Vice Chancellor’s Scholarships

Five fully funded Vice Chancellor’s Scholarships have been awarded to students from diverse engineering backgrounds and data analytics, computer science, social sciences and sociology to work on interconnected projects.

Companies and universities are seeking EDI champions and leaders in engineering.

These studentships will develop diverse future leaders with expertise in EDI practices within engineering research and technology development at the discipline level.   

In collaboration with industry partners, we are developing the scope for five projects. We consider a wide range of perspectives and voices contributing to project design to improve diversification in the research, enabling effective research action plans and developing an inclusive research culture. 

People to products studentships

To find out more, click to open the project titles below.

These projects are aligned to industry partner products and services exemplars, including improving inclusivity of environments and processes within a company, and product design and engineering processes.

An example proposal might be: "Assessing the suitability of digital modelling and measurement systems for improving inclusivity in working environments."

The Supervisory Team, in this example, would be Dr Rebecca Grant and Dr Elizabeth Ratcliffe.

You would investigate a wide range of employee needs - chosen before data collection rather than after - where an employee has already been excluded. Using digital modelling and simulation, we can investigate inclusion of people statically in positions when working, but also dynamically, completing tasks and processes.

There is a need to investigate the suitability of these digital tools for wider human needs, for example physical and neurodiversity, beyond traditional anthropometry and bodily Finite Element Analysis.

These projects focus on the development of virtual reality simulations for accessible, inclusive, experiential and flexible training products and services, with emphasis on transitioning into industry - including evaluation of skills required by industry for success - to promote diversity and inclusion in transition to and retention within industrial settings.

An example proposal might be: "Investigating virtual reality simulation and remote laboratories for levelling up training for and transition into industrial settings."

The Supervisory Team, in this example, would be Dr Sheryl Williams and Dr Elizabeth Ratcliffe.

You would:

  • investigate capabilities to enable interactive, non-timebound and risk-free training that does not rely on specialist lab facility access, preparation of specialist consumables and expert support for individual training sessions
  • assess improvements in the costs associated with high volume lab usage (eg. financial, energy, single use plastics, specialist products) and performance at the point of getting hands-on
  • investigate inclusivity of training tools for evaluation of technical skills - emphasising candidate potential - to promote diversity and inclusion in transition to industry
More about these opportunities