catalyst, connect engineers in industry and education from sub-Saharan Africa and the UK, creating strong alliances to support sustainable development. Its overall goal is to enhance social and economic development in Africa by enabling a diverse and future fit workforce.
2. The Royal Academy of Engineering harnesses the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to solve the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information, imagery, or to arrange an interview please contact RAEng@Gongcommunications.com or call + 44 (0)20 7935 4800

Responding to today’s Budget statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP, Professor Sir Jim McDonald FRSE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

“Today’s Budget, including the publication of Build Back Better: our plan for growth, provides welcome recognition of the potential of the UK’s high-growth, innovative technology companies alongside the importance of additional government investment in the green industrial revolution. We welcome the emphasis on ensuring that the UK is internationally competitive, encouraging business investment and ensuring that international innovators working across universities, start-ups, and innovative businesses, can readily bring their skills and expertise to the UK.

“However, our ambitions on net zero, infrastructure and digitalisation are threatened if we do not have the number and diversity of people with engineering and technical skills needed to deliver them. The pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in school age education, hugely disrupted further and higher education, and risks reducing the diversity of young people going into engineering.

“Engineering is a crucial component of infrastructure, skills and innovation – the mechanisms identified by government to drive the UK economy. In Engineering a resilient and sustainable future the engineering profession set out actions that would achieve a recovery that marries economic renewal with the societal goals of spreading opportunity and skilled employment more evenly across the nation and reducing our net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The engineering profession is ready to work with government to make that a reality.”

Notes for Editors

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

Students across the West Midlands have been awarded a new series of bursaries as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme. Four higher education bursaries have been awarded to students studying engineering at university this year, along with 18 post-16 technical education bursaries to support students studying at Level 3. This ambitious programme will also deliver science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education support for students and teachers and has allocated over £44,000 of funding to 20 secondary schools and a number of further education colleges in the region this academic year. It has been made possible by government funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Higher education bursaries for the 2020-2021 academic year have been awarded to:

• Abdulhakim Fundikira, studying Civil Engineering at Coventry University
• Farid Moulaye, studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Coventry University
• Jessica Oliver, studying Civil Engineering at Coventry University
• Saman Salih, studying Engineering (inc. integrated Foundation Year) at Coventry University

Post-16 technical education bursaries for this academic year have been awarded to students studying at:

• WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Coventry
• WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Solihull
• Warwickshire College, Rugby

Read more about the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme here. 

The programme recognises the outstanding achievements and continues the legacy of the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya KT CBE FREng FRS, in tribute to his work championing manufacturing and industrially engaged education. The West Midlands has a long history of engineering and manufacturing, with strong roots in bicycles, cars, textiles and watches, and this project builds on that heritage, supporting the untapped engineering potential within local students to build a skills base for engineering companies in the area.

The Academy is leading this programme in partnership with WMG at the University of Warwick. The programme draws together secondary schools, further education colleges, universities, local employers and other key stakeholders to inspire and encourage more young people to study STEM subjects in post-16 education and beyond. The programme will enrich the curriculum, stimulate interest and improve student attainment outcomes by bringing real-world engineering practice into the student experience. The aim of the project is to encourage a diverse range of young people to progress towards the engineering roles of the future in local industry.

Applications for higher education bursaries for academic year 2021/2022 will open in Spring 2021 to students planning to study engineering at degree-level. Find out more information.

The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme has established networks of secondary school STEM teachers and engineering lecturers in further education capable of supporting each other and sharing good practice. Funding supports involvement in national and regional engineering programmes as well as the purchase of kit and equipment to enhance and enrich the delivery of the STEM curriculum in schools and colleges.  It will provide up to 6,000 STEM learning opportunities for young people each year. Students will also be able to apply for up to 90 bursaries each year to support progression on to full-time engineering technical education or degree courses.

The programme is based on a template of successful Academy engineering education projects in the Welsh Valleys, Barrow-in-Furness, Stoke-on-Trent and Lowestoft, Suffolk, which have together delivered more than 120,000 STEM learning opportunities for young people since their launch. The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme builds on this model and includes fully funded industrial placements for college lecturers and STEM teachers at local engineering companies.

An aligned longitudinal research study led by WMG at the University of Warwick will assess the impact of the good practices pioneered or identified through the programme. 

Rebecca Archer, Student Destinations Manager at WMG Academy Solihull, said: “The Lord Bhattacharyya HE Bursary Scheme has been pivotal in breaking down the barriers to Higher Education for some of our students who may not have otherwise continued on their journey to university. One of our successful candidates was overwhelmed in being chosen for this award; it has made a crucial difference between having to be selective to being fully prepared for their studies from a financial perspective. WMG Academy recognises the lifeline the Lord Bhattacharyya HE Bursary Scheme can offer our students. It has ensured that those who are motivated to pursue engineering at university have the chance to take their first steps into this industry.”

