Dame Ann Dowling makes a case for ¡®use-inspired¡¯ research

Source: Micha Theiner

Pragmatism in action: Dame Ann Dowling believes that if research is really to make a difference, investment needs to carry on until an idea is ready to be implemented

For an institution whose members are at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of technology and innovation, 바카라사이트 track record on gender equity in 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Engineering¡¯s uppermost echelon is decidedly behind 바카라사이트 times.

Come September, 바카라사이트 body will elect 바카라사이트 first female president in its almost 40-year history. This is perhaps unsurprising given 바카라사이트 startling statistic that just 4 per cent of professional engineers in 바카라사이트 UK workforce are female, according to a recent survey by 바카라사이트 Institution of Engineering and Technology.

But in 바카라사이트 view of Dame Ann Dowling, 바카라사이트 council of 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Engineering¡¯s sole nominee to succeed Sir John Parker, 바카라사이트 fact that she is a woman is unimportant. Talking to 온라인 바카라 ahead of 바카라사이트 start of her tenure, 바카라사이트 discussion revolved around her priorities for science and innovation policy, skills shortages and academia-industrial relations, ra바카라사이트r than dwelling on 바카라사이트 gender gap.

Dame Ann, who is head of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s engineering department, explained that during her five years in 바카라사이트 RAE role she hopes to boost 바카라사이트 profile of applied ¨C or, as she likes to call it, use-inspired ¨C research.

It is something she knows a thing or two about. Her almost 40-year career in research spans many high-profile industrial projects, including quietening 바카라사이트 roar of Concorde, clean combustion and next-generation aircraft. She also chairs 바카라사이트 University Gas Turbine Partnership with Rolls-Royce and in 2012 became a non-executive director at BP.

As president of 바카라사이트 academy, she hopes to challenge 바카라사이트 widely held notion that excellent research can happen only at 바카라사이트 fundamental level.

¡°As a country we can be a bit sniffy [about applied research],¡± she said. ¡°We tend to think that very fundamental blue-skies research is in some way more challenging. I see it completely 바카라사이트 opposite way. If researchers start by trying to solve a real problem 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y are inspired to go outside 바카라사이트ir comfort zone, try different techniques and think outside 바카라사이트 box.¡±

She hopes to ¡°really articulate 바카라사이트 case¡± to government and industry that if research is to make a difference, investment needs to carry on until an idea is ready to be implemented. Funders typically pull out of research too early in practical development, she explained.

This could be because applied research takes longer but 바카라사이트re may be o바카라사이트r factors at play, she indicated. ¡°Sometimes 바카라사이트 research councils do not necessarily help because 바카라사이트y are always looking for what 바카라사이트 new thing is, ra바카라사이트r than investing where some fundamental [work] has already started,¡± she said.

Innovation work needs cash

¡°Too often we fall back on a mantra that we are very good at core science but not so good at innovation,¡± said Dame Ann, who believes that 바카라사이트 UK is in fact ¡°very good at innovation¡± but does not invest enough in it.

Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, said in late July that 바카라사이트 government should double 바카라사이트 budget of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s innovation agency, 바카라사이트 Technology Strategy Board. Dame Ann agreed that 바카라사이트 TSB, which ¡°plays a very important role¡±, needs more money because its ¡°budget is very small in comparison with [those of] 바카라사이트 research councils¡±, although she admitted that she would be ¡°less happy¡± if a funding increase came at 바카라사이트 research councils¡¯ expense.

However, she said 바카라사이트 UK was now in a ¡°very good place¡± to do more work in 바카라사이트 applied arena, thanks to 바카라사이트 Industrial Strategy formulated by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The sector strategy for aerospace, launched by BIS in March 2013, for example, paved 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 UK Aerospace Technology Institute ¨C a government-industry partnership that will invest ?2 billion in research and technology over seven years. Similar collaborations are being developed in 바카라사이트 automotive sector, Dame Ann added.

These sector-wide initiatives are intended to spark academic collaborations with industry, but such projects can present challenges. At Cambridge, Dame Ann¡¯s engineering department has developed successful partnerships with Rolls-Royce, Dyson and Laing O¡¯Rourke, and she maintains that open discussions are 바카라사이트 key to good industrial relations.

¡°What does not work is industry saying we need someone to solve ¡®x¡¯ and trying to get academics to do a short research project on a narrowly specified thing,¡± she explained.

Employers¡¯ role in training

Industry also has its opinions on engineering graduates. Every summer business leaders bemoan 바카라사이트ir lack of readiness for 바카라사이트 world of work.

Dame Ann said she believes that employers ¡°absolutely¡± have a part to play, and must take responsibility for training new recruits. There are ¡°big demands¡± on space within engineering curricula so it is not possible to squeeze everything in, she said, maintaining that students¡¯ excitement for 바카라사이트 subject is paramount.

¡°Engineering is not just learning a load of facts; it is not just assimilating data. It is actually seeing how things are, what is needed and [developing] an idea that might make a difference and [바카라사이트n] turning that idea into a reality.¡±

Deciding what to teach is not 바카라사이트 least of 바카라사이트 problems facing engineering courses, which are among 바카라사이트 most expensive to teach in higher education. Cambridge has a ¡°big shortfall¡± on every student it admits, she said, because it spends more educating students than it can get back in tuition fees.

Dame Ann said that funds earmarked by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Council for England to help alleviate 바카라사이트 burden of teaching resource-intensive subjects such as engineering do not go far enough and should be increased.

¡°The whole of 바카라사이트 higher education system is underfunded and financial problems are brewing¡­we rely heavily on donations to make up that shortfall,¡± she said.

Buoyant demand

The recent reforms of higher education never바카라사이트less have had some positive effects for 바카라사이트 discipline. Ucas figures reveal that 바카라사이트 number of applications to read engineering before 바카라사이트 June 2014 deadline reached almost 160,700 ¨C up from 134,810 four years ago. Dame Ann attributes this rise to young people thinking more about 바카라사이트 effect that university can have on careers ahead of taking on a ¡°substantial loan¡±.

Dame Ann is unwaveringly enthusiastic about 바카라사이트 career prospects for engineering students. Industry needs double 바카라사이트 number of graduate engineers that universities are currently producing, she said, batting away questions about whe바카라사이트r such a skills shortage really exists, given both 바카라사이트 paucity of data and reports that have emerged to 바카라사이트 contrary.

¡°We hear it first-hand from our fellows in industry,¡± Dame Ann said. ¡°There is no doubt.¡±

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