Choosing a project: listed research projects

Summer 2025 Project List

These listed projects are for first year undergraduates applying to the Laidlaw Research and Leadership Programme.  They usually form part of a larger research project which supervisors are running at UCL, working at the forefront of their disciplines to push forward the boundaries of knowledge. 

You can apply for any project which interests you from this list, but you must be able to demonstrate in your application that you meet the Essential Criteria as listed for your chosen project.  The project you choose does not have to relate to your current studies.

Some of the projects listed are not fully formulated.  If you are successful in your application, you will be expected to work with your Laidlaw supervisor to produce a full project plan before you start work in Summer 2025.

When you have chosen which project you wish to apply for, make sure you read it thoroughly and think about the issues involved.  This will help you to complete your application. If you have a project-related question, you can contact the supervisor of that project by email.

Notes:

(1) The standard six week period for summer 2025 is Monday 16 June to Friday 26 July 2025.  These dates can usually be changed by agreement with the supervisor, but you should check this with them before applying.

(2) Project outputs must be completed by the end of the summer 2025.  You can see the Laidlaw programme terms and conditions here.

Projects Listed by Faculty

You can apply for any topic that interests you regardless of your degree subject, but you must meet the Essential Criteria.

You can only apply ONCE.  Any additional applications will be disregarded.

Arts and Humanities
AH1    Political participation, conflict victimisation and gender
AH2    Paris Summer School Digital Exhibit
AH3    Victimhood on the rise? Media analysis of victimhood attitudes

The Bartlett
BA1    Long-term sustainability in infrastructure and housing

Brain Sciences
BR1    Understanding the role of reward and motivation in language learning
BR2    Describing organic catatonic disorder

Engineering Sciences
EN1    A Novel Magnet-Based Joint Mechanism for the Thumb
EN2    Optimization of Electrified Propulsion Machine with Artificial Intelligence Considering Manufacturing Constraint
EN3    Teaching tactile skills to robots using imitation learning 

Institute of Education
IOE1    Ecosystems of Leadership: A Review
IOE2    Generation UCL: creating impact from a bicentenary book
IOE3    Enhancing the Global South Perspective in Decolonising Doctoral Education
IOE4    Esther's Army: Uncovering the Power of Right-Wing Christian Women in the U.S.

Laws
LA1    A critical perspective on English contract law
LA2    Contractual silences, the allocation of risk and the scope for legal remedies outside the parties' agreement

Life Sciences
LS1   Developing electrospun fast dissolving medicines for children

Mechanical and Physical Sciences
MA1    How to assess the benefits of GenAI in higher education
MA2    Climate change in Earth’s polar regions from remote sensing observations
MA3    Controlling solid- and fluid-like behaviour in biological tissues

Medical Sciences
MS1    Exploring Lifestyle Patterns, Cognitive Function and Wellbeing Using Wearable Trackers
MS2    Effects of extended reality (XR) technology on affective and perceptual responses to physical activity
MS3    Bone Modelling by visualising and quantifying Hydroxyapatite

Population Health Sciences
PH1    Optimisation of a diagnostic assay for HIV monitoring
PH2    Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in children receiving azithromycin using genetic methods

Social and Historical Sciences
SH1    Naval Blockades in Latin American History
SH2    Fire Burns: The Criminal Offence of Arson 
SH3    Albrecht Dürer in UCL Art Museum
SH4    Disseminating Knowledge in Early Modern Germany: The Illustrated Printed Book, 1493–1542
SH5    Storytelling with archaeology
SH6    Foreign language education in Europe
SH7    Analysis of Job Vacancies in Health Visiting
SH8    Diffusion tensor imaging of primate musculature
SH9    Brian Houghton Hodgson, 1800-1894: Colonial Collecting in Nepal and Darjeeling
SH10  Sevillian Gold without a 'Golden Age'
SH11  Cataloguing Medieval Manuscripts & Facsimiles

Arts and Humanities Faculty

Project Number: AH1

Political participation, conflict victimisation and gender

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Elodie Douarin
Email address of Supervisor: e.douarin@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Political participation, conflict victimisation and gender

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: I have been investigating the links between experiencing war violence and political participation later in life for a few years, and with a focus on Kosovo. There is a well-established quantitative literature showing that victims of violence are often more politically active later on, but my work suggests that it should be nuanced, and some of that nuancing can be motivated by looking at gender differences. Specifically, in one project in Kosovo, we are focusing on gender differences and trying to explain why war victimisation has more of an impact on the political participation of men than that of women, and how different forms of victimisation have different impact on political participation later on. In a second project, we are coordinating the work of colleagues investigating the link between violence more broadly (so not only in war) in other contexts such as Sri Lanka (looking at war violence) or Madagascar (focusing on fear of violence in an otherwise peaceful context), to build a library of empirical cases. By the summer, we will be presenting the results of both projects in workshops and conferences, and discussing how to bring the evidence produced together into an updated conceptual framework linking experience of violence to political participation. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Political participation, conflict victimisation and gender

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The work currently in progress will be presented in a Workshop in Kosovo in May. If this can be arranged, the successful candidate could join this workshop and help with note taking and organisation. This is currently not confirmed, and the student’s attendance would depend on their main study timetable in May / June. If this goes ahead, the student’s travel would be fully funded. Part of the work in June would then be to join in, in the discussion following this event. Looking for and summarising relevant academic papers and policy briefs, and discussing the next steps of the research with relevant stakeholders.

The successful candidate will then be expected to support the organisation of an online workshop bringing together academics from different teams exchanging on their findings on the links between the experience of violence and political participation in 6 different case-study contexts. This second workshop should take place at the end of June, and the organisation will be lead from London. 

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The Laidlaw scholar will be expected to produce a short blog post to be published on SSEES research blog page, with guidance from the supervision team.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? If it can be arranged, the project could start in May to allow the students to travel to Kosovo for 3 or 4 days. It would then resume on the 16th of June and would finish earlier. The standard dates are otherwise fine, but happy to discuss with the successful candidate as there is some flexibility on my side.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Enthusiasm for and willingness to engage with applied social science research through a critical reading and discussion of the relevant academic literature.
• Good management skills to support the planning and running of a 1-day academic workshop.
• Excellent writing skills and experience with writing engaging short pieces for broad audiences (e.g. blogs).

Knowledge of (Kosovo) Albanian and/or Serbian would be a plus, but not a requirement.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Supervision will be through at least 1 in-person meeting weekly (or online occasionally and if agreed in advance). The week of the workshop more frequent interactions will be expected.

The student will have an opportunity to interact with other researchers working on similar topic in the UK (specifically my co-author Julie Litchfield from the University of Sussex, and SSEES colleagues working in related questions) and abroad (e.g. participants to the workshops) from PhD candidates to full professors and in a diversity of fields: economics, anthropology, political sociology, etc.

Project Number: AH2

Paris Summer School Digital Exhibit

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Temenuga Trifonova
Email address of Supervisor: t.trifonova@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Paris Summer School 2025

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The Paris Summer School is a 4 week-long, 15-credit bearing module taught on location in Paris, June 16, 2025 – July 14, 2025. The module will enable students to immerse themselves in Paris as a past and present centre for writing, performance and moving image and the site of vibrant creative and cultural industries. Drawing on writings by historians, cultural theorists, artists, philosophers, writers, and journalists, whose creative and critical work has been shaped by their experience of Paris, the course will help students develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the local, regional, national, and global forces that have shaped Paris, with particular attention to the ways in which dominant narratives about Paris are produced, reproduced, and contested. Through structured observation and self-reflection, students will grasp the idea of the city as a palimpsest and explore a range of theoretical concepts in cultural memory, urban topography and social geography. Coursework will be supplemented by city walks, guided visits to museums, galleries, and various cultural institutions. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Paris Summer School Digital Exhibit

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Students taking the Paris summer module will be asked to produce visual, audio and written diaries and will draw on them, as well as on their experiences, observations, class discussions, and theoretical/historical readings, for the final project - a multimedia critical-creative work that documents their engagement with the city. The Laidlaw scholar will curate a digital exhibition of the Final Projects created by students in the Paris Summer School.

The scholar will spend 1 or 2 weeks in Paris (total period to be agreed with the supervisor), and work on the digital exhibit from home once all final student projects have been submitted online. The scholar will write descriptions of all final projects and place them in the context of the module’s main focus on the city as a concept and an experiential phenomenon. The digital exhibition curated by the scholar will become part of an evolving virtual exhibit of student projects produced as part of the Paris Summer School, which we hope will take place annually. The exhibit will be used to advertise the Paris Summer School to future interested students.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): There will be no additional outputs.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Digital skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Writing skills

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Meeting once a week for 1 hour (in person or online, depending on whether the scholar is in Paris or not) during the 4-week module, and one additional 1 hour meeting after the module is over.

Project Number: AH3

Victimhood on the rise? Media analysis of victimhood attitudes

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Jessie Barton Hronesova
Email address of Supervisor: jessie.hronesova@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): New Victimhood Politics in Eastern Europe: From Solidarity to Polarization

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The project examines victimhood politics in Eastern Europe, with a focus on the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia. It explores how and why political actors deploy narratives of injustice, suffering and harm by others and how such narratives mobilize societies with rich histories of traumas and dramatic changes. After four years of data collection—including interviews, political speech analysis, and focus groups with young Czechs, Hungarians, and Serbs—the project is now in its final stages. The findings show that  victimhood is a strategic political tool, yet a double-edged sword: it can unite populations in solidarity while also polarizing societies. Depending on the context, these narratives are justified through appeals to morality, recognition of suffering, or defence of national ontologies. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Victimhood on the rise? Media analysis of victimhood attitudes

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The aim of this project is to specifically analyse the hypothesis that victimhood as a political strategy has undergone a growth since early 2000s in European and western media and public sphere. The appointed student will be trained how to conduct media analysis and will be tasked to study frequencies of a number of terms across several languages (as specified by the supervisor). The student will then be asked to write a brief report.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster):  partial summary reports from media analysis findings;  tables and graphs with findings if and where needed.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

1. analytical skills;
2. excellent knowledge of English, additional knowledge of any other languages a strong advantage (especially Czech, Hungarian or Serbian);
3. advanced numerical skills (any statistical training would be an advantage).