Marie Fletcher of Colmers School and Sixth Form College said: “We have set up our first Engineering qualification using the grant money to purchase equipment to inspire pupils in an area where uptake to careers in the engineering sector is low.”

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “We want more young people from all backgrounds to have the opportunity to make a difference through a career in engineering. This programme is supporting young people in the West Midlands to discover how they could make an impact by studying engineering as well as removing some of the barriers that might prevent them going into technical education. I am sure Professor Lord Bhattacharyya would approve of the positive contribution of this initiative in a region that is synonymous with his passion and commitment to engineering innovation.”

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “As we build back better, I am determined that we invest in our young people and eliminate the barriers that exist for those looking to pursue a career in STEM – ensuring that our best and brightest can excel no matter what their background.

“Through this bursary programme, inspired by the legacy of Lord Bhattacharyya, I am delighted we are able to provide a launchpad for the UK’s next generation of highly skilled engineers right in the heart of the West Midlands, building on the region’s proud tradition of engineering and manufacturing.”

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, University of Warwick, commented: “We are delighted to be working with the Royal Academy of Engineering to deliver the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme. We are looking forward to helping enable the opportunities this will provide for the students involved, as well as the advantages it will bring for their schools and colleges. This is a great opportunity for us to deliver on the Government’s ambitions for developing the next generation of engineers to fill the skills gaps in engineering.”

Notes for Editors

Schools and colleges currently involved with the programme:

• Ash Green School, Coventry
• Etone College, Nuneaton
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Birmingham
• Sidney Stringer Academy, Coventry
• Whitley Academy, Coventry
• WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Coventry
• WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Solihull
• Ernesford Grange Community Academy, Coventry
• Nicholas Chamberlaine School, Nuneaton
• The George Eliot School, Nuneaton
• Light Hall School, Solihull
• Lyndon School, Solihull
• Eden Girls’ School, Coventry
• Turves Green Girls’ School, Birmingham
• The Nuneaton Academy, Bedworth
• Colmers School and Sixth Form College
• Harris Church of England Academy, Rugby
• The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College, Rugby
• Rugby Free Secondary School, Rugby
• Blue Coat C of E School and Music College, Coventry
• Warwickshire College, Rugby
• South and City College Birmingham
• North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

About WMG, University of Warwick

WMG is a world leading research and education group, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes.

As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.

WMG’s education programmes focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programmes.

An academic department of the University of Warwick, and a centre for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

E: jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk; T: 020 7766 0636

or

Lisa Harding at WMG

E: Lisa.Harding@warwick.ac.uk

Responding to today’s announcement by the UK government of the launch of the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA), the President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, said: “We are delighted to see the government deliver on its commitment to a high-risk high-reward funding agency. I hope this ambitious new funding mechanism will help to unlock radical innovation and enable step changes in technology that provides value for our economy and society at large. Engineering is central to an ambitious innovation agency of this kind, forming the bridge between research and innovation to enable technological and commercial breakthroughs.”

Backed by £800 million of government funding over the course of this Parliament, the purpose of the new independent research body is to fund high-risk research that offers the chance of high rewards, supporting ground-breaking discoveries that could transform people’s lives for the better and maintain the UK’s position as a global science superpower.

The Academy put forward its recommendations for the new agency to deliver radical innovation in March 2020 when the idea was proposed. It will be important for the agency to have sufficient independence and autonomy to facilitate fast decision-making, flexibility and the freedom to fail.

If ARIA is to succeed, significant culture change will be needed in a UK system previously based on value for money, together with an acceptance that the beneficial outcomes of projects for wider society and consumers may not be measurable for 10-50 years.

A funding mechanism that delivers innovative answers to solve ambitious real-world challenges will need to bring together and develop breakthrough research and technology, providing ample funding, flexibility, skills, a high-risk appetite, close collaboration with end-users and deliver through strategic alliances between industry, academics and public sector agencies.

Notes for editors

1. Legislation to create the new research agency will be introduced to Parliament, setting out its framework, including its specific functions, powers and governance arrangements. The aim is for it to be fully operational by 2022.

2. The Academy’s blueprint drew on insights from its Fellows and network of partners, many of whom have experience of working with ARPA and similar programmes in the US:

Radical Innovation – a blueprint for a new UK research and technology funding agency (180.25 KB)

3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to:

Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0745

E:  Pippa Cox