This CDT will train 70 future engineering leaders who will reduce the harms caused by noise and poor acoustics and forge a more positive-sounding future. This is an unprecedented collaboration for doctoral training in Acoustics between four universities and over 50 project partners including the Institute of Acoustics. The University of Salford is leading the CDT in Sustainable Sound Futures, which is a collaboration with the Universities of Sheffield, Bristol and Southampton, and over 50 project partners from industry, government and other stakeholders. Funding for the project will total around £19m.
The initiative has been strongly supported by the Institute. The President, Alistair Somerville, said:
“I see supporting research as a key element to a greater understanding of the sources, control and health and wellbeing impacts of sound, noise and vibration, resulting in a real impact and public benefit.”
He went on to say,
“I am of the view that establishing the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training will provide a much-needed focus for acoustics research and practice in the UK, and the platform critical to achieving this goal.”
Professor Trevor Cox, of the University of Salford, who will lead the project, said: “Earth is a Noisy Planet. Human activity means that from megacities to oceans, most places are infected with noise and tranquillity is disappearing. We have no “ear-lids”, and so our brains are constantly dealing with unwanted noise, which creates stress.
The extensive training will go far beyond what is normally available for standard PhDs in Acoustics. A mixture of week-long residentials, master classes, theme days and online training will develop technical skills for acoustics (simulation, measurement, machine learning, psychoacoustics, etc.) and key skills for research (project planning, entrepreneurship, public engagement, policy influencing, responsible innovation, etc.). Placements in industry or academic partners will play an important role in ensuring students learn about context and how to create impact. The learning outcomes of the training were co-created between academics and partners, to ensure the graduates have the skills, knowledge and understanding to create a more sustainable sound future for all.
The CDT will train 70 students over five cohorts starting from 2025. Students are fully funded with stipends and fees for four years. The cohort will include part-time PhD students for employees already in the acoustic industry.
The CDT is interested in new partners who want to get involved in training and funding PhD studentships. If you’re interested in studying in the CDT, please email and they’ll message you when the first positions are advertised.
Contact the Director Professor Trevor Cox at see-soundfutures
salford [dot] ac [dot] uk (see-soundfutures[at]salford[dot]ac[dot]uk).
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