Newcastle University

5 of our EngDs are taking part in an EPSRC funded competition to design and develop a product related to sustainability. The competition is being held in conjunction with Newcastle University’s ‘Enough, for all, forever’ campaign which aims to encourage research to solve global sustainability issues.  Teams will compete for the chance to win £10,000 or a £5,000 runner up prize to develop their idea further. Amongst the teams in which our EngDs are participating there are innovations such as a mobile wind-powered rechargeable battery pack for portable supply of power and a novel enzyme ‘ZapZyme^TM’ discovered at Newcastle University which brakes down bacterial biofilms at low temperature.

The students have enjoyed a 2-day lab in the beautiful setting of Beamish Hall Hotel, Durham where they took part in team-building activities and classes on creative thinking to enhance their entrepreneurial skills.

Chelsea Brain a first year EngD thought “The event was fun and thoroughly enjoyable and taught us all things that are required for the competition ahead and for a successful career in science.” Charlotte Bell who is in her second year of the EngD agrees “It gave us a good chance to consider how to commercialise ideas stemming from our research and was also useful in terms of learning about how different people work in group situations, with the Myers Briggs type indicator being a very useful reflective tool.”

The competition runs until November when the winning idea will be decided by a panel of judges at a showcase event and awards ceremony at the Great North Museum. Good luck to all our EngDs taking part. For more information on the competition visit http://research.ncl.ac.uk/action2011.