Details of Supervision Arrangements:

• weekly meetings with supervisors who will provides instructions and feedback;
• induction training and final workshop on findings. 

The Bartlett

Project Number: BA1

Long-term sustainability in infrastructure and housing

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Adrienn Tomor
Email address of Supervisor: a.tomor@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Long-term sustainability assessment in construction

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The project focuses on reducing environmental impact and maintenance costs for infrastructure and housing through encouraging a long-term sustainability prospective. 

Sustainability is of central importance to national policies and to the construction sector. Decisions during tendering processes are however overwhelmingly based on construction costs and embedded carbon, rather than whole-life costs and whole-life environmental impact. Embedded carbon can be misleading and create a ‘carbon tunnel vision’. Instead of focusing on embedded carbon, long-lasting, durable designs offer significant opportunities for reducing carbon and maintenance costs on the long term. Roman, and even Victorian structures were built to last and demonstrate the notable benefits for a long-term prospective.
The opportunity is now emerging to adapt a long-term sustainability prospective into the construction sector. The current project is bringing the industry and policy makers together to identify avenues for introducing a long-term sustainability perspective into design and planning processes.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Long-term sustainability in infrastructure and housing

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The project will collect evidence and explore opportunities for long-term sustainability in infrastructure and/or housing. Depending on the applicant’s interest and skills, the project can collect data and carry out comparative life cycle assessment for bridges or houses built out of different materials (concrete, steel, brick and stone); work with the stone industry to collect evidence for the feasibility of new stone construction; collate evidence for modern methods of construction in the stone industry; or connect with the industry to identify interest for longer-lasting construction options.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Produce a 1-pager policy brief to pass findings on to the industry and policy makers.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Ability to carry out systematic data collection
• Go and get attitude
• Confident at communicating with professionals

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly meetings 

Brain Sciences

Project Number: BR1

Understanding the role of reward and motivation in language learning

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Saloni Krishnan
Email address of Supervisor: s.krishnan@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): PROPEL: Investigate the role of reward and motivation in language learning

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: We are examining how being motivated and curious could affect how we learn words, and whether such motivation could be used to enhance learning in neurodivergent children (e.g., autistic, developmental language disorder) who have language learning difficulties. We use both behavioural experiments and neuroimaging to study these questions.

You can find out more about our research at www.ncodelab.com. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Understanding the role of reward and motivation in language learning

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The Laidlaw scholar can contribute to all aspects of the PROPEL project, from recruiting and scanning children, to analysis. I would also support interested students in developing study ideas which may lead to publication.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): None

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Interest in language learning and development
• Good organisational skills
• Good computing skills, e.g., willingness to learn R

Details of Supervision Arrangements: You will be embedded in a lab with a postdoc and a research assistant. We have fortnightly lab meetings, and I will offer you a 1-1 every week.

Project Number: BR2

Describing organic catatonic disorder

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Rogers
Email address of Supervisor: jonathan.rogers@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Neuropsychiatry of Movement

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Mental state and physical movement are intimately connected. For example, neurological movement disordes like Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease have prominent psychiatric manifestations. Meanwhile, psychiatric disorders like depression and schizophrenia often present abnormal movements. Understanding these relationships are a fascinating way of approaching neuropsychiatric disorders and developing new treatments. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Describing organic catatonic disorder

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Catatonia is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders. It presents with immobility, mutism and bizarre movements and behaviour. Sometimes it is caused by psychiatric disorders (such as depression or schizophrenia). Sometimes it is caused by medical or neurological disorders. In this project, the student would analyse Swedish registry data to describe catatonia due to medical or neurological disorders.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Paper submitted to a peer-reviewed journal

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? There is likely to be a small amount of work responding to peer reviewers etc after the 6-week block

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Interest in neurological or psychiatric disorders
• Quantitative skills
• Willingness to learn statistical programming in R

Details of Supervision Arrangements:

• Weekly supervision meetings
• Exposure to a wider research team 

Engineering Sciences

Project Number: EN1

A Novel Magnet-Based Joint Mechanism for the Thumb

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Yu Wu
Email address of Supervisor: yu.wu.09@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): ReTouch: Developing a Prosthetic Hand with Integrated Sensory Feedback

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This project aims to create a robotic prosthetic hand that delivers a realistic sense of touch, addressing the significant limitations of current prosthetic devices that lack natural tactile feedback. Today, over 3 million people globally rely on upper-limb prosthetics, yet most of these devices provide limited control and minimal, if any, sensory feedback, making even basic tasks challenging. The absence of tactile sensation contributes to a high abandonment rate, with up to 40% of users eventually discontinuing use due to poor functionality and discomfort. To tackle these challenges, this project will introduce a novel control system to interpret muscle signals for precise and intuitive movement, paired with wearable haptic devices to provide realistic sensory feedback to users. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: A Novel Magnet-Based Joint Mechanism for the Thumb

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The project aims to develop an innovative thumb joint mechanism for robotic prosthetics using magnetic coupling technology. Traditional mechanical joints often face challenges in replicating the complex, multi-directional movements of the human thumb, leading to limited dexterity and reduced functionality. By utilising a magnet-based system, this project seeks to create a more flexible and adaptable thumb joint that mimics natural movement more closely. The magnetic joint will offer advantages such as reduced mechanical wear, smoother articulation, and the ability to dynamically adjust stiffness and movement range, significantly enhancing the overall performance of prosthetic hands.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Documentaion of the work

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? No.  The student will need to agree dates with the supervisor.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

Basic knowledge / skill level in CAD design, 3D printing and PCB design.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly meeting 

Project Number: EN2

Optimization of Electrified Propulsion Machine with Artificial Intelligence Considering Manufacturing Constraint

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Shun Cai
Email address of Supervisor: shun.cai@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Data-Driven Deep-Learning Optimization of Propulsion System towards Zero-Carbon Electrification

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: As the world advances toward sustainable and decarbonized solutions, the demand for zero-carbon electrified transportation is increasingly urgent. Electrical machines and drives are crucial as power components in propulsion systems, essential for full electrification and zero carbon emissions. However, the complexity of electrified transportation, with its diverse operational conditions, manufacturing constraints, highly integrated structures, poses significant challenges in developing advanced propulsion systems.

This project will tackle these challenges with a focus on 1. Data Driven Artificial Intelligence: Implementing deep learning algorithms to enhance the efficiency and performance of electrical motors and drives in complex propulsion conditions. 2. Zero-Carbon Electrification: Exploring innovative solutions to achieve zero-carbon emissions in electrified transportation with the optimization of propulsion motor system.

The project will provide a design framework for next-generation propulsion systems, contributing to a sustainable development strategy aimed at net-zero emissions. The outcomes will not only strengthen the UK's leadership in sustainable powertrain development but also prepare the UK transportation market for the fabrication and integration of advanced propulsion systems. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Optimization of Electrified Propulsion Machine with Artificial Intelligence Considering Manufacturing Constraint

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The scholar's summer project will focus on the design and fabrication of specific components for an electrified propulsion system. The student will be tasked with optimizing an electrical machine that uses deep learning while accounting for manufacturing constraints. The optimized electrical machine components will be fabricated in the lab using 3D printing to demonstrate the advantages of artificial intelligence in propulsion component development. Throughout the project, the student will gain a solid understanding of electrified propulsion systems and the application of AI in solving complex engineering challenges.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster):

• Report: A technical report outlining methods for optimizing propulsion motors using artificial intelligence, with consideration of manufacturing constraints
• Poster: A standard poster summarizing the background, engineering challenge, methodology, and research outcomes
• Simulation Platform: AI-powered software designed to automatically optimize electrified propulsion motors while accounting for manufacturing constraints
• Fabricated Component: Fabrication of electric motor component using additive manufacturing equipment in the lab, based on deep learning optimization

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Fundamental knowledge and experience about coding and programming
• Ability to learn and utilize CAD and finite element simulation tool efficiently
• Basic understanding about deep learning, and capability to apply artificial intelligence in solving complex engineering problems

Details of Supervision Arrangements: The student will have weekly in-person meetings with the supervisor at UCL. Additionally, the supervisor will offer hands-on guidance throughout the project. The student will also have the opportunity to collaborate closely with PhD students and visiting scholars in the lab. As the project involves both simulation and experimental fabrication, the student will be granted lab access to contribute to the development of manufacturing and testing platforms.

Project Number: EN3

Teaching tactile skills to robots using imitation learning

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Thomas George Thuruthel
Email address of Supervisor: t.thuruthel@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Towards humans-like dexterous manipulation using soft robotic technologies

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Achieving human-level dexterity in object manipulation is a long-standing problem in robotics. The overarching project looks at using soft robotic technologies for solving this problem.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Teaching tactile skills to robots using imitation learning

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The core idea of this project is to leverage human knowledge to bootstrap robots with tactile skills that are the primary building blocks for dexterous manipulation. We will use robotic devices equipped with tactile sensors to investigate the tactile patterns emergent in complex manipulation tasks.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): If possible, we will try to publish the results in an academic journal or conference.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? No.  Please contact the supervisor to agree the project dates.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Maths
• Basic programming (python or MATLAB),
• Data analysis

A background in machine learning would be a bonus.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Physical meeting once a week. Lab space will be provided with access to equipments and resources.

