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Schemes for University Lecturers

Industrial Secondment Scheme

Hands-on experience for engineering academics

The Industrial Secondment Scheme provides an invaluable opportunity for engineering teaching staff in Higher Education institutions to gain state-of-the-art industrial experience.

Applicable to engineers of all disciplines, the scheme's objective is to enable the secondees to impart the fruits of this experience to their students through teaching, through case studies using up-to-date material and, in the longer term, through course design.

The scheme provides funding for the university to employ a temporary replacement for the secondee.

Benefits to companies

There are numerous benefits to host companies. For example, companies gain the opportunity to:

  • Work with a temporary but highly qualified academic/expert

  • Acquire access to university staff, students, laboratories, workshops and equipment

  • Make an input to the design of the engineering curriculum and thus influence the next generation of engineers

  • Offer placements to students.

  • Select/recruit suitable graduates.

  • Build research/consultancy links

  • Initiate/strengthen collaboration with academia.

Benefits to engineering academics

Benefits to engineering academics include the opportunities to:

  • Gain hands on experience in industry.

  • Improve the quality and industrial relevance of teaching.

  • Acquire updated knowledge of current industrial practice.

  • Develop new case studies and course material.

  • Create a source for student projects.

  • Develop long-term links with industry.

Who may apply?

All members of the UK Higher Education institutions teaching some aspects of engineering are eligible to apply. The scheme is particularly beneficial to engineering academics with minimal or no experience of industry or to those whose last experience of industry was some time ago or in another field.

There are no age restrictions, but applicants will need to convince the Academy that the secondment will have a significant impact on their teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Applications for secondments at host organizations of all sizes are accepted as long as the host organization can provide the secondee with an environment that enables a suitable appreciation to be gained of the pressures and realities of the industrial/commercial world.

Nature of secondment

The secondment provides the applicant with industrial experience based on the 'application' of technology rather than purely research-based work.

Applications will be accepted for secondments to organisations which will result in a significant benefit to teaching activities. Applicants are normally expected to find their own host organisation but where possible The Royal Academy of Engineering may assist in this process using its own database.

Duration of secondment

Secondments may be for any period between three and six months on a full-time basis or longer on a part-time basis.

Nature of the award

The award is intended to pay all or a proportion of the cost of a replacement lecturer to cover the teaching activities of the secondee whilst away from the university.

Dissemination of knowledge

Recipients of the award are responsible for ensuring that the knowledge and skills acquired are appropriately disseminated and applied once the secondment has ended.

A report (475KB)Adobe PDF document icon image on the secondment is to be submitted to The Royal Academy of Engineering within one month of the secondment’s completion. It is also a requirement of the Scheme that brief (one to two A4 pages-long) End-of-Year reports (504KB)Adobe PDF document icon image on secondments are submitted to The Academy one year after the completion of the secondment. Host companies are also required to fill in a Company Report form and a Third Party Income form within one month from the end of the secondment. Report guidelines are available from the scheme manager. The host and secondee reports are sent to Academy Fellows in the scheme’s Steering Group for evaluation and feedback.

The secondee and his/her line manager are visited at the host organization by the scheme manager to monitor progress.

How to apply

Applicants should complete an application form (104KB)Word document icon image and submit this to the scheme Manager together with a:

The Diversity Monitoring form is kept separately from the rest of the application pack and will play no part in The Academy’s selection procedures. The information provided will be kept confidential and will be used to monitor the diversity of applications.

Assessment

After an initial assessment by The Royal Academy of Engineering, selected candidates will be called for an interview normally within one month from the deadlines. A decision is normally conveyed to the applicant within 24 hours of the interview. The university department is notified of the outcome of the application in writing by the scheme manager. At the time of the award notification all parties are required to sign an Agreement detailing the terms and conditions of the award.

Deadline for applications

The deadline for applications is:

  • 30th September 2010

Further information

Please contact the scheme manager:

Dr Imren Markes
Manager – Industrial Secondments and Visiting Fellowships

Tel: 020 7766 0615

 
[E-mail Imren]

 

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