STEM National Programme: Engineering Strand
The Engineering Subject Centre is working in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering to support innovation in the higher education engineering curriculum as part of the National HE STEM Programme. The overall programme has funding for activities in the six regions of England and Wales as part of a £21million, 3-year initiative funded by the Higher Education Funding Councils for England and Wales that commenced on the 1st August 2009.
The activity will build on the effective practices developed from the London Engineering Project, one of four pilot Project activities, initiated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2005 and 2006.
The engineering strand
The engineering strand will achieve the aims of the National HE STEM programme through collaborations with the Higher Education Institutions to encourage the exploration of new approaches to recruiting students and delivering programmes of study in engineering. It will enable the transfer of good practice across the Higher Education STEM sector, facilitate its wider adoption, and encourage innovation.
Activities are taking place in three related strands:
- Activities to widen participation within engineering disciplines at university level by successful interventions with students currently within schools and further education;
- Higher Education engineering curriculum developments which focus upon course delivery and design, student support, and knowledge and skills;
- Activities to encourage those currently within the workforce and society without a prior university-level qualification to re-engage with further study to develop enhanced knowledge and skills in engineering subjects.
There will be opportunities for engineering departments to bid for small-scale projects
- HE Innovation Projects
- Engineering for Society
- Educational research
- HE focussed STEM activities
The 11 first call projects are now under way. These projects began in September 2010 and are due to complete by June 2011. Case studies will be provided from these projects and will be published by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The 35 second call projects were launched in January 2011 and are due to complete by December 2011. Third call projects will begin in July or September 2011 and will complete by May 2012.
The Regional Spoke Higher Education Partner Institutions are:
- South-West England: The University of Bath
- West Midlands and East Anglia: The University of Birmingham
- North-East England: The University of Bradford
- North-West England: Manchester Metropolitan University
- South-East and London: The University of Southampton
- Wales: Swansea University
Third and Final Call for Proposals
The third and final Call for Proposals has now been announced. HE staff involved in Engineering Education are invited to bid for funding and support for development projects in support of the aims of the Programme. Proposals will be accepted from any Welsh or English HEI working in collaboration with the Programme partner HEIs and/or the Academy. The Programme will not seek to undertake short-term interventions, but will focus upon sustainable activities with the potential to achieve long-term impact within the Higher Education sector.
- Deadline for Expressions of Interest (EOI): 17.00 on Monday 7 February 2011
- Deadline for Full Proposals: 17.00 on Thursday 10 March 2011
Futher information on the third and final Call for Proposals