Institute of Education

Project Number: IOE1

Ecosystems of Leadership: A Review

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Professor Zachary Walker
Email address of Supervisor: zachary.walker@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): The Ecosystem of Leadership

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: We have developed an Ecosystem of Leadership and we are currently writing a book on it. The pillars(culture, systems, strategy, people) will be explored and practical examples provided.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Ecosystems of Leadership: A Review

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: This project will include multiple components of book publication: literature reviews, editing, proposal writing, graphic design, etc. The scholar will help go through the process with the academic and support/lead certain aspects of it. It will be all encompassing and is fit for those interested in learning more about general research, writing, and publication.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): None

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Dates are flexible.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Must take initiative
• Good writing skills
• Be highly organized.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: We can be flexible but there will be at least one meeting per week.

Project Number: IOE2

Generation UCL: creating impact from a bicentenary book

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Sam Blaxland
Email address of Supervisor: s.blaxland@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Generation UCL

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Generation UCL is a major research and engagement project, funded by a Provost’s Award, that seeks to turn the history of UCL upside down by telling it through the eyes of students since the 1820s, through to the present day. The major output from project is a scholarly monograph on the history of student life in London since the 1820s, co-authored by Georgina Brewis and Sam Blaxland. Alongside detailed archival work, the project team have spent the past 24 months interviewing a range of former students about their experiences, amassing in the process a unique collection of spoken testimonies about student life in London. These will be preserved in the College archive and will be an invaluable resource for scholars in the future. The project has now amassed 85 recorded oral testimonies, all of which have been fully transcribed. The current (until December 2024) Octagon Gallery exhibition on the history of student life is one output from the project's research activities. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Generation UCL: creating impact from a bicentenary book

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: We would like a student to assist with the final stages of the Generation UCL project, in the lead up to our book being published as part of UCL's bicentenary celebrations in February 2026. By this time, we will be in the final stages of revising the manuscript as it goes into production with UCL Press, and a scholar might help with elements of this, including image captions, proofing, or collating archival material that we have accumulated as part of the research process. The student might help finalise the oral history element of the research, checking transcripts, helping archive recordings, and identifying key themes from the collection that will help promote it. They will also be able to take part in planning for promotion and marketing events, because the publication of the book will be a significant part of the bicentenary celebrations.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The project offers a unique opportunity to assist with one of the major academic outputs of UCL's bicentenary, and the scholar will be credited for the work they do. They may wish to write a blog for our project website on the work they undertook, which would sit alongside many other reflections from students who have worked with us.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? No.  Dates to be agreed with the supervisor.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Attention to detail
• An interest in history
• Strong organisational skills

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly meetings or check ins. 

Project Number: IOE3

Enhancing the Global South Perspective in Decolonising Doctoral Education

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Enze Guo
Email address of Supervisor: e.guo@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Decolonising Doctoral Education: Experiences and Expectations of Global South Doctoral Students

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This project addresses the critical need to incorporate the underrepresented voices of doctoral students from the Global South into the conversation on decolonising research culture at UCL's Institute of Education. It focuses on the specific challenges these students face within predominantly Western academic systems and their expectations for more inclusive and equitable doctoral education. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Enhancing the Global South Perspective in Decolonising Doctoral Education

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The scholar will conduct a literature review and We would like the scholar to listen methodically to the student voices we have gathered about focus group and to think about the ways in which the project team and wider academics use these data.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Presentation materials for faculty workshops and conferences.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Critical analysis skills for engaging with literature and research data
• Strong written communication skills to summarise findings effectively
• An interest in decolonisation and higher education research.

Details of Supervision Arrangements:

• Weekly meetings via Teams or Zoom to review progress and provide feedback.
• Midpoint and final reviews to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Occasional in-person meetings if feasible and necessary. 

Project Number: IOE4

Esther's Army: Uncovering the Power of Right-Wing Christian Women in the U.S.

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Katie Gaddini
Email address of Supervisor: k.gaddini@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): The Politics of Religion

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This project examines the intersection of gender, religion and politics in the US. In particular, it combines multiple methods to investigate Christian women's support for conservative politics from 1970 to present. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Esther's Army: Uncovering the Power of Right-Wing Christian Women in the U.S.

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: As part of a multi-method study on Christian women and conservative politics in the US, I am writing a book and various scholarly outputs in summer 2025. The Laidlaw Scholar will primarily help me organise data related to chapters of the book, and this may involve some historical archival data collection (online), social media data collection, fact-checking, literature reviewing, and collating references.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): We can discuss additional outputs depending on the interests of the scholar. Past Laidlaw Scholars have co-presented research with me at departmental talks, and written blog posts for the IOE.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Ability to conduct a literature review (find related scholarly literature, read and articulate the main ideas)
• Ability to locate historical material online through digitised newspaper websites or online archives
• Good organisation skills, especially when dealing with various data streams, different literatures, etc.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: I usually meet with fellows once a week or every other week, depending on what we think is best and their needs. 

Faculty of Laws

Project Number: LA1

A critical perspective on English contract law

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Niamh Connolly
Email address of Supervisor: n.connolly@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): A critical perspective on English contract law

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: I am interested in supervising research on critical perspectives on contract law, in order to inform and enrich my teaching of contract law at UCL. Traditionally, contract law has often been taught in quite a doctrinal way, in which we accept judges’ values and assumptions about what justice in private law relations looks like. Private law generally assumes that people interact on an equal footing, and that any inequalities that actually exist between people should not affect the rules. Limiting the frame of debate in this way can be quite conservative. It dovetails with a liberal prioritisation within contract law of guiding values such as individual freedom and commercial certainty. While these values are important, a contract law designed to uphold them might reinforce the privilege of those who are already advantaged in society. By focusing on this limited group of core values as the most important legitimate concerns within contract law, we are likely to neglect other important perspectives on what the law ought to achieve, and how it can promote justice in the interactions between private parties. Notice, for instance, that English contract law has an extremely limited doctrine of unconscionable bargains, whereas other common law jurisdictions around the world are more willing to use this tool to regulate exploitative contracts. American legal scholarship has articulated critical perspectives on legal doctrine for a long time already. Some of these critical perspectives examine the effect of the law on people of different races or genders. Less work has been done in the UK legal and social context to interrogate critically the effect of English contract law on people of different races, wealth, gender or sexuality. One approach would be to draw insights from American scholarship and investigate how they might apply in the different UK context by researching the primary legal materials. My primary purpose in proposing this as a Laidlaw research project is to enrich my teaching of contract law. I plan also to present outputs on our research findings at conferences, and perhaps to publish journal articles. I am looking for a student who is personally interested in applying a critical lens to an aspect of contract law that the student chooses, focusing on a specific critical perspective and working in a fairly self-directed way, that will feed in to our understanding of the wider issues.

If you are asked to describe your understanding of the project on the application form, please explain your own mini-project, not the wider contextual information I give in this introduction. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: A critical perspective on English contract law

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: **Important: this project requires you to think up your own mini research project before you apply.  You should choose the option "I will propose my own project" on the application form, and preface your project title with "LA1" to link to this listing.** You will have to come up with your own research question, and describe how you will find the answer to this question during a six-week Laidlaw research project. Please describe your proposed individual project as specifically as possible in your application, as this will play an important part in how applications for this project will be judged. I am not going to design your project for you, and I will need to see that you have already come up with an interesting idea that will work in practice.
I am looking for a Laidlaw Scholar who has a keen personal and intellectual interest in designing their own research project that will examine some aspect of contract law from a specific critical perspective. Applicants must spend time thinking carefully about the specific research question that they wish to investigate before they write their Laidlaw application. Each applicant’s specific proposal will be evaluated on the basis of what they write in their application. 

Do you consider that the values and assumptions of contract law neglect or are somehow inadequate to respond appropriately to the real-world situations and needs of some groups of people? Do certain rules work unfairly for certain groups of people? If so, are you interested in researching this question in an intellectually-rigorous way? Can you help to articulate how the law is imperfect, or how it might be improved? 

If you are interested in doing this project, please decide for yourself on a specific research question that fits into the overarching theme. Identify the perspective from which you would like to interrogate contract law doctrine (eg race or gender) and think carefully in advance about which specific doctrines of contract law you will focus on. 

Previous Laidlaw scholars have studied the historical rules that deprived married women of legal capacity; undue influence in intimate relationships; and the difficulties faced by refugees in London in obtaining employment.

The scope of your project should not be too broad to answer in six weeks. What question would be specific enough for you to investigate and answer within this short period? Your question can be quite narrow and still contribute to our understanding of the overall theme. Think about what method you will use to find the answer to your research question. What kind of evidence or reasoning will you use to analyse the law? Will you focus on case law/doctrine, or will you draw on scholarship from areas outside law? You may use any expertise you have, including outside of law. I have an open mind concerning what research question you would like to study or how you plan to investigate it. You can study doctrines that are not currently on the UCL contract law syllabus, if you think they are important. If you have a good idea for a project, submit it. Don’t hesitate because it might differ from examples I mention here.

