Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/I01764X/1
Title:	Lilliput to Brobdingnag: Laying the Foundations for an Engineering Odyssey of Epic Scale
Principal Investigator:	Papakonstantinou, Professor P
Other Investigators:	Davis, Professor J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Nanotechnology and Adv Materials Inst
Organisation:	University of Ulster
Scheme:	Partnerships- Public Engage
Starts:	01 July 2011	Ends:	30 June 2012	Value (£):	19,897
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 19 Oct 2010 PPE Starter Grants Call 3 DecisionAwaited
Summary on Grant Application Form
Engineering, as a profession, has suffered considerably in recent years - not so much in terms of bad publicity - but more so in terms of a general lack of publicity. There are few instances of engineering feats being reported at the national level to inspire the next generation and there can be a negative perception of the engineer as someone who traditionally does manual work. This completely ignores the tremendous advances that have taken place in modern engineering research but increasing the visibility of the latter, and presenting it in an accessible manner, to the general public has been a long standing problem. This project aims to counter the apathy, and in some cases, the negativity of engineering through providing examples of how recent advances in the field have contributed to the greater good of society. There is, however, a critical issue. Appreciating the need for a message and preparing the content is laudable, but delivering it effectively to someone willing to listen presents a whole set of additional problems. This project seeks to take a covert route by exploiting a well known tale (Gulliver's Travels) as the foundation upon which to build a children's fable which is complementary to the original but which is, at the same time, unique and within which is embedded the message that engineering is an exciting, dynamic field that has many benefits. In essence, the tale aims to provide a narrative that re-invents the engineer, and engineering as a whole, and present them as the hero of the story by delivering the message in a form that captures the imagination and curiosity of the reader such that they want to engage with the story. The project takes the existing research being conducted at Ulster and adapts the underpinning concepts such that they can be integrated directly as a plot device within the storyline. Central to the programme is the involvement of pupils to help illustrate the tale who can then become stakeholders in the preparation of a booklet that would be disseminated throughout Northern Ireland - through schools and visitor attractions and libraries/exhibition centres. The project encompasses an interdisciplinary team: material scientists, engineers, a writer, an artist, educationalists and those directly engaged with the public - all of whom combine to deliver a framework that would, in the first instance raise the profile of engineering in the short term but, more meaningfully, could provide a mechanism for more long lasting retention. In addition, the system is inherently versatile in terms of storyline, that other tale variants could be harnessed to increase public recognition and thereby exploit local / topical scenarios within which to capture the interest of the general public. In essence the project will deliver a strategy that could be readily transferable to other sub disciplines of engineering and, indeed, to other branches of science and technology.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
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Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.ulst.ac.uk