The Engineering Doctorate Centre in Virtual Environments, Imaging and Visualisation (EngD VEIV) was founded in 2001 at University College London in the Department of Computer Science and the Bartlett School of Architecture. It has recently won funding for 50 funded places over the next five years. The EngD VEIV funds and supports research engineers (REs) studying in areas related to the use of visualisation and imaging in engineering.

The three or four year EngD programme is targeted at leading students and engineers who want to lead research in industry, or want to maintain significant links with industry in an academic career. Every RE has a sponsoring company, and normally the RE will work significant proportions of their time at the company. Uniquely, it is possible to do an EngD in two modes: as a student who is placed with a company, or as a secondee from an existing position in a company. This makes a doctoral degree much more accessible for senior engineers with established careers and positions. The taught programme covers a broad range of topics, from basic engineering skills (design process, software engineering) through to business development courses. At UCL, REs have the opportunity to take courses at the London Business School.

The background of our REs range from recent graduates, through qualified architects to engineers with significant career experience. The REs come are sponsored by a wide variety companies from SMEs through to large PLCs. Sponsors include BAA Systems, BBC, Body Metrics Ltd, British Teleco,, Buro Happold, Electronic Arts, Foster + Partners, Framestore CFC, Ordnance Survey, Philips and Sharp.

An idea of the range and quality of work of our recent REs is given by three short vignettes:

Bernard Spanlang, who graduated in 2005, worked with the spin-out company BodyMetrics to develop clothing animation and visualization software. Aside from four papers, he is co-author of two patents. With developers from BodyMetrics, he assembled a scanning and visualization system for women's jeans that would automatically take measurements of customers and recommend sizing choices. This system is installed in Selfridges on Oxford Street, London and at Harrods in Knightsbridge, London.

Siavash Haroun-Mahdavi and Sean Hanna together developed technologies to evolve three-dimensional structures for materials. An initial demonstration of a visualisation and subsequent stereo-lithographic production of a weight-bearing structure as part of a group project led to research that lead to a spin-out company (ComplexMatters).

Simon Pilgrim was one of two students recruited by Electronic Arts, UK in 2003. At the time, EA was faced with developing technology that would support its transition to the next-generation of consoles (the generation that hit the shelves in time for Christmas 2006). Simon's research has formed the central part of a growing strategic relationship between UCL and EA, which has led to joint publicity, student projects and a clearer vision of shared research and development.

The EngD VEIV programme has funding from the EPSRC for ten places each year. We accept applications to start at any time of the year.

Applicants must be from the UK or EU and must satisfy the standard EPSRC residency rules. Each RE in studentship mode receives a tax-free stipend of at least £18,000. The companies sponsoring REs in secondment mode can receive a subsidy towards the RE's salary.

How to Apply
Applications are invited now for entry into the programme. No set deadline is given for applications, as an Engineering Doctorate can start at any time of the year.

Visit our Web Site for More Information & Application Details - engdveiv.ucl.ac.uk