SPADS builds on the success of the following research grants and is part of a wider programme of research in defence and security.
The Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering
The Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering (ERPE) is a strategic alliance between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. As two of the UK's leading research universities, we work with academic, industry and public sector partners delivering world-leading expertise in engineering to deliver the most effective commercial, social, environmental and economic impacts. This powerhouse of engineering uses its vision of working in conjunction with each other to translate engineering research into practical outcomes. The impact of our research addresses the most urgent challenges for society.
EPSRC/Dstl funded University Defence Research Collaboration (UDRC)
EPSRC/Dstl funded University Defence Research Collaboration (UDRC) developed research in signal processing with application to the defence industry, an academia led partnership by the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with industry and defence partners. 32 PhD students graduated under the UDRC umbrella with 50% of those funded through industry studentships. Topics have ranged from novel sensing and communication technologies, such as optical wireless communications, autonomous sensing, cyber security and deep learning.
Industry Case Studentships
Case studentships with industry have been really popular where a student addresses research based on a specific industry challenge using industry data, facilities and current knowledge. Some success stories can be seen below.
The EPSRC/Leonardo funded Smart Products Made Smarter
The EPSRC/Leonardo funded “Smart Products Made Smarter” Prosperity Partnership addresses a broad range of challenges to develop remote sensing systems from concept to production. These challenges exemplify future product lifecycle management from smart concept, design, development and manufacture to enhanced end-user capability, united by a common digital thread to enable smarter products to be made smarter.
Ten PhD studentship are available in this area to address a number of themes.