Please do think carefully about your specific research question and the method that you will be able to use to formulate an answer to that question: a well thought-through research proposal is likely to impress the selection panel. I recommend that you do a little prior reading and reflection to enable you to identify a topic or question that is likely to provide an illuminating research focus. Check out whether literature already exists on your proposed topic, that you can build on. Even though your project will be a relatively small one, involving six weeks’ work, it will make a valuable contribution to scholarship if you choose an important socially-relevant subtopic and explore it thoroughly, carefully and insightfully. 

These Laidlaw projects typically begin in the summer with the scholar reading the secondary literature, to familiarise themselves with the existing scholarship that articulates critical perspectives on contract law. I will expect the scholar to conduct original primary research into English case law, using legal databases, and to engage thoroughly with case law. They will use their critical analytical skills to interrogate what they discover in the cases. This will not just be the doctrinal legal analysis that we typically do in a law degree, which takes the law’s basic assumptions for granted and focuses on the quality of legal reasoning. Rather, the scholar will engage in a broader critique of the law’s values and operation. Given the plurality and complexity of the common law, it is conceivable that the student might discover ways in which the case law does actually try to protect less-advantaged people, despite its articulated commitment to upholding the terms of bargains. I will expect the researcher to approach the evidence in a balanced and fair-minded way, paying attention to evidence that points in different directions and making sense of how it fits together. The scholar might use empirical evidence or material from disciplines other than law to highlight deficiencies in the law. If the scholar wishes to do empirical research (such as a survey) they should talk to me about this early so that they can write a request for ethics approval a month or two before starting the project. In addition to identifying difficulties with the operation of the current law, the student might be able to formulate and advocate for specific reforms to the law. I have an open mind and welcome the scholar’s own ideas about how they will investigate their research question. 

Remember to be concrete and specific in your application in how you explain the mini-project that you are proposing! I look forward to reading your ideas.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar: During the research process, I expect the scholar to discuss their research findings with me orally, to keep written notes of their research, and occasionally to write me a written note on a point.
As their research outputs, I expect the scholar to prepare:
•    a database (spreadsheet) that presents the relevant information about the case law that they locate and analyse
•    an essay on this topic (the format can vary: the scholar might choose to prepare an article or blog post for publication)
•    a poster presenting their findings

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? No.  Dates to be agreed with the supervisor.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

The scholar must:

• Combine an awareness of and interest in interrogating contract law from critical perspectives (such as race, relative wealth or gender) with the ability to conduct rigorous, evidence-based research
• Be committed to independently locating relevant case law, by searching databases of legal cases, and have the skills both to find relevant case law and to identify and understand judges’ reasoning (using the common law method)
• Write clearly, concisely and in a well-structured way

Details of Supervision Arrangements: I will meet the scholar about once a week, online, during the project period to discuss their work. In previous years we have also been fortunate to recruit an assistant supervisor (such as a PhD researcher) to discuss the scholar's research with them too and offer feedback. 

Note: To apply for this project, follow the Self-Proposed route on the online application form and complete the additional sections required.  Quote project number "LA1" at the start of your proposed project title.

Project Number: LA2

Contractual silences, the allocation of risk and the scope for legal remedies outside the parties' agreement

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Niamh Connolly
Email address of Supervisor: n.connolly@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Contractual Silence and the Interplay of Contract and Unjust Enrichment

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This Laidlaw research project relates to a research project that I am doing, investigating the meaning and implications of silences or gaps in contracts.

A tricky question that arises in contract law is when we should interpret the silence of a contract about a certain eventuality as meaning either (a) that the contract is implicitly allocating the risk of that event to one party or (b) that the contract does not provide for what should happen in this scenario. 
This issue was central to the Supreme Court decision in Barton v Morris [2023] UKSC 3. The contract provided for payment if certain conditions were met, but did not stipulate any payment if they were not (it was silent about ‘lesser’ performance). The majority in the Supreme Court held that the conditional promise to pay implicitly excluded any form of payment if the conditions for payment were not met. It followed that it was impossible to imply a term in fact or in law, or even to allow a remedy outside of contract using unjust enrichment law, as this would contradict the bargain. Consequently, no payment was due under either contract law or unjust enrichment law for services provided. Lord Leggatt and Lord Burrows dissented, finding that it was possible to imply a term in law requiring reasonable payment for services requested. Lord Burrows also considered that the contract left room for a claim in unjust enrichment. I suggest that you read this Supreme Court decision if you are applying for this project. It will help you to understand the issue that I am investigating and with which I am inviting you to assist me.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Contractual silences, the allocation of risk and the scope for legal remedies outside the parties' agreement

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The question that we will investigate in this research project is when (if ever) we should treat the parties’ silence about certain scenarios as a gap in their bargain, and what scope silence should leave for various doctrines of contract law and unjust enrichment law to operate. As a general rule, there is no scope for restitution of unjust enrichment where a contract expressly or impliedly establishes liability. I propose to test the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the conditional contractual obligation as excluding other forms of liability. This will include reflecting on how we ought to interpret the silence of the contract concerning certain contingencies. Perhaps we should understand silence differently depending on whether the contingency not provided for was foreseen by the parties (in which case we might understand the silence to allocate the risk) or unforeseen by them. Perhaps the appropriate way to address this issue is to refine the rules in unjust enrichment law that govern exactly when there can be a claim in unjust enrichment, even though there is a contract between the parties.

To understand and investigate this issue, we will need to think about implied terms (not on our contract law syllabus); unjust enrichment law (a Year 3 module, not on our contract law syllabus); and the concept of the contractual allocation of risk. Very often, contracts allocate risks expressly (“If X happens, you will pay Y price.”) Sometimes they allocate risks implicitly (“The price is Y (regardless of whether the market price fluctuates)”). 

This issue of silence concerning uncontemplated scenarios may also connect to other issues in contract law. Both mistake and frustration involve cases where the contract does not provide for certain contingencies that were most likely not considered or foreseen by the parties when they made their deal. If we can develop a better understanding of how we ought to understand silence and the legal consequences we should attribute to it, it may have implications for our understanding of these areas of law too.

I will have done some work on this project myself before you join me in June/July. I will ask you to locate, read and analyse cases and articles that are relevant to this investigation. This will require you to have good common law research skills and to be precise in your analysis of the reasoning in cases. I will ask you to record your findings in writing and to share your analysis of the issues orally and in writing. I expect that you will be able to write a report, essay or article of your own on this topic at the end of your Laidlaw research. I will be more directive in this project than I am in other Laidlaw projects (for which I often ask students to come up with their own research topic). 

In your application, please do not simply regurgitate what I say here about this project! Have a think for yourself about the issue I have described and use your Laidlaw application to show that you understand the issue and can relate it to your general understanding of contract law.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): I will ask you to produce a record (summary spreadsheet) of the cases that you read and the reasoning in them.  I invite you to produce your project report in a form that articulates your own substantive analysis of the issues, such as a legal article or blog post that you could seek to publish.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes, though I can be flexible if needed.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• You must understand the common law method (case law) and be able to identify relevant cases (using case law databases) and analyse the reasoning in them.
• You must have prior expertise in English (or common law) contract law (the UCL Year 1 contract law module is an appropriate basis).
• You must be able to explain your thinking and analysis clearly and concisely, whether orally or in writing.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: I will meet the scholar working on this project once a week, online. In previous years, we have also recruited a PhD student to work as a co-supervisor, and we may be able to do this again. Both I and any co-supervisor will discuss your work with you and offer feedback on your written work. 

 

Faculty of Life Sciences

Project Number: LS1

Developing electrospun fast dissolving medicines for children

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Karolina Dziemidowicz
Email address of Supervisor: k.dziemidowicz@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Cyclodextrin based electrospun fibres for taste masking in paediatric medicines applications

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Even the most effective medicine does not work if the patient refuses to take it. This is particularly true in paediatrics as liquid medicines are the norm but many taste very bitter, hindering administration. Moreover, children are commonly unable to swallow neutral tasting pills, which makes dosing them with alternative dosage forms a real challenge.

To overcome the issue of foul taste and swallowability, new child-friendly palatable formulations need to be developed.
Using a method called electrospinning which resembles that of making candyfloss, we have been exploring formulating thin, porous films that disintegrate (possibly even in the mouth) within seconds. In this cheap and scalable approach, bad tasting drugs can be combined with a taste masking agent called "cyclodextrins", leading to a palatable dosage form easy to take by children.

The proposed project aims to combine Cornell University expertise team (USA) in developing electrospun cyclodextrin materials with that of UCL (UK) team in formulating paediatric medicines and testing poorly tasting drug products to propose new formulations for children.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Developing electrospun fast dissolving medicines for children

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The student will join an international team (UCL and Cornell University) to work on the preliminary development of electrospun cyclodextrin-based formulations for children. We will aim to produce prototype formulations of poorly tasting antibiotics to a) mask unpleasant taste b) increase stability of the medicine in room temperature to avoid refrigeration needed in currently used paediatric suspensions. The student will learn the principles of drug product development guided by pharmaceutical industry as well as following laboratory techniques: electrospinning, NMR, XRD, FTIR, DSC, disintegration and dissolution assessment according to United States Pharmacopoeia standards.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster):  The scholar will join an ongoing research project and will be included in the preparation and authorship of any research articles arising from this scholarship. We will be happy to stay in touch to update them on the progress.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes by agreement between supervisor and scholar.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Enthusiasm for drug product development
• Willingness to learn new laboratory techniques
• Research skills in biomedical sciences/engineering/pharmacy

Details of Supervision Arrangements: This will largely depend on the student and the way they prefer to work. I am available to meet weekly, the student will join a multidisciplinary team within Dr Dziemidowicz and Prof Catherine Tuleu's labs.
 

Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS)

Project Number: MA1

How to assess the benefits of GenAI in higher education.

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Myles Harris
Email address of Supervisor: myles.harris@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): GenAI and higher education

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: GenAI is revolutionising society, including higher education. The sector is currently divided on issues such as (1) allowing or prohibiting GenAI, (2) how to assess for use of GenAI, and (3) teaching student how to use GenAI effectively and ethically. Nevertheless, the development of GenAI is continuing. At this cusp point, universities have a choice to harness GenAI as a tool to excel student and research capabilities, or resist the inevitable take up of GenAI by the rest of society. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: How to assess the benefits of GenAI in higher education.

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: GenAI is a language processing tool that has the potential to catalyse how students learn, work, and conduct research. Universities are traditionally a place where students are equipped with life-long learning skills that are transferable to industry. At this cusp point in the GenAI revolution, universities could become a place where students are equipped with knowledge and experience of using GenAI to excel their work. The aim of this project is to investigate how the benefits of using GenAI can be assessed in higher education. The objectives are to (1) analyse the impact of GenAI on higher education, (2) define the current impact scope of GenAI on higher education, and (3) explore how the benefits of GenAI could be assessed in higher education.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster):

• To be a co-author on an academic journal article for publication.
• Submit abstract to UCL Education Conference 2025. 
• Write a blog article for publication – optional.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Critical analysis
• Secondary data analysis
• Experience of using GenAI.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly supervisory meetings online or in person. Opportunity to meet with academic members of staff. Desk booking or remote working options. 

Project Number: MA2

Climate change in Earth’s polar regions from remote sensing observations

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Rosemary Willatt
Email address of Supervisor: r.willatt@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Our group conducts a number of projects into the state of ice in the polar regions for climate studies, and this project ties into these.

Brief Summary of Main Research Project:  

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Climate change in Earth’s polar regions from remote sensing observations

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Satellite remote sensing provides data on the remote and inhospitable polar regions, generating insights into the cryosphere, a sensitive indicator of climate change. This project will examine data over sea ice from satellites and/or other relevant sensors, writing computer code in Python to process and analyse the data and produce visualisations. The results will be considered in the context of assumptions made in relation to processing and interpretation of satellite data collected over sea ice for climate science.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Provide any code developed during the project (to us, not public)

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Experience of writing computer code (Python preferred but other languages considered)
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and report writing

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Supervisor-student meetings will take place approximately once per week (online or in person). There are weekly team meetings which the student can attend with the wider team. We would be happy for the student to work remotely or on site. 

Project Number: MA3

Controlling solid- and fluid-like behaviour in biological tissues

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Matthew Butler
Email address of Supervisor: matthew.butler@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Biomechanics of extra-cellular matrices

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Many biological cells (e.g. in tissue, bacterial biofilms) protect themselves with a surrounding solid skeleton, called an extra-cellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is made from proteins produced by the cells themselves. This material provides structural support for the growing cells, and protection from mechanical stresses. We are interested in understanding how the cells maintain the ECM, and how it resists and adapts to applied forcing and deformation. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Controlling solid- and fluid-like behaviour in biological tissues

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: This project involves using mathematical models to understand the mechanics of biological materials. We are interested in investigating the relationship between the applied force and the deformation in the material, particularly while accompanying cells act to replace the underlying material at a microscopic level. The aim is to understand how this replacement behaviour affects whether the material behaves more “solid-like” (elastic) or “fluid-like” (flowing), and how the biological system may control this behaviour.

Depending on the student’s interests, this project may involve:

1. Applying mechanical balances and conservation laws
2. Modelling systems of reactions
3. Deriving and solving differential equations
4. Writing code for numerical solvers
5. Implementing probabilistic models

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): There is the option to present results at an internal group meeting, if desired.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Standard dates may be possible, but the start may clash with upcoming conferences, so may need to adjust by a week or two.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Knowledge of calculus (integration & differentiation), and ability to solve ordinary differential equations (analytically and/or numerically)
• Understanding of Newtonian mechanics
• Ability to write code for scientific computing (e.g MATLAB or Python)

Details of Supervision Arrangements: There will be regular one-to-one update meetings once a week, predominantly in-person. I will also make time available outside of these meetings, as necessary, for additional support and guidance.  There is also the opportunity to meet and interact with researchers in the UCL applied maths/mathematical biology community, and possibly wider within UCL. 

Medical Sciences

Project Number: MS1

Exploring Lifestyle Patterns, Cognitive Function and Wellbeing Using Wearable Trackers

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Isla Jones & Dr Flaminia Ronca
Email address of Supervisor: isla.jones.19@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): The Active Brain Project

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The overarching project (the Active Brain Project) aims to investigate the effects of various lifestyle factors, such as physical activity patterns, sleep, social interactions and diet, on cognitive function and wellbeing, across university students, office workers and shift workers. This project will use wearable wrist-based trackers to measure heart rate and movement patterns 24/7 over a period of two weeks, and participants will complete daily questionnaires and cognitive tests. The results from this project aim to elucidate how different lifestyle factors may impact cognitive function and mental wellbeing, and how this might differ across night shift workers and office workers. Furthermore, the data will be used to develop future wellbeing interventions as well as personalised reports for each participant. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Exploring Lifestyle Patterns, Cognitive Function and Wellbeing Using Wearable Trackers

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The summer project will focus on analysing data collected from the wearable devices in the Active Brain Project. The student(s) will contribute to analysing the rich dataset collected in this project, focusing on one targeted research question, with some flexibility based on the student’s research interests. An example could be exploring differences in how activity levels vary across night shift and office workers, and whether this also differs depending on individuals’ personality factors. All data will be fully pre-processed ready for analyses before the summer project begins. The insights gained will support the broader project aims to understand lifestyle influences on cognition and wellbeing, which will guide the development of future targeted health interventions. This project provides an excellent opportunity to develop skills in data analysis and gain hands-on experience with wearable technology in a research context focused on real-world applications.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The scholar will be required to present their findings in a lab meeting with the wider team, and create a brief summary document of key results for non-academic audiences. In addition, a brief report will be produced for industry partners involved in the project.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Some experience with data handling, data visualisation or statistics
• Some coding experience (preferably R or Matlab), or willingness to learn
• Engaged and keen to collaborate with a wider team of researchers in various fields

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly lab meetings with the wider team, with opportunities for additional 1-2-1 (or small group) meetings as desired throughout. Lab/office space at the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, UCL. 

Project Number: MS2

Effects of extended reality (XR) technology on affective and perceptual responses to physical activity

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Bird
Email address of Supervisor: j.m.bird@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Extended reality (XR) technology in physical activity contexts

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Sustained engagement in physical activity can help in the prevention and management of several non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Despite the evidence supporting the benefits of physical activity, there is a high incidence of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour globally. Accordingly, there is a need for evidence-based interventions to promote engagement in regular physical activity among the general population. This project will explore the application of extended reality (XR) technologies (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality) in physical activity contexts. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Effects of extended reality (XR) technology on affective and perceptual responses to physical activity

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The scholar could feasibility contribute to this line of scientific inquiry in two broad ways. First, they could assist with systematic reviews of the XR-physical activity literature. This would allow us to understand how the technology is currently being implemented and its effects on the physical activity experience. Second, the scholar could help with experimental research. This could involve piloting new XR applications and/or helping collect data in the laboratory.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): No additional outputs.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes, upon agreement between scholar and supervisor.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Interest in physical activity/exercise psychology/behavioural sciences.
• Competence with technology (ideally XR technology).
• Ability to work independently and come up with ideas for the project with support from the supervisor.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: This will largely depend on the student and how they prefer to work. It is feasible to have regular meetings with the supervisor and the wider research team. 

Project Number: MS3

Bone Modelling by visualising and quantifying hydroxyapatite

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr. Fidel Peacock
Email address of Supervisor: fidel.peacock@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Enhancing bone modelling visualisation and quantification in culture

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The current quantification of bone nodule number, area and volume in cell culture, is challenging given their size and shape. Fluorescence microscopy has rarely been used for this purpose but offers a method to both visualise hydroxyapatite specifically and quantify it. This project aims to investigate whether hydroxyapatite can be better visualised and quantified in culture using state-of-the-art fluorescence microscopy. An enhanced understanding of hydroxyapatite formation will help to confirm the effects of novel drugs, proteins and biomaterials.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Visualising and quantifying hydroxyapatite in culture for bone modelling

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The current quantification of bone nodule number, area and volume in cell culture, is challenging given their size and shape. Fluorescence microscopy has rarely been used for this purpose but offers a method to both visualise hydroxyapatite specifically and quantify it. This project aims to investigate whether hydroxyapatite can be better visualised and quantified in culture using state-of-the-art fluorescence microscopy. An enhanced understanding of hydroxyapatite formation will help to confirm the effects of novel drugs, proteins and biomaterials.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The scholar will also be expected to create and talk through a powerpoint presentation of their key findings during a lab meeting near the end of their project. This meeting will consist of the principle investigators, the supervisor (myself) and a number of postdocs, PhD/ MRes students. We will be happy to stay in touch to update them on the progress.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• The scholar must have a genuine interest in the project and enthusiastically engage with all aspects of lab based and non-lab based work. i.e, analysis of data, attending lab meetings where available.
• The scholar must be intuitive, capable of using common sense to adequately perform in the lab such as pipettes, centrifuges, and microscopes, or a willingness to learn these skills.
• The scholar must be able to quickly develop confidence and competence during their training.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: 

• The scholar and the supervisor will work closely together in the lab.
• The scholar and supervisor will have in person meetings to discuss progress of the project and any concerns the student has. 
• The scholar will interact with all lab members (Postdocs, PhD students, MRes students, final year BSc students) where data and ideas will be discussed.
• The scholar is welcome to attend weekly departmental research meetings, to obtain a greater insight into the wider research environment. 
• The scholar will sit among the lab members in the lab and in the office in order to promote interactions between them and the lab members.

