Industrial Doctorate Centre: Transport and the Environment

The proposed Industrial Doctorate Centre would be funded from EPSRC's budget allocation for Towards Better Exploitation, and will provide advanced training and research in the strategically crucial area of Transport and the Environment. The IDC will build on the current, highly successful, Southampton Engineering Doctorate in Transportation Infrastructure, Knowledge and Systems Engineering, but with a sharper focus on the inter-relationships between transport and the environment. This is in response to the emerging needs of UK industry and society in an area of rapidly growing importance at both national and international level. Recent high-level reports by Eddington and Stern both highlighted the need for engineering solutions in the transport sector to be refocused to reduce adverse environmental impacts and improve energy and resource efficiency. The IDC will meet demand from industry, the career aspirations of students and, in the longer term, the UK's need for future leaders in this field. Engineering at Southampton has an established international reputation for education and research in transport and the environment, together with a long history of collaborative research with industry . About 40% of our research income is from industry, and the University was placed top in the recent National Survey of HEIs for interaction with SMEs. The University is also internationally known for the quality of its environmental science research. It hosts the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, plays a major part in the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, and contributes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2007. The IDC will therefore bring a wealth of expertise to a globally significant area of research, building on experience gained with the current EngD to provide exciting opportunities for engagement with new academic and industry partners . The focus of the IDC on the inter-relationships between transport and the environment reflects both the national and international priorities identified in the Stern, Eddington and IPCC reports, and the developing needs of sponsors of the current EngD . It also provides opportunities for new industry partners to take part, and will facilitate the exploitation of the research strengths and expertise of the Engineering and Science Schools at the University of Southampton. It aligns with EPSRC and University priorities, and the needs of the user community as evidenced by the attached letters of support. The IDC will maintain the strong interdisciplinary approach to training and research, building on the innovative mix of technical and management training that characterises the EngD degree. Students will graduate from the IDC with an EngD degree, as academic and industry experience with our current programme has demonstrated that this balance is essential in developing individuals with the breadth of vision and experience that, coupled with an in-depth knowledge of their chosen field of research, will equip them with the skills needed to become leaders in a rapidly changing global society.The IDC will provide added value through the development of the Southampton EngD as a PhD plus , and through the close involvement of sponsoring industry and user organisations.