Award for talented eight
18 Dec 2013 by Evoluted New Media
Eight recent graduates are set to follow in the footsteps of luminaries such as Professor Peter Higgs and Paul Dirac after receiving £80,000 each to develop innovative commercial technologies as part of the 1851 Industrial Fellowships Project.
The Industrial Fellowships provide young scientists and engineers with the means to develop world-changing technologies with a commercial potential – ideally leading to a patent – while completing a PhD or EngD, under the guidance of an academic and business partner.
“Building on our rich history, the Royal Commission remains at the cutting edge of science and engineering, through investing in young talent across the depth and breadth of modern British industry. This work continues the legacy of Prince Albert and the Great Exhibition, which brought science, art and industry together, with the aim of driving innovation,” Bernard Taylor, Chairman of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, said.
“The vision and diversity of this year’s Fellows is a good as it has ever been and reflects the wealth of talent that exists across the UK on an extraordinarily broad front.”
Among the projects to receive finding were: a laboratory on a chip which promised a wide range of applications including detecting antibiotic resistance; a project to progress work on the first ever UK Space Agency commissioned nano-satellite; and a fabric chimney to reduce the cost of solar power generation.
The eight winners were recognised at an award ceremony attended by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, who said:
“I would like to congratulate all the talented young scientists and engineers who have taken part in the Fellowship Award Ceremony. Their achievements, and ambitious plans for the future, show the diversity of talent and innovation that exists across the UK.”
The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 – the world’s first trade fair – was established by Prince Albert to stage the Great Exhibition in the eponymous Crystal Palace. The Royal Commission now funds a range of fellowships and grants to support science and engineering research and industrial education across the UK, and has previously funded the likes of Professor Peter Higgs, Sir James Chadwick and Paul Dirac.
Applications for the 2014 Industrial fellowships are open until 23rd January 2014, more information: http://www.royalcommission1851.org.uk/ind_fellow.html
The 2013 Fellows and their winning projects:
Campbell Brown - working with Sharp Laboratories and University of Southampton to develop a ‘Laboratory on a chip’, for a wide variety of applications including detecting antibiotic resistant infections
Jordan Conway – working with SIRAKOSS and the University of Aberdeen, to produce a material that mimics bone growth, to reduce the need for metal implants
Jethro Coulson – working with Renishaw and the University of Nottingham on a technique for measuring metal components at a microscopic level to maximize their efficiency, particularly within the aerospace industry
Stephen Greenland – working with Clyde Space and the University of Strathclyde to progress work on the first ever UK space agency commissioned nano-satellite
Brianna Stubbs – working with TdeltaS and the University of Oxford, to produce a ketone based sports drink, with the potential to improve performance by as much as two per cent
Patrick Cottam - working with Lindstrand Technologies and University College London (UCL) to research methods for developing a fabric chimney up to 1000m tall, which could greatly reduce the cost of solar power generation
Julian Hodgson - working with Passion Pictures and University College London (UCL) to develop artist friendly tools for fluid simulation in visual animation
James Dimmock – working with Sharp Laboratories and Imperial College London to develop high efficiency solar cells, which generate significantly more power than traditional cells through transforming the sun into a laser. James has been selected as this year’s ERA Foundation Fellow, an award for a candidate from the electro-technology sector made possible by a generous donation from the ERA Foundation.
