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Schemes for Engineers in Research and Development
Research Chairs
Research Chairs are full-time professorial appointments, in any engineering-related subject.
The Chair holder (the Incumbent) is expected to develop and lead a prestigious research group, the members of which will be encouraged to publish the results of their research as widely as possible to gain international recognition both for themselves and for the group in which they are based.
Funding and duration of award
The Academy will fund one
third of 80% of the Full Economic Costs or fEC
(previously one full third of costs). Allowable
costs include the gross salary, indirect cost and
estates. The contribution of the industrial sponsor
should be agreed between the university and the
sponsor. The host university is expected to provide
a well-found laboratory and administrative support
for the incumbent. Funding is provided for five
years.
Incumbents are encouraged to seek additional funds from Research Councils, industry and other sources as appropriate in order to fund their research. A measure of success may be whether the group is in a position to continue after the initial five-year period.
Benefits
The Scheme offers a
number of benefits to the university,
industrial sponsor and incumbent.
For the university:
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provides an additional source of research funding
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helps to develop new links or strengthen existing links between university departments and industry
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the incumbent should be counted as a full time member of staff for the purposes of the Research Assessment Exercise and is free to concentrate on research and attracting additional sources of funding to the department
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the appointment attracts the highest quality of researcher to the department, raising its standing among other universities
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a Mentor is appointed, who is a Fellow of The Academy with expertise of particular relevance to the programme of research and able to offer independent advice and guidance on engineering matters as required
For the industrial
sponsor:
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it strengthens links with academics working in a particular field with a view to benefiting from the results of the research at a later stage
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it provides the opportunity for industry to benefit from direct and frequent access to the expertise of a top-class researcher
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it enables industry to carry out generic research which cannot be carried out in-house due to a lack of facilities, expertise or resources
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it provides the opportunity for a company to sponsor research at the leading edge of technology without the need for additional resources to manage the project, monitoring and assessment being carried out regularly by an Academy representative
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it provides a route for the company to establish links at all levels in the university, either to initiate further research programmes or to facilitate the recruitment of graduates
For the incumbent:
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a prestigious, high-profile appointment
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the appointment is for a full-time research professor and frees the incumbent from the majority of teaching and administrative duties for a period of five years
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it provides direct access to an Academy Fellow for guidance and support in developing both their research and their careers
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