Population Health Sciences

Project Number: PH1

Optimisation of a diagnostic assay for HIV Monitoring

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Kathleen Gartner
Email address of Supervisor: k.gartner@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Optimisation of methods for rapid diagnostics of pathogens

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Rapid diagnostics of pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses, are important when immediate treatment decisions need to be made (e.g. antibiotic treatment in cases of sepsis) or for diagnosis and monitoring of infections (e.g. HIV) with minimal inconvenience for patients. 
One aspect of this project focuses on HIV diagnostic, which is a life-long condition, but virus replication can be very well suppressed to undetectable levels with antiretroviral treatment (ART). Initial diagnostic is important, but due to its persistent nature and potential of the virus to develop resistances to ART regular monitoring of virus titres is necessary. Approved diagnostic assays use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to look for viral RNA in blood plasma and if rebound of HIV is detected the drug regimen can be adjusted accordingly. However, this method requires extracted samples, which can only be isolated in specialised laboratories, has a high turnaround-time from sample taking to result and is costly. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays are less sensitive towards impurities in samples, are faster and more cost-effective compared to PCR methods. The Laidlaw student will help to optimise a LAMP assay for HIV that in the future can be used outside specialised laboratories, which is especially important for fast diagnostic in rural areas of Low-and-Middle-Income countries. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Optimisation of a diagnostic assay for HIV Monitoring

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: As described above, current methods for diagnostic and monitoring of HIV infection is based on PCR methods which require sample extraction, specially trained personnel and specialised laboratories. In our lab we developed a colourimetric LAMP assay to detect HIV in extracted samples within 30 minutes, which is already much faster than PCR methods and easier to use. The Laidlaw student will help to further optimise this assay, with special focus on using non-extracted, inactivated HIV samples, using the following methods:
1.    quantitative PCR (qPCR) and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) to quantify HIV DNA and RNA, respectively, in HIV+ extracted nucleic acid samples to determine sensitivity and specificity of these assays
2.    colourimetric LAMP of the same samples and non-extracted, inactivated samples to compare sensitivity and specificity between methods
3.    analysis and interpretation of the results, i.e. by using qPCR analysis software
The interpretation of the results will be important to inform about the sensitivity of the LAMP assay, its robustness and feasibility for implementation outside diagnostic laboratories. Special focus will lie on the potential of the LAMP assay to be used on non-extracted, inactivated HIV samples, which would omit the extraction step, further increasing turnaround-time from sample taking to result.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The scholar will present their results in our internal lab meeting.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes, but flexible.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Willingness and time to work in the lab
• Proficient in Microsoft packages (Word, Power Point, Excel)

Details of Supervision Arrangements: The student will be directly supervised in the lab and me and my colleagues will help with analysis of data or the writing up process. They will also participate in our bi-weekly lab meetings. 

Project Number: PH2

Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in children receiving azithromycin using genetic methods

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Dagmar Alber
Email address of Supervisor: d.alber@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Development of a simple cost-effective method to monitor antimicrobial resistance development in children receiving azithromycin

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: There is mounting evidence that mass drug administration of the antibiotic azithromycin to young children can significantly reduce under-5 child mortality. Our research group is part of an international collaboration who is interested in establishing whether the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in these children may ultimately outweigh this benefit. The standard method for AMR testing involves growing bacteria in the laboratory in the presence of the antibiotic of interest to determine its sensitivity/ resistance pattern. An alternative method looks at known resistance genes using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) or sequencing.  However, these methods are time-consuming, expensive and require trained staff and well- equipped laboratories. Therefore, these assays are often difficult to implement in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a simple, cost-effective nucleic acid-based assay that is already being used to detect several pathogens in clinical samples. The Laidlaw student will optimise LAMP assays to detect specific bacteria and their resistance profile against azithromycin. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in children receiving azithromycin using genetic methods

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The Project aims to develop and optimise a simple fast and cost-effective LAMP assay which can be used outside a laboratory environment. The student will learn how to culture bacteria in the laboratory and test for AMR. In addition, qPCR assays and potentially some bacterial whole genome sequencing will be carried out to determine the resistance genes present in the bacterial isolates. We are currently working on a LAMP assay to detect azithromycin resistance genes in nasopharyngeal swab samples in order to speed up AMR detection. Further optimisation and validation of this assay will be performed including comparison to standard techniques (culture and qPCR). The student will gain a broad insight and experience in performing various microbiological and molecular methods.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Presentation of project and results to the research group at a lab-meeting

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes, but this is flexible.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order toundertake your project successfully: 

• Willingness to work in the lab
• Good organisational skills
• Attention to detail.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: The student will be fully supervised in the laboratory and guidance will be given with regards to data analysis and write-up. The student will be exposed to other scientists through informal discussion within the group, but also be joining regular lab meetings and departmental seminars.

Social and Historical Sciences

Project Number: SH1

Naval Blockades in Latin American History

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Luis Schenoni
Email address of Supervisor: luis.schenoni@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): The Decline of Militarised Conflict in the Americas

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Interstate war occurred frequently throughout the Western Hemisphere until it virtually disappeared in the 1930s. Low-level militarized conflict continued afterwards, but became less frequent, shorter, and less severe, in comparison to other regions. This project argues that this resulted from the development of a unique norm complex in the Americas—one that emerged around independence, cascaded with Pan-Americanism, and crystallized around the 1933 Saavedra Lamas Treaty. In this study, we advance a theoretical argument that augments the classic norm cycle framework with a punctuated equilibrium model to explain this norm complex’s development. We also combine historical narrative, within-case counterfactuals, and quantitative analysis to investigate the constraining effects of the norm complex, as well as how its causal mechanism operates. Alternative explanations cannot account for the myriad, issue-specific behaviours we identify. War in the Americas virtually disappeared once states committed to territorial integrity and non-intervention. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Naval Blockades in Latin American History

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: This project will work on the first database of naval blockades since the nineteenth century to explore the causes and consequences of these events in the Western Hemisphere.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Database of British blockades in the Western Hemisphere, based on archival work in the British Library. A map showing the location of the blockades.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Very basic knowledge of Excel or statistical software
• Ideally (but not necessarily) Spanish language.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Bi-weekly meetings, plus opportunity to write a paper for publication.

Project Number: SH2

Fire Burns: The Criminal Offence of Arson

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Lily Chang
Email address of Supervisor: L.Chang@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Fire Burns: The Criminal Offence of Arson

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The evolutionary role of fire in shaping humanity, ecology, habitats, and environments is not new. Excepting language, the human discovery of fire is, as Charles Darwin considered, the most important achievement of humanity. In agrarian societies, fire has been used as a form of crop regeneration but also in protest. The accidental setting of fires can also result in bodily harm, injury or damage to infrastructure. Arson or incendiarism, the act of intentionally setting fires, is however, a peculiar and particular type of criminal offence, which cannot be viewed in isolation.\\\\\\\

Drawing on the different expressions and uses of fire, this project considers how relative degrees of harm were understood and applied to incidents where arson was suspected in modern Chinese history. The familiar Chinese idiom 放火杀人 (set fire to kill) can also be read as 杀人放火 (to kill, then set a fire). In sharing this linguistic symmetry, the sequence of actions is made clear. However, the intent of the perpetrator is much more ambiguous: was fire weaponised as a tool in order to perpetrate a crime; or was the fire set because a crime had already been perpetrated? Both interpretations point to the use of human use of fire as a wilful act - one that commands agency from an individual or group. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Fire Burns: The Criminal Offence of Arson

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The Laidlaw scholar will be asked to review English-language scholarship in the humanities and social sciences about the uses and expressions of fire in the late eighteenth to twentieth centuries. The aim is to compile a bibliography and synthesis or annotated review of the literature. In consultation with the supervisor, the Laidlaw scholar may also specialise on a region of history that aligns closer to their own research interests in addition to China. The contributions of the Laidlaw scholar will form the basis of a wider conceptual framework for a comparative project that traces the legal development of arson in modern Chinese history with other legal systems.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): To compile a bibliography and synthesis or annotated review of the literature.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes. An earlier start date is possible and can be negotiated provided that the student has completed all formative and summative assessments

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Combine an awareness of, and interest in, history and law with the ability to conduct independent research
• Be committed to independently locating relevant secondary scholarship by searching databases (eg: JStor, library catalogues)
• Write clearly, concisely and in a well-structured way.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Individual meetings with the supervisor (at least three) either in person/online.  Additional individual meetings with an assistant supervisor (PhD student) on a weekly basis to discuss their work and offer feedback. 

