UofG researchers part of new projects to tackle engineering research challenges
Published: 23 January 2025
University of Glasgow researchers are lending their support to two newly-funded projects which aim to tackle some of the key challenges facing engineering.
University of Glasgow researchers are lending their support to two newly-funded projects which aim to tackle some of the key challenges facing engineering.
The James Watt School of Engineering’s Professor Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay will contribute to the ‘Failure Modes of Engineering (Feme): a network for future inclusivity, sustainability, and global impact’, led by the University of Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, Dr Dezong Zhao is part of the ‘UK Open Multimodal AI Network (UKOMAIN)’ project, led by the University of Sheffield.
The projects are two of six newly-announced transdisciplinary research projects based at UK institutions will each receive a share of a £10 million investment led and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The projects will help them address the challenges identified in the 2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report.
TERC involved extensive engagement with the UK’s engineering community and set out a long-term vision for engineering research. In the UK, engineers have long been at the heart of technological revolutions and to this day continue to transform the way that we live our lives. These new projects, led by teams that combine appropriate expertise and experience, will help ensure the UK is equipped to face future challenges and contribute to economic growth, social wellbeing, and the transition to net zero.
The University of Edinburgh-led Feme project will focus on socially and environmentally responsible approaches to engineering, nature-based engineering, and global engineering solutions. It will explore the use of “failure modes”, a method taken from traditional systems engineering, to co-create a network of research practitioners, industry, and local and global communities, that delves into the complex relationship between engineering, nature, and society. This interdisciplinary network will tackle the failure modes of current engineering practices, particularly in relation to climate change and its impact on women, children, and underrepresented groups globally.
Over the course of the project, Professor Gauchotte-Lindsay will work alongside Encarni Medina-Lopez, Agnessa Spanellis, Laura Colucci-Gray and Sue Widdicombe of the University of Edinburgh and Christa Searle of Heriot-Watt University.
Professor Gauchotte-Lindsay said: “We are grateful to EPSRC for this opportunity to tackle engineering challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss through the lens of marginalised groups. Female leadership, true interdisciplinarity, and community co-creation will enable us to develop equitable, inclusive solutions that empower communities and drive systemic change."
UKOMAIN, led by researchers from the University of Sheffield, will focus on how multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) integrates diverse data types, such as text, images, and sound, to transform scientific discovery and enhance our interaction with technology. It plays a crucial role in addressing tomorrow’s engineering challenges, spanning health and wellbeing, transportation systems, robotics, materials discovery, space research, nature-based engineering, global engineering solutions, and responsible engineering. The UK Open Multimodal AI Network aims to connect stakeholders and solutions across disciplines to drive sustainable impact and growth.
Dr Zhao will collaborate with Haiping Lu, Nicola Morley and Nataliya Tkachenko of the University of Sheffield; Peter Charlton of the University of Cambridge and Yao Zhang of University College London on the research
Dr Zhao said: “We appreciate the support from EPSRC for enabling us to unite researchers passionate about multimodal AI, fostering collaboration to tackle real world challenges. Multimodal AI can de-risk AI technologies by providing comprehensive data modality options and diverse perspectives to enhance resilience, as well as reduce biases in AI.”
The funded projects are part of a broader strategic response by EPSRC that aims to address the recommendations of TERC. In early 2023 UKRI launched a responsive mode pilot scheme to specifically accommodate cross-disciplinary ideas. The projects funded included those that are tackling engineering research challenges. [link First projects from UKRI’s new interdisciplinary scheme announced – UKRI]
In addition, to encourage more engagement with interdisciplinary challenges, physical sciences and engineering Strategic Advisory Teams were recently brought together. This approach was to better understand the interfaces between the disciplines and promote greater translation between science and engineering.
Jane Nicholson, Executive Director for Research at EPSRC said: “Engineering is the cornerstone to a more sustainable, successful and thriving future for the UK. From developing renewable energy solutions to creating smart cities, engineering innovations are driving progress in every sector.
“These new networks will address the strategic challenges outlined by the TERC report. Together, these researchers present a hugely ambitious, thoughtful response to the economic, environmental and social challenges we all face.”
First published: 23 January 2025