Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs) at the University of Bath

This VIP will aim to work with B&NES to give local people a bigger say in the way their new green space is shaped, while simultaneously helping to address the climate and ecological emergency.  

 Access to green spaces is essential to human well-being. The quality and quantity of green spaces near a population has been found to have far-reaching impacts, from effecting the physical and mental health of the population to the market value of homes and the levels of crime experienced. However, access to green space is far from equal.   

Bath and North East Somerset Council is in the process of creating a new linear park for Bath. The Bath River Line (BRL) will follow the River Avon from Batheaston to Newbridge. Covering 10km, the BRL will connect beautiful green spaces and city landmarks, tempting pubs and peaceful water meadows.  

Academic Directors: Dr Dima Albadra (Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering) and Dr Sophia Hatzisavvidou (Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies 

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP is no longer accepting new applications.

Addressing a key, global challenge like climate change does not necessarily require global solutions. Local approaches can offer valuable lessons enhancing our understanding of how we can tackle climate change.

This VIP focuses on a local community - Farrington Gurney.  It aims to identify the community’s carbon impact and suggest ways for mitigating the community’s carbon emissions. The intention is to find solutions that will allow the local community to make its infrastructure (e.g.,  buildings, power supply, transport) and local citizens’ lifestyle patterns more environmentally sustainable.  

Academic Directors: Prof Margaret Heffernan and Dr Kostas Iatridis, School of Management 

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP is currently only open to applications from postgraduate students from the School of Management.

Like Bath Engineering without Borders (BEwoB), this VIP team joins driven students and dedicated staff with problems that many people are currently facing throughout the world. However, unlike BEwoB,  the focus of TBB: Bath Biodevices without Borders is on the development of practical, biodevice-implemented projects that can, and hopefully, will help many people throughout the world, whilst at the same time providing the involved students with practical employability skills. To this end, we intend, as soon as it is once again possible, to travel to areas of the world where we have identified a real need that we can devise a solution to, properly identify the need in that area, then develop a system/design that can help solve this problem.  

This VIP team aims to integrate all student years into not just our design and development process, but also into our assessing and implementation processes. This means that even if you are a first year, with no more engineering experience than your first semester modules, you will still have the opportunity to travel to new regions of the world and provide aid to people living there. On the same note, it is possible to join us at any point in your studies, even if this is your final year and you haven’t been a part of any societies or student teams to date.  

All skills are welcome and no need for any specific background knowledge required.

TBB is scientifically supported by Electronic and Electrical Engineering C3Bio academics (academic lead: Dr Despina Moschou, further academic support: Dr Pedro Estrela, Dr Ben Metcalfe); they will be providing initial project ideas in line with ongoing research projects and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://unfoundation.org/what-we-do/issues/sustainable-development-goals ), technical training, dedicated lab space and resources within the Faculty of Engineering and international network contacts.  

Academic Directors:  Dr Despina Moschou, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering ; Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo (Department of Chemical Engineering); Dr Pedro Estrela (Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering); Dr Ben Metcalfe (Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering) 

Who can apply in 2021/22?  This VIP currently welcomes applications from Year 1 students only.

This VIP explores how the University can work with BANES and local older adults to help to create a more age-friendly and inclusive local environment. The project could help to inform research and teaching, and has the potential to contribute to local policy making.

Students may investigate questions such as; How can older people’s voices be heard in relation to the research which impacts them across all disciplines? For example, in the design of retirement homes; the use of digital technology to minimise social isolation; the policies around pensions, rural facilities and health inequalities; designing inclusive communities; the use of remote consultations by hospital staff. What lasting impact has the stay-home guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic had on older adults, for example in terms of loneliness and isolation, mobility and activity? How can students, the decision-makers of tomorrow, understand the needs, concerns and priorities of people as they get older and how can these be considered in their academic studies? And importantly, how can we help to challenge the negative stereotypes of ageing and older adults through how we teach and learn? The interdisciplinary VIP will explore the measures the University can take to communicate with older people and initiate some projects to engage with local participants. The VIP forms part of the Healthy Later Living Network – a multidisciplinary research network at the University of Bath which brings together leading academics, students, and stakeholders to support the UK government’s Grand Challenge of an Ageing Society. The University is working with business, charities, care providers, research funders, and the community to support generations to remain active, productive, independent, and social connected for as long as possible.