Project Number: SH3

Albrecht Dürer in UCL Art Museum

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Allison Stielau
Email address of Supervisor: a.stielau@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): German Renaissance Prints and Drawings in UCL Art Museum

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This is a long-term project to expand our knowledge and understanding of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century drawings, engravings, woodcuts, and etchings produced by German artists in UCL Art Museum. This collection contains works by important artists (such as Albrecht Dürer, Martin Schongauer, Heinrich Aldegrever, Hans Schäufelein, Lucas Cranach, and Sebald Beham, among others) whose work defines the early history of print as well as the German Renaissance. The ultimate goal of the project is to produce a catalogue of the Museum's early German works on paper. Earlier stages will be devoted to updating object records with the current state of research and making more of the collection accessible through digitized images in the public-facing catalogue. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Albrecht Dürer in UCL Art Museum

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: This summer's project is devoted to the German painter, printmaker, and art theorist Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528). UCL Art Museum holds numerous impressions of his prints, as well as sixteenth-century copies. A central goal is to update the Museum's files to the current state of research for each of these objects and to make them accessible through digitized images on the publicly-accessible catalogue. Within these parameters the Laidlaw Scholar may pursue, with the guidance of the supervisor, particular themes of their own interest.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The Scholar will be making informal research contributions to the Museum's documentation. Additionally, we would like their work to be featured in at least one blog post on a website associated with the Museum.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? The project will run from June 2-July 11 2025.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• some knowledge of early modern (1450-1700) European history and/or art history
• ability to conduct library research independently
• strong communication skills, particularly writing

Familiarity with printing techniques such as etching, woodcut, and engraving and the ability to read German and/or Latin would be very useful but are not required.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: In addition to formal supervisions with Dr Stielau, there will be study visits to view the Museum's collection in person and consistent interaction with Museum staff, with opportunities to gain knowledge of curatorial and conservation practice. The Scholar will be trained to use research tools specific to the study of Old Master prints at UCL and in the Warburg Library, as well as the British Museum Prints and Drawings Study Room. Suitable working space for the Scholar will be found either in the Museum or in the History of Art Department. 

Project Number: SH4

Disseminating Knowledge in Early Modern Germany: The Illustrated Printed Book, 1493–1542

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Allison Stielau
Email address of Supervisor: a.stielau@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Early Modern German Books in UCL Special Collections

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The goal of this long-term project is to increase knowledge and understanding of the printed books in UCL's Special Collections that were produced in German-speaking lands from around 1450 to 1700. Improving the state of research on these works will make them more visible in the collection and thus accessible for the purposes of teaching and research. This area of Special Collections includes important achievements in the early history of the printed book, such as a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493). There are also significant examples of books designed to disseminate different forms of knowledge in the period, such as the Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer's Treatise on Measurement (1525), the surgeon Hans von Gersdorff's battlefield surgical manual (first ed. 1517), and the botanist Leonhart Fuchs's heavily illustrated 1542 herbarium, De Historia Stirpium. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Disseminating Knowledge in Early Modern Germany: The Illustrated Printed Book, 1493–1542

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The Laidlaw Scholar will conduct research on a selection of UCL's early printed German books, specifically those with illustrations. The goal is to update the internal documentation with the current state of research on these objects and, if possible, to discover more about their provenance in order to enhance UCL Special Collections catalogue work. Working with the supervisor, the Scholar will help to create a Teaching Pack on some of these materials that will be publicly available, facilitating the incorporation of early printed books into teaching at UCL and elsewhere.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): The Scholar will be contributing research informally to the internal documentation of UCL Special Collections. In addition to the report and poster, we would like the Scholar 1) to write at least one short blog post about their research into the collection and 2) to create in consultation with the supervisor a preliminary "Teaching Pack" (4 pages max) with information and resources on a selection of the German illustrated printed books in UCL Special Collections. An edited version of this Pack will be made publicly available for use by tutors at UCL and more broadly for those who would like to incorporate these books into their teaching in disciplines such as History and Art History.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? The project will run from June 2-July 11 2025.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Basic knowledge of early modern (1450-1700) European history and/or art history
• Ability to conduct library research independently
• Strong communication skills, especially writing.

The ability to read in German and/or Latin would be very helpful but is not required.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: In addition to formal supervisions and study visits with Dr Stielau, the Scholar will interact consistently with staff of UCL Special Collections. The Scholar will receive training in handling fragile historical materials and in bibliographic cataloguing and other aspects of researching early printed books. There will be further opportunities for hands-on learning about Special Collections and the curatorial and conservation practices of its staff. A suitable working space will be found for the Scholar in the History of Art Department. 

Project Number: SH5

Storytelling with archaeology

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Sara Perry
Email address of Supervisor: sara.perry@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Transforming data reuse in archaeology (TETRARCHs)

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Today many organisations collect and manage archaeological data to document and preserve cultural landscapes, sites, and objects. Unfortunately, current methods can make it difficult to re-use the data to tell stories and share findings in ways that are democratic, engaging and just. Although a lot of work has been done to make archaeology Findable, Accessible and Interoperable (according to the FAIR Principles), little is understood about whether our data are Reusable – and who is using them.
The TETRARCHs project experiments with approaches to collecting archaeological data and using that data for storytelling in ways that are meaningful for diverse audiences. Our experiments help both those who preserve our heritage and the huge range of citizens across Europe who value it. 
To do so, we are creating new workflows for collecting and managing archaeology and heritage data. Once the workflows are complete, we test them by supporting people who work in creative fields from across Europe to develop new stories and other imaginative works using archaeology data.
For more info: www.tetrarchs.org 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Storytelling with archaeology

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: In 2025 we - the TETRARCHs team - will be collaborating with the Tharros Archaeological Research Project and the Fondazione Mont’e Prama on the island of Sardinia in experiments to open up the excavations and associated archaeological finds in unusual ways to different audiences. The Laidlaw Scholar project will entail supporting the TETRARCHs team in making the archaeological data available online (through Omeka-S) and in liaising with different communities (academic and public) to test the data's reuse in different storytelling activities. Data might include audio and video files, photographs, 3d models, illustrations, LiDAR, maps, and other types of digital outputs created at the archaeological site or from the archaeological finds. The Scholar will work closely with the TETRARCHs team based not only at UCL, but also the Universities of York, Ghent, Lund and Antwerp. They will develop skills in using Omeka-S, as well as in public engagement, and audience evaluation. By the end of the project, together we will have constructed an online environment for Tharros, tested its efficacy with several audiences, and gathered testimonials to support future development of the work.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): As above, the Scholar will be part of a wider effort to create an online (Omeka-S based) environment for archaeological data and excavation records from Tharros.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? We will be on fieldwork in Sardinia for a period of up to two weeks between 9-22 June. It may be possible for the Scholar to join us in the field subject to further discussion with the Scholar and agreement by the wider Tharros Archaeological Research Project. Otherwise, the Scholar will start upon our return in late June.

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Creativity and open-mindedness, which might be demonstrated by past experience creating new content (e.g., imagery, music, audio, code) for different types of audience, or thinking outside of the box to solve problems that affect diverse people.
• Teamwork and commitment to the success of the team.
• Basic digital literacy and an interest to experiment with the digital. For instance, the Scholar might have experience of testing out new types of software or hardware and applying them to an unusual or unexpected task.

Details of Supervision Arrangements:

• Email or MS Teams based communications every 2 days
• Weekly 30 minute meetings with UCL team
• Monthly 30-90 minute meetings with international TETRARCHs team
• Most of the work can be conducted from home, but we will aim to meet in person at UCL's Institute of Archaeology at least 3 times. 

Project Number: SH6

Foreign language education in Europe

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Roland Kappe
Email address of Supervisor: r.kappe@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): The political effects of foreign language education reforms in Europe.

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This ongoing project looks at the impact of foreign language education – and especially foreign language education reforms – on people’s attitudes and political opinion. 

Theory suggests that speaking foreign languages reduces perceptions of cultural distance and contributes to the formation of transnational identities (Benet-Martinez and Haritatos 2005, Kuhn 2011). Recent research also shows a link between foreign language skills and European identity (Kuhn 2015, Díez -Medrano 2017). The project however goes beyond just correlational work and seeks to identify the causal effect of foreign language learning on a variety of social and political attitudes, national and European identity, and political behaviour. Education reforms provide plausibly exogenous variation in individual foreign language learning. The project has resulted in a working paper using education reforms in the United Kingdom, and the next step is to expand this theoretical and empirical framework to other national contexts. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Foreign language education in Europe.

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The project will address the following questions:

• How is foreign language education structured in a specific European country or a small number of countries? 
• What are the key education reforms that affected language education?
• What were the effects of these reforms?

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): For one (or perhaps a small number of) European countries (tbd – taking into account the Laidlaw scholar’s background, educational experiences, interests and language skills):

• Provide a systematic overview of current foreign language education policy. 
• Identify key reforms that affected foreign language education in these countries.
• Produce one (or perhaps a number of) “country reports” that
  •  provides a systematic overview of current foreign language education policy.
  • identifies and describes key reforms that affected foreign language education and includes a ‘timeline’ of foreign language education policy reforms.

If the scholar also has quantitative methods skills, the project could also include some data analysis of the effects of the reform, this would be desirable, but is not an essential component.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes but flexible

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Very good proficiency, especially reading comprehension, in one or more European languages (other than English, German, or Italian which have already been covered) is essential.
• Good written proficiency in English and good academic writing skills (conscientious referencing etc.)
• The ability to read and understand government documents, such as laws, white papers, etc. in the target language, and the ability synthesise existing research on education policy are essential.

Familiarity with the education system of the respective country (e.g. by having attended secondary school) would be desirable but not essential.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: There would be ongoing, approximately weekly meetings over the period. At the very least there will be: 

1. General orientation, overview of the project, goals, expectations.
2. Meeting early during the project to answer questions.
3. Progress meeting (or meetings) to assess progress of the country report.
4. Final meeting after completion of the project.

