Progress in foundations
The Foundations section of the strategy set out our priorities to sustain excellence in Imperial’s core research and education mission with a particular focus on encouraging multidisciplinary research, and developing an educational experience embedded in Imperial’s vibrant, research-led and entrepreneurial environment.
Maintaining world-class academic disciplines
Under the leadership of Vice-Provost (Research) Professor Nick Jennings, Imperial has launched a raft of new Centres and Networks for Excellencein the past year to drive Imperial's multidisciplinary research, support new fields of research as they develop critical mass, and tackle major global and societal challenges in areas such as tissue regeneration, space science and nutrition.
To provide world-class facilities to support world-class research, the College has made significant capital investments including the purchase and refurbishment of the Dyson Building for Design Engineering, the new Molecular Sciences Research Hub at White City to be opened this year, and the Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Research Hub to be opened in 2019.
Imperial has laid the groundwork for the scientific leaders of the future by funding several cohorts of President’s PhD Scholars and Imperial College Research Fellows
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Thought for food
The Centre for Translational Nutrition and Food Research brings together world leading research teams across Imperial’s Faculties to respond to key emerging global challenges in Nutrition, Food and Health.
Quantum leap
Imperial’s Centre for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology (QUEST), unites the disciplines of physics, chemistry, computer science, materials and, increasingly, engineering, to push forward the boundaries of quantum technology – for example in quantum computing.
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Scholarly success
Dr Clementine Chambon, a former President’s PhD Scholar, has now secured EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship in the Department of Chemical Engineering. She also cofounded a successful start-up company, and was named as Chemistry World’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2018.
Future leaders
Dr Diego Oyarzún, Former Imperial College Research Fellow, now leads the Biomolecular Control Group at Imperial. He holds a Young Investigator Grant from the Human Frontier Science Program and in 2016 was appointed as Global Future Council Fellow by the World Economic Forum.
Creating a research-led education
Under the leadership of Professor Simone Buitendijk, Vice Provost (Education), Imperial last year launched its new Learning and Teaching Strategy. The Strategy builds on the many existing examples of innovative teaching at the College in order to make sure that Imperial’s teaching is just as innovative as its research. It also lays out the principles of an Imperial education – namely a world-leading, rigorous, evidence-based, inclusive educational experience embedded in a vibrant research environment.
In line with the overall College Strategy and Learning and Teaching Strategy, The Excellence Fund for Learning and Teaching Innovation was launched in 2017. Six different proposals were funded, with a primary focus on innovation in the use of technology enhanced learning and innovation in assessment and feedback.
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Geology transformed
Dr Emma Passmore and Dr Mike Streule teach undergraduate geology and are helping students look at ancient rocks in an entirely new light, with microscopy skills sessions, custom-made ‘how-to’ videos and prior microscopes and field trips, where students operate in pairs or small groups on geological mapping of areas up to eight square kilometres
Joined-up medicine
Head of Undergraduate Primary Care Teaching at Imperial, Dr Sonia Kumar is helping to prepare medical students to face the challenge of working as a qualified doctor – using a more a holistic approach where students spend more time with individual patients learning about their conditions, their needs and how they can be helped.