Volume 9 issue 1 Nuclear Future Case study 1
Birmingham, Lancaster, Leeds, Sheffield, Strathclyde and Surrey. Each of these eight universities has a track record of excellence in one or more of the nuclear research themes requested by the EPSRC in the original call for proposals. Whereas traditional PhD programmes focus on the technical
academic aspect of a project, the Nuclear Engineering EngD programme has four elements which contribute to educating the industrial leaders of the future, namely a research project, a Diploma in Enterprise Management, supporting technical modules and a mentored professional development programme. Fundamental to any project is the involvement of industry and the projects predominantly take place in industry, within a commercial context and environment. Due to the comprehensive content and standard of the Diploma in Enterprise Management, which is delivered by the Manchester Business School, the graduates also obtain a postgraduate diploma as a separate qualification to the Engineering Doctorate. After completion of the four-year programme, the graduates have the option of completing an additional project and dissertation to upgrade the diploma to a Masters. Developed with the needs of industry in mind, students,
or research engineers as they are known on the programme, receive far more vocational training, compared with a traditional PhD, to prepare them for a career in industry. A company sponsors each of the projects, which means that they all have a direct connection to the company’s business plan, budget and timescales. This integrates the research engineer fully into the company ethos and environment for the four years of the programme. Costs to the sponsoring company are mainly dependent on the equipment, consumables and travel costs of the individual project, with a small contribution to the stipend of the research engineer, as the EPSRC provides the funding for the majority of the stipend. Once a project gains approval it can be advertised and a research engineer recruited for the duration of the project. Projects can also be developed for current employees of a company if they are looking to develop their skills but the employees are not eligible for the EPSRC stipend. Industrially sponsored PhDs have been around for many years.
The typical model involves the student spending the majority of their time in the university, with sporadic visits to industry and varying frequencies of meetings between the academic supervisor and the company. The EngD programme turns this arrangement around with typically 75% of the research engineers’ time being spent in the company with the remainder at the university, taken up with attendance at the business and technical courses, and perhaps some experimental time on a unique facility that is perhaps only available at the university. This means that the research engineer is truly embedded within the company and is working on a doctoral-level project of direct relevance and interest to the company. As with a traditional PhD, the EngD project must be an original
and significant piece of research but must also make a significant contribution to the company in a broader commercial sense as well. The project may well be a series of integrated projects that form a portfolio of research rather than a single research project. The introduction of the business and management aspects to the EngD programme enhances the value of an EngD compared with a traditional PhD. The standard of excellence is maintained with added content reflected in the need for a four-year programme compared with the traditional three, and by its accreditation as
Former research engineer Dr Robert Hurlston
What attracted you to the EngD programme (instead of a normal PhD)? The main attraction of the EngD is the opportunity to develop more than just technical skills and become a well- rounded prospect for potential employers. Even in the early phases in a technical role, employees are encouraged to take on management activities, which have been honed by the PGDip and professional development courses undertaken during the EngD programme.
What benefits have you gained from undertaking your project within a commercial context? Undertaking the project in a commercial context allowed me to properly appreciate the value of the research output, i.e. the technical and commercial issues that it could help to solve. It also allowed me to further develop my understanding and experience of what is required to function successfully within an industrial setting.
How will the Diploma in Enterprise Management help with your future career? The postgraduate diploma (PGDip) has provided me with some insight into the realm of business management via taught classes and case studies. Given that I aim to become a technical manager (at least) in an industrial setting, the analysis tools developed on the PGDip will, no doubt, prove invaluable.
What are your plans now you’ve completed your EngD? I am currently undertaking a knowledge transfer project at the University of Manchester, which is aimed at transmitting EPSRC research output from the last 10 years into the nuclear industrial structural integrity code R6. I am shortly planning to emigrate to the USA, where I aim to continue my work in the nuclear (or similar high-tech) industry in a commercial setting.
Has undertaking an EngD changed your view as to what you want to do in the future? The EngD has not changed my future plans. In fact, I joined the EngD to provide myself with a platform for a high-level technical or business management position in the nuclear (or similar high-tech) industry.
Why would you recommend the EngD programme to future students? The EngD provides an excellent grounding for a successful career in the nuclear industry, which is about to boom. I am continually receiving phone calls from recruiters who are desperately scrabbling to find EngD-level graduates for their clients. I don’t think there can be a better endorsement than saying “once you complete this programme, you will be a highly desirable target for a multitude of employers”. I also met many great people during the course of my EngD which was an added bonus.
Nuclear Engineering EngD 35
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