Recipients of 2020/21 UCL-ZJU Strategic Partner Funds

28 January 2021

In the first joint seed funding call between UCL and Zhejiang University, eight outstanding projects were awarded funding

grand gate made of marble of zhejiang university in blue sky

UCL and ZJU have awarded eight projects up to £10,000 each through a joint call for proposals for the development of collaborative research and education initiatives.

The proposals were assessed by a committee composed of members from both institutions. The applications focused on the mutual priorities of mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

One of the funding recipients, Dr Yuwei Xu (Institute of Education), said: "We are extremely delighted to have been awarded a grant from the UCL-ZJU Strategic Partner Funds and to develop new collaborations between the UCL Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education and the Department of Education at Zhejiang University. Supported by this grant, we are exploring Chinese and British children's own perspectives on and experiences of COVID-19. We will also develop innovative methodologies that involve young children as active and agentic collaborators in educational research."

Congratulations to all 2020/21 recipients of the UCL-ZJU Strategic Partner Funds:

Lead UCL applicant	Faculty	Project
Dr Ling Ma	Bartlett	Delivering smart modular healthcare facilities to mitigate the rapid growth of medical needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Boli Chen	Engineering Sciences	Intelligent optimal control for electric-vehicle-grid integration to support green recovery from COVID-19.
Dr Mingzhong Zhang	Engineering Sciences	Developing a self-healing cement-free composite with industrial wastes to improve sustainability and resilience of civil infrastructure.
Professor Michael Rowlands	Social & Historical Sciences	Study of the process of devolution to reinterpret the collapse of the Liangzhu Culture (5300 BCE-4300 BCE).
Dr Yuwei Xu	Institute of Education	Understanding young children's perspectives on and experiences of COVID-19 in China and the UK.
Professor Gary Zhang	Engineering Sciences	Virtual brain biopsy: non-invasive tumour diagnosis with AI-powered magnetic resonance imaging.
Professor Paul Dalby	Engineering Sciences	Building a collaborative framework for engineering enzymes with non-natural amino acids.
Professor Caroline Knapp	Maths & Physical Sciences	Inkjet printing of highly conductive tracks onto tear resistant composite flexible substrates for wearable electronics.

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