STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is central to the UK's position as a science powerhouse. It contributes to innovation and economic growth and provides critical skills for society. Ensuring a continuous flow of diverse talent from schools to post-18 STEM education and into careers is paramount. Instead, most STEM graduates never work in high-skill STEM jobs. This project spearheads the pursuit of inclusive pathways to high-skill STEM careers via university through a rigorous examination of the LEO database. Despite significant investment in various initiatives, progress in widening access to STEM education and professions to underrepresented groups, including women, some ethnic minorities, and low-income backgrounds, remains mixed. Inclusion gaps in STEM careers accumulate through 'leaks' at each transition phase (school, university, career). At its core, this undertaking is about understanding who ends up in STEM jobs in their early career. This requires assessing inclusive pathways towards STEM careers and reviewing the economic returns different groups can expect when pursuing STEM degrees. To meet these objectives, the project will ask and answer: Who is 'ready' for STEM university studies? Who chooses and completes STEM degrees? Who ends up in STEM industries upon graduation? What are the economic returns related to an undergraduate STEM degree in early career? In doing so, the project seeks to identify how the propensity to leave STEM pathways varies between individuals from diverse backgrounds at each juncture from school to university to work and how the economic incentives hold up to remain in STEM. The potential benefits are substantial. Findings can inform targeted policy interventions to bolster inclusive STEM education and careers. They can empower education institutions to develop strategies for successful STEM engagement and retention. Finally, they broaden our understanding of career pathways and provide guidance for those considering alternative routes. Deliverables encompass policy briefs, academic discussion papers, engagement events with stakeholders and the funder promising impactful insights for shaping inclusive STEM pathways. In essence, this project aims to support inclusive and equitable opportunities to pursue STEM. By uncovering the nuances of STEM trajectories, it seeks to unlock talent that can contribute to innovation and the UK's long-term economic prosperity.

Systems engineering has traditionally been an interdisciplinary discipline dominated by aerospace and defence. But there are challenges today that current systems engineering practises fail to meet. A dramatic example of such a failure is the recent cancellation of the U.S. Army $161B Future Combat System, which was the second largest defence programme in the world. Expensive large scale systems are becoming unaffordable. Ever greater efficiency and agility are needed. Systems engineering and defence systems are in a time of change. The community is actively rethinking its concepts and practices as it undergoes dramatic growth. The emergence of Model Driven Architecture (MDA) over the past decade and recent initiatives for model-based systems engineering (MBSE) will play heavily in how the practice of architecture and systems engineering evolves. MBSE has the potential to address the challenges faced by systems engineering, reducing both development time and cost. Put simply, it is an evolution from a document based engineering style to one that is based on formal, traceable, machine readable models developed and used in electronic engineering environments. The MDA paradigm is already delivering significant benefits within software engineering. Cost savings of 30 to 60% have been demonstrated in software development life cycle costs by using MDA instead of traditional methods. Cost savings are just one reason that MDA has been successful in software engineering. Speed and agility in system design, better configuration management, and re-use of models are amongst the other reasons.The RAEng Systems Engineering Research Programme will build on the advances made by MDA in software development over the past decade and apply these advances to MBSE to produce a Next Generation capability that will have far more speed and agility than can be realised by systems engineering today.The Research Chair is properly positioned in the international community to influence the future of systems engineering and is already doing so. The Next Generation of systems engineering is here and now. It is not some future concept; it is not an academic exercise. Advances are already being made by the Research Chair in model driven and transformational methods for architecture and systems engineering that will help to bring MBSE more quickly to the point of practical realisation.

Spain

Through our research and innovation this project will deliver a toolkit of embedded interventions and methodologies which will deliver a significant measurable difference to equality, diversity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM). Our vision is to:- Contribute to achieving the combinations of talent that Engineering & Physical Sciences need to meet the sector and subject challenges of the 21st century and then using ourselves and our partners and collaborators as a test bed, develop (i) changed processes (ii) changes in culture and (iii) a significant change in behaviours to achieve a strategic diversity in STEMM. Ultimately we will widen the opportunities for entry and career development for groups typically under-represented in STEMM both in academia and industry. We will deliver 6 specific and measurable interventions which are described in detail within the proposal.

Decarbonising both heating and cooling across residential, business and industry sectors is fundamental to delivering the recently announced net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets. Such a monumental change to this sector can only be delivered through the collective advancement of science, engineering and technology combined with prudent planning, demand management and effective policy. The aim of the proposed H+C Zero Network will be to facilitate this through funded workshops, conferences and secondments which in combination will enable researchers, technology developers, managers, policymakers and funders to come together to share their progress, new knowledge and experiences. It will also directly impact on this through a series of research funding calls which will offer seed funding to address key technical, economic, social, environmental and policy challenges. The proposed Network will focus on the following five themes which are essential for decarbonising heating and cooling effectively: Theme 1 Primary engineering technologies and systems for decarbonisation Theme 2 Underpinning technologies, materials, control, retrofit and infrastructure Theme 3 Future energy systems and economics Theme 4 Social impact and end users' perspectives Theme 5 Policy Support and leadership for the transition to net-zero