All final year Aeronautics students undertake a research project which runs from February until May. We canvas for projects in the late Summer (August/September) and provide the list to the students from which they select and rank their potential projects. Once assigned to the student, the project scope can be modified based on discussions between the student, his internal supervisor and the host organisation. The student is not paid for the duration of such a project, but should be provided with access to facilities to undertake the research at the host organisation. The host should assign the student an external supervisor who will provide day to day guidance and will provide an assessment at the end of the project. If needs be, the project can be confidential and NDAs can be arranged to protect IP. This is a good mechanism for exploring a short piece of research with relatively little financial outlay.

The Aeronautics Department run three MSc courses, the details of which are given here. As with undergraduate projects, we canvas for projects in the late Summer (August/September) and provide the list to the students from which they select and rank their potential projects. The project runs from May until September, and once assigned to the student, the project scope can be modified based on discussions between the student, their internal supervisor and the host organisation. For the Composite MSc, it is important that the project is clearly utilising the composite knowledge the student has developed during their MSc course. The student is not paid for the duration of such a project, but should be provided with access to facilities to undertake the research at the host organisation. The host should assign the student an external supervisor who will provide day to day guidance and will provide an assessment at the end of the project. If needs be, the project can be confidential and NDAs can be arranged to protect IP. As with undergraduate projects, this is a good mechanism for exploring a short piece of research with relatively little financial outlay.

There are opportunities for industrial partners to support postgraduate students, covering their fees, stipend and costs for materials, facilities, etc. Such a mechanism will allow you to dictate the research direction and provide greater control of the intellectual property and knowledge generated from the research. The best means to initiate such projects is through direct contact with the relevant academic, who can formulate and cost such a research project. Furthermore, there are some opportunities for industrial CASE awards for PhD positions, as detailed here.

There are opportunities for industrial partners to steer and advise on research council funded research, and provide in-kind support through committing your staff time to advisory and progress meetings. Cash contributions or industrial facility access are also welcomed as a form of support to steer such projects. Alternatively, secondments to your organisation, or vice-versa, may also be valuable. To initiate such a collaboration mechanism it is best to approach the relevant academic.

Much of our research is focussed at the TRL0 to TRL3 level, and we welcome opportunities to translate and mature our research into real-world applications. The Composite Centre has a good track record in accessing funding from organisations such as ATI and Innovate UK. For large grants the associated Department within the Composite Centre may be able to supplement the research by funding PhD studentships to complement the research. To initiate such a collaboration mechanism it is best to approach the relevant academic.

The Composite Centre has a very strong track record in formulating, leading and securing European Union funding, and there are numerous mechanisms by which we can collaborate with industry via this route. Further details of these mechanisms can be found here. Imperial College has a dedicated European Office which can advise on applying for, structuring and managing such projects. To initiate such a collaboration mechanism it is best to approach the relevant academic.

An alternative route to support the research is via philanthropy to support the next generation of composites engineers, help sustain academic excellence and develop frontier research areas. The Centre would be delighted to discuss priority areas including scholarships and flexible support funds. Please discuss this further with the Head of the Composite Centre or relevant academics.

The academics in the Composite Centre have considerable experience and expertise which can be utilised to address your industrial challenges, near-term development problems and litigation/expert witness roles. Such consultancy is managed by Imperial Consultants who should be approached, along with the relevant academic, to initiate such work. 

The Composite Centre has a wide range of facilities for composite manufacture, characterisation and testing, with skilled technicians who can undertake the work. To initiate such work the Composite Suite Manager (Dr Frank Gommer) should be approached.

We are keen to expose our students and researchers to an industrial perspective and outlook on composites, and would welcome guest lecturers from research providers, industry and government organisations. Please contact the Head of the Composite Centre if you are interested in delivering a lecture.