EPSRC funding work into tomorrow’s engineering research challenges

The funding boost for six transdisciplinary research projects will help address the challenges identified in the 2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report, which set out a long-term vision for engineering research.

According to EPSRC, the new projects will help ensure the UK is equipped to face future challenges and contribute to economic growth, social wellbeing, and the transition to net zero.

At Surrey University, Bing Guo will lead a team working to tackle water pollution, whilst at Queen's University Belfast, Professor Trevor Robinson will work with a wider team to exploit digital design technologies and help UK engineering transition to net zero faster.

Elsewhere, Sheffield University’s 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.

The funded projects are part of a broader strategic response by EPSRC that aims to address the recommendations of TERC.

In a statement, 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.”

The six funded projects are:

Noise Network Plus: Engineering a Quieter Future

Led by: Mark Plumbley and Abigail Bristow, Surrey Surrey; Charlotte Clark, City St George’s, University of London; Simone Graetzer and Antonio Torija Martinez, Salford University; Alan Hunter, Bath University.

Despite its pervasive effects, noise is currently a neglected pollutant, underscoring the 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.

4D Engineering of Healthcare Technologies (4D Health Tech)

Led by: Sophie Cox, Andrew Dove, Michael Bryant and Samantha Cruz Rivera, Birmingham University; 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 because of disease. When medical devices are engineered to replace or repair these tissues, these time dependent changes are not typically incorporated. The collaboration intends to inclusively transform engineering mindset into 4-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, Bristol University; Ashutosh Tiwari, Sheffield University; Anja Maier, Strathclyde University.

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, Surrey University; Francis Hassard, Cranfield University; Bing Xu, Heriot-Watt University; Lucia Rodriguez Freire, Russell Davenport and Tom Curtis, Newcastle University.

This project will develop comprehensive, effective frameworks to manage and reduce chemical and biological micropollutants (ECBM) risks in water/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, Edinburgh University; Christa Searle, Heriot-Watt University; Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay, Glasgow University.

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, Sheffield University; Peter Charlton, Cambridge University; Dezong Zhao, Glasgow University; Yao Zhang, University College London.

Multimodal 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.