Funded knowledge exchange projects

Find out about projects that have received knowledge exchange funding and consider whether you might apply in future.

Read about some of our recently funded projects to get an idea of the scope of funding available. We’ll update these on a regular basis.

A range of knowledge exchange funding is available and calls for proposals are made throughout the year. You’re encouraged to apply with a project of your own. 

Nearly 70 projects receive funding in 2020/21

So far during the academic year 2020/21, 68 projects from 40 departments have been funded. More than £2.5 million of funding has been awarded to date.

Below are some examples of projects we have supported, listed by faculty.

Engineering

Examples of projects which have recently received funding include:

• Improving the practicality of cochlear implant surgery by incorporating a guided robotic arm to enable micro-precision positioning.
  Project lead: Professor Andreas Demosthenous, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.
  Amount awarded: £73,682.
• Developing and testing a software package, in collaboration with the BBC, for making recommendations to media users.
  Project lead: Dr Mehrnoosh Sadrzadeh, Department of Computer Science.
  Amount awarded: £39,644.
• Developing an affordable, fully automated and intelligent drone prototype for precision agriculture. The drone is designed to help farmers use resources efficiently, reduce farm costs and improve profitability.
  Project lead: Dr Yuanchang Liu, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  Amount awarded: £29,416.
• Collaborating with a digital artist to create a public exhibition using particle developed displays. This technology creates 3D content in mid-air, without devices such as headsets. The exhibition will explore new forms of artistic expression using the technology.
  Project lead: Dr Diego Martinez Plasencia, Department of Computer Science.
  Amount awarded: £14,997.

Built environment 

Examples of projects which have recently received funding include:

• Working with Historic Environment Scotland to improve and extend the use of Monument Monitor. This tool enables visitors to historic sites to contribute to their conservation by submitting images.
  Project lead: Dr Josep Grau-Bove, The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources.
  Amount awarded: £29,141.
• Working with a range of partners on improving the environment of people living with dementia. Dementia and health care partners will share insights on the needs of people living with dementia to inform the production of practical tools on participatory design.
  Project lead: Dr Evangelia Chrysikou, The Bartlett Real Estate Institute.
  Amount awarded: £12,657. The project was co-funded with UCL Grand Challenges.

Social and Historical Sciences

Examples of projects which have recently received funding include:

• Supporting the commercialisation of a mobile app designed to increase access to formal financial services for people without banks, globally.
  Project lead: Professor Lucia Michelutti, Department of Anthropology.
  Amount awarded: £30,000. 
• Working with Camden Council to develop better methods of measuring the impact of policies on social inequality across the borough. This project will enable the development of new policy tools in response to community needs in the post-COVID era.
  Project lead: Dr Ali Naghieh, Department of Political Science.
  Amount awarded: £14,224. 
• Protecting and promoting heritage by establishing a new cultural social enterprise in Cyprus.
  Project lead: Dr Mark Altaweel, Institute of Archaeology.
  Amount awarded: £9,600.

Population Health Sciences

Examples of projects which have recently received funding include:

• Validation of a new delivery technology as a vaccine platform.
  Project lead: Dr John Counsell, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health.
  Amount awarded: £30,000.
• Exploring the needs of medical education providers to increase uptake of a simulation-based online learning tool that teaches clinical reasoning.
  Project lead: Dr Angelos Kassianos, Department of Applied Health Research.
  Amount awarded: £14,997.

Arts and Humanities

Examples of projects which have recently received funding include:

• Enabling small and medium sized museums across the UK to generate an additional source of revenue through technological innovation. The project will allow museums to sell print-on-demand products such as fine art prints and T-shirts through their own store on the USEUM platform.
  Project lead: Foteini Valeonti, Department of Information Studies.
  Amount awarded: £30,000.

IOE, UCL's faculty of education and society

Examples of projects which have recently received funding include:

• Supporting improvements in professional practice and understanding of adult/child interactions in the early years setting to improve attainment in Key Stage 1.
  Project lead: Gill Brackenbury, Psychology & Human Development.
  Amount awarded: £13,903.

Apply for funding

For more information about funding opportunities, see our access funding page, or contact knowledge.exchange@ucl.ac.uk

Our team can offer a range of specialist guidance to potential applicants.