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Schemes for Engineers in Research and Development
Research Student Development Fellowships
Aims
The Research Student
Development Fellowships have been established to add
value to the research oriented education of PhD and
EngD students whose research is focussed on any
field of electrotechnology. This is widely defined,
but not restricted to: electrical and electronic
engineering; power; antennas and microwave systems;
optics and optical engineering and communications;
nanotechnology; measurements; memory and chip
design; instrumentation; computing, software and
hardware; materials related to electrotechnology;
electromagnetic propagation and aspects of
biomedical engineering.
Nature of the Award
The first part of the
Fellowship is worth £5,000 and is awarded on a
competitive basis to fund the best Personal
Development Plans (PDP) submitted by any PhD or EngD
students, who are in their second
year of study. Individual plans should be costed and
objectives identified over a specific time period.
This should be done in conjunction with a Mentor,
who could be either the Supervisor or a senior
member of staff at the student’s University.
Development activities or elements of expenditure
that may be utilised in plans include:
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Research support
activities and materials, including
consumables. Up to £1,000 may be allocated to
capital equipment expenditure.
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Domestic and international
travel for visits to conferences or trade shows,
or to undertake collaborative research work.
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Summer Schools and short
courses including business, management,
financial, communications and language courses.
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Participation in
competitions such as the Loebner Prize,
Micromouse UK, a design and build project or a
business plan competition.
In addition the Academy will
organise a weekend outward bound course for all
scheme participants, the objective being to develop
leadership, communication and team building skills.
This will be held in April 2009 and funding from the
award will need to be allocated to this activity in
the PDP.
It is recognised that PDPs are
living documents and activities and other forms of
expenditure may be added or deleted as opportunities
arise and circumstances change. The Academy
recommends that PDPs are regularly reviewed to
ensure that they are meeting the needs of the
student. Advice on the suitability of development
activities and expenditure, and an example of a PDP
is available from the Academy. Activities chosen
should not duplicate but may complement or provide
synergy to those available as part of the UK Grad
Programme organised by CRAC, which is generously
funded by the Research Councils.
Funding for the first part of
the Fellowship covers a period of two years maximum
and is available on a drawn-down basis to cover the
cost of the relevant development activities. At the
end of the two-year period, awardees are required to
submit a report on what they have achieved measured
against the previously agreed deliverables and
countersigned by the Mentor.
Once they have completed their
PhD/EngD studies, awardees are eligible to apply for
the second part of the Fellowship, a prize of
£5,000, which is awarded to those awardees who are
able to demonstrate the intention to pursue a career
in UK academic or industrial engineering research.
Eligibility
A suitable candidate will:
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be a registered PhD or
EngD student at a UK university whose research
is focussed in the subject area of
electrotechnology as outlined in the
introduction;
-
be in the second year of
study on 1st November 2008;
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have at least an upper
second class honours degree or equivalent in
engineering or a closely allied subject.
Application Procedure
Before completing the
application form
applicants should read the
instructions for
applicants.
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Applications forms and
PDPs must be completed by the candidate and
endorsed in a covering letter by the nominated
Mentor. Please ensure that your Mentor has read
the
Instructions for Mentors.
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A letter from the Head of
Department supporting the application is also
required. If there is more than one application
from a single department, the Head of Department
will need to rank them with respect to the aims
and criteria of the scheme.
-
Candidates are responsible
for ensuring that all supporting letters are
received at the Academy.
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The deadline date for
receipt of the completed application form, the
PDP, Mentor’s letter and Head of Department’s
letter is 1st December 2008.
Selection Committee
The award of a Fellowship is
entirely at the discretion of the Selection
Committee and any decision of the Committee is final
on all matters.
Responsibilities of Awardees
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Follow the plan of
activities set out in their application, subject
to revisions as opportunities arise and
circumstances change.
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Generate interest in
engineering as a rewarding and creative career
and to seek appropriate and mutually beneficial
opportunities to highlight the benefits of the
Research Student Development Fellowships. This
will include completing a pro-forma at the end
of the Fellowship for case study material.
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Attend the Outward Bound
Course.
Enquiries
All enquiries and supporting
material should be sent to Ian Bowbrick.
[E-mail
Ian]
This programme has been made
possible through the generosity of the ERA
Foundation.
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