Academic Director: Dr Fiona Gillison, Head of Department of Health - Healthy Later Living network

Who can apply for 2021/22?

Please note: This VIP is no longer open to new applications.

Academic Director: Dr Christina Horvath, with Dr Andres Sandoval, Dr Irene Macias, in collaboration with PhD candidates Ben van Praag, Eliana Osorio Saez and Vandana Singh.

Please note this VIP will not be running in Semester 1 (2021/22)

In this VIP, team members will work with staff, peers and local stakeholders to inform the debate and provide solutions

Heating forms a large part of our energy use and GHG emissions (cooling will feature increasingly). Changing how we heat buildings is challenging as existing infrastructure and convenience makes the incumbent technology and difficult to change. In Bath we have the additional issues associated with historic buildings and the need to preserve these, whilst providing liveable home standards. Critical issues and reason for change in the Bath and North East Somerset area include:

• 65,000 homes need to be retrofitted by 2030
• 66% of the area’s GHG emissions are related to buildings (much of this in heating) (https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/siteimages/climate_and_nature_emergency_action_plan.pdf)·

One of the priorities for the local authority is energy efficiency improvement of the majority of existing buildings (domestic and non-domestic) and zero carbon new build.  The University and the Local Authority are looking to work more closely together to solve some of the biggest GHG issues facing the area. Changing the way we heat our buildings cannot be solved by one discipline alone. We need to understand the building physics, the economics, the embodied and lifetime greenhouse gas emissions, user behaviour and how to finance change. We can only do that if we have interdisciplinary teams working on this.  This VIP will pull together students and staff across campus to work to identify the key challenges and how to solve them.

Academic Director: Prof Marcelle McManus (Professor of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director, Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies, Department of Mechanical Engineering)

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP is open to all University of Bath students, but we would particularly welcome applications from students enrolled on courses in the departments of Psychology, and Social and Policy Sciences, and the School of Management.

In 2021/22, this VIP project will build on initial work carried out by two VIPs in the previous year to further help develop and deliver a sustainable food policy for the University of Bath.

This VIP team will be involved with the testing of interventions to change dietary choices amongst students and staff to be healthier and greener, through ideas like food labelling, carbon tax, or nudges to change behaviour.

Academic Director: 

Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh (Director - Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations (CAST) and Dept of Psychology)

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP is currently not accepting any new applications.

This VIP project will examine  and critique the environmental impact of a major  naval facility and dockyard within the UK. The team will  work with major agencies to create and evaluate interventions that enhance the ways in which the facility engages with its locale, region and the wider world.

Academic Director:  Brian Rutter (Department of Mechanical Engineering)

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP welcomes applications from all University of Bath students.

This VIP aims to create a better understanding of the social and economic inequalities that blight the City of Bath. The VIP team will work with local stakeholders, including Bath City Football Club, to explore interventions that can build communities, inspire learners, develop opportunities and engage students in volunteering and enterprise.

Please note this VIP will not be running in Semester 1, 2021/22

Academic Directors: Dr Haydn Morgan, with Dr Lana Evans

Who can apply? This VIP welcomes applications from all University of Bath students

In this VIP, team members will work with staff, peers and local stakeholders to inform the debate and provide solutions for the transport challenges that affect the environment, communities and organisations in the City of Bath. Issues addressed will include pollution, congestion, active commuting, parking and traffic safety.

Please note: this VIP will not be running in Semester 1, 2020/21.

Academic Director: tbc

Sustainable Transport_E-Scooter Impact Report

E-Scooter Impact Report Poster

Concerns about student wellbeing and mental health continue to dominate national debate. This VIP addresses the issues at the local level, evaluating interventions and stimulating debate over how best to tackle these challenges in the future. Working with experts from the academic and professional realms, the VIP team will have an opportunity to make a difference to policy and practice at the University and beyond.

Academic Director: Professor Richard Joiner

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP currently welcomes applications from Year 1 students only.

This VIP aims to use expertise in robotics, electrical and electronic engineering in order to develop technologies and interventions that support and enhance the lives of those in social care settings. This VIP relies on disciplinary expertise from engineers, but also from social and management scientists who can investigate, analyse and relate the needs and experiences of different communities - from disabled people and families to those in care establishments. This VIP team will be involved in the design, testing and evaluation of cutting-edge technologies for social good.

Academic Director: Mr Brian Rutter

Who can apply for 2021/22? This VIP welcomes applications from all University of Bath students.