The Royal Academy of Engineering has confirmed three new Research Fellows in addition to the cohort of 17 Research Fellows announced in August 2022. Each will receive up to £625,000 over the next five years to undertake research in the following fields:
- Explainable artificial intelligence to ensure trust in clinical decision systems
Dr Evangelia Kyrimi, Queen Mary University of London
Technological breakthroughs have led to the development of sophisticated healthcare systems but these will only become widely adopted if patients and healthcare professionals have confidence in their recommendations. The ‘Right to Explanation’ and regulations on algorithmic decision-making already exist so Dr Kyrimi’s research will focus on translating causal models into explainable systems that users can trust. - A novel circular economy-modelling approach to achieving net zero manufacturing
Dr Okechukwu Okorie, University of Exeter
Reducing Scope 3 carbon emissions in manufacturing is essential to meet net zero targets. Incremental innovation will not achieve the scale or speed of improvements required. Dr Okorie’s research will apply a hybrid top-down/bottom-up, novel circular economy-modelling approach to manufacturing sectors to build an evidence-based modelling toolkit needed for net zero manufacturing. - Absolute environmental sustainability: achieving a low-carbon economy within planetary boundaries
Dr Andrea Paulillo, University College London
The Planetary Boundaries represent humanity’s operating space. Dr. Paulillo will combine this concept with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to develop a novel framework for decision and policy support. The objective is to identify realistic technological pathways that are not only low-carbon but also within the limits of our planet.
Research Fellowships are the Academy’s flagship programme that supports outstanding early-career researchers to become future research leaders in engineering. The fellowships are designed to advance excellence in engineering by providing funding for five years to allow awardees the freedom to concentrate on basic research in any field of engineering.
In addition to direct financial support, the scheme provides an opportunity to establish a research track record and, in turn, to be in a stronger position to apply for additional funding and grow a research team. Awardees also benefit from mentoring support from an Academy Fellow on research and career development as well as reduced teaching and administrative duties to allow time for research, training opportunities and networking with other Research Fellows and Academy Fellows.
Notes for editors
- The Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships support early-career researchers to establish successful research careers and become future research leaders in their fields. The scheme provides funding for five years to allow awardees the freedom to concentrate on basic research in any field of engineering and establish a track record in the field. Funding for the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships is provided by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Fellowships can be hosted at any UK university or any UK research organisation that is eligible to receive UKRI funding.