Related work might be presented at conferences or workshops during or after the six week period. If this is the case – and if practically feasible, and if there is interest – I would be happy to take the Laidlaw scholar to one of these events. This is obviously completely dependent on the circumstances.
 

Project Number: SH7

Analysis of Job Vacancies in Health Visiting

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Gabriella Conti
Email address of Supervisor: gabriella.conti@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Public Health Matters: Health Visiting in the United Kingdom

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This project (awarded the Leverhulme Trust Prize) aims at studying (1) recent trends in workforce quality and composition for the health visiting teams across the United Kingdom (2) the impact of recent cuts and compositional changes in the health visiting workforce on child development and maternal well-being. Most of the health visiting data used in this project has been purposefully collected, mainly via Freedom of Information request, given the lack of a available data. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Analysis of Job Vacancies in Health Visiting

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Within the larger health visiting project described above, the Laidlaw scholar will focus on collecting and analysing job vacancies for UK health visitors. The project will involve (1) collecting job postings from online ads (eg via web-scraping) and departmental databases (eg via FOI requests); (2) analysing job postings to understand patterns in role requirements, responsibilities, and employment conditions across regions (using a combination of textual analysis/Natural Language Processing and data visualisation techniques); (3) linking the job posting with the health visiting teams and providers data, to understand how teams and providers characteristics relate to job attributes.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Data visualisations, and preferably a short video presenting the findings.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Familiarity with text analysis/NLP techniques/webscraping
• Experience with data analysis and basic programming/data visualisation
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational abilities

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly meetings + daily contact (email or MTeams) + several opportunities for wider interactions with my G-Lab (http://gabriellaconti.org/g-lab), made of more than 10 researchers, ranging from PostDocs to RAs. 

Project Number: SH8

Diffusion tensor imaging of primate musculature

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Ashleigh Wiseman
Email address of Supervisor: a.wiseman@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Beyond the bones: Enhanced phylogenetic bracketing of hominin soft tissues

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: The force a muscle generates is dependent on muscle structure, in which its structure and composition all influence force production and subsequent body movement. Muscles are not preserved in the fossil record and, as such, muscle parameters must be estimated from comparative living species when reconstructing the musculature of an extinct individual. This aim of this project is to analyse diffusion tensor imaging of a macaque, orangutan and gorilla's pelvic and lower limb musculature. A diffusion tensor imaging technique using an MRI was applied to these individuals to gain high quality subject-specific muscle architectural parameters in which these parameters can now be digitally measured. The Laidlaw Scholar will process this imaging data and compare the muscular composition in different regions of the limb (i.e., hip versus knee) and then subsequently compare them between species to determine if we can link muscular composition with primary form of locomotion. 

The overarching project has dissected 10 primate cadavers to measure muscle parameters and is using this data to estimate the composition of musculature in extinct species, specifically hominins (our ancestors). Doing so will advance how we model why humans walk on two legs. 

Objectives of the overarching project:  The project is centred on two goals, each comprising two research questions: 

1. Phylogenetically bracket the musculature of hominins using a comprehensive dataset of measured primate muscle parameters to aid future hominin muscle reconstructions.
   1. How similar are muscle parameters across the primate order? 
   2. Are muscle parameters distinguishable in primates according to their primary form of locomotion?
2.  Estimate the muscle parameters in a range of hominin species.
   1. Do genera (Australopithecus versus Homo) have greater similarity in muscle parameters within groups than between groups? 
   2. Is muscle parametrical estimation in hominins likely improved by using an enhanced phylogenetic bracket? 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Diffusion tensor imaging of primate musculature

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: The Laidlaw scholar will process the diffusion tensor imaging data using segmentation protocols. They will then compare the muscular composition in different regions of the limb (i.e., hip versus knee) and subsequently compare them between species to determine if we can link muscular composition with primary form of locomotion. 

This work will be computer-based in the Anthropology Department. The work will primarily involve segmentation of soft tissues and also of the bones. The work will be analysed in association with the supervisor to determine how muscle fibres sit in the body. 

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): No additional outputs.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Confident computing skills. Segmentation involves problem-solving software issues at times. For example, experience of gaming, or coding, or regular use of software would indicate confident computing skills.
• Basic statistical knowledge. 
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Weekly check-in meeting. Can be more regular if issues arise in data processing. 
Would work daily in the imaging lab in the Anthropology building (due to software requirements, home-working is not possible). Opportunity to interact with postgraduate students. 

Project Number: SH9

Brian Houghton Hodgson, 1800-1894: Colonial Collecting in Nepal and Darjeeling

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Margot Finn
Email address of Supervisor: m.finn@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): The East India Company and Knowledge Systems: Exploring ZSL's Collections

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: This is a scoping project, growing out of a major monograph I am completing on the East India Company, from c. 1750s-1850s, and its impact on British society and culture. As I move from this book project (which focuses on EIC families) to a further project on the Company's impact on knowledge systems, I am keen to explore local, London natural history collections that have hitherto been little explored from this perspective. These include archival collections at the Linnean Society, the Natural History Museum and the London Zoo (ZSL). 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Brian Houghton Hodgson, 1800-1894: Colonial Collecting in Nepal and Darjeeling

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: In consultation with the library and archive staff at ZSL (who are enthusiastic about this potential project), this research would explore 6 manuscript volumes held at ZSL of Brian Hodgson's bird drawings and notes, as well as 2 further volumes concerning mammals and c. 148 pages of private correspondence. Hodgson, the EIC's Resident (diplomatic agent) in Nepal was a pioneering naturalist who left a rich, lavishly illustrated archive in which he described many species of birds and mammals. His research relied on collaboration with 'native' collectors and experts as well as on European systems of knowledge. This project would enable a student interested in colonialism and/or the history of science to investigate and provide a preliminary map of the cross-cultural production of knowledge in 19th-century South Asia and Britain.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): No additional outputs required.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Some knowledge of the history of colonialism
• Ability to take and organise accurate notes, using primary materials
• An ability to read English-language manuscript (that is, handwritten rather than typed) sources.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Minimum of weekly meetings with supervisor (twice weekly initially) plus minimum twice weekly attendance at ZSL archive (opposite Regent's Park, next to entrance to ZSL). 

Project Number: SH10

Sevillian Gold without a 'Golden Age'

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Dr Alison Wright
Email address of Supervisor: alison.wright@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Sevillian Gold without a 'Golden Age'

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: Using the Institute of Historical Research library, with its rich collection for medieval and early modern Spain, as well as research trip the project will develop some fundamental research aids for the mapping of histories of gold and the golden in the city of Seville in the period c. 1400-1520, so before and immediately after the conquests. Sevilla was a multi-cultural city, once the centre of Islamic al-Andalus, undergoing rapid social and religious changes. It was also a centre of artisanal trade and, crucially, an inland port, that channelled the arrival of gold in increasingly vast quantities extracted from 'New Spain'. The Scholar will be encouraged in their report to consider critically the legacy of this period in the experience of visitors to the city today. 

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Sevillian Gold without a 'Golden Age'

Summary of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Depending on their particular skills and interests, the Scholar will work in London libraries (esp. the IHR) and undertake a study visit to Seville to develop research resources, which could include:

• a bibliography of primary textual sources, or of more recent secondary literature relevant to movements of, and making with gold in Seville.  
• picture research for a file of historical images pertinent to the history of gold in Andalusia c. 1300-1520(eg. maps, printed images), 
• a trip to Seville will aim to deepen the above resources and (or) produce a photographic record of relevant sites, buildings, and works of art in situ. These will reflect the experience of golden surfaces in the modern city today. Training in all of the above will be provided.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster): Depending on their particular skills the Laidlaw Scholar will produce one or more of the research resources referred to in the project summary above.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Good reading knowledge of Spanish
• Interest in late medieval or early modern history and visual or material culture
• Ability to work collaboratively and think independently.

While knowledge of Seville is desirable, it is not required.

Details of Supervision Arrangements: We will meet  in person (or online when that is not possible) once every two weeks, with shorter check-ins as necessary in more intense periods of research. The Scholar/s will be able to use the office of the supervisor if required. Training in London will include joint visits to the main library resources and to museum collections 

Project Number: SH11

Cataloguing Medieval Manuscripts & Facsimiles

Supervisor Details

Name of Scholarship Project Supervisor: Jacopo Gnisci
Email address of Supervisor: j.gnisci@ucl.ac.uk

Project Details

Title of main project (the main project to which the Laidlaw Scholar's project will relate): Medieval Manuscripts in the Global Middle Ages

Brief Summary of Main Research Project: As part of my work on the Global Middle Ages through illuminated manuscripts I have been building up a small collection of ca. 25 medieval manuscripts, fragments and facsimiles, that needs to be catalogued for research and teaching purposes.

Title of Laidlaw Scholar’s Project: Cataloguing Medieval Manuscripts & Facsimiles

Brief Summary of Laidlaw Scholar's Project: As part of your role, you will be asked to produce, under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, a description of 20 medieval manuscripts & facsimiles in the History of Art department that will be circulated to improve collection accessibility for students and staff and to integrate these materials in teaching and formative/summative activities.

Outputs to be produced by the Scholar (in addition to a 2,000 – 3,000 word report and an A0 academic poster):

• Produce a handlist of objects in the collection for circulation within the history of art department.
• Produce a small database with picture samples of the objects.

Is the project expected to run over the standard period? Yes

Outline up to THREE essential skills which the scholar must have in order to undertake your project successfully: 

• Good organization skills
• Ability to use Excel
• Familiarity with medieval manuscripts

Details of Supervision Arrangements: Meetings in office and online on a regular basis