A global research project co-led by scientists at the College of Science and Engineering has received a share of £10 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). FeMe will tackle the failure modes of current engineering practices, particularly in relation to climate change and its impact on women, children and underrepresented groups globally.The funding is intended to help address the challenges identified in the 2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) report. The Edinburgh-led project ‘Failure Modes of Engineering (FeME): a network for future inclusivity, sustainability and global impact’ is one of six research projects who will benefit from the funding boost.Failure modesThe study will explore the use of ‘failure modes’, a method taken from traditional systems engineering to better link researchers, industry and communities, to delve into the complex relationship between engineering, nature and society.The project will be led by Encarni Medina-Lopez (School of Engineering), with Agnessa Spanellis (Business School), Laura Colucci-Gray (Moray House School of Education and Sport) and Sue Widdicombe (School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences). They will also be working in partnership with colleagues from Heriot-Watt and Glasgow Universities. Women, children and underrepresented communities globally are the most affected by climate change. Engineering, as the link between society and nature, is at the core of a fair and sustainable future for all. Our network will create and enable research in this important area from a truly interdisciplinary perspective. Encarni Medina-Lopez Senior Lecturer in Ocean Observation, School of Engineering Edinburgh Innovations, the University's commercialisation service, will be facilitating industry participation in this project. If you're interested in getting involved through a workshop, targeted industry event or 1-1 meeting, please email feme@ed.ac.uk.Related linksFor more about the project, please read Dr Encarni Medina-Lopez' blog Empower.Ed – Engineering an alternative future by Dr Encarni Medina-LopezEPSRC news item2022 Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC) reportEdinburgh Innovations This article was published on 2025-01-29
